In the poultry industry, every stage of a bird’s life matters, and successful poultry enterprises prioritize careful chick management from day one. Proper chick management ensures that young birds grow into healthy, productive adults, optimizing production outcomes. Errors made during this critical stage are often irreversible, impacting productivity and profitability. Here, we outline essential practices for effective chick management, covering all critical phases from preparation to early brooding.
Preparing for Chick Arrival
- Cleaning and Disinfection
Before your new chicks arrive, the entire brooding area, whether cages or floor, must be meticulously cleaned and disinfected:
- Clean the building: Ensure the interior, service areas, and equipment are sanitized to minimize disease risks.
- Inspect equipment: Ensure all equipment is functional and properly positioned. Determine the right amount and type of equipment based on the number of incoming chicks.
- Setting Up the Brooding Area
- Feed and Water Preparation: Remove old feed from bins, hoppers, and troughs, then disinfect them and let them dry before adding fresh feed.
- Litter Setup: Add a thick layer (5–10 cm) of untreated absorbent material, such as wood shavings, to keep the brooding area warm and clean.
- Pest Control: Place rodent control measures in areas inaccessible to chicks.
One Day Before Arrival
- Heating and Temperature Control
Establish a heating system at chick level with temperatures set to 35–36°C. This temperature is crucial for the chicks’ comfort and health, as they are not yet capable of regulating their own body temperature.
- Water and Feed Positioning
- Water System Check: Disinfect and flush water lines to ensure clean, accessible water.
- Feed and Water Accessibility: Position waterers and feed troughs so that feed and water are available within 2–3 meters of any point in the brooding area.
The Day of Chick Arrival
- Operational Readiness
- Waterers and Temperature: Ensure waterers are filled and that the brooder temperature is stable. Trigger water cups or nipples to encourage the chicks to drink.
- Introducing Chicks to Feed and Water
Encourage chicks to drink water first to keep them hydrated. Once they’ve had water for 3–4 hours, you can introduce feed by placing it on paper or in feeders on the floor to make it easy to access. Maintain high-intensity lighting for the first week to help them locate food and water.
Brooding Management
Brooding is essential for providing the warmth chicks need before they can regulate their own body temperatures. Different brooding methods can be used depending on the farm’s setup:
- Spot Brooding: Involves a well-lit area without enclosed surroundings.
- Whole House Brooding: Uses a hot air system along with fans and a false ceiling to distribute heat evenly across the room.
- Brooding with Surrounds: Keeps chicks close to the heat source using surrounds that expand as chicks grow.
Choose a brooding system based on your specific facility and the number of chicks to ensure uniform heat distribution and easy access to food and water.
Temperature Management
Young chicks cannot regulate their body temperature, so maintaining a stable environment is critical. Here’s a recommended temperature regime:
- 1st Week: 32–35°C
- 2nd Week: 27–32°C
- 3rd Week: 21–27°C
- 4th Week: 15–20°C (ambient temperature)
Temperatures outside this range can lead to health issues like pasty vents or increased mortality, reducing productivity and potentially leading to losses.
Conclusion
Implementing rigorous chick management protocols from preparation through early brooding stages sets the foundation for a productive and profitable poultry enterprise. These measures ensure that chicks thrive, grow healthily, and reach optimum production levels as adult birds. By paying attention to each step in the chick management process, poultry farmers can boost survival rates, enhance growth, and ultimately maximize the returns from their flocks.