Description of the Cobb-700 broiler breed and characteristics

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Cobb 700 chickens can be released for slaughter as early as 1.5 months. Feed conversion when grown on private farms and poultry farms is low, with an average consumption of 1.8-2 kg. This cross is a more productive version of the Cobb 500. It is characterized by fast growth rates and high quality meat.

What breed?

Cobb - 700 are broilers bred specifically for meat production. They have optimal characteristics for muscle growth. An adult can reach 1.5 kg in just 1.5 months.

Cobb-700 chicken

In Russia, Cobb-700 is widely used. They have many advantages and few disadvantages, so if you are planning to start raising broilers for meat, take a close look at this breed.

The Cobb-700 broiler breed has won the trust of farmers in Russia due to its advantageous characteristics:

• she has one of the highest rates of weight gain;
• she is not fussy about care;
• good immunity of chickens protects them from infections and diseases;
• chickens of the Arbor Acres breed have high egg production rates;
• They are not picky about food, they eat what is offered to them.

Disadvantages of cross

Like any other breed, the COBB-700 has its drawbacks, which the poultry farmer must be aware of in order to more competently plan the maintenance of broilers. The disadvantages of KOBB-700 include:

• low egg production rates.
  It should be remembered that raising broilers is focused primarily on obtaining quality meat. Therefore, high egg production was not genetically determined and was not reflected in the laying hens of this cross (like most others). On average, you will receive two eggs per week from one female. This circumstance makes breeding broilers for the purpose of producing eggs not the most profitable idea; Egg production indicators are not the strong point of KOBB-700 chickens
• tendency towards cannibalism. Let’s make a reservation right away - such an unpleasant phenomenon as cannibalism appears only in those broilers that have been kept in improper conditions for a long time. Eating their relatives becomes a way of survival for them, because to avoid such sad consequences, it is enough to provide the birds with minimal care;
• unexpressed maternal instinct.
  The females of this cross are not designed for hatching and raising young animals, therefore breeding representatives of KOBB-700 in the traditional way is impossible. KOBB-700 broilers are not suitable for natural breeding

Description of the breed

On the Internet you can find a standard description of the Cobb-700 broiler breed.

The Cobb Broiler - 700 is a large and muscular bird. If her predecessor Cobb - 500 had muscular and large thighs, then representatives of this breed focus on the chest. It is large and prominent in these birds.

Broiler chickens Cobb-700

Arbor Acres broilers grow from yellow chicks to white chickens with bright red beaks. Their legs are long and massive, yellow in color.

The carcass itself, when plucked, has a yellowish tint, so appreciated by the consumer. This color of a bird’s skin does not depend on the substances it consumes in food and is transmitted genetically.

Features of care

Despite all its advantages and low maintenance requirements, Arbor Acres must be monitored.

The first stage of adaptation of chicks to new living conditions is very important. When moving to a new place of residence, chicks experience stress and may get sick. Therefore, when small broilers are moved into an incubator, like all other breeds, a natural population decline may occur.

Eggs in the incubator

If you are an experienced farmer, you can try raising Arbor Acres chicks yourself. This way you will avoid livestock losses from transporting Cobb babies - 700.

For the first 10-15 days, Cobb chicks - 700 must be kept in an incubator. They require a constant air temperature of at least 30 degrees Celsius. In the future, it can be lowered, but not sharper than 2 degrees per day. Adult birds are allowed to be kept at temperatures above 15 degrees Celsius.

Keeping chickens in an incubator

In the incubator, the chicks must have constant access to drink and food.

Adults do not require free range; birds of the Arbor Acres breed can be kept in individual cages at all times.

On the Internet you can find a lot of video and photo materials, tips and descriptions for caring for Cobb broilers - 700 in Russia.

Reviews

According to farmers, the main advantages of the breed include:

• heavy weight;
• pleasant-tasting meat;
• rapid development of young animals;
• high percentage of chick survival;
• can be grown at home;
• undemanding to care.

The main disadvantage of cross-breeding is the need to purchase eggs for breeding.

