Care of Baby Poultry

FEED: Use a chick starter for the first 8 wks. Sprinkle feed on a piece of cardboard in the area where the chicks will be. The chicks will find the feed more easily this way at the start. Do this for a few days. Then put the feed in troughs low enough so the chicks can see and reach the feed easily. Use a 2 foot feeder for each 50 chicks. Never let the chicks run out of feed. Adding chopped boiled egg yolk on top of the feed gets the chicks off to a good start and encourages them to start eating feed right away. Chicks should stay on a full feed ration of chick starter/grower until they are 4 1/2 - 5 months of age.

WATER: Have a 1 gallon chick waterer for each 50 chicks. Do not medicate first water. For the first 2 days add 3 tablespoons of table sugar to each quart of lukewarm water for extra energy. Use plain water after that. DIP THE BEAK OF EACH CHICK IN THE WATER BEFORE YOU TURN IT LOOSE. Your chicks will be thirsty when you get them. A taste of water right away helps them to find more water soon. Most baby chick loss is caused because the chick doesn’t start to eat or drink. Never let your chicks run out of water.

HEAT: We have found that using a drop light with reflector shield is a great source of heat. Use a 75 - 100 watt bulb and use as many lights as you need to keep the birds comfortable. Hang the light no closer than 18″-24″ from the floor. If too warm raise light higher. The temperature should be 90-95 degrees for the first week. The temperature may need to be slightly higher for Bantams and other small bodied birds. A thermometer will help a lot to ensure that you have the proper comfort for the birds. Reduce the temperature 5 degrees per week until you reach 70 degrees. they shouldn’t need much heat after that. Start with 1 bulb per 50 chicks in cold weather. Then watch how the birds act - see diagram. The birds need a small light at night to keep them from piling up even when they don’t need it for warmth. Be sure to watch the CORNISH CROSS as they grow faster than other birds and will overheat more quickly.

SPACE: Try to provide 1/2 square foot per chick at the start. For starting 50 chicks use a draft shield (see above) and make a circle about 5 to 6 foot across. For 100 chicks make a circle 7 to 8 feet across.

DUCKS AND GEESE SHOULD BE RAISED SEPARATE FROM THE CHICKS AND TURKEYS

Other Important Considerations:

DRAFT SHIELD: Cardboard put in a circle about 12 inches high around the chicks helps cut down drafts on the floor. Be sure the circle is large enough to allow the chick to get away from the heat if it wants to.

LITTER: Sawdust, shavings or rice hulls make a good litter. Straw or hay will also work but not as good as the others. Put the litter all over the floor at least 1 to 2 inches thick. On concrete floors use 3″ - 5″ of bedding.

PICKING: Baby chicks will often pick each other if they are too hot, too crowded, with fresh air, or short of room. Occasionally bright light also causes them to pick. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure when it comes to picking. Sometimes, however, they pick for no apparent reason. To stop it try putting in fresh green grass clippings several times a day and darken the room. Chunks of grass sod can also be set around for the chicks to pick at. As a last resort, try cutting off about one-third of the top beak with a very sharp knife or razor blade. Cut from top to bottom, straight down. Be careful to not crush the beak by pushing too hard on the knife or razor blade. Do NOT cut the lower beak, just the top one. For chicks that have been picked, smear pine tar or menthol based ointment on the area injured and keep up the treatment until healed.

AFTER FOUR WEEKS

1. Increase floor area to 3/4 square foot per chick.
2. Increase feeders to provide 2 1/2 to 3″ of space per chick.
3. Increase waterers’ to one 5 gallon fount for per 100 chicks.
4. Install roosts at back of brooder area. Allow four inches per bird with roost poles six inches apart.
5. Open windows in day time. Leave only partly open at night.
6. Prevent water puddles around founts. Place founts on low wire platform.
7. Chicks can range outside on warm sunny days, but only if clean range is available.

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SPECIAL SITUATIONS AFTER THE CHICKS ARRIVE FROM HATCHERIES

IF THE CHICKS HAD A HARD TRIP. Instead of using the standard feed and water suggestions listed, try this: Put 5 tablespoons of sugar in each quart of water. then mix some of this extra sweet water with some of your feed to make a soupy mix. Give your chicks this special feed and water mix for 3 to 4 days to get them over the effects of shipping.

REAR END “PASTING UP“. Sometimes the stress of shipping causes the manure to stick to the back of the chick. It is important to remove this daily. Pull off gently or, better yet, wash off with a cloth and warm water. it will disappear in a few days as the chick starts to grow. If chicks appear droopy add a sulfa type drug to their drinking water as directed on package.

 

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