Daily Farm Visit Checklist: Brooding

Daily farm visits are paramount in broiler farming, acting as the foundation for successful management and directly impacting the performance and profitability of the flock. This consistent oversight allows for early detection of issues and timely interventions, which are critical in a fast-paced production cycle like broilers. Daily farm visits are not just a routine task; they are a critical management tool that allows for proactive problem-solving, meticulous attention to detail, and ultimately, the successful and profitable rearing of broiler chickens.

This checklist is made for daily farm visits focusing on brooding, helping track key factors like biosecurity, ventilation, temperature, and drinker/feed management to keep the chicks healthy and growing well.

• It covers basics like foot bath presence, curtain condition, and heat sources.
• It checks on environmental factors like temperature, humidity, and ventilation.
• It also looks at the status and cleanliness of feeders and drinkers

Farm Name:……………………

Date:…………………………….

Flock Age:……………………..

Flock Size:…………………….

1. Biosecurity
   1. Foot bath present? (Yes/No)………………………………………………………………………………..
      1. Disinfectant added? (Yes/No)…………………………………………………………………….Dosage of disinfectant added…………………………………………………………………….
   1. Farm premise cleanliness (satisfactory/ unsatisfactory)………………………………………………..
2. Curtain Management
   1. Outer curtain condition …………………………………………………………………………………….
   1. Inner curtain condition ……………………………………………………………………………………..
3. Brooding
   1. Type of brooder/ heat source ……………………………………………………………………………..
   1. Number of heaters/ 1000 chicks …………………………………………………………………………..
4. Temperature / Humidity
   1. Thermometer/Hygrometer placement (height above litter) ..…………………………………………
   1. Thermometer / Hygrometer reading..…………………………………………………………………….
5. Ventilation
   1. Adequate ventilation present (Yes/No)……………………………………………………………………
   1. Fans installation (Yes/No) ………………………………………………………………………………….
   1. Summer – Fans running (Yes/No)…………………………………………………………………………
   1. Ventilation management (satisfactory/ unsatisfactory)  ..………………………………………………..
6. Space provided to chicks (sq. feet/ chick)…………………………………………………………………………..
7. Drinker
   1. Is water present in drinkers? (Yes/No)…………………………………………………………………….
   1. Is the drinker’s height satisfactory? (Yes/No)……………………………………………………………..
   1. Is the drinker cleaning satisfactory? (Yes/No)………………………………………………………….…
   1. Number of chicks per drinker………………………………………………………………………………..
   1. Is the water sanitizer added? (Yes/No)……………………………………………………………………..
   1. Dosage of water sanitizer………………………………………………………………………………….…
   1. Water pH…………………………………………………………………………………………………….….
8. Feeder
   1. Is the feed present in the feeder? (Yes/No)……………………………………………………………….
   1. Is the feeder height satisfactory? (Yes/No)………………………………………………………………..
   1. Is the feeder cleaning satisfactory? (Yes/No)……………………………………………………………..
   1. Number of chicks per feeder………………………………………………………………………………..
   1. Feed storage
      1. Whether the feed bags are stored at some height above the ground? (Yes/No)…..……….
      1. Is there a minimum six inches gap between the wall and the feed bags? (Yes/No)…..……
9. Vaccination
   1. Did the water sanitizer stop 24 hours before the day of vaccination? (Yes/No)…..…………………..
   1. Did the water sanitizer stop 24 hours after the day of vaccination? (Yes/No)…..……………………..
10. Litter
    1. Is the litter wet, moist or caked? (Yes/No)…..……….
    1. Whether litter raking has been done? (Yes/No)…..……….
11. Dead bird disposal
    1. Are the dead birds kept away from live birds (no contact)? (Yes/No)…..……….
    1. Are the dead birds disposed of in a covered dead bird disposal pit on the farm? (Yes/No)…..……….
12. Other animals on the farm
    1. Is there any other species of animals present on the farm? (Yes/No)…..……….
    1. If yes, then which species of animals?………………………………………………………………………
13. Disinfection in presence of birds
    1. Interval between disinfection in presence of birds? ……………………………………………………..
    1. Disinfectant being used?……………………………………………………………………………………………………….
14. Weak birds isolation
    1. Whether the weak and sick birds were isolated well from healthy birds? (Yes/No)…..…………………….
    1. Whether a sufficient number of feeders and drinkers at adequate height were made available to weak and sick birds? (Yes/No)…..……..
15. Abnormality observed in chicks & farm observations .……………………………………………………………..

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

1. Post-Mortem examination observations …………………………………………………………………………..

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Mortality			Feed received
Balance birds			Feed given
Weekly body weight			Balance feed

1. Brooding Temperature:

Age (Week)	Brooding House Temperature	Litter Temperature
1	90oF	90 oF
2	85 oF	85 oF
3	80 oF	80 oF
4	75 oF	75 oF

• Bulb of the thermometer should be 2 inches above the litter (at the level of the chicks)
• Number of brooders:
  • Gas brooder: follow the manufacturer’s recommendation on a particular type of gas brooder
  • Coal brooder: one brooder (tin box) for 350-400 chicks
• Always do round brooding
• Space:

Age (week)	Space (sq. feet/ chick)
1	0.25-0.3
2	0.5

• Drinkers: one chick drinker for 50 chicks
• Feeders:
  • One chick feeder for every 50 chicks
  • One chick tray feeder for every 80 chicks
• For foot bath: Use phenol-based disinfectants at recommended dosage like Kem V 260^® (from Kemin) @4ml/L water.