THE REALITIES ABOUT POULTRY The Modern Farm - The Realities About Poultry_Seco | Page 41

edges, perhaps smothering one another. If the brooder is hot enough to raise their body temperature
above 117°F (47°C), chicks die.
Happy chicks that are warm and cozy wander freely throughout the brooding area, emit musical
sounds of contentment, and sleep sprawled side by side to create the appearance of a plush down
carpet. The sight can be dramatic to someone who has never seen chicks resting comfortably.
Brooder Management Tips
Some management tips that will help a farmer to be successful are the following:
 Be quiet and careful. Noise and sudden movements can stress chicks.
 Visit the brooder often. Are the chicks eating and drinking? Are their drinkers clean?
 Remove wet or hard baked litter. Put dry fresh chopped grass or wood shavings in its place.
 Remove weak or distressed chicks from the brooder. If the farmer cannot cure them, he or
she should kill and burn them.
 Cleanliness, tidiness and no strong smells are the signs of a well-managed brooder.
 If rats can get into the room despite all precautions, cover the brooder with 13 mm wire
netting at night.
 Keep records of the mass of the chicks and of feed used. Weigh them every week in groups
of 5 or 10 in a bucket or a basket.
 Keep feeders and drinkers clean. Chicks will get into their feed and water containers, so the
water will get droppings in it. This means that for the first week or two these containers should
be cleaned out several times a day and filled with fresh water and food.
 Prepare for the end of the brooding period. At four weeks of age, chicks have grown enough
feathers to keep themselves warm. They do not need any more artificial heat. During their
fourth week (third week in hot weather) the farmer can raise the heater a little each day. At the
end of the fourth week it can be removed altogether.
 From four weeks of age broiler chicks are managed differently from layer-type chicks.
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