Poultry farming management is about managing the details. The first key point in poultry farming is preheating the chicken house. Even without preheating, the chicken house can reach the desired temperature. As a result, many people overlook the benefits of preheating the chicken house.
Benefits of preheating the chicken house
1, Check the heating equipment
During periods when the chicken house is unoccupied, the heating equipment may develop problems. Many farmers do not discover that the heating equipment has a problem until the chicks are about to arrive, and then rush to adjust and repair it. By the time the chicks arrive, the chicken house temperature may still not have risen. After the chicks arrive, they huddle together for warmth, which may even trigger a large-scale outbreak of Salmonella.
2, Test whether the chicken house heating equipment is adequate
Some farmers wait until the chicks are about to arrive before starting to raise the temperature. As a result, the temperature fails to rise enough, the brooding temperature is too low, and this may even lead to failure of the poultry operation.
3、Drive the cold air out of the chicken house in advance
Cold air is heavy and settles near the floor or in corners. If the preheating period is too short or the temperature is too low, it is difficult to drive the cold air out of the chicken house. It is like turning on the air conditioner in winter: for the first ten or so minutes, you need to open the door to let the cold air out so the temperature can rise faster.
If the house is heated in a hurry, the air temperature will be uneven: it will be warmer above and cooler below. This cold air cannot escape. For caged or floor-raised chickens, this can easily cause their abdomens to become chilled.
For larger farms, an internal circulation fan can be installed to mix the cool air below with the warm air above. This will greatly reduce local temperature differences in the chicken house and better support chick growth.
4、Heating equipment
Preheat the equipment and facilities in the chicken house, including mesh floors, cages, water lines, feed troughs, walls, and floors. This way, the chicks will not come into contact with cold surfaces after they arrive, which helps alleviate stress and support yolk absorption.
After entering the house, chicks lie on the mesh floor to rest. Because the mesh is cold, and cool air from beneath it blows directly onto the chicks' abdomens, prolonged exposure can cause the chicks to become chilled and develop diarrhea, passing white, loose droppings. This is often mistaken by farmers for pullorum disease in chicks, leading them to use large amounts of antibiotics. This increases farming costs without producing any noticeable results. In fact, the problem is caused by insufficient preheating or a failure to preheat.
5、Helps adjust the humidity in the chicken house in advance
In the past, when raising chickens, people did not pay much attention to how humidity affected chicks. As farmers have become more focused on management, many have started humidifying chicken houses.
When humidifying a chicken house, it is necessary to ventilate it before adding humidity. During the downtime between flocks, the chicken house must be disinfected. At that time, large amounts of medication and disinfectant seep into the walls and cracks. After the house is heated and preheated, these residual chemicals increase in the air. It is better to ventilate with exhaust fans after preheating for a while, and then humidify.
Specific operating procedure
In autumn and winter, preheating is most important, and it is best to start two days in advance. In summer, when temperatures are high, the chicken house can be preheated one day in advance.
1. First, seal the chicken house and raise the temperature to 37-38 degrees Celsius, maintaining it for 2 hours. Then turn on the exhaust fan and lower the temperature to around 30 degrees Celsius.
2. Then heat the house again, raising the temperature to around 35 degrees Celsius. Sprinkle a small amount of hot water at around 70 degrees Celsius on the floor to increase humidity, and maintain this for 2 hours. Then use an exhaust fan to lower the temperature of the brooding room to 30 degrees Celsius and keep it stable.
3. Keep the mesh panels, walls, and litter warm while waiting for the chicks to enter the brooding room. After the chicks enter the chicken house, continue heating, gradually raising the temperature from 30 degrees Celsius to 35 degrees Celsius over 4-5 hours, and then begin normal management.
This systematic temperature-raising and cooling management can remove harmful gases from the chicken house and reduce their irritation of the chicks’ respiratory mucous membranes. It also keeps the temperature in the chicken house even and the equipment warm, providing a very comfortable environment for the chicks when they enter the house and laying a good foundation for the entire rearing cycle.