Raising broilers profitably 4
The first 7 days
Pay special attention to critical factors in the first 7 days.
The first 7 days in broiler’s life are the foundation days. Any error committed within these days will have negative impact in the entire life of your birds. Pay Special attention to the first 7 days. The following are the critical factors to pay special attention to in your first 7 days:
✓ Lightening
Please and please good lightening is very important in the first 7 days. It’s a great minus to the growth and development of your chicks to sleep in the dark in any of the first 7 days.
Lightening is a stimulant to the developmental activities of your chicks. Good lightening promote good feed and water intake. Don’t keep chick in the dark in the first 7 days!
✓ Temperature
Temperature is as important as lightening. Much arguments have come up as to what range of temperature a day old chicks should be subjected to…
36-38 degree centigrade on the first day…. and all that. The good thing about chicks is the fact that they can tell you how they feel in response to temperature changes as follows:
A. Leaning towards the brooding wall, far away from source of heat, panting, restless, flapping of wings, stretching of neck, high sounds are indications of high temperature
B. Moving so close to source of heat, gathering round source of heat, resting on each other in groups, poor feed and water intake are indication of low temperature
C. When chicks are uniformly/evenly distributed on floor space, active, eating and drinking are indication of good temperature.
Poor temperature will negatively affect growth performance of your chicks particularly in the first 7 days
To be continued
Raising Broilers Profitably 4