External features and physique

Broiler chickens are distinguished by their massive body, their chest is especially wide. The Cobb has a strong, long neck, straight back, and a short, curled tail.

The straight comb, earrings and leathery area around the eyes are bright red, the eyes are yellow, the beak is strong, slightly curved. Chickens have yellow plumage, which becomes snow-white as they grow. The inclusion of other colors in the color is a reason for rejecting the individual.

Productivity

The productivity of the breed is assessed in two areas: meat and eggs. The Cobb-700 is considered to be primarily used for meat production, but crosses are also quite capable of egg production.

Early ripening and taste of meat

At the age of one and a half months, broilers can be slaughtered; their weight at this point is 2.5 kg for females, 3 kg for roosters. Experienced breeders prefer to wait for the peak of weight gain, which occurs at the age of 2.5 months: the weight of a rooster at this time is from 5 kg, a chicken from 4 kg. The following taste characteristics of the meat are noted: juicy, soft, with a pleasant yellow skin color.

Egg production

Sexual maturity of females occurs at the age of six months. The average weight of the first eggs is 52 grams, later, as the chicken grows older, the egg reaches 70 grams of weight.

The productivity of a laying hen lasts up to two years, for this purpose it is transferred to grain nutrition. The hen will lay eggs approximately once every three to four days.

Egg incubation

Eggs from Cobb parents will not produce offspring with the same characteristics since the breed is a hybrid. For breeding, eggs are taken from poultry farms and hatched in an incubator: chickens do not have maternal instinct, it makes no sense to lay eggs.

Purchased from serious producers, certified eggs have already passed all stages of rejection, each has a quality seal on the shell. In front of the incubator, the material is placed in a kind of storage room with a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius.

Then they are placed in an incubator where the air temperature is 37 degrees. Subsequent stages are carried out in accordance with the operating conditions of the incubation device model. You need to carefully monitor the parameters and turn the eggs.

Video: incubating chicken eggs After hatching, the babies are given time to dry at a temperature of 33-35 degrees, then sent to an equipped box for further maintenance. The temperature of the content is reduced as it grows.

Where to start: eggs or young animals

Considering all the features of the Cobb 500 breed, it will not be possible to breed broilers with outstanding characteristics on your own. Anyone who wants to get offspring from broilers will be disappointed, because they do not pass on their characteristics to their offspring. Children of Czech crosses will look like their grandparents, those who were involved in creating the hybrid.

Therefore, broilers have to be purchased in two ways: in the form of hatching eggs or young stock. The choice is influenced by the desire and capabilities of the owners. Cobb chickens should be purchased from trusted sellers; They can easily be transported and adapt well to new conditions.

Many owners prefer to buy day-old chicks, since their quality and health can be clearly assessed. If the breeder violated the incubation regime, this will affect the quality of the chickens. Healthy babies have clean and fluffy down, their navels are clean and closed; They are active, in search of food, and squeak quietly.

Chickens need warmth Source ytimg.com

Eggs are cheaper, especially if you buy them in bulk from a poultry farm. It’s worth raising Cobb 500 chickens yourself if you have a quality incubator; in this case, up to 85-90% of the chickens will hatch from the laid eggs. A foam incubator is not suitable unless you like the lottery: it is very easy to overheat the eggs in it, and this leads to the death of the embryos, even if the overheating is minimal.

The eggs are kept in the incubator for 21 days, maintaining a temperature of +37-38°C. Moderate humidity and ventilation are important, but without air cooling and drafts. Under such conditions, the eggs are held horizontally or with the blunt end up. After hatching, the young animals are provided with the following conditions:

• The first two weeks. 24-hour (non-dazzling) lighting and an air temperature of +30 °C are required.
• Starting from the 15th day, daylight hours are set at 18 hours, and the temperature is gradually reduced.

Grown-up young animals are prepared for standard conditions Source vkurse.kz

Feeding ration

To breed broilers, you should purchase commercial feed designed specifically for the needs and characteristics of meat breeds. To feed without feed, you need special knowledge, special additives, mixes, and calculation of the balance of all nutrients.

