Practices related to brooding

2. Brooding:
Brooding is the art and science of rearing baby
chicks.
Why Brooding is Important ?
• No proper Thermoregulatory Mechanism developed
• No proper digestive system developed
• For developing immunity
• Optimal brooding is essential to optimize bird health and
contribute to a performance and survival in later life

3. Pre brooding management
 After taking out the previous adult birds, Clean and
disinfect the poultry house.
 2 to 3 weeks interval may be provided between 2 batches
as down time.
 Establish proper temperature 32 to 35°C and 60%
humidity 24 hours before chick placement.

4. Conti…
 Pre heat brooding house prior to chick placement.
 24 hours in normal climates.
 48 hour in cool climates.
 72 hour in cold climates.
 Bright light (30-35 lux ) for 22 hours during 0-7 days
helps chicks to easily find feed and water.

5. Classification of brooding
Brooding are classified into two types:
 Natural brooding
 Artificial Brooding

6. Natural brooding
 It is done with the help of broody hens after hatching,
up to 3 to 4 weeks of age.
 The hatched chicks provide the stimulus to the hen to
change her work from incubating eggs to brooding
young.

8. Artificial brooding
 In artificial brooding large number of baby chicks are
reared in the absence of broody hens.
 Those equipment's which are used for brooding are
called brooders.

10. Types of brooders
 Infra red bulbs
 Gas brooders
 Heating coils
 Battery brooders

11. Infra red bulb
 Also known as IR bulbs are large 250 reddish
incandescent bulbs.
 One 250 watts IR bulb can provide brooding for about
150 to 250 chicks.

12. Gas brooder
 Natural gas, LPG or methane is connected to heating
element which is hanged 3 to 5 feet above the chick to
provide heat.

13. Battery brooders
 Multi tier cage brooding is practiced.
 Bulb or heaters with thermostats are used to provide warmth
to chicks in battery brooders.

14. Basics of Better Brooding
 Litter Management
 Temperature
 Ventilation
 Water Quality and Availability
 Feed Availability
 Lighting

15. Litter Management
 The litter in a poultry house acts as bedding for the birds.
In addition to standing and resting on the bedding, birds
will naturally peck at the litter.
 Litter that is too dry and dusty can also lead to problems
such as dehydration of new chicks, respiratory disease.
Ideally, litter moisture should be maintained between
20 to 25 percent. A good rule of thumb in estimating
litter moisture content is to squeeze a handful of litter.

16. Temperature
 For 0-7 days Air temperature should be 32-33°C ( in
cages ).
 Air temperature (floor) 32-35 °C.
 Gradually decrease 2 C every week and maintain at
21- 24 °C.

17. Ventilation
 Required to provide fresh air and removing gases like
carbon dioxide and ammonia for healthy respiration.
 Opening and covering of curtains need to be done
correctly depending on weather condition.
 Humidity is about 50 to 60% has to be maintained

18. Water Quality and Availability
 Drinking water accounts for 70–80 percent of the bird’s
daily drinking needs. Poultry will generally consume
more water than feed.
 Water management is an essential aspect of poultry
farming that involves providing clean, fresh, and
adequate water to the birds.
 Poultry prefer water with a pH of 6.0 to 6.8 but can
tolerate a pH range of 4 to 8.

19. Feed Availability
 Birds must have easy access to feed. Proper feeder
line height corresponding to the height of the birds
helps to reduce feed wastage and mixing feed with
litter, and it ensures that all birds have access to feed.

20. Lighting
 The light intensity should be between 40–60 lux
during the first week. This should be measured at
drinker level. Light should be spread uniformly
throughout the entire cage or floor. It is important to
avoid shady and dark areas in the brooding cage or
floor area.

21. THANK
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