How guinea fowls rush at home: the age of the start of laying and the number of eggs per year

Guinea fowl is a medium-sized bird, but it has a large percentage of meat yield in the carcass. Eggs are tasty, have nutritional differences from chicken and quail. In order to receive food and hatching eggs, you need to know how and in what quantities guinea fowls lay at home, what is natural in their behavior, and what is a sign of illness or errors in feeding and care.

At what age do guinea fowls start laying?

Southern bird, imported from Africa. In nature, the female begins to lay eggs at 8 months of age. Pet birds may have human-made benefits:

• problem-free food;
• no danger;
• veterinary services;
• existence without stress.

Depending on the owner, there may not be a better life, but there will be additional difficulties. The experience of the best keeping shows that the guinea fowl lays an egg for the first time already at 6 months.

How many eggs per year?

There is no definite answer, as it depends on a group of factors. Most traced of them:

• food quality;
• containment temperature;
• daylight hours;
• at what age did the bird start laying.

Guinea fowl belongs to the order of chickens. She rushes without the participation of the male. The process of formation of an egg from an egg takes 16 hours for a guinea fowl. The formation of a new egg begins no earlier than the previous one will come out, will be in the nest.It takes a lot of proteins, fats, calcium to build an egg. Other elements are used in smaller quantities, but are necessary, especially if the production of layers is intended for breeding.

Depending on the region where the poultry industry lives, guinea fowl lay eggs from February to November in the south, and from May to September in places with a more severe climate. Females also have periods of rest and recovery from time to time. Productivity drops sharply with the onset of a cold snap and soon equals zero. The result is significantly different zonal, but with good care, an egg production rate of 120-150 pieces is achievable.

It may seem strange, but the earlier the guinea fowl began to lay, the more eggs it gives out "on the mountain." The first 1-2 weeks they are small, and then the size increases and stabilizes (45 g). These eggs are suitable for breeding chicks. In farms for breeding guinea fowl, males are usually also kept, because young animals often have to be obtained on their own.

Features of laying hen care

Guinea fowls that lay eggs are kept clean. A thick shell protects the embryo from infections, but from above, too, everything should be extremely neat. The laying hen also needs to be protected from possible contagious diseases and parasites.

In the room where the guinea fowls spend the dark time of the day, the temperature should not fall below 16 ° C in any season. Movement-loving birds are also released for walking in winter, but they are returned to the chicken coop at the first sign of freezing. Pressing paws, reduced mobility are such signs. The 1.5 m high chain-link mesh is a suitable fence for a walking area.

Spread a thick layer of sawdust or straw on the floor of the house.The bedding will protect the limbs from freezing and will absorb excess moisture from feces, respiration and other causes. It is changed 1-2 times a year, and the rest of the time fresh chips are added on top. Guinea fowl prefer to make their own nests by making small indentations in the bedding or earthen floor.

When arranging feeders and drinkers, it is required to calculate their length so that all birds have the opportunity to approach them at the same time, without creating a crush. At the feeder, the guinea fowl is given 16 cm of space at the edge, near the water - 6 cm.

Perches are placed at different heights so that the birds, sitting on them, do not disturb each other at night. In the air, guinea fowls feel safe and can fall asleep. 1 meter of pole is enough for 5-6 heads.

Preparing for laying eggs

"Selection competition" for laying hens is carried out 1-2 months before the start of the productive period. Females must:

• weigh at least 1.3 kg;
• have a wide and soft belly;
• be free from body defects.

During the laying period, the laying hen requires more protein feed, micro and macro elements. At home, the following diet is prescribed for guinea fowls: per head

Mix of corn, barley, wheat, soybeans200Dill, parsley, onion, juicy grass and vegetables30 Crushed boiled potatoes Meat and bone meal

50
20

Gravel should always be near food or on the run.

Why do guinea fowl stop laying?

The best results of laying hens are shown in the first year after puberty. The first 3 months are record-breaking: the guinea fowl gives out 2 eggs in 3 days, sometimes 1 in a row for 2 or 3 days. Then comes a break for 15-20 days (it can lay 1.5 eggs per week).Then the pace almost returns. In the second year, the number of eggs decreases, but they are considered the most valuable for breeding offspring. In the third year, birds are already fattened for meat products.

If the guinea fowl stopped laying, not because of age, it means that she lacks protein. With an acute lack of calcium, the bird lays eggs, but the shell becomes thinned or absent altogether.

The most important reason affecting egg production is the length of daylight hours. In order to achieve high egg production rates, it should be light not 8, but 16 hours a day. This is done with artificial lighting. Combining enough light with a warm environment will result in guinea fowls laying in January. If this is not the case, a veterinarian can help.

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