Brooding management

Brooding management in deep litter system

Essential operations to be carried out prior to receiving chicks

• Cleaning and disinfection of poultry house.
• Spreading litter material.
• Form a circle of about 5 feet diameter with brooder guard which can hold about 200 to 250 chicks.
• News papers, heat source, feeder and waterer arrangements inside the brooder guard.
• Spread ground maize or fine mash / crumble feed on the newspaper.
• Check the brooder for proper temperature of 90 to 95⁰ F.

Essential operations to be carried out after receiving chicks

• After arrival of chicks, moist the beak and leave the chicks under heating source.
• Maintain a brooder temperature of 90 to 95⁰F for the first week and then reduce 5⁰F every week until it reaches the room temperature.
• First and second day provide electrolytes and vitamins in drinking water to overcome stress.
• Watch the behaviour of chicks in order to find out whether temperature provided is correct or less or more.
• In case of too much temperature, we can reduce the heat by reducing the power of the bulb or we can raise the heating element.
• In case of too low temperature, we have to supplement more heating source or we can further down the heating element.
• 24 hours lighting programme may be adopted during 0-8 days of age.
• One hour darkness may be provided to train the chicks in case of any power failure.
• Remove the old newspaper after 3 days and destroy it by burning. If necessary, spread another set of newspaper.
• Remove brooder guard after 7 to 10 days depending upon the season.

Brooding and rearing of broilers

• It is similar to that for egg-type chicks

Source: Expert System on Poultry, ICAR-TANUVAS-TNAU