Arbor Acres chickens - description, content, pros and cons of the breed, characteristics


History of the breed

Arbor Acres is the result of joint efforts and experiments of scientists from the USA, France and England.
The creators of the broiler were part of the HubbardIsa group of breeders. The result was more than successful. The bird was bred without the use of transgender technologies, which is its significant difference from breeds with similar characteristics. One of the main features is the impressive size of chickens, their high productivity and quality of meat. Chicken is classified as broiler meat. Dietary meat is absolutely safe for humans and is suitable even for baby food, and does not cause allergic reactions. This is due to the fact that no harmful technologies were used, and the hybrid was bred naturally. Before the creation of arbor acres, the leading positions in poultry farms were occupied by the Ros-308 and Cobb-500 breeds. However, the new broiler significantly oppressed them and became the main favorite of farmers and entrepreneurs, according to most reviews.

Owner reviews about the breed

Maxim, 35 years old, Nizhny Tagil. I tried to get broilers this year. I chose the Arbor Acres breed. The chickens grow simply rapidly, slaughtered at about 55-60 days. These five-kilogram “elephants” are so cute. Feeding: standard feed.

Farmers are reporting rapid growth in Arbor Acres broilers.

Elena, 48 years old, Kursk. I have been raising broilers for a long time, and I like crosses the most. There are no special problems with feed and maintenance, but we are provided with meat. The chicken tastes great. The whole family eats with pleasure.

The Arbor Acres broiler is one of the newest poultry breeds. Despite this, almost every farmer knows Arbor broilers. The breed has rapidly gained popularity all over the world and can be found in almost every poultry farm. British, American and French breeders worked on the creation of such a breed.

Hosta: description, types and varieties, planting in open ground and care, possible diseases (120+ Photos & Videos) + Reviews

Characteristics of the Arbor Acres broiler

Diseases, treatment and prevention

The advantages of the breed include its strong immunity and increased resistance to various diseases. Among the main ones are the following diseases:

Disease Symptoms Treatment/Prevention
TyphoidA dangerous disease in which birds experience a disorder of the digestive system. Usually chickens refuse to eat, they begin to have loose stools, and their body temperature rises. The birds look weak. If you do not isolate a sick individual in time, there is a risk of infecting the rest of the birds in the chicken coop - this disease is transmitted by airborne droplets. Antibiotics are used for treatment.
CoccidiosisA disease transmitted through parasites through direct contact. The bird suffers from diarrhea, it shows apathy, and its body temperature rises. To combat parasites, special medications are used - they are prescribed by a veterinarian. The medicine is given to birds along with food or drink.
PasteurellosisVery often, Redbro chickens are exposed to this disease. A farmer can tell that a bird is infected by decreased activity, increased body temperature, a change in the color of the comb and ears, and the appearance of mucous discharge from the sinuses. Birds are treated with drugs from the sulfonamide group. Along with treatment, the poultry house must be treated.
SalmonellosisIf vaccination is not carried out in a timely manner, the disease can destroy the entire livestock. When infected, birds become weak, refuse to eat, stop growing, and develop loose stools and swelling in the eye area.

Feeding

Manufacturers recommend feeding ROSS-308 with special food, but you can replace it with homemade food, provided that it is of the highest quality

This is especially true for young animals, because while the chickens are still very small, food is a prerequisite for their further growth. It is also important to ensure free access for birds to water and food. The feeder can be either floor-mounted or hanging

It must be made in such a way that the bird cannot get its paws into it, otherwise the chickens will litter the feed, and the volume of the feeder must be enough to fill the container with the daily food allowance for the entire flock.

Another important aspect is the accessibility of the feeder - it should be located so that all birds can easily get to food. A drinking bowl for broilers should be convenient not only for chickens, but also for poultry farmers. It is necessary that its filling be easy, or better yet, automatic from a tap, and the material from which it is made meets the requirements of strength and can withstand attacks from birds, because a damaged container will become a source of excess dampness.


In addition, the drinker should not oxidize when interacting with certain preparations for chickens; for this reason, it is better to choose a container made of durable plastic. The water in the drinking bowl must be clean and fresh. You need to make sure it doesn't bloom. To do this, it is best to use closed drinking bowls so that dirt does not get into them.

Chickens

The first days of feeding are very important and at the same time dangerous, since you need to carefully select the diet for the birds. Chickens should not be given juicy or wet foods, as they can be an excellent breeding ground for bacteria. Features of feeding are as follows:

  1. Chickens up to 5 days old can be fed fine oatmeal or millet. Sometimes it is allowed to give freshly boiled eggs.
  2. By the age of three days, the chicks can already be given fresh chopped greens, which must first be thoroughly washed. In addition, cottage cheese and sprouted barley can be added to the food. It is also necessary to add vitamins and minerals.
  3. Vegetables can be given from the 10th day of life. Carrots and potatoes are good choices as they are high in carbohydrates and minerals. In addition, these vegetables do not lose their properties even after cooking.
  4. Special mixtures for feeding broilers are mandatory from the 15th day of life. It is during this period that active gain of muscle mass begins, so birds need a nutritious diet. These special feeds contain all the substances necessary for rapid growth. Homemade grain mixtures are compiled with strict adherence to the combination of substances, observing the percentage ratio. Any deviations affect the rate of weight gain.

The peculiarity of broilers is that, quickly gaining weight, they need a sufficient amount of vitamins and minerals. All these features are taken into account in specialized feeds. For those who eat homemade formulas, it is necessary to introduce additional substances into the diet. On average, approximately 1.7–1.9 kg of feed is consumed per kilogram of bird weight.

Adults

The diet of adults ROSS-308 is quite different from the diet of children. Here, ready-made feeds will also come to the rescue, but only for adults, which contain the elements necessary to provide the chickens with important substances for laying eggs and improving the quality and taste of meat. Such feed requires approximately 150 g per day for one laying hen. But store-bought mixtures for these birds can also be replaced with homemade ones.

Cereal mixtures should include as much protein as possible, and 10% should be fats and carbohydrates. Particular advantage should be given to barley, corn, oats and wheat. It would be a good idea for adults to be given wet mixtures that will enrich the body with useful substances. You can also steam crushed grains with strong meat broth, where minerals, vegetables, and trimmings from fish or meat are added for greater benefit.

