Four key points to get right for three-tier cage rearing of broiler chickens in early spring

The broiler chicken industry is one of the leading agricultural industries in Chengde County. The rearing capacity of the county's broiler chicken breeding bases reaches 70 million birds, with 50 million broiler chickens marketed annually, spread across 23 townships and 178 administrative villages throughout the county. Broiler chicken breeding bases mainly adopt the three-tier cage rearing model. Each chicken house raises 20,000 to 40,000 birds, which improves industry concentration and reduces land input. During early spring rearing, attention must be paid to four key points:

1. Temperature. Three-tier cage rearing is divided into upper, middle and lower tiers, with temperature differences between the tiers. In early spring, the outdoor temperature is low and the temperature difference is large. Brooding is generally carried out on the top tier because the top tier has the highest temperature, which helps save heat energy. On the first day the chicks enter the house, the temperature should be controlled at 33°C to 34°C; the temperature can also be adjusted according to the chicks' condition. When the temperature is suitable, the flock is evenly distributed, lively and active, with a strong appetite; when the temperature drops, the chicks hunch their necks, arch their backs, gather toward the heat source, crowd against each other and shiver; when the temperature is too high, water intake increases, appetite decreases, breathing speeds up, and the neck feathers look water-soaked. In the first week, the temperature drops to 30°C, then decreases by 2°C each week thereafter.

2. Feeding. After the chicks enter the house, make sure they can drink water within 2 hours. For some weak chicks, dip their beaks manually to help them drink, so that the chicks learn to drink as soon as possible. For the chicks' first drink, use 25°C warm boiled water with 5% glucose and 0.1% vitamin C added. Drinkers must be rinsed frequently, and throughout the brooding period, water supply must not be interrupted. Starting from the second day of brooding, add medication against pullorum disease to the drinking water.

2 to 3 hours after drinking, place the feed into the feeding tray for the chicks to peck. Be sure to feed small amounts frequently to prevent feed contamination and mold. In the first 3 days, feed strictly according to the rearing standard at fixed times and in fixed amounts to prevent the broiler chickens from growing too fast, which would cause incomplete development of immune organs and poor disease resistance in the later stage. In the first 10 days, feed 6 to 8 times per day. To give the chicks good feeding efficiency, the best time to feed is when the feed is about to be eaten up but not yet gone. Generally, 3 days before marketing, the birds can feed freely.

3. Grouping. Three-tier cage rearing uses whole-house brooding. When chick density is too high, group them in a timely manner to ensure uniform body weight. The first grouping is generally at 12 to 16 days of age, and the second grouping at 25 to 28 days of age. When grouping, follow the principle of "keep the weak, not the strong": place the heavier, healthy chicks in the lower tier and leave the weak chicks behind. In early spring, because the temperature difference between the upper and lower tiers of the cages is large, the grouping time can be appropriately delayed, and one extra chick can be placed in the lower cage to reduce the temperature difference between the upper and lower tiers.

4. Disinfection. During the rearing process, clean the floor every day to reduce irritation of the respiratory tract from dust and chicken down. After that, disinfect the entire facility with the chickens in place every other day. Several disinfectants can be selected for alternating use. During disinfection, avoid the vaccination period by more than 24 hours.

Chengde County Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Bureau Wang Haichun Li Chengcheng