Bird elite in a chicken coop or how to breed chickens Loman Brown
German chickens of the Loman Brown breed are the most productive layers. It is no coincidence that they are in special demand among experienced farmers and newcomers to the poultry field. Because of this, in industrial production and private farmsteads, a logical question arises - how to breed Loman Brown chickens?
History reference
Experiments by breeders in Germany and four basic breeds have produced such a unique result. Work began in 1959, and the first successful experiment was made by the specialists of the Lohmann Tierzucht company and presented at the exhibition in 1987. The task for the specialists was to breed poultry of high productivity, adapting to any conditions. German breeders did an excellent job and the Loman Brown laying hens saw the light. Keeping such a bird is really not burdensome, which, coupled with excellent egg production, is the ultimate dream of many farmers. These layers are characterized by high hardiness, unpretentiousness, cold resistance and productivity. In addition, they are autosexual, that is, the sex of the chick can be determined immediately after it is born. The males have a yellow color, and the chickens have a light brown color.
Since there are four chicken hybrids at the heart, there are many color variations. So Lohman Brown can vary greatly in color.
However, the two main types of plumage are more common in cockerels.:
- Golden-brownish shade interspersed with black.
- White with a reddish undertone.
Chickens often have reddish brown plumage. Already on the first day, you can determine the sex of the chickens by color. For those who want to have a Loman Brown, the breed characteristics will be very useful.
Chickens and cockerels of this breed have a knocked-down body, large wings, and a wide body. Chickens adapt easily to any conditions. It is this unpretentiousness that makes Loman Brown a popular variety. They are bred by private traders and appreciated in large poultry farms.
Pros and cons of the breed
Those who are engaged in poultry farming are interested in everything about Loman Brown chickens. It will be helpful to compare the breed's advantages and disadvantages.
So, the pluses include:
- Early maturity. Young chickens reach maturity at 135 days. By this time, many begin to lay eggs. And by the 160th day, the bird reaches the peak of egg-laying.
- The survival rate of chickens is practically maximum - 98%.
- These laying hens provide stable egg production with low maintenance costs.
- These birds are unpretentious and hardy.
- They have high hatchability of chicks on the basis of hatching eggs - 80%.
And there are much fewer cons:
- Short term intensive laying - 80 weeks. It is simply unprofitable to keep the birds longer and you have to renew the livestock.
- To renew the herd, it is necessary to purchase young animals or hatching eggs, since it is impossible to reproduce quality characteristics in a subsidiary farm.
Features of the content
Many aspects of poultry farming will be new to the budding farmer. However, keeping Loman Brown at home will not be a big problem.At the heart of everything is the diet and the feed of the bird itself. For greater absorption, do not give whole grains. You can diversify your diet by compound feed, fodder vegetables and wheat germ. In the summer, chickens need to be walked in an aviary or in an open area every day.
By nature, Lohman Brown are ideal, as they quickly become attached to their owners, calmly adapt to new conditions of detention. Aggressive specimens are rarely found in the herd, so a large number of birds does not burden.
How to feed Loman Brown chickens for greater productivity
First of all, these are laying hens, so it is important that the feed contains a large amount of protein and mineral supplements. It can be bone meal, chalk, gravel. Chickens will not lay well without these elements. There are cases when a poor diet led to the development of serious diseases.
If the chickens are kept in cages, then the feed must be dosed, otherwise obesity is not far off. One individual should consume no more than 100-115 g of dry compound feed daily.
You can conditionally determine the cost per chicken. She reaches the peak of egg production at about 18 weeks of life. During this time, the chicken consumes approximately 6.5 kg of feed. Another 43-45 kg will go away during the period of productive laying.
For Loman Brown chickens, feeding is a complex process, since many ingredients are allowed to be included, but a strict regime is observed.:
- In the warm season, chickens peck fresh grass, and in the cold, you can give dried herbs.
- In the morning, you can offer the bird a wet mash of broth, cereals, vegetables and herbs for food.