Industrial feed for broilers is given according to the following scheme:

• up to ten days - starting;
• up to 22 days - growth;
• before slaughter - final.

agronomu.com

History of origin

Cobb 700 cross broilers are a hybrid breed resulting from crossing chickens that are similar in genetic code.

By crossing Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Plymouth Rock, Cornish and Kuchin Jubilee birds, workers obtained a unique breed. They also bred Cobb 500 and Cobb Sasso.

Culling chicks with deviations in appearance led to the emergence of the purest breed. It is bred not only in Europe, but also in Russia. Like every hybrid, the Cobbs have always had difficulty coping with procreation.

Things to take care of

For new farmers, raising 700 Cobbs may seem like a daunting task. To always act correctly, it is necessary to effectively use the experience of other poultry farmers who have obtained good growth and productivity indicators for their livestock. Some of these reviews concern food.

Some farmers recommend mixing feed with greens, which are an additional source of nutrients. Other poultry farmers prefer not to deviate from the recommended standards and pay more attention and time to the cleanliness of the cages. Everyone agrees on only one thing: if you want to purchase seven hundred cobbs, you first need to install an incubator, which will help not only raise healthy chickens, but also maintain the number of chickens kept.

Breed characteristics

The description and characteristics of Cobb 700 broilers are almost no different from other chickens bred by the company. Cross has positive traits.

Appearance

The bird's body is massive, covered with white feathers without interspersed with other colors.

The wings seem too small, the neck is long, the small tail is slightly curved inward. The legs are strong, long, and yellow. The beak is also yellow, slightly curved down.

The difference between the Cobb 700 cross and the Cobb 500 is insignificant. The first has a larger breast and less fleshy legs. The head is smooth and scarlet. The straight, small comb is scarlet-red in color. The beard and earlobes are the same color. The eyes have a yellow or orange-yellow tint.

Yield of meat and eggs

The big advantage of birds of this cross is their productivity. The characteristics of the Cobb 700 cross indicate high rates of body weight gain; the Cobb 500 grows quickly, but its size is smaller. In egg production, the cross has no equal in comparison with other hybrid varieties. Broilers that have undergone careful culling are especially productive.

The level of meat productivity is noted monthly:

• 1.5 months - in females the body weight reaches 1.5 kg, in roosters - 2 kg;
• 2.5 months - chickens gain up to 4-4.2 kg of weight, roosters - 5 kg;
• Then, every week, broilers gain from 50 to 80 g until they reach the age of 9 months.

Egg production in chickens begins at six months. While body weight is growing, eggs have different weights - from 48 to 61 g. After the 9th month of life, each egg product reaches 63-71 g. Egg production remains at a high level until they reach the age of 2 years. The description of the eggs does not differ from the standard one for this variety - they are white, oval in shape, with a medium-density shell.

Egg production in Cobb 700 chickens begins at six months

Fattening stages

Manufacturers produce their own food for each period in the life of a bird. Depending on the age of the bird, the composition of the feed and the degree of its grinding vary.

PreStart

The stage of transition from embryonic digestion of the yolk to feed consumption. The chicken's digestive system undergoes major changes at this stage. The requirements for pre-start feed are the highest:

• use of easily digestible ingredients;
• high nutritional value of the feed, including levels of amino acids, vitamin E and zinc;
• use of prebiotics and probiotics;
• use of immune system stimulants;
• feed intake stimulants: physical structure, high sodium content, flavoring additives, etc.;
• fine grinding, homogeneity of the mixture.

Despite the high price of pre-start feed, its use has virtually no effect on the total cost of raising poultry. Firstly, this stage lasts no more than five days, and secondly, at this age one bird consumes quite a bit of food per day.

Start

The starter diet is used until the bird is at least 10 days old. If chickens do not gain weight well and by 10 days of life have not reached the standard live weight for a given cross, feeding with starter feed must be extended to 14 days, or until the standard values ​​are reached.

