BROODING OF BROILER BIRDS

Dr.SHARON A J15-MVM-044

Kerala Veterinary &Animal Sciences University

Need for Brooding New born chicks cannot regulate the body temperature efficiently Higher metabolic size Body temperature is higher (41.70C) Lack of feathers for insulation. Thermoregulatory centre not fully developed

It is mandatory that newly hatched chicks have to be provided with artificial heat during the initial stages of development

(duration depend on :- Species, Breed, Strain of Bird to be brooded )

Pre–Brooding

Managemental practices before brooding or before receiving the chicks

Purpose To avoid the stress on the birds For the sanitation and disinfection Expose surface to the disinfectant and fumigants Remove material that helps in multiplication of pathogens To avoid different diseases

FOLLOWING MEASURES ARE GENERALLY CONSIDERED FOR TAKING GOOD RESULTS

1. Selection of area 2. Cleaning 3. Removal of litter 4. Clean the equipment 5. Dusting/web removal 6. Repairing 7. White Washing 8. Disinfection 9. Fumigation 10. Provision of different materials 11. Equipment testing 12. Arrival of chicks

Pre brooding cleaning Remove all old litter from the house. Sweep walls, ceiling and floors to remove dirt and dust, then scrub with water

and disinfectant. flake any necessary repairs to house and equipment. Spray the house with a safe insecticide if ticks, lice or mites have been a

problem On the following day, wash the walls and floor with a two percent solution of a

mild disinfectant, if available; otherwise, use water. The house and equipment should have at least two days to dry out.

Spread litter 5 to 10 cm (2 to 4 in.) deep on the floor. If sawdust is used for litter material, cover it with paper during the first three

days so the chicks don't eat it. Sawdust can cause problems in the digestive systems of young chicks.

Replace the equipment and install and test the brooder at least 3 days before the chicks arrive. peep litter management - Any organic material that absorbs moisture can be used for litter.

Brooder House

Brooder house is the shed in which the chicks are brooded

should not be located near houses accommodating older birds to minimise the chances for disease transmission.

Brooding can be done in Brooder house alone or Brood-grow house or Brood-grow-lay house.

Layout of Brooding Equipment's A few hours before the chicks arrive, put clean water in the, waterers,

completely fill the feeders and put some feed on the paper or cardboard. The temperature under the hover should be 35 C (95 F).

When the chicks arrive, count them and dip the beak of each one into a waterer to be sure that it gets a drink

Watch the chicks for at least two hours. If any are obviously ill, remove them. The chicks' behaviour will tell you whether the brooder temperature is correct.

Check the distribution of the chicks and see that they have feed and water often - every three hours for the first 24 hours, including the night.

During the brooding stage, chicks will eat through the night because light is available continuously. They should never be without feed for more than 30 minutes at a time

Brooding feeders Brooding feeders - The first few days chicks will pick at anything and

will not be able to tell a feeding area from the rest of the floor, so it is wise to have feed scattered over a large area. Put newspaper or cut cardboard boxes down on the floor and scatter feed on them to supplement the chick - size feeders.

Brooding waterers Brooding waterers - For 100 chicks, use four waterers made of small

clay jars or tin cans inverted in saucers or the bottoms of larger tin cans

Increase number and size of waterers as the flock grows Because chicks drown easily, openings in waterers must not be large

enough to allow chicks to fall or be pushed into the water.

Cartwheel Layout of Brooding

Inefficient brooding

On the 3rd day, allow the chicks to finish the feed in the feeders. From then on, fill the feeders half full. If chicks are eating well, remove the paper or cardboard.

For the rest of the chickens' lives, completely change their water at dawn and in the early afternoon, rinsing the waterers out as you do so. Chickens should have water available at all times.

On the 6th day, be sure that there is grit in the feeders. From then on, always have grit available.

On the 7th day, Decrease the temperature to 31.1 C (90 F). Remove the brooder guard.

On the 14th day, lower the temperature to 29.4 C (85° F).

On the 21st day, provide larger feeders (sLower the temperature to 26.6 C (80 F).

On the 28th day, lower the temperature to 23.9 C (75 F) Place waterers on a slatted or wire mesh platform. Lower the temperature to 21.1 C (70 F). If

nighttime temperatures do not fall below this, remove the brooder. Even in cold weather, you may remove the brooder a week later. Make sure that drinking water does

not freeze.

Brooding Methods Spot brooding

1.Floor Brooding A. Canopy Brooding B. Infra –Red Brooding C. Gas Brooding D. Coal Brooding E. Electric Brooding F. Hot water brooding G. Slab Heating

2.Battery brooding 3.House brooding

Spot brooders

Floor brooders( Canopy/Hover brooders, infra red bulbs or propane fuelled systems)

They are designed to keep a specific area within a building at the desired temperature.