But it is worth remembering that all additives are added to already cooled porridge, otherwise they will lose their properties. It is customary to feed adult broilers at least three times a day. In the warm season, crosses are able to look for a herbal snack on their own, but this should not be a prerequisite for stopping the main feeding.

Description of the Arbor Acres broiler

Cross Arbor has only been around for a short time, and is one of the newest achievements of breeders. It is known that American, French and English breeders worked together on its creation. This is the case when, without the use of harmful transgenic technologies, humanity managed to create a truly gigantic bird with stunning growth rates.

In terms of its characteristics, this hybrid has surpassed other popular broiler chickens, so it has every chance to take a leading position in the next decade.

According to recent studies, the meat of these chickens is absolutely safe, and in terms of meat productivity they even surpassed the traditional choice of farmers - the Ros-308 and Cobb-500 crosses. This bird is classified as meat and broiler hybrids.

Appearance of Arbor Acres broilers and photographs

Arbor Acres is a large bird with strong bones. The comb has a leaf-shaped shape. The chest is wider than that of similar breeds, which means the yield of dietary meat will be greater. The legs and neck are short, the muscles of the thighs and legs are well developed. This makes the bird look somewhat squat and fleshy.

The plumage is white, dense to the touch. The skin is slightly yellowish. This is not due to the choice of certain feeds, but to the physiological characteristics of Arbors. Even if you completely remove yellow-colored foods from the diet, this will not have any effect on skin color.

Another feature of the breed is its heat-loving nature. Therefore, when keeping the birds, it is necessary to create the most comfortable microclimate for the birds. So, let's talk about the Arbor Acres breed: description, care, difficulties in growing.

Advantages of the breed compared to similar ones

Aykresy is a highly productive breed. With minimal feed consumption, the bird quickly gains weight. For example, a month-old chicken weighs 2 kg. After just one week, his weight increases by 1 kg. The weight of an adult bird can reach 6 kg. The advantages of the breed are also: good taste of meat, as well as the chickens’ pickiness to growing conditions. This is a consequence of treating eggs with a special disinfectant solution when laying them.

Arbor Acres broiler meat is low-calorie. It is rightfully considered dietary and hypoallergenic. It is ideal for children, elderly people, and allergy sufferers. At the same time, meat contains all the necessary nutrients. The meat yield is about 71%.

Growing Requirements

If you want to have a healthy cross-country population, then follow these rules:

  • chickens need a proper and thoughtful diet (see feed for broiler chickens),
  • warmth in the room,
  • impeccable cleanliness during maintenance.

With proper maintenance and care, you will provide yourself with healthy, tasty and low-calorie meat. In addition, the Arbors are real stereotype busters. Their meat is more tender and tastier than the notorious “rubber” legs.

How to properly organize feeding and maintenance

Farmers who breed chickens know that day-old chicks must be given a hard-boiled egg. Thus, adaptation to the environment occurs faster. With broilers the situation is fundamentally different. Trying to feed a boiled egg can lead to diarrhea or even death of the livestock. Therefore, in the first week of life, chickens are fed dry millet. For drinking, use a pink solution of potassium permanganate.

From the age of one week, the transfer of young animals to basic feed begins. In this case, Baytril (a disinfectant) is added to the water. A vitamin supplement, Triavit, is also used. The daily feed requirement for a week-old chicken is 15 g. There must be access to feed.

Now about what you should not feed broilers.

Here are the absolutely forbidden foods:

  • spoiled dishes,
  • boiled potatoes (they can only be given mixed with cereals),
  • bread (can lead to stomach obstruction),
  • fine sand (provokes clogging of the crop).

Broiler chickens do not need walking (walking reduces weight gain). You can keep birds in special cages or chicken coops built by yourself. 1 square meter of chicken coop can comfortably accommodate 10 or more chickens. In this case, care must be taken to ensure that the room is well ventilated.

The weight gain and quality of poultry meat depend on the quality of the feed.

Description and distinctive features

There are two main distinguishing features of these broiler chickens : their large, even gigantic size and yellowish skin tone. The second trait is congenital, whereas in other representatives of birds that are subsequently sold, it is created only artificially by feeding chickens with feed with pigments. Arbor Acres does not need such a nuance; the chicks are immediately born with a beautiful skin tone. Consumers are willing to pay dearly for this purely external characteristic - chicken carcasses are pleasant to look at.

Among the negative features, we should note the weak immunity of chickens and heat-loving behavior. During maintenance, careful attention is paid to the equipment of the poultry house. It must have a comfortable microclimate so that the chickens do not catch a cold or get sick. It is also necessary to regularly clean the cages and treat the premises from parasites. This particular breed does not tolerate dirt, so the owner must be extremely clean.

Appearance and physique

The Arbor Acres broiler is distinguished by its strong build, impressive size and squat figure. The plumage is snow-white, the feathers fit tightly to the body, the skin, as mentioned above, has a yellow tint. The comb is leaf-shaped, pinkish-red in color, like the earrings.

The neck and legs are short in relation to the body, the head is small. The eyes are small and bright orange. The breasts of chickens deserve a separate description. It is very wide, and for good reason. Thanks to this characteristic, it is possible to get more dietary meat from birds than from similar broilers.

Important! Weight indicators for roosters range from 5-6 kilograms. Chickens weigh less - about 4-5 kilograms, which is noticeable even from the photo.

Character

Chickens and roosters have a quiet disposition. They do not enter into conflicts, which makes it easy to place them with other livestock.

Why do strawberry leaves turn red? What to do if strawberry leaves turn red?

Farmers note that the birds are somewhat shy, but if you properly arrange the poultry house, choose a quiet place, and do not disturb the chickens unnecessarily, they will not worry or worry. Arbors are friendly towards people and follow their voices well.

Hatching instinct

The breed has no brooding instinct. The cross is not suitable for breeding offspring. Even if you take a risk and try to breed these large broiler beauties yourself, nothing will work.

The chickens will degenerate and will not retain the productive and external characteristics of their parents. Therefore, for breeding, you need to purchase new chicks from professional breeders or purchase eggs for incubation rearing.

