Brooding Techniques

So far we have discussed about where to get our day old chicks, how and when to transport them to the poultry farm site. We had also talk about preparations to receive the day old chicks, how to manage litter, water and feed management amongst others. Now here comes the tricky part, brooding techniques. But first what is brooding techniques?

Brooding is the practice of exposing chicks to conducive environment before they are capable of fully regulating their body temperature. Brooding technique is one of the valuable skills a poultry farmer must acquire because; the success of the poultry farm begins with the brooding stage. On arrival of the day old chick to the farm house, the brooder house is already preheated as discussed from our previous lessons. The drinkers are filled with water and the feeder is filled with feed. The day old chicks are now transferred to the brooder house. This is usually a gentle and delicate exercise. Therefore, one must avoid damage or excessive stress on the chicks. The first thing you do after the exercise is to give them water only. Do not feed them immediately. Allow about two to three house after the day old chicks are transferred to the brooder house before feeding them.

Availability of thermometer in the brooder house will help the farmer to monitor the temperature of the brooder house which should be between 32 – 33 degrees Celsius. Under the brooder house itself and about 29 degree Celsius at the spectrum end of the brooder house. The temperature under the brooder house should be regulated on a weekly basis at the rate of 2.8 degree Celsius per week until the brooder temperature attains about27 degree Celsius which at standard temperature under normal conditions. This is usually achievable under 21 days in the tropics.

For good brooding, be guided by recommended capacity of brooder house. But usually, do not place more than 750 chicks per hover. For temperature generation and control, you can use two lantern per 500 birds or 1 charcoal pot per 500 chickens.

Expanding floor space

As the birds grow, they breathe and generate heat from the mouth as well as through their drop[igs. This will in turn overload the overall heat in the brooder. Therefore, there is need to expand and create more space for the chicks. Beside overcrowding of chicks, inadequate space may induce vice habit among the birds such as pecking which must be discouraged.


 
Chick's temperature requirement

As the chicks grow, the temperature requirement varies. Adequate help the chicks to achieve excellent rearing as it encourage good feathering of the bird.

The table below shows recommended brooding temperature

Period (weeks)	Temperature (c)	Temperature (f)
1st	32-35	90-95
2nd	29-32	84-90
3rd	26-29	70-84
4-5th	21-26	70-80

 
Before attain age of two weeks, always ensure strict adherence to the temperature range. At this stage, they cannot adjust to wide range of temperature fluctuations on their own.

After two week the chicks will start regulating body temperature due to hormonal secretion, feathering and increased physical activities. By then the chickens would have started eating large quantity of feed and by 5-6 weeks, the body would have be totally covered by feathers. At this stage, heating should be discontinued. This period could however be shortened if brooding is taking place during the dry season (between November and March)