The care of chicks is similar for meat and egg strains. Proper temperature, easy access to water and fresh feed are critical for the first few weeks. Prepare the brooder the day before the chicks arrive by having the heat source, litter, fed and water already in place for use.
Brooder
Day old chicks should be started in a warm, dry, draft-free area. Place a brooder guard, such as a cardboard ring, around the heat source to confine the birds to the heat, water and feed. The brooder diameter should start at 60-90 cm (2-3 feet) larger than the heat source and should increase as the birds grow. At 7 to 10 days, remove the brooder ring and place the feeders and waterers around the house.
Temperature
The heat source should be at least 40 cm (16 inches) above the litter to minimize fire hazard. More than one heat lamp is recommended in case a bulb burns out. Set the temperature at 32-35C (90-95F) each week thereafter. Check the temperature at chick level and observe the chicks/ comfort level. If the chicks pant or press against the edges of the brooder, they are too hot; if they huddle together in a pile, they are too cold. Sharp chirping indicates discomfort. Adjust the heat source as necessary.
Litter
Chicks should be raised on a clean, dry, absorbent material such as wood shavings or sawdust. Straw and shredded paper will also work but are more difficult to maintain. Leg problems may develop if the birds are placed on slippery material such as paper. The litter should be 7-10 cm (3-4 inches) deep in the brooding area. Stir the litter daily to keep it dry; replace the litter if it gets wet or cakes. Wet litter is a major source of disease.
Lighting Program for Broilers
Broiler chicks should be provided light 23 or 24 hours a day for the first 3 days, with an intensity of approximately 20 lux. For the next 3 weeks, the light can be reduced to 8-14 hours per day and the intensity can be reduced to about 10 lux. This will slow early growth and help to prevent leg problems and heart attacks later. At 3 weeks of age, you may want to return to 24 hours of light to encourage maximum growth or stay on the lighting program allowing periods of darkness.
Marketing
Meat birds raised in confinement are usually processed at 7-9 weeks of age. Roasters can be produced by waiting until the birds are older (14-16 weeks), but the amount of feed per pound of gain increases as the birds get heavier. Farm flock birds that run loose may not be heavy enough until 24 weeks of age.
Feed Program
Broiler rations should be fed free choice as the only feed in order to realize maximum growth and profit on broiler chickens. Feeding a complete ration will produce healthier birds that are less susceptible to disease. Birds fed solely on whole grain diets, may develop leg problems due to low vitamin and mineral levels.
Housing
Hens for a laying flock can be purchased as day old chicks, as pullets at 18-20 weeks of age or as mature laying hens. Good feeding management and light control will help to maintain maximum egg production. Pullets are typically housed in a layer building at 18-20 weeks of age (farm flocks that run loose may not start laying until 24 weeks of age). Floor space should be 0.2-0.3 m (2-3 feet) per bird, depending on whether they have an outside run. The layer house should have 10 cm (4 inches) of litter on the floor and adequate feeder and water space. Provide one nest box 30 x 30 x 30 cm (12” x 12” x 12”) for each four hens. A temperature range between 7C to 27C (45F to 80F) is acceptable. In extremely cold weather, supplemental heat may be needed.
Lighting
Chicks should have continuous light for the first 3 to7 days to ensure they find the feed and water. After one week, they should have 12 hours of continuous light per day. (See specific lighting requirements for each type of poultry). Use 60 watt incandescent bulbs for the first two weeks then use 20 watt bulbs. Reduced light intensity will help reduce cannibalism.
Water
Fill the Waterers several hours in advance so that the water is at room temperature. Put in extra water for the first few days. As each bird is placed in the brooder, dip its beak in the water so they get a drink and learn to find water. Provide fresh water daily.
Feed
Place feed in the feeders and on low flat trays that are easy for the chicks to reach (egg cartons work well) or use commercial chick paper if available. Remove the trays one the birds have learned to eat from the feeders. Commercial chick paper will disintegrate and disappear as the birds age. Chicks will require 2-3 cm (1 inch of feeder space per bird.
Feed should be available at all times. Chicks should be started on high protein, medicated ration (if not vaccinated at the hatchery for coccidiosis). Medicated Poultry (chick) Starter is a nutritionally complete ration with medication to inhibit coccidiosis, a disease that can cause up to 90% mortality. Poultry Starter should be fed free choice up to 3 weeks of age. Feed non-medicated starter to coccidiosis vaccinated birds and continue on with a non-medicated feeding program.
Lighting Programs for Layers
Chickens normally lay between early spring and mid-fall. Increasing day length (January – June) stimulates egg production; decreasing day length (July – December) inhibits egg production. Commercial egg producers regulate temperature and lighting to ensure continuous egg production year-round.
Farm Flock
If the chicken coop has electricity, light bulbs will help to keep it warm in winter and prevent drinking water from freezing. Lighting can also be used to stimulate laying during the winter. Giving the chickens light during the evening or early morning to simulate 14 to 16 hours of sunlight will increase winter production.