Description of the breed

Arbor Acres chickens and roosters look practically no different from each other. The exception is sexual characteristics, a more rounded chest in chickens, more powerful thighs and legs in cockerels. General signs:

  • the head is small, the neck is short;
  • orange eyes;
  • the comb is leaf-shaped, pointed, pinkish-red;
  • lobes are small, pinkish-red;
  • earrings pinkish-red;
  • the body is large, well built due to strong bones;
  • the chest is wide;
  • the back is wide;
  • the plumage is sparse, white, dense;
  • The legs are short, with well-developed muscles of the legs and thighs, widely spaced.

Representatives of the cross have a genetically determined yellow skin tone, due to which the carcasses have an attractive appearance.

Chicks are born fluffy, and soon experience their first moult, as a result of which they acquire feathers.

Representatives of the cross have a peaceful disposition. They do not conflict with each other or with other inhabitants of the yard, this allows them to be kept in the same territory with other birds. However, poultry farmers note the timidity of birds, which can be avoided if the poultry house is properly equipped and placed in a quiet place.

Arbors are friendly towards people, quickly get used to their owner and respond to his voice.

A cross cannot reproduce independently while maintaining its parental characteristics. Chickens degenerate without inheriting their parental characteristics of appearance and productivity. For breeding, it is necessary to purchase hatching eggs or young animals.

Arbor Acres has no brooding instinct. The parent flock is kept only to produce hatching eggs. In autumn, chickens begin their seasonal molting. It is activated when the duration of daylight hours decreases and lasts 2-3 months. During this period, egg production drops significantly.

The survival rate of chickens is high, like most broiler breeds - up to 99% of the number of hatched chicks.

For breeding, it is most advisable to purchase day-old chicks.

Planned replacement of the herd when raised for meat - as it is slaughtered. At the same time, it is not economically feasible to keep birds for more than a year; their weight does not increase once they reach the average for an adult. The planned date for replacing the parent flock is in 1-2 years as the egg production of chickens decreases.

Advantages:

  • very fast weight gain;
  • marketability of carcasses;
  • excellent taste of meat;
  • low maintenance costs;
  • selection without the use of transgender technologies.

Flaws:

  • weak immunity;
  • difficulties in feeding young animals;
  • fairly low egg production;
  • the impossibility of breeding chickens with similar characteristics.

Puberty in crosses occurs rather slowly. Oviposition begins only at 7-8 months. In a year you can get up to 120 eggs from one chicken, so it is not advisable to keep these chickens to get eggs. The eggs are white, weighing no more than 55 grams.

Arborov meat is low-calorie, dietary, and can be consumed by children. Breast fillet is rich in nutrients. Even when reaching maximum weight, the meat remains tender and juicy. Classified as hypoallergenic. The meat yield from the total mass of poultry is up to 72%.

Individuals quickly gain weight and already at the age of 1 month weigh about 2 kg. The optimal age for slaughter is 2-3 months.

Productivity indicators

Arbor Acres is a meat breed. This determines its characteristics and productivity indicators - a high rate of weight gain combined with a low feed requirement, but low egg production.

Growth dynamics and weight gain

Arbor chickens grow extremely quickly. In some farms, individuals of one month of age are already used for industrial slaughter.

Broiler growth chart:

AgeWeight
1 Week1 kg
1 month2-3 kg
40 days3-4 kg
60 days4-5 kg
70 days5-6 kg

After 70 days, further raising of broilers becomes unprofitable. Birds experience a slight increase in weight, but this cannot compensate for the growing need for nutrients. The percentage of broiler weight attributable to meat is 78%.


Broiler productivity table.

Puberty and egg production

Roosters and hens reach sexual maturity at 8 months. Most livestock are slaughtered earlier. The female is capable of laying up to 120 eggs per year. The eggs produced by the broiler are small, weighing 55-60 g. They are covered with a dense and smooth white shell, painted white. About 75% of the eggs hatch into live chickens.

How were they brought out?

Broilers are a hybrid variety bred by crossing several breed lines. To obtain hybrids, meat and meat-egg directions are used. Broilers are not a breed at all, but a popular name for meat chickens. Birds are specially bred for their meat. The word "broiler" is translated as "fry", which means that chicken meat is suitable for frying over a fire.

Initially, in order to obtain hybrids, they took breeds of birds such as Cornish and White Plymouthrock. The Cornish were attracted as fathers, and the Plymouthrocks as hens. To breed new broiler chickens, breeds such as New Hampshire, Brahma, Betta Cornish, Langshan, and Jersey Black Giant are used.

The broilers obtained from crossing are distinguished by their developed meat forms, high weight, large breast and excellent taste characteristics of the meat. Broiler chickens grow quickly and gain weight. They eat the same amount as ordinary chickens. It takes 2-3 kilograms of dry food to raise a broiler for up to 2 months (before slaughter). At two months of age they weigh 2 kilograms or more; the weight of an adult chicken is almost 5 kilograms.

When producing chickens, special requirements are placed on the commercial quality of carcasses. The bird should not have dark feathers or dark skin. Parent breeds must have dominant, snow-white plumage and yellowish (pale) skin.

As a result of crossing, chickens with light (sometimes red) feathers are obtained. Hybrids have a large body, small head, and muscular legs. Birds have poorly developed combs and barbs. Chickens are sedentary and have a calm character.

Broilers are characterized by active gain of live weight. At 6-9 weeks of life, chickens are ready for slaughter. At this age, their weight is 2.45-3 kilograms. Broilers lay eggs well and produce about 120-180 eggs per year. However, all the positive qualities of their parents are not passed on to their offspring. Broiler chickens are bred only through selective crossbreeding.

What is a meat hybrid

In fact, broilers are not a breed at all. This term is used in livestock farming to refer to poultry (chickens, ducks, geese) and rabbits. It means a meat-oriented hybrid. A hybrid is created by crossing different breeds. To breed broiler crosses, both meat and egg parent forms are used.

