POULTRY PRODUCTION

BROODING
One of the first tasks of any poultry keeper is brooding and preparation for brooding. The
brooding period is the most critical one in the development of the chickens. Temperature
management is one of the most critical activities during the first week of life in chickens.
Thus, successful brooding will depend on good temperature management, which will
require the use of common sense, keen observation and being alert and patient.

The main objectives at brooding are to provide the following for the newly hatched
chicks:
1. A clean and comfortable environment
2. Adequate feed and water
3. Adequate space

Housing preparation
1. Remove all old litter far away from all poultry house and dispose of all garbage
lying around the house.
2. Check all electrical line for worn covering and broken or exposed wires.
3. Check house for leaks and rat holes.
4. House should be thoroughly cleaned, disinfected and allow to dry for several days
before receiving young birds. This will involve:
• Scraping floors to remove material that formed a crust especially near the
doors and water fountains.
• Sweep ceiling, walls or wire sides and floor, special attention should be
paid to cracks and crevices where dirt will collect.
• Scrub house thoroughly with hot lye water from roof to floor (1lb lye to 5
gallons of water). This will do a good job of softening some of the caked
dirt that is difficult to remove. Lye should be used carefully because it
burns the skin and eyes.
• Wash off the lye and leave the house to dry.
• Disinfect the house from roof to floor. A knapsack sprayer will do a good
job of getting the disinfectant into the hard to reach places. Many good
disinfectants are commercially available.
• About one week of drying and airing will make the house ready for the
floor covering.
5. It is advisable to put about ½ inch to 1 inch of coarse clean sand on the floor to
help in moisture control and to prevent droppings from sticking to the floor. Then
a light coating of hydrated (slaked) lime, about 3 lbs per 100 square feet should be
spread to help prevent dampness.
6. Clean litter material should then be spread to a depth of about four inches. Note
that some litter material will have to be treated (copper sulphate, diesel used
locally) to control fungal spores.
7. Brooder should be put into operation at least two days before the arrival of chicks
and thoroughly checked to ensure good working condition. The type of brooder

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 used will depend on location, cost and availability of fuel, the size of the unit and
the type of housing available. The commercial floor hover-type brooders or infra-
red lamps are normally used. However a single 250 W bulb raised 38 cm above
the floor is sufficient to brood 100 chicks. For a smaller number of chicks a
normal light bulb under the canopy will suffice.
8. Brooder guard should be set up to confine chicks within the heated area of the
house for the first four to five days after their arrival. The guard should be at least
1.5 feet (35cm) high. Materials such as cardboard, board or ½ inch wire mesh
could be used. The circle of the brooder guard is gradually made larger daily and
finally removed by the time the birds are 7-10 days old. To prevent chick losses
from piling after the brooder guard has been removed, pieces of cardboard may be
used to round off the corners of the house.
9. The house is normally enclosed under local conditions with feed bags sewn
together to keep in the heat, control ventilation and keep out draft, all of which are
critical to maintaining house temperature and well being of the chicks.
10. Feeders and drinkers should be placed in the brooding area before the chicks are
introduced. Newly acquired chicks are easily frightened and will bunch up on
each other if feeders are introduced after.

Chick arrival
Upon arrival chicks should be counted and examined with unhealthy ones being culled.
With satisfactory artificial brooding, mortality in chicks should not exceed 5% during the
first 8 weeks of life. During the last stage of incubation, the chick absorbs sufficient
nutrients to last it for at least the first 48 hrs of life. Hence day old chicks can be
transported in boxes for long distances. Never-the less it is a good managerial practice to
make some food available soon after hatching. Ensure that they have the opportunity to
learn to drink during their first three hours in the brooder before giving them dry feed.
Dip the beak of a few chicks from each brooder into water to encourage drinking. Some
farmers use soluble electrolyte/vitamins for the first two days. Sometimes newly hatched
chicks may remain in the hatching tray for more than 24 hrs, in such a situation, relative
humidity should not exceed 55% as high humidity and high temperature has a negative
effect on chicks. The best practice is to transfer the chicks from the incubator to the
brooder as soon as they have dried out.

The basic requirements of the chicks in the brooder are:

• Sufficient heat – The desired temperature (32-350 C at 5 cm from the floor under
the hover) should be maintained at least 24hrs before chicks arrive. In the tropics
this temperature is reduced by 30 C each week until normal ambient temperature
is achieved (basically 270 C in tropics).
1st week – 32-350 C (90-950 F)
2nd week – 30-320 C (85-900 F)
3rd week – 27-300 C (80-850 F)
The position of the chicks under the brooder gives a good indication of their comfort
levels. Chicks may be uncomfortable from being too cold or too warm. If they huddle
together they are cold, increase the temperature by lowering the lamps a little. If they
have to huddle to keep warm they may die from suffocation. If they move away from the

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hover and try to avoid the heat they are too warm, the lamps should be raised. When the
chicks are comfortable they will spread themselves out uniformly over the brooding area.

Fig 1 – Diagrammatic representation of chicks comfort level and distribution with

varying temperatures.

• Good lighting and ventilation – good lighting is essential as it encourages chicks

to eat. Chicks do not grow well in the dark, especially during the first two days in
the brooder. Chicks should have continuous light, as this will help them become
accustomed to eating.

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 • Sufficient space to allow for growth in the chickens:
Floor space - too little or too much floor space can adversely affect growth and
efficiency of production. If floor space is insufficient, young birds will have difficulty
finding adequate feed and water. This could lead to feather picking and actual
cannibalism. Too much space on the other hand can cause the birds to become bored
and will have a similar effect as overcrowding. A floor space of 45-65 cm2 per bird is
recommended. Regardless of type each bird should have at least 45-65 cm2 of space
around feed hopper and under hover, so that a hover 1.2 m in diameter should be able
to hold 250-300 birds.
Feeder space – 1-1.1 linear inch (2.54-2.7 cm) of feeder space should be adequate
for chicks from day 1 up to 3 weeks old. However, the operator must observe the
chicks in order to make any necessary adjustments. If relatively few birds are eating
at any one time, the feeding area is most likely too large.
Drinker space - clean water is essential for the chicks at all times. Generally, two
1-gallon (4.5 l) water fountains or four two-liter water fountains are adequate for a
hundred chicks during the first four weeks of age. Larger fountains have wider
troughs and may put chicks at risk of drowning. Each chick should have about 2.54-
2.7 cm linear space if trough type drinkers are used. Later water fountains should
increase to four 5-liter fountains /100 chicks. Under warmer climates and at different
times of the year it may be necessary to increase this spacing.

Feeding – feed should be fed on sheets of cardboard or news paper for the first few days
until chicks get accustomed to the usual feeders/hoppers. Egg flats or shallow box lids
may also be used. The usual feeders/hoppers should be used along with these temporary
devices so that the chicks can gradually get accustomed to them. Keep sufficient feed
before the chicks at all times so that they are not likely to fill their crops with litter. To
avoid wastage, do not overfill hoppers.

Sanitation – a good sanitation program is important. Isolate chicks from other birds, clean
feeders as necessary, disinfect and clean equipment, do not use moldy feed, clean and
rinse waterers daily and maintain strict use of foot baths.

After the brooding period, it is advisable to provide a small night-light in the poultry
house to prevent crowding and deaths from suffocation.