Brooding Management in Deep Litter System

Preparations before the arrival of chicks:

1. Clean the surroundings of the brooder house of all grasses and vegetation (at least 1 metre from the house wall).
2. Clean and disinfect the brooder house, curtains and equipments.
3. Cover the wire nettings of the brooding house with sacks/nylon or close the side curtains.
4. Spread evenly clean and dry litter materials (wood shavings etc.) to about 3 to 5cm thickness.
5. Form a circle of about 6 feet diameter with brooder guard (cardboard, plywood, plastics, aluminium sheets, etc.). This can hold about 200 to 250 chicks.
6. Arrange newspapers, heat source, feeder and drinkers properly inside the brooder guard.
7. Preheat the brooding house at least 24 hours before the arrival of chicks.
8. Check the brooder for proper temperature of 30 to 32°C for broilers and 32 to 34°C for pullet chicks.
9. Put foot dip containing disinfectant solution at the entrance of the brooding house.
10. Control insects and rodents.

Activities after the arrival of chicks:

1. Count the chicks as they are being removed from the chick boxes into the brooding house. The empty boxes should be removed from the house immediately.
2. Isolate chicks showing any obvious signs of weakness or sickness.
3. Regulate heat source and observe the chick behaviour. Correct temperature is indicated by chicks being evenly spread throughout the brooding area.
4. Place chicks on vitaflash dissolved in water for at least the first one hour after arrival to rehydrate them before introducing feed.
5. Serve feed inside the tray feeders and sprinkle little on the newspaper for 1 to 2 days.
6. For the first day, provide electrolyte vitamins like vitaflash in the drinking water for 24 hours.
7. From 2^nd to 6^th day, give antibiotics and vitamin in drinking water.
8. For the first 3 days, watch the chicks at 2 to 3 hours interval whether they have taken feed and water.
9. Allow fresh airflow during hot days of brooding.
10. Provide 24 hours of lighting for the first 3 days of age.
11. Remove the newspapers after 3 days and destroy it by burning.
12. Remove brooder guard after 7 to 10 days depending upon the season.
13. Change the feeders and waterers according to age and requirement.

This is where we will be ending our discussion for today.

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Thank you!!

- Usman Bello