At first, only Plymouthrock (maternal line) and Cornish (paternal line) were used. This practice was common from the 193s to the 1960s. Today scientists are using other breeds of chickens:

  • Jersey giant;
  • gate;
  • Cornish fighting;
  • new hampshire

The hybrid receives the best qualities from its ancestors. Chickens are actively developing and, as a rule, after 50 days of life they are ready for slaughter. There is only one big “BUT” - crosses are not able to pass on their outstanding characteristics by inheritance. They are not at all infertile, as many people mistakenly believe. It is possible to obtain offspring, but they will have unpredictable characteristics. Sometimes chickens are able to repeat record results, but most likely the time will be wasted.

The longer poultry farming develops, the better the result of selection. Modern versions of meat chickens not only grow quickly and gain weight, but also have strong immunity. After all, the infection destroys the entire livestock in a matter of days - and for a private owner this is a real tragedy. Therefore, there are no trifles in matters of animal health.

A typical meat chicken has a strong build, strong legs, and small wings. The color of the plumage is white, the skin is most often yellow or with a yellowish tint. Grown-up individuals have well-developed breasts, they do not have agility and egg production, but they quickly gain weight.

All about maintenance and cultivation

Characteristics of the parent stock

The main task of the patrimonial herd is a year-round and uniform supply of young animals.

When forming a flock, you need to take into account that one Hubbard rooster on average can cope with 10 hens.

On a large farm, it is necessary to divide the livestock into separate “families” of 33 to 40 chickens. This is done to prevent infections and avoid conflicts between roosters.

Features of caring for males

Unlike the unpretentious care of chickens, keeping roosters requires compliance with certain measures.

Due to the fact that the Hubbard species is selectively bred, in pursuit of the amount of meat produced, the reproductive rate of roosters has decreased. Therefore, proper care of males is the key to stable reproduction of the herd.

Roosters require careful monitoring of their health and careful protection from stress, to which they are very susceptible. They must be marked. To do this, an incision is made in the membrane of the left paw, pressing the spurs and cutting the claws on the two supporting toes of both paws.

Requirements for the chicken coop and yard

The requirements for the condition of the chicken coop and farmstead for Hubbard broilers are almost the same as for ordinary chickens. Except that the room should be larger and the size of the farmstead smaller, since the main task of broilers is to gain weight.

The sunny side is the best place to arrange a yard. The ideal proportion is 5 birds per 1 square meter.

Let's consider the requirements for the condition of the chicken coop.

The floor of the chicken coop must be covered with non-toxic material and sprinkled with sawdust, straw or hay. In temperate climates, the volume of flooring averages 2-5 kg ​​per 1 square meter.

The walls and floor are made of high-quality materials to prevent rodents from entering.

Lighting is provided from 16 to 18 hours. Wide windows with additional lights for the winter season are desirable.

Ventilation is carried out regularly. In stale air, Hubbard chickens can become sick and lose weight. Drafts are not allowed.

Diet and diet

Feeding Hubbard broilers requires complete nutrition, which can be easily provided by factory feed.

The basic diet should include barley, wheat, corn (ground), soybean meal, sunflower cake, meat and bone meal, pumpkin, fish meal, grass meal, yeast, chalk and milk powder. As well as fermented milk products, vitamins and minerals for intensive growth and weight gain of hens and chicks.

From 1 to 3 months, the composition of the feed remains virtually unchanged, only its quantity increases. Upon reaching 3 months, the chickens’ feed does not change.

The description of the Hubbard broiler breed states that they independently control their appetite: broilers do not eat more than they need.

Hubbard chickens are especially sensitive to the state of drinking water, so it is necessary to clean the drinking bowls and change the water daily.

Molting of birds and break in egg laying

The first moult, which is accompanied by the replacement of infant down with adult feathers, occurs during a period of intensive growth of chickens. Seasonal plumage replacement occurs only if the parent flock is kept for several months (for example, for further breeding).

The trigger for the onset of molting is shortening daylight hours. The change of feathers begins in the fall and continues for 2-3 months. The intensity of oviposition during this period decreases sharply.

The chances of encountering seasonal shedding when breeding meat hybrids are low, since broilers are slaughtered at 10-13 weeks of age.

Isa Hubbard: description, characteristics

Isa Hubbard broilers are meat and egg chickens that were obtained thanks to the long-term work of French breeders. They can be bred both on an industrial scale and on small home farms.

Breeders set the task of creating a bird with rapid weight gain and excellent egg production. In addition, they managed to achieve good resistance of this cross to unfavorable conditions.

Adult Isa Hubbard

The external characteristics of individuals are similar to other broiler breeds:

  • miniature head;
  • the comb is round, red;
  • the chest is massive, slightly wider in females;
  • long keel;
  • rounded hips and large paws;
  • yellow skin color;
  • white feather color.

Like other varieties of broilers, these chickens do not show aggression towards other individuals, even if the chicken coop is cramped. They get sick extremely rarely, so they are suitable for cultivation even by novice farmers.

Day old chick

They are mainly bred for meat. However, some poultry farmers raise broiler layers. Main characteristics of bird productivity:

  • the average weight of an individual 30 days old is 3 kg;
  • adult birds reach a weight of up to 7-8 kg;
  • Laying hens produce about 210 eggs per year;
  • the weight of each egg ranges from 63 to 70 g, the shell is light and durable;
  • The young begin to lay eggs at 6 months.

Table 1. Varieties of cross Isa Hubbard

ViewDescription
ClassicFast-growing individuals, suitable for keeping in any conditions.
FlexCharacterized by good survival rate and quality of finished products
H1Such birds are bred for heavy yield (more than 4 kg).
F15They consume a small amount of food while rapidly gaining weight.

Chickens are poisoned for slaughter at the age of 1.5-2 months. Since laying hens have average egg production, large poultry farms do not breed them for this purpose. Broilers have tasty and dietary meat. Even when the livestock is kept for a long time, it does not become tough or fibrous. The duration of egg production is 2 years, and then the rates decrease.

Couple Isa Hubbard with chickens

To breed broilers, a separate parent flock should be allocated and kept in another poultry house. It is necessary to select the largest and most active individuals. However, the brooding instinct in females is poorly developed, so the chicks are hatched in an incubator or with the help of another hen.

