Once chicks have been hatched, the growing period is taking off. That can only be successful if all conditions in the growing house are under full control. Proper managing five critical factors is of great importance.

The brooding period is important to getting chicks off to a good start and influences flock performance. Depending on the market weight, the brooding period represents as much as 1/3 of the grow-out period. The chick is still developing and will grow rapidly during this period. The objective is to minimize stress on the chick so that the majority of the energy is directed towards growth and development. Below are five common issues seen during the brooding period that can have negative influence on broiler performance.

  • Once chicks have been hatched, the growing period is taking off. That can only be successful if all conditions in the growing house are under full control. Proper managing five critical factors is of great importance.

Bedding Material

The floors in broiler houses are covered with bedding material. The main purpose of bedding material is to absorb moisture. Broilers retain approximately 20% of the water they consume and the other 80% is excreted or expired into the house environment.

  • Common materials used as bedding include but are not limited to: pine shavings, peanut hulls, and rice hulls. A minimum of 3 inches (7.6 cm) in thickness is required from wall to wall in the house and will vary with the bedding material that is used. Another way to look at this is to compare the litter base to a sponge.

 

 

Figure 1 Broiler house brooding example

 

Feed and Water

  • Feed and water are two of
    TO CONTINUE READING REGISTER IT IS COMPLETELY FREE Access to articles in PDF
    Keep up to date with our newsletters
    Receive the magazine for free in digital version
    REGISTRATION
    ACCESS
    YOUR ACCOUNT
    LOGIN Lost your password?

    PDF

🔒 Exclusive content for registered users.

Register for free to access this post and many more specialized contents. It only takes a minute and you’ll have immediate access.

Login

Register at aviNews

REGISTER