Care and management during brooding period.pptx

This presentation is about Care and management during brooding period.

1. C are and management during brooding period PS-503 BS-Poultry Science Dr. Muhammad Arslan

2. The first 14 days are one of the most important times of a bird’s life. There are main four basics: Feed, Water, Temperature and Air Quality. The importance of the brooding period cannot be over emphasized. Efforts spent at the start of the brooding phase will be rewarded in the final performance of the flock.

3. Fresh feed and water should be made available to chicks on arrival in the rearing house. Water temperature should be between 15°C to 25°C (59°F to 77°F)

4. Flushing of the water lines should be completed a few hours before the chicks arrive so that they have fresh water. In the first week, regular flushing can be implemented to increase water and feed intake and to limit biofilm buildup.

5. Brooders and heaters should be checked regularly to ensure that they are working correctly. Also check for the proper angle of the infrared heater to ensure the heat is going where you want it to go.

6. Supplemental drinkers are recommended from day old up to 3 to 5 days of age. Use mini drinkers or chick founts, not open trays. This will help to avoid problems with foot infections and water quality. Do not place drinkers directly under brooders.

7. Many modern poultry houses are well-equipped with drinker systems that can be used by chicks at placement. When possible, use only the primary drinker systems so chicks will learn to use the system as quickly as possible. Supplementary drinkers

8. If supplemental drinkers are necessary, open trays are not recommended since chicks may immerse themselves in these and / or contaminate the water with litter and feed which results in poor water quality. Supplemental drinkers should never be placed directly beneath the brooders as this will heat the water and it will become too warm to drink as well as increase water evaporation.

9. Supplemental feeding equipment should not be placed directly under or too close to the brooders and feed should be distributed just prior to the chicks’ arrival. Provide one feeder tray for every 75 chicks at day old and ensure that supplementary feed remains fresh. Remove supplementary feeder trays after day 7. Supplementary feeders

10. Another option is to place a total of 30 g of feed per bird on paper covering 50 % of the placement area. This feed allocation should be consumed within the first 3 days. The paper used must be durable and resistant to puncture.

11. Cover the whole floor with new, fresh litter. It is important that the litter material provide a soft, dry surface that conducts radiant heat. Level the bedding by raking and compressing firmly. Uneven litter creates uneven floor temperatures, causing groups of chicks to huddle in pockets or under equipment. Litter management

12. Uneven litter can also result in unintended restricted access to feed and water at this critical time of development . Litter height depends on the floor insulation, the use of plastic below the concrete floor to prevent capillary action of water, summer and winter conditions, ventilation and bird densities.

13. The litter will accumulate bird droppings from rearing through production. A good reference is to use 3 to 5 cm (1 3/16 to 2 in) in summer conditions and 5 to 7 cm (2 to 2 3/4) in winter.

14. Lighting

15. Handling (action) All staff should take care when handling chick boxes during unloading from the truck, when transporting them within the house, and during the placement process. The goal should be to prevent rough movement (ex: tilting chick boxes, dropping chick boxes, etc.) as this can potentially injure chicks. Ideally, boxes should always remain level until each individual box is tipped for chick placement. Chick Placement

16. Handling (method) Farm staff must gently place the chicks in accordance with company drop height limits. The drop height should be no greater than 2 times the bird height (about 15 cm (6 in) for chicks). This means that the person must hold the box securely with both hands and tipping (below knee level) should minimize the drop distance from the bottom of the box to the litter.

17. Handling (location) The location where chicks are placed is critically important. Chicks should be gently placed directly on litter, starter feed lids, or the paper that has starter feed. Do not place chicks on top of solid equipment (ex: feeders or drinkers) or on top of other chicks. When placing chicks on the litter, chicks should have easy access to water and feed, and should be near but not directly underneath a brooder.

18. It is useful tool to judge how effectively chicks have found feed and water. Randomly select 100 chicks and gently palpate the crop 6 to 8 hours following placement, or the next morning if the delivery is later in the day. Crop assessment

19. The crop should be soft and pliable. If the crop is hard, it is an indication the chicks have not found adequate amounts of water. If the crops are swollen and distended with water, the chicks have not found enough feed. A minimum of 95% of the birds’ crops should be full and pliable upon examination.

20. Brooding Temperatures

21. Chick Comfort

22. THANK YOU