Nutrition and care

Proper feeding is the key to rapid growth of broilers. Otherwise, the birds eat the same amount of food as other chicken breeds. Each individual requires about 4.5 kg of food during the first month of life. You can purchase special feed or prepare the mixture yourself.

Broiler cages

For high productivity, their diet should contain the following food:

  • wheat;
  • barley;
  • corn;
  • sunflower cake;
  • bone flour;
  • feed yeast;
  • premixes.

Chickens should be fed up to 4 times a day. The main food is grain mixtures. In the warm season, they are given fresh greens and succulent food. In winter, it is recommended to introduce boiled potato tubers into their diet. Do not forget that birds can only be fed fresh food. During the winter months, it is recommended that individuals be given only heated food and water.

Feeding teenagers

They keep broilers even in cramped poultry houses, so the chickens gain weight faster. In large poultry farms they are placed in small cages. To increase their egg production, it is recommended to provide more spacious housing. And also for high productivity they need at least 15 hours of daylight. The optimal air humidity in the chicken coop is 70%.

Broiler chickens do not require high perches, and sometimes they are not even available in the house. Otherwise, large individuals may fall and receive a strong blow. The temperature for keeping broilers should not be lower than 19 degrees. Otherwise, the birds will quickly lose body weight. Therefore, in the winter season they may require heating. Constant changes in temperature should also be avoided, otherwise this will lead to diseases in young animals. The bedding must be replaced every 7 days to avoid the accumulation of dirt.

If possible, broilers should be allowed to go for a walk.

Diet of an adult herd

It’s also not worth experimenting with the diet of adult livestock. The main component of the daily diet of adult black whales is a balanced mixture of grain crops, meal and other additives - a combined feed for broilers.

To supplement and enrich the menu with vitamins and minerals, complex supplements and preparations, herbs and vegetables are used. But the presence of vegetables in the diet of adult livestock should be no more than 20% of the total volume, and also, experts do not recommend serving vegetables in their pure form - they are used to prepare porridges and mash.

The Tricolor breed of broiler chickens needs a special diet that is designed to meet the body’s needs. There are several basic rules for creating a menu for an adult herd. Let's look at them.

  • Grain mixtures for broilers include wheat, corn, oats, peas, rye, and barley. It’s easier to purchase ready-made combined food, but you can also create the mixture yourself using tables of the percentage of cereals. The only peculiarity of feed for broilers is that it contains a large amount of easily digestible protein necessary for the growth and maintenance of muscle mass.
  • Feathered beauties love homemade wet and dry mash, which can be prepared very easily. There is no single recipe - you can use available products. Crushed grain is used as a base and steamed with skim milk or boiling broth, but you can also use water. Vegetables are added, you can use small amounts of meat and bone or fish meal, as well as other goodies.

Rules for raising broilers

The principle of raising broiler breeds is somewhat different from the rules for keeping conventional chickens. The main difference is that meat breeds do not require much space, while laying hens need constant walking in the fresh air.

Broilers thrive in confined spaces, but the room for keeping them should always be warm and clean. Meat breeds do not respond well to temperature changes, so heating is required in cold times. For such purposes, you can use special lamps installed around the perimeter of the chicken coop. Also, the room is regularly ventilated, this is done during walks.

Arbor Acres broiler

Proper nutrition

The diet of broilers should be thought through from the first minutes of life. After the chickens hatch, they are fed with crushed hard-boiled chicken eggs.

Important! The diet of adult birds should not contain eggs at all. This can cause severe digestive upset with diarrhea, which will require a course of antibiotics to treat. From the second day, millet and crushed millet are introduced, and then greens are gradually added

The collection of greens is carried out every lazy day so that the birds receive a fresh, juicy product. After a week, meat breeds of chickens are transferred to dry food, the basis of which is nutritious compound feed. Birds must have water available 24/7. Birds are periodically given Baytrill (a disinfectant) and Triavit (a complex of vitamins). The drugs may be different, this is at the discretion of the owner; veterinary pharmacies have a large assortment

From the second day, millet and crushed millet are introduced, and then greens are gradually added. The collection of greens is carried out every lazy day so that the birds receive a fresh, juicy product. After a week, meat breeds of chickens are transferred to dry food, the basis of which is nutritious compound feed. Birds must have water available 24/7. Birds are periodically given Baytrill (a disinfectant) and Triavit (a complex of vitamins). The drugs may be different, this is at the discretion of the owner; veterinary pharmacies have a wide range.

For young animals, food consumption is 15 grams. for one chicken.

When feeding birds, it is important to remember that broilers should not be given:

  • fine sand;
  • pure potatoes;
  • any flour products, especially bread.

Chicken breeding

Chickens of this breed do not incubate eggs, so chicks can only be raised in an incubator. Caring for hatched chicks is quite easy. From the first days of life, they are strong and strong, quickly fledge and gain weight at lightning speed. Therefore, mortality among young animals is practically zero if you care for them properly and avoid force majeure situations.

Chickens need to be provided with the correct microclimate in the chicken coop. They are extremely thermophilic and cannot tolerate high humidity, and therefore careful monitoring of these indicators is necessary. In winter, heating is required. In addition, you need to regularly ventilate the room and prevent the accumulation of dirt.

Laying hens of this breed need to be walked outdoors periodically.

Feeding Arbor Acres chickens

The digestive system of chickens has a special structure, so they cannot be fed natural food. Chicks react to it with an upset stomach, and weak individuals may even die.

Feeding rules:

  • from the 1st to the 5th day of life, chickens need to be given specialized prestarter feed;
  • chicks, whose age ranges from 6 days to 1 month, are fed starter feed;
  • chickens older than 1 month are given nutritious finishing feed;
  • from the 3rd month of life, fertilizing from greens or (in its absence) grass meal is gradually introduced into the diet;
  • the diet of 3-day-old chickens should also contain antibacterial additives (for example, Baytril) to strengthen the immune system;
  • in the 2nd week of life, broilers are given a Baycox solution;
  • at the same time, additives with a high calcium content (crushed shells, eggshells, chalk chips) must be introduced into the diet - they are added at a rate of 1 g per 1 kg of feed;
  • Additionally, you can feed growing birds with vitamin complexes and supplements (for example, fish oil).


