Professional Documents
Culture Documents
A: It is a common notion that getting ready to lay or RTL is the quickest and
fastest way to earn from poultry farming. It is quick but not profitable in the long
run. Since you are dependent on the outcome of your stocks to another person,
the assurance of good quality will be a problem. Cost cutting measures can be
done by the grow-out farmer that supplies the Ready To Lay or RTL. That will be
detrimental to the productivity of the animal.
On the other hand, growing your own chicks/ducklings can be the best start up
you just need to learn to save money PLUS produce good quality chickens! Which
farmer can produce the best quality chickens? Himself! Nobody can give the best
care, good quality feeds and management than the farmer himself. Also a farmer
who learns the proper brooding techniques can produce good quality
chickens/ducks all year round without worrying about the cold or hot climate.
A: Day old Chicks and ducklings are born without the ability to maintain heat in
their bodies in the first 21 days of life. Under natural conditions with the presence
of the mother hen or duck, the young will stay under the wings of their mother to
keep them warm. Especially during cold seasons and throughout the night. What
we are trying to copy is to provide a warm comfortable environment for the
chicks to stay and be nourished.
A: Definitely YES – The chicks to survive their young stage will need to have a
suitable environment to prepare them in their productive period. Whether the
purpose is for meat or egg production, the quality of produce will be highly
dependent on how GOOD the BROODING was done! This means Good Brooding =
Good Production.
A: Cold flooring, No heat available for chicks, no curtains, wind or draft present
overcrowding, over- heating, high carbon dioxide levels.
A: Dead chicks found in the morning, while the rest of the flock looks normal but
will eventually get stressed. After 3-4 days the remaining chicks becomes weak
and stressed, whitish excreta are found at the rear of the stressed chicks. The
reason for this is the chicks are not able to rest at night time due to the cold
temperature of the flooring or draft wind. The chicks will huddle together the
whole night. The chicks found at the far end will be crushed.
Q: Are there differences in the brooding of the meat types as compared to the
layer types and inasal types? Also pekin ducklings as compare to layer
ducklings?
A: Meat Type or Broiler type chicks and ducklings are more tolerable to variances
in low temperature or cold. This means that these types can withstand the stress
of cold more compared to the layer type and inasal types. Thus more particular
attention should be given to small framed chicks like inasal and layer types as well
as layer ducklings which are more sensitive.
Q. Is it Okay to mix meat types with inasal or layer types? Also Mixing ducklings
and chicks?
A: No. since the feed and water intake as well as comfort of the smaller frame
inasal or layer types will be greatly affected due to the high feed intake of meat
types. Also not advise-able to brood together ducklings in chicks in one setting.
A: You can brood all year round once you have the background on proper
brooding. Some adjustments are just needed if the climate changes from summer
to cold season or vice-versa.
A: For a size of 100 chicks or ducklings you need 1.5 to 2 square meters of
brooding area for the first 7 days. Expand to an additional 1 square meter for the
second week. On the 3rd week additional 1.5 square meters more.
A: The best shape to use is a rounded brooding area. We call this the brooding
ring. This is to prevent piling-up or stampede deaths to occur. If you have a
rectangular or square cage, just put some plastic or G.I. flat metal sheet curves at
the corners to prevent chicks from being pinned down at the corners.
DO’s
a) Use rice-hull or rice husk (most preferred) as the main flooring of
the chicks 4 inches is ideal. Remove after 21 days.
b) You can also use rice straws finely chopped
c) Another alternative is Wood shavings 5 inches thick
d) If no rice-hull or wood shavings available, finely shredded
newspaper 6 inches thick can be used. Replace every 5 days
DON’Ts
a) Never use a spread of newspaper or carton to use as flooring
b) Never use the earthen ground as flooring
c) Never Use chicken wire or bamboo slats as flooring.
A: 1) Charcoal in tin pails (for 100 heads : 1 small palayok o 1 gallon paint can)
long per 100 heads of chicks) MUST be placed in a small heater room (see
pictures).
Procedure:
- Secure the curtains surrounding the brooding area with the trapal and G.I.
wire. For elevated brooding houses, the space below must be enclosed with
trapal also.
- Place the old feed sacks on the floor on the ground or if elevated on top of
the kawayan or chicken wire flooring.
- Place the brooding ring at the size of 2 meters diameter. Use sipit to hold
the G.I. flat sheet. Into a circle.
- Place the rice hull inside an spread it around.
- Place the old newspaper on top of the rice hull – 5-6 pages stacked and laid
out
- Place the bamboo stick across the G.I. Sheet – 1/3 part
- Cover the top with katya or feed sack (your heating room)
- Cover the front with 1/3 slashed katya
- Place the feeders and waterers as seen in the diagram
- Place and activate the heating system 1 hour before arrival of chicks