How to raise newly hatched chicks in the first week to help you grow healthy chicks

After an egg is incubated, the chick will break out of its shell, and the first week after hatching is a very important period for rearing. Good feeding management plays a decisive role in the survival rate of chicks, so how do you raise newly hatched chicks in the first week?

1. Feed

1. First feeding: Give the chicks a fortified pellet feed for their first feeding, feeding 1g of feed per chick each time, once every 2-3 hours, mixing the feed until moist and evenly scattering it onto the feed tray.

2. Feeding method: When the chicks are raised to day 4, begin using troughs. Notes after using troughs: adjust the height of the feed adjustment plate in time to make it convenient for the chicks to eat; feed 2-4 times a day, and level the feed at least 3-4 times to ensure every chick takes in enough feed. When the lights are turned on, the feed needs to be leveled once. Uneven feeding easily causes some chicks to develop poorly.

2. Drinking water

1. First drinking for chicks: generally the earlier the first drink, the better, because after hatching the chicks consume a large amount of water from their bodies. According to research findings, 24 hours after hatching the body consumes 8% of its water, and after 48 hours it consumes 15%. Therefore, drinking early can promote intestinal peristalsis, absorb residual yolk, excrete droppings, increase appetite, benefit feed absorption, and improve the survival rate of chicks.

2. Supplement nutrients: Add 3% glucose to the water to supplement energy, and at the same time add water-soluble vitamins to enhance the chicks' disease resistance. On the second day after the first drink, add antibacterial drugs to the water to improve the chicks' survival rate and promote growth.

3. Drinking method: According to actual conditions, use drinkers for the first 3-7 days, changing the water 4-6 times a day, then gradually transition to using automatic drinking pipes. Water interruption is prohibited.

4. Cleaning and disinfection: Drinkers should be cleaned once a day, and drinking pipes should be flushed and disinfected once every half month.

3. Light

Light does not directly affect chick growth; it acts indirectly through its effect on the chicks' feed intake. Make sure the light intensity reaches above 20 lux. For the first 7 days, 60w incandescent bulbs can be used, maintaining 24-hour light for 1-3 days, and from day 4 the light duration is reduced by 1 hour each day.

4. Temperature

1. General principles of chick temperature control: For the first 3 days of age, the temperature is generally controlled at 35-37°C. If the chicks are weak, it can be appropriately raised by about 1°C. From 4-7 days, the temperature is controlled at 34-36°C. Keeping the temperature suitable, uniform, and stable is crucial to the health and growth of chicks and is the key to raising chicks well. First, ensure the temperature inside the coop is uniform, with differences in all places not exceeding 1°C. Uneven temperature directly causes uneven chick development, uneven physique, and increases the difficulty of brooding; second, keep the chicks' weaning off heat stable, and the daily temperature drop must not exceed 1°C. It is best to formulate a detailed daily temperature control plan based on the target temperature at the end of brooding. For example, if the target temperature at 42 days is 23°C, during the brooding period the temperature can be lowered by 1°C every 3 days, thereby achieving the goal of stable weaning off heat. During brooding, it is also necessary to combine “adjusting temperature by observing the chicks.”

2. Humidity should be kept at 40%-60%. If humidity is too low, chicks are prone to dehydration, and increased dust in the air easily damages the chicks' respiratory mucosa and induces respiratory diseases. Under high temperature and low humidity, humidity can be increased and temperature lowered through disinfection with chickens present, while also purifying the coop environment; under high temperature and high humidity, the adverse effects of high temperature and high humidity on the flock can be reduced by increasing ventilation volume; for low temperature and high humidity, the temperature inside the coop can be increased while appropriately increasing ventilation volume.

5. Ventilation

1. Purpose of ventilation: Ensure sufficient oxygen content in the coop (19.6%); regulate temperature and remove excess heat from the chickens' bodies; expel moisture; reduce dust in the coop; reduce the accumulation of harmful gases in the coop, such as ammonia and carbon dioxide.

2. Ventilation method: In the early brooding stage, focus on keeping warm, with ventilation as a supplement. The purpose of ventilation is appropriate air exchange; during the day, the outside temperature is high and the chicks are more active, so ventilation volume can be appropriately increased, while at night the outside temperature is low and the flock is less active, so ventilation volume should be reduced; in the first 7 days, wind speed and ventilation volume should not be too large, and it is best if people feel warm, comfortable, and not stuffy.

After the end of the first week of age, the chicks need to be checked for body weight, and different feeding management plans should be made for abnormal individuals. This can promote the overall uniform development of the flock, promote the synchronization of body weight and sexual maturity, and achieve a good production level.