To feed young animals, it is better to choose specialized feed and vitamin complexes.
Like adult hens, chicks must have constant access to feed and clean drinking water. Their initial daily diet is 15 g of food per individual and gradually increases.

Guide to raising parent stock

Arbor Acres Growing Technology

Advantages and disadvantages of the breed

The Arbor Acres breed is considered one of the best for producing meat.

Its advantages:

  • rapid weight gain starting from the first weeks of the chick’s life;
  • ease of cultivation;
  • a yellowish tint to the skin, which gives the meat a better presentation;
  • low requirements for the amount of feed;
  • low maintenance costs;
  • calm, quiet nature of birds;
  • low losses of young animals;
  • high percentage of meat from the carcass;
  • no need to purchase new birds for breeding;
  • high-quality dietary meat (soft, tender, hypoallergenic and rich in vitamins).

Disadvantages of the breed:

  • weak immunity and vulnerability to disease, which entails the need for antibacterial bait and constant disinfection of the chicken coop for raising birds;
  • thermophilic (heating of the poultry house is required in winter);
  • high requirements for feed quality (the diet affects not only the well-being of the broiler, but also the quality of the meat);
  • low egg production rates;
  • fearfulness, susceptibility to stress;
  • a strong decrease in the rate of weight gain during free range;
  • inability to breed birds on your own.

The advantages of arbors make them one of the most profitable breeds for industrial cultivation. Owners of private farms who breed birds for their own use prefer less whimsical and demanding varieties.

Feeding

The diet must be designed to meet all the needs of a rapidly growing body.

Chickens of the Arbor Acres breed require a special approach and consideration of a number of features:

  1. It is unacceptable to give boiled eggs, bread and boiled potatoes, which are mandatory for all other breeds. These products cause severe digestive upset and may even lead to the death of chickens.
  2. In the first days, the chicks are given dry millet or pre-start feed, and a very pale solution of potassium permanganate or water with disinfectants (for example, Baytril) is given for drinking.
  3. Starting from 7 days of age, starter feed (15 grams for each chick) and vitamin supplements are introduced into the diet.
  4. Access to clean drinking water is required.
  5. As they grow, the diet is enriched with herbs and fresh vegetables.
  6. Access to food should be constant, this ensures stable weight gain.

The diet of adults consists almost entirely (80%) of specialized finishing feed. The bird is transferred to it when it reaches one month of age. Grain mixtures (corn-millet-barley), boiled vegetables, and crushed egg shells are added to it.

To achieve the target weight indicators, 6 kg of feed per individual is required.

  • Stern
  • Recipes
  • Supplements

Compound feed pk-1

Description of food for egg breeds. Instructions for feeding laying hens Read

Compound feed pk-2 and pk-3

Mineral and vitamin compositions, feeding standards Read

Compound feed pk-4

Used to feed laying hens aged 15-17 weeks Read

Compound feed pk-5

Composition and instructions for feeding broiler chickens Read

Purina Pro

Important differences from the previous line, application patterns Start, Growth, Finish Read

Germination and steaming of barley and wheat for chickens: how to do it correctly and how to give it to laying hens

Wheat for broilers

Rules for feeding broiler chickens with wheat. Dosage for chickens from the second day of life and adult birds Read

Mash

Making mash for broilers at home Read

Rice and buckwheat

How and in what form you can use rice and buckwheat to feed chickens. Standards for adult birds and chickens Read

Bread

What kind of bread can you feed chickens and how to do it correctly Read

Fish

The product is given in limited quantities: overfeeding can cause serious harm to the bird Read

Chalk

Chalk as a food additive for chicken feed. Feeding standards for chickens, young animals and laying hens Read

Meat and bone meal

Meat and bone meal is a mandatory additive for feeding chickens, containing protein and fats of animal origin Read

Fish fat

How to give fish oil to chickens, layers and broilers. What are the benefits of the drug and are there any contraindications Read

Limestone

Limestone (dolomite) flour in the diet of chickens. Advantage over chalk and feed shell Read

Salt

Daily dosage of salt for adult birds and young animals and cases of unwanted use Read

Growing rules

Here are a few rules on how to raise healthy and strong broilers:

  • Carefully create a diet: it should contain all vitamins, positive substances, calcium, magnesium. The easiest way is to buy chicken feed: it will contain everything the bird needs.
  • The chicken coop should always be warm, especially in winter.
  • Ideal cleanliness and sterility in the place of detention.

If you follow all the rules for feeding and care, you can achieve a 100% guarantee of obtaining tasty and soft meat. The Arbor species is considered a destroyer of meat stereotypes because this meat is always soft.

Incubation

brooding instinct in Arbor Acres chickens . Young broilers are purchased at one day old or hatched from eggs using an incubator.

Breeding a new generation at home is ineffective. The resulting chickens do not always inherit the genetic characteristics of their parents, so the stock quickly degenerates. To get large and strong representatives of the cross, you need to regularly purchase eggs or chickens. This is one of the main disadvantages of the cross.

Breeds and crosses of chickens

Cross Cobb

The main task that breeders faced when breeding the Cobb 500 cross was low feed costs per kilogram of meat. Birds are profitable to keep. Cobb 500 broilers have yellow skin, so it is best not to feed them food with excess yellow pigment. Chickens of this cross have snow-white plumage. Chickens grow quickly, in the first two months of life they reach a weight of 3600 grams, with a slaughter weight of 40 days - 2500 grams.


Cross Cobb 500 - chicken and rooster

Cobb 500 is highly adaptable to the conditions of detention. Breeders praise chickens without noting visible flaws.

The advantages include:

  • high survival rate of young animals;
  • large size birds;
  • low cost of meat.

Cross Ross 708

Broilers Ross 708 are an improved version of the popular cross Ross 500. Chickens of this cross are similar in appearance to the Cobb breed and are sometimes difficult to distinguish for a non-professional breeder. Ross 708 chickens with adequate nutrition at the age of one month can weigh three kilograms. Chickens have a high survival rate and easily adapt to new housing and feeding conditions.