- In cold weather, the usual daily ration should be increased, since additional calories are needed for heat.
The morning walk begins at dawn, but feeding is not required yet. The first meal will be only three hours after getting up. In this case, feeding lasts about 40 minutes.
After breakfast, the feeders are cleaned to prevent the spread of bacteria.
Dinner is arranged around three in the afternoon The portion is plentiful - it should be enough for 1-1.5 unhurried consumption.
At about 9 pm, the birds must be driven into the chicken coop and the lights turned off. The coop is ventilated daily to prevent infections. System ventilation is installed in production.
What to do after the period of productivity
Nothing lasts forever, as well as the period of productive egg production in a chicken. How many years have Loman Brown chickens been laying? The search period lasts about 80 weeks or 1.5 years on average, and then keeping chickens becomes unprofitable. However, this bird is ideal for meat production. It is soft, tender, juicy, but this is provided that the chicken is not overexposed. You can determine the age of the chicken by the structure of the carcass. The hen pullet is slender and lean, and the aging laying hen stands out with rounded hips and a hanging tummy.
How to breed Loman Brown chickens for a tribe
As practice shows, breeding the breed at home is impossible. After all, this is a cross or a hybrid and the offspring of the chicks does not have maternal qualities. Most private owners buy hatching eggs or hatched chicks from suppliers in Germany. In Russia, many are interested in how to breed Loman Brown chickens. So when buying an egg, the average price is 20 rubles apiece.
When buying chickens, you need to pay attention to the bird's legs. The hocks should be light yellow.
The incubation egg, after purchase, is treated with a special solution and removed to the incubator for 21 days. After hatching, the chicks are sent to a brooder, where the temperature is reduced weekly by 2-3 degrees from +32 to +18.
For up to two weeks, the chicks are given starter feed, and then little by little low-fat cottage cheese, greens, carrots, and boiled fish are introduced into the diet.
When answering the question of how to breed Loman Brown chickens, it is important to mention the light regime. The first three days, the chickens are kept under a lamp around the clock, and after that, until the 10th day, the lighting is adjusted - 4 hours after 2. Then the standard lighting mode is set.
Too bright light in the hen house can provoke biting. This is a pathology in which strong individuals eat the feathers, meat and eggs of other layers.
The nuances of care
For the prevention of various infections of chickens, it is necessary to solder with a solution of potassium permanganate. In addition, the production is always vaccinated to protect the herd from coccidiosis, salmonellosis, mycoplasmosis and pasteurellosis.
Loman Brown chick care is part of the harmonious development of the young. In good conditions, chickens grow quickly, remaining calm and attached to the person.
To do this, you need to follow simple rules of hygiene in the chicken coop. In particular, the room must be periodically ventilated, since hydrogen sulfide and ammonia vapors are released from the droppings, which is harmful to the health of the layers.
Arrangement of a chicken coop
The room should be spacious. Ventilation should ideally be done, but often large windows are sufficient. Bird perches should be approximately 80 cm above the floor. Nest boxes are required, although layers do not hatch chickens. But this is a place of solitude for the bird, where it can lay an egg. The boxes should be located on the floor in secluded corners. 1 box is allocated for a couple of layers. Drinkers and feeders should be installed in such a way that birds can freely approach them from different directions. The length of the feed tape for this breed, according to the recommendations of specialists, is 15 cm. One nipple drinker is enough for 7-8 birds.
For walking to the poultry house, you can attach an aviary on the south side. It must be fenced around the perimeter with a net. This is not only the protection of the territory, but also the care of the birds. Loman can fly quite high, and a high hedge is a guarantee that the herd will not fly in different directions.
General cleaning should be done weekly to avoid dampness and the spread of bacteria. Once a month (or as needed) add a fresh layer of bedding over the old one. The litter should be completely replaced during the off-season. During this time, it is recommended to cover the floor and ceiling with lime to kill germs. To get rid of ectoparasites, an ash-and-sand bath is set up in the poultry house, where the birds "wash", shaking off their feathers.