POULTRY PRODUCTION

RECEIVING DAY-OLD CHICKS (DAY 1–6)

Starting with chicks is the most sensitive stage in poultry farming. How you manage the first week determines your success or failure. Follow these simple but powerful steps:

DAY 1 — Receiving the Chicks

1 Keep the brooding temperature at 35°C

Chicks cannot regulate their body temperature yet. If the brooder is cold, they will crowd and suffocate.

2 Reduce stress immediately

Chicks already faced transport stress. Give:

Glucose or multivitamin in water
You may add a broad-spectrum antibiotic (e.g., oxytetracycline) use according to product instructions.

3 Provide the correct feed

Broilers Super Starter / Starter feed

Layers Chick Mash
Avoid feeding anything else at this stage.

4 Handle chicks gently

Do NOT throw or play with them. They get tired very fast.

They are not pets don’t turn them into toys.

5 Give enough clean water

A 5-litre drinker can serve about 100 chicks per day.
Always ensure the water is clean.

6 Maintain proper lighting

Chicks eat more when the brooder is bright.
Use artificial light if electricity goes off.

7 Avoid cold water

Cold water can chill their bodies and cause pneumonia.

8 Observe them closely

Any weak, unusual, or isolated chick needs immediate attention.
Move gently inside the pen to avoid stepping on them.

DAY 2 – DAY 6 — Daily Routine 🐥📅

🔁 Continue the same management each day:

Wash drinkers, provide fresh water
Remove mouldy or wet feed
Feed morning (8–9am) and evening (5–6pm)
Maintain dry litter.

🛡️ Strong Biosecurity = Healthy Chicks

✅️ Use a footbath every time you enter
✅️ Have a poultry house uniform
✅️ Limit visitors and enforce hygiene rules

Diseases are the number one enemy prevent them before they enter.

🐥 Temperature Monitoring (Very Important!)

The chicks themselves will tell you if the temperature is wrong:

Crowding in one spot → Too cold → Increase heat.

Panting, moving away from heat → Too hot → Reduce heat.
Evenly spread across the pen → Perfect temperature.