What are the key points to note during the brooding stage of free-range chickens?

1. Note the selection of breeds 

Choose improved local chicken breeds. This way the chicks grow evenly, grow relatively faster, and have uniform feather color.

2. Note the indoor temperature

It should be 35°C to 32°C at 0-1 weeks of age, 31°C to 24°C at 2-3 weeks of age, and 23°C to 20°C at 4 weeks of age; alternatively, the temperature can be lowered by 0.5°C each day after 1 week of age.

3. Note the relative humidity

Keep the indoor relative humidity at 55% to 65%, that is, 60% to 65% before 10 days and 55% to 60% after 10 days; keep the indoor air fresh, with no pungent or eye-irritating smell.

4. Note supplementary lighting

For the first 5 days, maintain 23 hours of light per day, and afterward 17 hours of light (including natural light).

5. Note timely watering and feeding

Chicks should be given feed and water as early as possible, and feed and water should be kept constantly available for free feeding. Add 5% glucose to the first drinking water for two consecutive days; on the third day, add 0.02% to 0.03% potassium permanganate to the drinking water.

6. Note high-density brooding

Before 15 days, keep 60 to 70 birds per sq m, generally more than 5,000 birds per brooding batch (the brooding scale depends on the farmer's demand for chicks). Combine "net, bed, and free-range"; farmers should appropriately modify the chicken house according to their own raising numbers. The indoor floor should be a cement floor, with windows and ground windows to allow air circulation and ample lighting, and net beds and chicken cages should be prepared, preferably in a three-tier vertical style. The number of net beds depends on the number of chickens raised, generally calculated at 45 to 20 birds per sq m (slightly higher density in the early stage). The first tier of the net bed should be 40 cm above the ground, the net bed should be 30 cm high, and the distance between the upper and lower tiers should be 20 cm. A manure tray (three-layer board can be used) should be placed on top of the first and second tiers of net beds. The frame parts of the net bed should be made of wood or white bamboo, and the surroundings and bottom of the net bed should be fixed with plastic netting of 1 cm × 1 cm mesh. Feed buckets and drinkers are all placed inside the net bed. Enclose the courtyard woodland with nylon netting, drive a post every 2 to 3 m, tie the nylon netting to the posts, and press the net edge near the ground firmly with soil. The area of the enclosed site is generally calculated at no less than 1.5 sq m per chicken, and the wider the better. Purchased chicks that have been removed from heat (chicks that have already completed brooding) are raised in net beds until they reach 1 kg body weight, and from 1 kg until slaughter they are raised free-range in the enclosed courtyard woodland (not released on rainy days or frost and snow days), with feed and water kept constantly available for free feeding. When raised in net beds, the chickens have a small activity range, consume less body energy, and gain weight faster; when raised free-range in the enclosed courtyard woodland, the chickens can catch wild weeds and biological insects, changing their food structure, and the meat quality and taste are good, maintaining the taste of free-range chicken meat.