In my day-to-day interactions with poultry farmers, I have learned that many chicken farms often experience problems such as low chick survival rates, poor chick uniformity, and poor flock health. After in-depth discussions, I found that poultry farmers have more or less some problems in their feeding and management practices.

Below, I have summarized several issues that poultry farmers often overlook, in the hope that this will be of help to poultry farmers.

1. Disinfection of the chicken house

In hospital maternity wards, newborn babies need to be placed in a sterile environment. Anyone entering the nursery must follow strict disinfection procedures and should not stay for too long. This is because newborn babies have low immunity and are easily infected by pathogens.

The same is true of chicks. If the conditions in the environment where the chicks are kept are poor and there are many pathogens, the risk of the chicks becoming ill is high. Therefore, the chicken house must be thoroughly disinfected before the chicks arrive.

After the flock has been shipped out, thoroughly clean the chicken house and disinfect it carefully. Remove any equipment that can be taken out of the house for cleaning and disinfection. In addition to removing chicken manure, clean every corner of the chicken house, including the walls, ceiling, windows, and all other areas. After the entire chicken house has been cleaned and disinfected, leave it empty until it is ready for use.

　　About 5 days before the chicks arrive, thoroughly disinfect the chicken house a second time. Then close the doors and windows and fumigate with formaldehyde. Open the windows for ventilation after 24 hours. (It is recommended not to use strong acid or strong alkali disinfectants, to avoid corroding the equipment.)

　　In addition, anyone entering the chicken house must be thoroughly disinfected to avoid compromising the disinfection effectiveness. After the chicks arrive, regularly disinfect the chicken house while the chickens are inside. This can effectively control the amount of pathogens remaining in the chicken house.

　　2. Chicken House Temperature

　　Chicks are very sensitive to temperature changes, and improper temperature control is also one of the main reasons for low chick survival rates.

　　Take extra care during the first week after the chicks enter the chicken house. On the first day, the temperature in the chicken house should be kept at 33-34℃. After the first week, lower the temperature to 30℃, then reduce it by 2℃ each week, finally keeping it stable at around 21℃.

　　Note that you should not rely entirely on a thermometer to gauge the temperature in the chicken house; adjustments should also be based on the chicks' behavior. Observe their mental state, feed intake, activity, and any abnormal behavior (for example, huddling, strange calls, or water-soaked down) to assess the conditions.

　　Both excessively high and excessively low temperatures have a significant impact on chicks. Low temperatures can easily cause colds, which may lead to secondary diseases and reduce the survival rate. High temperatures can easily damage the respiratory tract mucosa and cause respiratory diseases; extreme heat even carries the risk of sudden, large-scale chick deaths.

　　3. Chick Drinking Water and Feeding

　　Chicks use a lot of their own energy just after entering the chicken house, so they need to be promptly provided with clean drinking water at a suitable temperature (the water temperature should be controlled at 22℃).

　　It is recommended that chicks have access to water within 2 hours of entering the chicken house. Chicks that do not drink on their own should be helped to drink manually.

　　For the chicks’ first drink, it is recommended to add a 0.5% glucose solution and 0.1% vitamin C to the water. This helps restore the chicks’ energy and improve their disease resistance.

　　Do not rush to feed chicks after they enter the chicken house. Provide water first, then feed them after 2-3 hours. This helps chicks digest and absorb the residual yolk in their bodies and promotes digestive function in their intestines.

　　When feeding chicks, provide small amounts frequently. This helps prevent feed contamination that could affect the health of the flock and reduces feed waste.

　　Disinfect once more about 5 days before the chicks arrive.