Housed Layers with Runs
Lighting control can be used to increase egg production. The most important considerations are:
1. Maintain a constant day length for growing pullets
2. Never decrease day length or light intensity for laying hens.
A general lighting program is to raise pullets on a constant day length of 10 hours of light per day. When the pullets are old enough to lay (usually 18-20 weeks of age), the day length is gradually increased up to 16 hours of light per day.
Housed Layers
For maximum egg production, lighting can be used to control the birds sexual maturity, behavior, and rate of production. Start chicks at 24 hours of light for 3-7 days. After the chicks have found feed and water, reduce the light to 16 hours. Up to 3 weeks of age, gradually decrease the light to 10 hours of light until the pullets are large enough to start to lay eggs (usually 18-20 weeks), and then begin to increase the day length. Increase the light 30 minutes each week until there is 16 hours of light. Maintain a constant day length of 16 hours. If the light period is decreased, egg production will drop. Automatic timing devices to turn the lights on and off are available and recommended.
Feeding Program
Laying rations should be fed free choice as the only feed free choice as the only feed in order to maximize egg production. Laying pellets fed alone provide a complete diet with a sufficient amount of calcium. Laying hens need calcium to keep the shells thick. If laying pellets are combined with other whole grains, the levels of vitamins and minerals, including calcium, will be diluted. Oyster shell can be offered free choice or sprinkled over the feed for additional calcium.
Ducks and Geese
Ducks are raised for eggs (Indian runner, Khaki Campbell) or meat (White Peking, Rouen, Muscovy Hybrids). Geese are generally raised for meat only. Two common breeds of geese are Embden and Tolouse. Ducks and geese can be grown with a house and yard, or entirely in confinement.
Brooding
While ducks and geese are hardier than chicks, brooding is still the most critical stage. The brooder should be 38C (100F) for the first four days and then gradually reduced to 30C (86F) by the third week.
Have the feeders and waterers filled and in place the day before the birds arrive. In addition to regular feeders, provide extra feed on egg cartons for the first few days.
Have at least one waterer for every 25 ducklings/goslings. Waterers must be large enough for birds to submerge the tips of their bills but not so large that they can get in and swim. Ducks and geese will try to swim in their waterers, making the area around the waterers very wet and dirty. Placing the waterers on screened platforms will help to keep the litter drier. It is best to move the waterers outside when the birds are old enough.
Lighting/ Marketing
Ducks and geese should be brooded with continuous light for the first 3 weeks. Ducks can be marketed at 10 weeks of age; geese at 16-20 weeks of age.
Duck and Goose Feeding Program
Ducks should be fed a commercial duck feed only, because of their very high niacin requirement. Ducks will graze grass, but they cannot utilize the nutrients as well as geese. Geese are excellent foragers and can be put on pasture at 3 to 4 weeks of age (confinement at night and during rainy cold weather is still recommended). It is then necessary to limit feed to reduce wastage. Feeding birds in the evening will encourage grazing during the day. Laying strains of ducks can lay over 300 eggs per duck per year. They should be fed 17% duck breeder pellets supplemented with oyster shell or limestone. If ducks or geese are kept for breeding, feed should be restricted to maintain body condition.
When will my chickens lay?
Pullets hatched very early in the spring may start laying in the fall, but won’t reach peak production until the following spring. Hens are at their peak production from 1 to 2 years of age. A 4 to 5 year old chicken is “old”.
Why are my hens not laying?
Hens may stop laying for various reasons. Moving the hens to a new location, changing feed, or very hot or cold temperatures will cause temporary changes to the laying pattern. If the chickens are receiving commercially prepared laying pellets as their sole ration, their nutritional requirements for egg production will be met. However, if other grains are also being fed, the hens may be deficient in protein which will reduce egg production. Other causes may be an inadequate water supply, internal or external parasites, or disease.
What is moulting?
Moulting is the shedding and re-growth of feathers. It occurs once a year, usually in the autumn, and lasts 6 -8 weeks. Egg production generally stops during a moult. Any major disturbance, such as very cold weather, lack of feed or water, or decreasing day length, can cause a moult. A moult will often occur naturally in hens after one year of lay. Older hens can also be forced to moult to increase production as the rest typically restarts the egg production curve with slightly lower daily production than a young, non-moulted flock.
How do I induce a moult?
After about one year of lay, a hen’s production will decrease. To increase egg production, a hen can be force moulted. After the moult, egg production will increase, although no to as high a level as the first production period.
To induce a moult in low-producing hens, take away feed and water for one day. On the second day, replace the water. On the fourth or fifth day, replace the feed. After the moult, feed as a starting layer, repeating the feeding cycle.
How do I tell if a hen is laying?
Laying hens have large, bright red combs; soft, deep abdomens; large moist vents; and a 3 to 4 finger space between the pubic bones (just in front of the vent on the underside of the chicken are two pointed pubic bones). The beaks and shanks will be light in colour. Non-layers have shrunken, dull combs and about 1 to 2 finger space between the pubic bones. The beaks and shanks will be yellow coloured.
Happy chickens lay more eggs
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