Yaroslavl cross

The Yaroslavl broiler breed was bred in 1982 in the Yaroslavl region and is raised at the poultry farm of the same name. The poultry farm is engaged in the complete production process, from receiving eggs to the output of finished meat products. The Yaroslavl broiler is unpretentious to the conditions of detention, is characterized by early maturity, quickly gains weight and maintains weight well even on meager feed. Yaroslavl broiler is bred only in poultry farms - it is almost impossible to obtain purebred birds on a private farmstead. Yaroslavl broiler is distinguished by the excellent taste of meat.


Yaroslavl cross at 1 month

Sayan cross

Sayan broiler has been raised at the Sayan poultry farm for the past few years. The Sayan broiler was bred using Arbor Acres and Hubbard F-15 cross chickens. The Sayan broiler has excellent health, and the chickens give a good daily increase in body weight, which reaches 60 grams. The Sayan broiler does not require specific housing conditions, is an unpretentious bird, but is bred only in a poultry farm.

Sayan cross - squat chickens

Cross Ross 308

Broilers Ross 308 are a unique breed. With proper nutrition, the chick gains up to 55 grams of weight per day. Chickens gain a slaughter weight of 2.5 kg by 6-9 weeks of life. The annual egg production of chickens is 180 eggs. Ross 308 broilers have good muscle mass, low stature, clean white plumage and light, delicate skin.

Isa and Hubbard crosses

Crosses Hubbard Flex and Hubbard F-15 have another name: Iza Flex. The Hubbard broiler is a meat-and-egg type. Chickens easily adapt to a wide variety of living conditions and are not picky about feed. The Isa broiler was bred for industrial breeding. The chickens are medium-sized, with yellowish skin and white plumage, a wide chest, and a muscular body. At two months, the weight of the chicken reaches 2.7 kg, the rooster weighs about 3.2 kg. According to poultry farmers, poultry meat and eggs have a delicate, rich taste.


Broilers isa hubbard free-range

Cross Arbor

Arbor Acres chickens have dietary meat.

The birds have strong bones, yellowish skin, and white feathers and down. Chickens with well-developed muscles in the thighs and legs, legs and neck of medium size. The chickens look compact and meaty. Arbors quickly gain weight and are not picky about feed and living conditions. The weight of a chicken at 6 weeks reaches 3 kg.


Arbor Acres chickens

Advantages and disadvantages

Each branch of agriculture has its own advantages and disadvantages, the same applies to broiler farming. You can familiarize yourself with the characteristics of meat chickens in the following table.

Pros and cons of broilers

Positive traitsNegative qualities
High productivity indicator: by day 42 the bird gains weight of 2 - 2.5 kg, after 50 days the weight of chickens is about 3 kg, and for roosters about 5 kgThe bird needs a constant supply of food
Most breeds are undemanding to living conditionsIt is necessary to carefully choose food for broilers, otherwise there is a high risk of death of chickens and the development of certain diseases
High percentage of livestock survival 94 – 98%It is necessary to constantly monitor the temperature in the bird room and humidity levels
It is possible to obtain large amounts of meat from the chest area and limbsPurchase of incubation material or young stock to renew the herd
The products are in good demand among customersThe bird must regularly receive drinking water at the required temperature.
Good ratio between the cost of feed and the resulting product

Raising Arbor Icress Broilers

When raising meat breeds, including Arbor Acres broiler, you should use the basic recommendations of the creators and sellers of chicks, and also listen to the advice of experienced poultry farmers who have already encountered birds of this species in their practice:

The chicken coop where Arbor Icress representatives live should always be warm. To maintain health, it is necessary to maintain cleanliness and order in the place of residence.

It is important to properly plan the bird’s diet, since the rate of weight gain largely depends on this. Daily food should contain all useful substances and components

It is best to use ready-made feed for feeding meat breeds of chickens. To minimize the likelihood of bird death, soldering is introduced from the first days of life. It consists of the sequential inclusion of antibiotics and vitamin complexes in food

To obtain the maximum amount of meat, it is important to organize walks correctly. Arbor Acres broilers are not allowed to free-range because they lose a lot of weight

But they need walks in the fresh air so that the birds do not become overgrown with fat. It is best to walk them no more than 2-3 hours a day in spacious cages. For 10 individuals, 1 square meter is enough. If there are a lot of broilers raised in different cages, then it is better to sort them by weight. It is preferable to keep representatives of the same weight category in one, so that larger birds do not trample or peck small ones. If there is a large difference in mass between neighbors in the cage, then the stronger ones may not allow the weaker ones to eat fully.

Raising Arbor Icress Broilers

Important! If you follow the nutritional rules and provide comfortable living conditions, you can be 100% sure that the result will be tasty, healthy meat. To answer the question of which meat breed to choose for your farm, it is important to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of different representatives. To obtain tasty dietary meat, you can, without hesitation, purchase Arbor Aycress broilers

Reviews about them are only positive. Representatives of the breed do not require particularly complex care; the main thing is to provide warmth, comfort and proper nutrition

To obtain tasty dietary meat, you can, without hesitation, purchase Arbor Aycress broilers. Reviews about them are only positive. Representatives of the breed do not require particularly complex care; the main thing is to provide warmth, comfort and proper nutrition

To answer the question of which meat breed to choose for your farm, it is important to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of different representatives. To obtain tasty dietary meat, you can, without hesitation, purchase Arbor Aycress broilers. Reviews about them are only positive

Representatives of the breed do not require particularly complex care; the main thing is to provide warmth, comfort and proper nutrition

Reviews about them are only positive. Representatives of the breed do not require particularly complex care; the main thing is to provide warmth, comfort and proper nutrition.

7ogorod.ru

Content Features

Broilers need comfortable living conditions, which directly affect the health and normal development of the bird.

In a chicken coop with a walk

When keeping broilers in a chicken coop, take care of the cleanliness of the room, clean it regularly, change the bedding to dry and clean. Initially, the chicken coop is cleaned, during which droppings, feathers, food debris, and wet and dirty litter are removed.

Important! For washing, you cannot use ordinary household chemicals that you use to wash surfaces in the house, since many products are toxic to poultry and have a very bad effect on the health of chickens. Cleaning is done with a stiff brush, which is passed over the floor, perches and other surfaces, and all garbage is removed from the chicken coop.

