Shashi Pal1, Hemant Kumar2, T.K.S.Rao3 and Rajesh Kumar4
College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Kishanganj
Care of chicks just after hatching of eggs either by hen or by artificial means is called brooding. For proper development of poultry chicks, care of newly hatched chicks is essential. In early phase of life of chicks thermoregulatory system is not fully developed and their development takes about 2-3 weeks or even more. Therefore, it cannot maintain or regulate the body temperature properly during their early life.
Brooding of chicks
Two types of brooding of chicks:
a) Natural Brooding: care of chicks by broody hen and for small number of chicks.
b) Artificial Brooding: care of chicks by poultry farmers or any person and it is well suited for large number of chicks on commercial basis.
In natural brooding process, hen brood the chicks in which she provides heat or warmth to the chicks by covering them under her feathers. She also cares the chicks during the natural brooding process. During this natural brooding process, a broody hen cares a small number of chicks (around 10-12 chicks), and so that natural brooding is not sufficient to care a large number of chicks in commercial poultry farming systems.
In artificial brooding process, artificial heat or warmth generating systems called artificial brooder is required. An artificial brooder may be of different types like wooden, charcoal, kerosene stove, electrical, infra-red light and gas brooders. In this brooding process, care of chicks may be taken either by poultry farmers or any person and it is well suited for rearing of large number of chicks on commercial basis.
Management of chicks immediately after hatch is an art which starts before arrival of chicks at farm and end with 2-3 weeks of age in commercial broilers. Management of chicks during brooding includes space requirement for chicks, bedding materials, heat sources, watering systems, feeding systems, light systems and ventilation etc.
Depending on weather, care and management of chicks during brooding time may vary. It is easier during summer season but it is more difficult task during winter season. In summer season, the environmental temperature is high and so brooder house temperature is also high and much artificial heating means is not required. In North India, the cold weather (winter season) is much harsher due to low environmental temperature and it goes down below 4oC. There are changes in brooder house temperature and if brooder’s house temperature is too low which may cause piling of chicks. Due to low environmental as well as brooder house temperature, the management of chicks is very crucial and needed proper care during cold weather or winter season.
Requirements for brooding of chicks
Space and temperature for brooding chicks: In deep litter poultry housing system, as a thumb rule, space and temperature requirements for brooding chicks are as below:
| Age (weeks) | No. of Chick/ bird (nos.) | Space (sq.ft.) | Temperature (oF) |
| 1 | 4 | 1 | 95 |
| 2 | 3 | 1 | 90 |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 85 |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | 80 |
| 5 | 1 | 1.25 | 75 |
Preparation of Brooder House:
Brooder house should be ready well before the arrival of chicks. All materials like all equipments, bedding materials are used in previous flock should be removed from the house, scrubbed and cleaned at least one week in advance the arrival of chicks. Clean all the equipments with detergents. After the cleaning of the equipments follow the sun dried. Sun is very good a natural disinfectant for equipments. Disinfect the clean equipments with the suitable solution of disinfectant. Brooder house should be properly cleaned and allowed to dry out thoroughly. Curtains of brooder house should be clean with detergent and followed by dipping it overnight in disinfectant solution then put it for sun dry.
Fumigation must be done for proper killing of germs in the brooder house. Normally for the fumigation of poultry houses, take a two part of formalin and one part of potassium permanganate (40 ml : 20 gm) mixed together which generate the fume is sufficient to disinfect 100 cubic feet space. Proper care should be follow during fumigation of the poultry houses because the fume of KMnO4 and Formalin is dangerous.
Materials are used in deep litter system for rearing of chicks are called bedding materials. Bedding materials are like paddy husk, wood savings, ground maize cob, chopped straw and saw dust etc. Mostly the bedding materials are selected based on the local availability and least cost price. It should be dried and free from fungal spores. During winter, spread the bedding materials to a depth of 2-4 inches for better insulation. During the first few days, simple paper or news paper may spread on bedding materials for easy feeding to the chicks and it also helps in leaning of feeding of chicks. Sufficient quantity (2-3%) of feeder and waterer should be placed in the brooder house prior the arrival of chicks.
