Handling of the day-old chick and management of the brooding program has a
direct relationship on life-time production of the bird – whether breeders, layers or
broilers, as well as flock mortality.
The four factors to control are:
1. Feed
2. Water
3. Temperature
4. Air quality
Effective chick management begins before the day-olds arrive, particularly if they
are being imported from another country.
Staff must have a good grounding in regulatory issues and documentation
procedures to ensure that chicks are customs-cleared as quickly as possible.
Transport from the airport must be in clean, sterilised vehicles, preferably
temperature controlled.
Brooding houses should be isolated from other houses containing older birds.
The producer should follow an “all-in, all-out” program, never mixing birds of
different ages.
All facilities must be clean, sterilised and pathogen-free
Brooders and heaters must be checked to ensure that they are working
properly before the arrival of the chicks. This is a routine check to be carried
out daily.
Fresh food and water should be available on arrival of the day olds.
Litter is used to conserve heat and must be leveled and compacted to prevent
chick crowding.
Ventilation should be adequate to remove undesirable gases such as
ammonia and provide clean air but not so much to remove heat or create
draughts.
Depending on ambient temperatures, the brooding house should be
heated to 29 – 32ºC for 24 hours before the arrival of the chicks. Be careful
to always check the temperature at the level of the chicks.
Chick feeders should be provided at a rate of 1 per 75 chicks. Birds must
always have fresh food available from the time of arrival.
The diagram below shows how to observe the behavior of the chicks and correct
for brooding temperature
Stocking Density
For breeders – Males will reach a heavier weight than females so require extra
floor space to ensure they reach their adult weight. Males and females must be
grown separately for at least 6 weeks, but preferably to 21 weeks.
Brooding – Males and females – for the first 5 days stock at 30 chicks/square
metre.
Rearing – Females - 6 – 7 birds/square metre & Males – 3.5 – 3.9 birds/square
metre.
Production Breeder Females - 3.8 – 5 birds/square metre
Broilers 6-8wks – 12 – 14/square metre
Laying pullets – 10/square metre
Laying hens - max 5/box 30cm x 30 cm
TASK/ACTIVITIES:
Select Healthy Chicks
Set-up Brooding Cage
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