Common in Conventional windowless housing systems.

Floor Brooding

A. Conopy Brooders An umbrella like canopy/bamboo basket with two to five incandescent

bulbs fixed at the inner side, is inverted and hung in such a way that that the bords can freely move in and out.

A hover with 1.0 m Diameter is sufficient for 250 chicks.

The bulbs produce heat when on the hot air is trapped by the canopy in effect providing warmth to the chicks.

1 m

Infra red brooding (IR)

No canopy required

Infra red light heats he object that comes in contact with it by Infra red radiation.( Not the air)

Infra red & Infra red white Bulbs are available (250 W) available.

1 Bulb Sufficient for 250 chicks.

Bulbs must be hung 50 cm above the litter ( to prevent catching fire of litter material during summer)

Advantages of IR brooding

Chick observation is easy due to lack of canopy.

Accidental mortality due to improper handling of canopy is avoided.

Germicidal effect of IR rays increases the chick survivability rate IR light has been found to reduce cannibalism.

Brooding cost lower

IR enhances vitamin D synthesis.

Gas Brooding

These are 6-8 ft. in diameter with a gas burner located in the top of the dome.

They operate on Natural Gas or LPG.

They Accommodate 500-2000 day old chicks and have an input rating of 12000-20000 BTU ( British Thermal Units) per hour, depending on their size.

Gas brooder 5.5 kW s sufficient for 1250-1500 chicks.

Catalytical Gas Brooding

A catalyst is employed to produce a chemical reaction and heat production.

It produces a clean Flameless heat and dust and moisture do not affect its operation.

It is having a Btu rating of 22000 per hour.

Such burners use 20% less gas than the conventional gas brooder.

Electrical Brooding

Used in places where Electric power is comparatively inexpensive.

Electric heaters are placed under a canopy with a thermostat to turn the current on and off.

Electrical fan in some models draws fresh air from the outside at the top and circulates it down and over the chicks on the floor.

It requires around 2500watts of power.

Hot water Brooder

Hot water pipes placed about 12in. (30cm) above the floor to supply the heat.

Boiler heats the water in the pipes

Thermostat helps to switch on and off the boiler to help maintain the uniform temperature.

Four to Eight Hot water pipes are placed down the middle of the house and an insulated cover is placed over them to hold the heat near the floor.

Slab Heating

In this method the heat is supplied from below A concrete slab (floor) is heated by running pipes through the

concrete and forcing warm water through the pipes. Boiler regulated with thermostat maintain the water temperature to

the required degree and the thermostat switch on an off the boiler according to need.

In some instances where electricity is cheaper the slab is heated using electricity.

Heating is done only a section of 6-8 ft. wide in the middle and extending the entire length of the brooding area.( Not the entire floor)

Battery Brooding Birds are reared in Battery Brooder

Consists of 4-5 tiered cages each of which having the heating space comprising 1/3 rd of the area and the remaining portion as the run space.

Heating unit consist of electric heater with a thermostatic control.

The heating space is covered with false roofing made of GI to trap the hot air.

Paper is spread on the wire mesh and after 10 days it is removed.

Each tier measures 150-180 cm long,75 cm wide and 30-40 cm High

Each tier can accommodate 25-30 Broiler chicks until market or 75 to 100 chicks up to three weeks of brooding

Advantages of Battery brooding Housing density is high.

There will not be ay litter born disease spread.

Birds spend less energy due to movement restriction.(Feed efficiency will be improved)

Higher survivability of chicks.

Minimum labour requirement.

More accurate temperature control is possible

Disadvantage of battery brooding

Higher initial investment

Birds are uncomfortable due to movement restriction.

Occurrence of Broken legs, Breast blisters and other carcass defects are more, Especially in case of broilers.

Handling of faecal matter is cumbersome.

House Brooding

It is also called as room heating In environmentally controlled houses the entire house is heated to

furnish necessary brooding temperature. The temperature is lower than that of canopy type brooder 29 0C.

Heat necessary to warm the entire room may be supplied by a central heater and then forced thought the house through a duct

1. Whole house Brooding 2.Partial House Brooding

Whole House Brooding

It is very convenient to alter the temperature precisely as per the requirements of the chicks

Chicks can move freely in the entire area

No brooder guards

Easy observation of the chicks possible.

Partial House Brooding Temporary Plastic walls Partitioning 1/3 of the brooder house

Generally

20-25 chicks per/m2 are brooded.

The chicks move about freely within the area delineated by the plastic walls.

He brooding temperature can be easily provided.

THANK YOU