The use of high-quality starter feed is the key to gaining the required weight in birds for slaughter. Such specialized food, containing an increased amount of protein and a reduced amount of fat, ensures that the bird has good health, strong immunity, and the development of a good appetite. Pelleted feed sizes:

• diameter 1.6-2.4 mm, length 1.5-3.0 mm;
• crushed – diameter 1.5-3.0 mm.

Fattening

After the starter diet, a growth diet is used. This stage lasts from two weeks to 20 days. The transition to a growth diet should not be abrupt. First add 20% of growth feed to the starter diet and gradually increase its share. The size of the granules and grinding of the feed increases: the diameter of the granules is from 2 to 4 mm, the length is from 4 to 8 mm; The diameter of the grain is 3-5 mm.

At the fattening stage, it is permissible to add no more than 15% of the total weight of feed to the poultry diet.

Finish ration

From the 25th day of life until slaughter, finishing feed is used. During this period of the bird’s life, active growth and weight gain occur. The finishing feed is formulated to avoid loss of muscle mass and excessive fat gain.

A broiler consumes finishing feed for most of its life, therefore, the cost of it makes up a significant part of the cost of keeping the bird. The share of whole grains in the finishing diet can be up to 20%.

• 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

Raising chickens

Females of the Cobb 700 hybrid breed have an unexpressed maternal instinct, so the chicks hatch in an incubator.

To breed chickens, you will need to buy high-quality eggs of this breed from specialized centers or poultry houses. Roosters and hens of this cross at home are not able to reproduce a large number of eggs for hatching.

Purchased chickens at the age of 1-1.5 weeks do not tolerate stress caused by moving. Therefore, farmers are recommended to place the brood in an incubator. Free access to food and drink, constant and stable lighting will help birds adapt and survive the danger of death from stress.

If Cobb 700 cross broiler chickens emerge from a home incubator, they are given a place to sleep and feed. Farmers must adhere to the following rules:

• the place should be dry and ventilated, with deep bedding;
• the light for the chicks is on for the first 10 days;
• in the first days the temperature is maintained at 27-34 °C, after 14 days it is lowered by 2 °C every week;
• the humidity inside the chicken coop should reach 65%, after 10 days - 70%;
• up to two weeks of age, food and water are served at least 8 times a day, then - 5 times a day;
• Taking vitamins and timely vaccinations is mandatory.

The best food recipes for making your own

You can also feed poultry with homemade feed. A self-selected diet should be complete and take into account the age of the pets.

Less than 14 days

For broilers younger than 14 days old, feed consisting of the following components is suitable:

• corn dirt – 175 g;
• ground wheat – 56 g;
• cake – 49 g;
• low-fat kefir (can be replaced with whey) – 42 g;
• barley – 28 g.

Cooking algorithm:

1. Grind all dry ingredients as much as possible.
2. Mix them.
3. Before use, add kefir or whey.
4. Mix again.

The result is a two-week norm per chicken. The calculation was made taking into account the fact that the baby eats about 25 g of this food per day. Chickens should be fed this mixture every 3 hours.

You can diversify the recipe by adding peas, oats, bran, boiled eggs and cottage cheese. After seven days, finely grated carrots and greens can be introduced into the diet.

Mushrooms as a nutritious additive to chicken feed - is it possible or not?

Read

Feeding chickens with barley: can it be given to broilers?

More details

How and when to give chickens greens and grass: feeding standards

Look

From 14 to 28 days

At the age of 14 to 28 days, it is advisable to prepare a composition from the following ingredients:

• ground corn – 672 g;
• sunflower waste – 266 g;
• ground wheat – 182 g;
• fish (bone) meal – 98 g;
• yeast for fattening poultry – 70 g;
• chopped herbs and dry skim milk – 42 g each;
• feed fat – 14 g.

Cooking technology:

1. Mix all dry ingredients.
2. Add fat.
3. Mix.
4. Before use, add warm water or whey.
5. Wait until the mixture reaches a crumbly state.