Every month it is recommended to wash the chicken coop with disinfectants.

Cleaning is done with a stiff brush, which is passed over the floor, perches and other surfaces, and all garbage is removed from the chicken coop. Every month it is recommended to wash the chicken coop with disinfectants.

Learn how to properly disinfect your chicken coop.

Popular means for disinfecting chicken coops are “Monclavit”, “Bactericide”, “Virocide”. They are used in accordance with the recommendations on the packaging.


Timely disinfection of the chicken coop helps protect chickens from viruses and bacteria that develop in dirty litter with droppings due to high humidity and a warm environment.

The best materials for bedding are pine shavings and sawdust. Chopped straw and hay are also popular bedding, but it is worth noting that such material provokes the development of mold - to avoid the problem, it is mixed with wood shavings 50 to 50. Thanks to such bedding, the floor in the chicken coop will be dry for a long time, which will complicate the development of bacteria and fungi.

The optimal temperature in the chicken coop is considered to be no less than +22°C and no more than +28°C, air humidity is 70%.

The room where broilers are kept must be well ventilated using basic forced ventilation so that harmful gases released from the droppings evaporate in time and the chicken coop is filled with fresh air. Ventilation also helps minimize the risk of the spread of viruses and infections inside the chicken coop.

It is not necessary to equip a walking area near the chicken coop: broilers are low-active birds, in addition, there is a tendency to lose weight or slow down weight gain if broilers have a lot of free space.

In cells

Keeping broilers in cages is very convenient; it saves space and energy (due to reduced costs for ventilation, lighting and heating), and also reduces the amount of feed consumed, since chickens scatter less feed.

Limited movement allows for active mass growth. Keeping them in a cage also allows for easier care and cleaning.

In order for chickens in cages to feel comfortable, one cage measuring 1 square meter. m. you can plant no more than 10 individuals, with the expectation that they will quickly gain weight and fill the previously free space.


If groove feeding is provided, then 2.5 cm feeders are allocated for each individual: in this way, the required size of feeders for installation in the cage is calculated.

The air temperature in the cage should be at +18°C when the birds reach 2 months of age; before that, the temperature is maintained at +24°C. The optimal humidity is 60%; due to the large holes in the cages, good ventilation is maintained.

Did you know? The largest representative of chickens in the world is considered to be a rooster of the Rooster Corbun breed, who lived in Great Britain and was listed in the Guinness Book of Records in 1992: his weight was 11 kg with a height of 91 cm.

Broilers grow in cages in approximately 70 days, which is the optimal age for slaughter. After 70 days, chickens' growth slows down significantly with the same active feed consumption.


Thus, keeping Arbor Acres broilers in a household is not difficult; the main thing is to provide the birds with the necessary conditions and high-quality feed in order to obtain high-quality and tasty meat as a result.

Breeds and crosses of chickens

Cross Cobb

The main task that breeders faced when breeding the Cobb 500 cross was low feed costs per kilogram of meat. Birds are profitable to keep. Cobb 500 broilers have yellow skin, so it is best not to feed them food with excess yellow pigment. Chickens of this cross have snow-white plumage. Chickens grow quickly, in the first two months of life they reach a weight of 3600 grams, with a slaughter weight of 40 days - 2500 grams.


Cross Cobb 500 - chicken and rooster

Cobb 500 is highly adaptable to the conditions of detention. Breeders praise chickens without noting visible flaws.

The advantages include:

  • high survival rate of young animals;
  • large size birds;
  • low cost of meat.

Cross Ross 708

Broilers Ross 708 are an improved version of the popular cross Ross 500. Chickens of this cross are similar in appearance to the Cobb breed and are sometimes difficult to distinguish for a non-professional breeder. Ross 708 chickens with adequate nutrition at the age of one month can weigh three kilograms. Chickens have a high survival rate and easily adapt to new housing and feeding conditions.

Yaroslavl cross

The Yaroslavl broiler breed was bred in 1982 in the Yaroslavl region and is raised at the poultry farm of the same name. The poultry farm is engaged in the complete production process, from receiving eggs to the output of finished meat products. The Yaroslavl broiler is unpretentious to the conditions of detention, is characterized by early maturity, quickly gains weight and maintains weight well even on meager feed. Yaroslavl broiler is bred only in poultry farms - it is almost impossible to obtain purebred birds on a private farmstead. Yaroslavl broiler is distinguished by the excellent taste of meat.


Yaroslavl cross at 1 month

Sayan cross

Sayan broiler has been raised at the Sayan poultry farm for the past few years. The Sayan broiler was bred using Arbor Acres and Hubbard F-15 cross chickens. The Sayan broiler has excellent health, and the chickens give a good daily increase in body weight, which reaches 60 grams. The Sayan broiler does not require specific housing conditions, is an unpretentious bird, but is bred only in a poultry farm.

Sayan cross - squat chickens

Cross Ross 308

Broilers Ross 308 are a unique breed. With proper nutrition, the chick gains up to 55 grams of weight per day. Chickens gain a slaughter weight of 2.5 kg by 6-9 weeks of life. The annual egg production of chickens is 180 eggs. Ross 308 broilers have good muscle mass, low stature, clean white plumage and light, delicate skin.

Isa and Hubbard crosses

Crosses Hubbard Flex and Hubbard F-15 have another name: Iza Flex. The Hubbard broiler is a meat-and-egg type. Chickens easily adapt to a wide variety of living conditions and are not picky about feed. The Isa broiler was bred for industrial breeding. The chickens are medium-sized, with yellowish skin and white plumage, a wide chest, and a muscular body. At two months, the weight of the chicken reaches 2.7 kg, the rooster weighs about 3.2 kg. According to poultry farmers, poultry meat and eggs have a delicate, rich taste.


Broilers isa hubbard free-range

Incubation

The cross breeds well in the incubator. The procedure for selecting eggs is standard; before laying, disinfection with special solutions is mandatory. This guarantees high survival rate of chicks and strong immunity.

Table of temperature and humidity modes

Period
Rating
( 1 rating, average 4 out of 5 )
Did you like the article? Share with friends:
For any suggestions regarding the site: [email protected]
Для любых предложений по сайту: [email protected]