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BROODING PROCESS
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  • Brooding means to provide artificial heat source to chicks for a particular period of growth generally from 0 days to 28 days.
  • The heat source has a large reflector i.e. hover under which chicks will get heat uniformly.
  • The day old chicks do not possess insulating feather cover so they are provided with artificial heat source so that they can regulate their body temperature.
  • If brooding is not done, it will chill the body of the chick resulting in disease and finally death.
  • The body temperature of chick is 107° F which is always more than the room temperature, so to maintain the body heat of the chick, brooding is done.

     
  Arranging a brood pen for chicks   Brood pen with chicks

Materials required:

Litter material, bulbs, thermometer, feeders, waterers, waste newspapers, lime powder, buckets, broomstick, electrolyte, etc.


Suggested floor plan of a brooder
A) Preparation of Brooder House:

1. Remove spider webs, cobs, from the shed..
2. Remove all the litter if brooding is carried in the previously built shed.
3. Wash shed with warm water.
4. Feeders and waterers should be thoroughly cleaned. Dry them in sun for a day.
5. The weight of the calf should be recorded.
6. Hang gunny bags around brooder house. The temperature should be maintained at 95 °F for 1st week and then reduce temperature 5°F on successive weeks for 4 weeks.
7. Spread the litter material upto a depth of 2 inches.
8. Place newspapers over the litter material
9. The feeders and waterers should be placed in a radiating manner from the light source.
10. 4 hours before the arrival of chicks, keep water in waterers to bring water at room temperature.
11. The brooding unit should be ready before a day prior on arrival of chicks.
12. The brooding bulb should be switched on at least 24 hours earlier to make the area warm at the time of housing the chicks.
13. Depending on weather conditions, put gunny bags around the brooding unit to maintain room temperature..

Brooding of chicks in close captivity under a light bulb


     
  Lighting during brooding   Brooding by using Infra-red bulbs

Time at which the successful brooding can be done without much intervention for the resources or climate suitable for brooding or time at which the chicks can be brought to house for rearing
  1. March-April
  2. September-October

Brooder Management:

1. Spread finely grained maize over the newspapers before arrival of chicks.
2. Give cool water after boiling. Add electrolyte and antibiotic (e.g. Enrofloxacin) for better results.
3. Distribute chicks equally under brooders.
4. Before putting chicks under brooder scale their beaks with water.
5. For first 3 days, give crushed maize twice a day. Subsequently add ground maize in small amounts..
6. Change newspapers immediately if they get wet.
7. Remove newspapers on 5th day.
8.Remove wet litter immediately and add fresh litter.
9. According to the age, brooder temperature should be adjusted.
10. At 1st day, give glucose water, 5% glucose in liter of water.
11. 2nd to 4th day antibiotic i.e. Enrofloxacin and vitamin supplement i.e. Vimeral® should be given for better results in drinking water.
12.Wash the waterers daily and give fresh, cool water.
13.Give 24 hours light for 3 weeks to induce night feeding.
14. Chick mash should contain 23% crude protein and 2900 Kcal/kg of metabolizable energy.

Chicks inside a brooder house (feeding and watering)


Seasonal Modifications in Brooding Process:

As far as the brooding in rural areas is concerned following modifications can be made as per the season

1. Bukharis can be used for brooding purposes.
2. Lamps can be used in account for power cuts.
3. Feeding of maize, bran, grains, grams, kitchen waste, etc can be judiciously utilized as a feed source at par with the compound feed. However for proper growth of flock compound feed should be supplemented at times.
4. Give antibiotic, electrolyte, vitamin supplement for about a week.
5. Vaccination can be done if the area is prone to diseases, else the rearing can be carried out without the vaccines.
6. Market the chicks at an age of 28-30 days.
7. Restrict feed at 25 days for economizing the enterprise.

     
  Traditional bukhari being used for brooding of chicks   Hover brooder in large scale farms

Some typical conditions in a brooder

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Developed by :
Dr.Rahulpreet Singh
( M.V.Sc Scholar )		  Dr. Pranav Kumar
(Assistant Professor) 		Dr. Amandeep Singh
(M.V.Sc Scholar, IVRI )
Division of Veterinary and Animal Husbandry Extension Education Faculty of Veterinary Sciences and Animal Husbandry, R.S. Pura, SKUAST Jammu