This amount of feed is per chicken for a feeding period of up to 14 days. In this case, the mixture is prepared at the rate of consumption of 100 g per head. The number of feedings per day ranges from 4 to 6.

This composition can be given to broilers in both dry and liquid form. It is also advisable to add fermented milk products to your diet.

From one month

From one month onwards, it is recommended to offer chickens food consisting of the following ingredients:

• corn – 2040 g;
• meal – 780 g;
• wheat – 600 g;
• barley – 360 g;
• bone meal – 300 g;
• feed yeast – 210 g;
• feed fat – 150 g;
• grass and chalk - 60 g each.

To prepare a coma you need:

1. Mix all dry ingredients.
2. Add fat.
3. Grind the grass and chalk.
4. Add to mixture.
5. Mix.

The result will be a monthly portion for one chicken. In this case, the feed consumption is 150 g per day. It is recommended to feed adult broilers with this composition twice a day.

Cross refers to the meat direction, characteristics, content

Broiler Ross 308

Early maturing cross with high rates of meat productivity and egg production

Broiler Ross 708

Bohemian meat chickens with exuberant growth. Main characteristics, nuances of content

Broiler Cobb 500

Early maturing broilers of Dutch selection with good meat productivity and calm disposition

Broiler Gibro-6

Domestic meat and egg cross with minimal maintenance and feeding costs

Broiler-61

Compact, early maturing chickens with a universal focus that do not require large areas for keeping

Broiler-M

An early maturing cross of universal orientation, perfectly adapted to Russian conditions

Broiler Shift

An extra-heavy meat hybrid that will generate income without any maintenance difficulties

Broiler Cobb 700

Maintenance and care

Cobb 700 broiler chickens are characterized by unpretentiousness in food and maintenance.

They do not require a lot of free space for walking, and therefore the best solution would be to organize a habitat for the livestock in a closed chicken coop or cages. There are a maximum of 10-12 individuals per 1 m².

The room should be warm - above 14-16 °C. Ventilation is useful for the prevention of infectious diseases, but drafts are excluded. The bedding is loose, deep, and changed every week or more often if it gets wet quickly.

The nutrition of broilers is related to the characteristics of the breed:

• ten-day-old chickens are fed a feed mixture for starting rearing;
• feed for growth is used for livestock up to 22-24 days of life;
• before slaughter, broilers are transferred to finishing feed mixtures;
• the birds are given green food - nettles, dandelion leaves, cabbage, vegetables;
• Vitamin supplements are required to support the body of birds;
• individuals are provided with clean drink in large quantities - representatives of this breed often feel thirsty.

Does the bird need a walk?

The practice of experienced poultry farmers shows that you can do without it. In any case, there should be no more than ten birds per square floor in the house. How to determine the required number of cells? It is calculated taking into account the weight per 1 square meter. cellular equipment – ​​approximately 40 kg.

It is a mistake to believe that birds that are resistant to external stress factors and pathogens show enviable productivity in a drafty poultry house. For constant air exchange, the chicken coop is equipped with supply and exhaust ventilation.

The larger the population, the more important it is. Air that is not renewed is saturated with harmful gases, including ammonia, which causes burns on the mucous membranes.

If you plan to build a new poultry house, an elevated area with a slight slope and low groundwater is allocated for it. The priority is to place it as protected as possible from the prevailing winds.

On the southern wall of the room, it is advisable to provide several windows that can be opened and protected from predators by a mesh. This design solution is necessary for ventilating the poultry house and simplifies maintaining the light regime at the proper level, which can be found here. In winter, the standard duration of lighting is maintained using artificial light sources, for example, 75-watt incandescent lamps.

Traditional types of bedding material: straw, hay, sawdust and wood shavings. Peat, contrary to popular belief, is not an option, as it serves as a source of organic and other dust.

It is easier to maintain an optimal microclimate in a poultry house when using bacterial litter - a material with an association of beneficial microbes that convert organic matter into physiological heat. Such material inhibits the development of pathogens and improves the sanitary condition of the poultry house.