Detailed Explanation of Key Points of Chick Rearing and Management Techniques

A chick refers to a young chicken from 0-60 days of age. After hatching, chicks have small bodies, sparse and short down, dissipate heat quickly, and have poor thermoregulation, so corresponding measures must be taken in rearing and management to improve the survival rate of chicks.

(1) Preparation for brooding

1. Prepare feed, vaccines, and preventive (and treatment) drugs.

2. Prepare all rearing and management equipment, such as feed troughs, water troughs, drinkers, scales, thermometers, syringes, etc.

3. If purchasing from the market, select healthy, disease-free chicks.

(2) Brooding Methods

Brooding by a hen involves small numbers and is not specifically introduced here; only the commonly used floor brooding technique is introduced here. Floor brooding refers to a brooding method in which a 15-20 cm thick layer of sawdust, rice hulls, etc. is spread on the ground and chicks are raised on the litter; during this period the litter can be gradually thickened or removed and replaced. For floor brooding, the following rearing and management key points should be grasped:

1. Grouping: After selecting healthy, disease-free chicks, those with similar body weight and constitution are placed in the same group.

2. Rearing density: The suitable density per square meter is 40-50 birds at 1-2 weeks of age, 30-40 birds at 3-5 weeks of age, and 20-30 birds at 6-9 weeks of age.

3. Feeding and drinking equipment: Feed troughs 2.5-5 cm/bird; feed buckets 30-40 birds/unit. Water troughs 1.5-2 cm/bird, drinkers 80-100 birds/unit; nipple drinkers 10-15 birds/unit.

4. Temperature: 33-34°C at 1-2 days of age, 32°C at 3-4 days, 31°C at 5-7 days, 30°C in the 2nd week, 26°C in the 3rd week, 22°C in the 4th week, 20°C in the 5th week, and 18°C in the 6th week. Incandescent lamps are usually used to provide light and heat, with the bulb about 10 cm above the chickens; especially at night, attention should be paid to turning on the lights, which while providing heat can also prevent mosquito and insect bites and infectious diseases.

5. Humidity: Suitable humidity makes chicks feel comfortable, rest and appetite normal, and less likely to get sick. The indoor relative humidity should preferably be 55-60%.

6. Lighting: Continuous lighting for the first 3-4 days, 4-6 watts per square meter; 18 hours of lighting per day from 5-14 days, 3 watts per square meter; after 2 weeks, continuous lighting at night is acceptable, 1.3 watts per square meter. Usually from the 4th day, lighting is 14 hours, then reduced by 15 minutes each day to a constant 8 hours of lighting per day. After 2 weeks of age, chicks can be placed in a sheltered spot to bask in the sun and exercise for 30 minutes per day.

7. Ventilation: After raising chickens, ammonia concentration in the coop often rises relatively quickly from the second week. When there is a pungent smell or eye irritation, doors and windows should be opened for ventilation in the warmer afternoon, or a small exhaust fan can be installed for ventilation.

8. Beak trimming: The advantages of beak trimming are saving feed, preventing pecking vice, and improving the rearing survival rate.

9. Feed: It is recommended to use special chick feed. If self-mixed, the recommended formula is: corn 49%, broken rice 10%, fine rice bran 5%, wheat bran 5%, soybean cake 18%, cottonseed cake or sesame cake 5.5%, fish meal 5%, bone meal 2%, salt 0.3%. Add an appropriate amount of trace elements, and add 15 grams of multivitamins per kilogram of feed. Feed freely, feed less but more frequently, and keep the feed trough and feed clean. After 7 days, green feed can be given, at about 20% of the chicken feed. After chicks start eating, grit amounting to 1% of the daily ration can be added. Generally, feeding starts after 2 weeks, with 450 grams fed per 100 chickens each time per week; the suitable grit diameter is 2 mm, and the grit particle size gradually increases over time. It can be sprinkled on top of the feed or placed in a separate trough for free feeding. For confined chicks, even more attention should be paid to supplementing grit. After 40 days, gradually replace the formula feed with farm grain, gradually add broken corn, rice, and other raw grains and increase the amount of green feed. The newly replaced raw grain should be increased gradually at 10%-20%-30%-50%-70%-100%, and release training should begin on sunny days.

10. Drinking water and start of feeding: Before start of feeding, the chicks should first drink water, and feeding begins after 2-4 hours. In the drinking water for the first 1-3 days, it is advisable to add 8% glucose and 1 gram of vitamin C per kilogram of water; the drinking water temperature should be 18-25°C. The starter feed can use complete feed for early-stage chicks and broken rice, etc. Feed less but more frequently, and keep the feed trough and feed clean.

11. Throughout the brooding period, 0.2-0.3% oxytetracycline, 0.02% norfloxacin, and 0.02% furazolidone can be used alternately in the feed to prevent colibacillosis and salmonellosis. From after 1 week of age to 80 days of age, 0.03% chlorobenzoguanide or Sanzi coccidiostat powder, clopidol, etc. can be mixed into the feed in alternating medication. Anticoccidial drugs should be used for 4-5 days, then stopped for 3-4 days, and then the type of medication should be changed. In addition, in production, feed nutrition, rearing density, litter management, etc. should be handled appropriately.

12. Rearing personnel must pay attention to good environmental sanitation, clean up chicken manure in a timely manner, disinfect regularly, and keep equipment clean; supply clean drinking water, and supply warm water when it is cold; change feed gradually; promptly pick out sick and weak chickens for treatment and handling, to avoid the spread of disease and reduce losses.

13. Immunization: For routine diseases, the main focus is prevention and treatment of respiratory tract diseases, digestive tract diseases, and coccidiosis. The medication principle is alternating medication, administered in water and mixed into feed. From 15-20 days of age, attention should be paid to the prevention and treatment of chicken coccidiosis; at this stage, deworming should mainly target coccidiosis 1-2 times. Anticoccidial drugs should be used for 4-5 days, then stopped for 3-4 days, and then the type of medication should be changed.