1. Arrival of Chicks
1. About 6 hours before the chicks arrive, fill the drinkers with medicated water, put on the heat source to warm up the room and place feed in the feeders. Some feed may also be sprinkled on the used as feeders during the first week.
2. Transport the chicks as fast as possible from the hatchery to the farm with minimum disturbance and preferably during the cooler part of the day. Ensure that the chicks are adequately ventilated while in transit, e.g. the chicks should not be up inside the boot of a car while in transit.
3. Collect all relevant information about the chicks from the hatchery of purpose. Have they been vaccinated? Are there any special management practices to be observed? What is the anticipated growth or production potential?
4. As soon as the chicks arrive, count and put them immediately under the hover. Remove all deformed chicks. Teach the weak chicks to drink if chicks are transported over long distances by
road, the addition of glucose (or sugar if glucose is not available) to the drinking water may help to increase their survival rate.
5. After putting down the chicks stay and watch them for the next one hour and observe how comfortable they are. If they spread under the hover, they are comfortable. If they huddle in the center close to the source of heat they are cold.
If the room is too hot, they will move from the source of heat and be pushing up against the chick guard. The heat supply should then be adjusted accordingly.
6. Chicks have a tendency to crowd around corners of the building especially when frightened or if they feel cold. Piling can lead to mortality. It is therefore advisable to round off any sharp or square corners of the house with boards, bricks or jute sacks in order to prevent piling.
2. Daily Activities
1. During the first week, inspect your flock as early as possible in the morning, as late as possible in the evenings and occasionally at other times to ensure that the birds are comfortable.
2. Remove any dead birds and dispose properly by burial o ruse of a disposal pit
3. Remove mould or contaminated feed and add fresh supply.
Read Also: Facilities Required for Brooding and Rearing of Poultry Chickens
Feeders should only be filled about half to two-thirds capacity in order to minimise feed wastage. They should also be placed in such a way that no bird has to walk more than 3.05m (10ft) to get feed or water.
4. Remove waterers and wash properly before refilling with freshclean water that is fit for human consumption. Use medicated water throughout the first week. The water should be changed again in the afternoon, if it becomes dirty or refilled any time it is empty. Waterers may be raised on blocks to minimize contamination.
5. Remove wet litter and replace with fresh and dry litter materials.
6. When kerosene lanterns are used;
a) Fill them up only two-thirds full every morning and evening
b) Remove any accumulated soot
c) Trim the wick periodically in order to obtain uniform flame.
7. Fill in the records. For small holders a hard covered notebook is adequate but for large units a number of forms with the appropriate columns is usually kept for each pan.
8. All corridors and storage spaces should be swept clean and all equipment not in use should be neatly packed in such storage spaces.
9. If abnormal signs are observed, such as decreased feed consumption, bloody faeces, descried activity or droopiness report immediately to your nearest livestock or veterinary officer.
3. Periodic Activities
1. Cull birds that are deformed, stunted or are manifesting lack of growth and poor productivity. This cuts down on the cost of feed and also increases the space allowance for the healthy birds.
2. Debeak the birds at three – five weeks old and between 15 – 17 weeks of age by cutting off about 1/3 of the upper and lower beaks. Electric debeaking at about three weeks of age give a more permanent debeaking than old scissors debeaking.
3. Deworm at eight weeks and thereafter as necessary depending on the incidence of re-infestation of the flock by worms.
4. Following the routine vaccination programme recommended for your area.
Read Also: Methods of Preparation for the Arrival of Poultry Chicks