Brooder or heat generating systems should be switched ON at least 16-24 hours before the chick arrival which may depend on climate. Adjust the brooder house temperature to 95°F (35°C) during the first week and it should be taken as 3-4 inches above the litter or at chick body height. The temperature is reduced by 5°F each week until it reaches 75-80°F. Too low or too high brooder temperature will adversely affect the growth performance of birds which results in poor performance and lowering the farm return. The chicks’ growth performance is an indicator of a brooder house temperature. At low brooder temperature, chicks will huddle below or around the heat source (brooder), but when the brooder temperature is high the chicks will try to keep away from the heat source. If the brooder temperature is adequate, the chicks are being distributed uniformly and more active.
Heating sources are followed as given below:
- Coal or charcoal brooder
- Wooden or saw dust brooder
- Liquid fuel or kerosene brooder
- LPG brooder
- Electric brooder
- Infra red brooder
- Reflectors
- Litter Management: Bedding material is a critical and very important input in poultry farming especially for deep litter housing system of chicken production. Litter is developed or builds up in poultry farm when poultry excreta spilled feed, feathers and other materials mixed with bedding materials. Birds are exposed to the bedding material/litter from the first day of life. If birds are managed on poor litter quality is a great source of certain infectious diseases, and may cause dampness and affects the quality air. A good litter management at broiler farm provides good comfort to the birds which reduces infectious diseases, dampness and foul air in the farm and improves the performance of broiler chicken resulting in good economic return to the farmers.
- The bases for choosing or selecting good litter materials have the ability to protect birds from damp, dirt and cold floor. It should also have the ability to adequately conserve heat and absorb moisture. A good litter material should provide comfort for birds and for good production performance. Bedding or litter materials are usually used at rates ranging from 4-5 kg per square meter. The choice of such materials should be made based on the availability in the local area, relative advantages and disadvantages of each material under particular area and farm conditions. There are several types of bedding materials used at broiler farms i.e. Rice hulls/ husk, Hardwood shavings/ saw dust, Sand, Chopped straw, Peanut hulls and Processed paper/ paper etc.
- Farmers can check litter quality on their experience and which is used during winter season on the basis of characteristics of litter. Litter must be fresh, locally and economically available, have low level of moisture and absorbs moisture quickly from droppings, moisture holding capacity, least tendency to form cakes. It should not be too much dried because excess dryness of litter causes more dustiness.
Note: A thumb rule for quality check of litter moisture content, it is tested by pressing a hand full of litter tightly. If it adheres slightly or breaks up when hand is open, it indicates proper moisture content in litter and so that it is good litter material for bedding. When hand is open and if the litter material will form a ball in the hand, it indicates that litter material have high moisture content. Ideally, litter moisture content should be maintained below 25 percent.
- Feed Management: Birds need feed for the daily nutritional requirement for the body development, normal physiological activities and to maintain body temperature. The changes in environmental temperature influence the variation in feed consumption of birds with each degree change in temperature. At low environment temperature, the feed consumption of bird is more because bird requires extra energy to maintain body temperature. In winter, number of feeders should be increased as compared to summer. Feed should be available to the bird whole day.
- Water Management: During winter season water requirement of bird is less due to low environmental temperature. To increase the water intake of bird, it is necessary to give continuous supply of fresh and clean water which is warmer than tank store water. If tank water is too cold, it should not be given to birds without adding hot water. It is good for birds when drinking water must be offered as clean and fresh water. Salt, amyron and jaggery etc. may be added in water to improve the water intake of the birds.
- Dr. Shashi Pal, Associate Professor, LFC, CoVAS, Kganj
- Dr. Hemant Kumar, Assistant Professor, LFC, CoVAS, Kganj
- Dr. T.K.S.Rao, Associate Professor, LPM, CoVAS, Kganj
- Dr. Rajesh Kumar, Associate Professor, VAHEE, CoVAS, Kganj