Brooding In Poultry: Success in the Brooder 2020 Updated
7 min read
One day old chick on timber background, facing the camera
Hello fellow farmers, what we will be talking about is brooding in poultry.
How to brood poultry chicks, things to be mindful of before buying your birds, types of equipment, and method of construction.
But before then let’s talk about the largest poultry companies in USA where you can get quality day olds chicks for rearing.
Largest Poultry Companies In USA
To get a better result in poultry farming you must get quality chicks from a good hatchery. Below are the largest poultry companies in USA.
- Moyers chicks
- Townline Hatchery
- MT healthy hatchery
- Ridgeway hatchery
- Heartland Hatchery
- Myers poultry farm LLC
MOYERS CHICKS
Moyers chicks are the number one largest poultry companies in USA.
Moyers chicks is a poultry company located in Quakertown in the USA. They provide day-old chicks and pullets in commercial batches and small batches according to the orders. They specialize in roasters and broiler chickens, brown and white egg layers, colored slow-grow broiler chickens too.
As a small farmer or commercial poultry farmer looking for quality day-old chicks, you can find thousands of them in bulk.
TOWNLINE HATCHERY
Townline is the second-largest poultry companies in USA.
Townline hatchery is one of the oldest operating hatcheries in the united states. this company attends to its customers via mail and also accept orders or booking through email. Through four-generation they are dedicated to providing healthy poultry.
MT healthy hatchery is indeed a home of the healthiest chicks. Their ability to respond to their customers when the need arises is a bonus.
RIDGEWAY HATCHERY
Ridge hatchery fourth the rated largest poultry companies in USA and also the oldest in the USA.
it is the fourth generation family business offering a massive 96 years of experience in supplying quality poultry at affordable prices. they specialise in the supply of day-old chicks, guineas, pheasants, quail,turkeys, and ducks.
HEARTLAND HATCHERY
Heart Hatchery is the fifth on the list of largest poultry companies in USA.
This company sells different varieties of heavy layers also rare and exotic breeds.
MYERS POULTRY FARM LLC
Myers poultry farm is the six on the list as the largest poultry companies in USA.
Myers poultry farm has been providing day-old poultry since 1989. They handle cornish cross, layers, ducks, and other game birds.
Now Let’s dive into the game, but before we start I will like to define what brooding in poultry is all about.
Brooding: brooding can simply be defined as the application of heat to chicks in their early life.
This is in other to increase the temperature of the birds and regulate their body heat.
In other words, Brooding can be defined as the time in which special care is been taken towards the birds immediately after hatching. In this period the birds are taking care of in a special way to avoid cold and ensure survival.
Importance Of Brooding In Poultry
Brooding in Poultry is very important in poultry farming because what happens to the chicks before and after harvesting depends on brooding.
Below are the importance of Brooding in Poultry
- It prevents mortality
- It prevents cough if the good brood
- It promotes the performance of birds
What Is Brooding in poultry
Brooding in poultry is the process or act of taking care of day-old chicks.
Brooding in poultry is one of the most important areas in which every farmer must look up to before buying the birds or before the birds arrive.
So I will be telling you the requirements of a brooder house and how to construct a brooder house.
Brooding Management In Poultry
Brooding management in poultry farming is the general term used while trying to put up the structure or trying to construct the brooder house.
Below are the requirement of a well-constructed brooder house
- Housing structure
- Sources of lightening
- Sources of ventilation
Housing Structure
The brooder house should be constructed with blocks, it should be built in an east-west direction this is to control the light source in the day time.
Sources Of Lighting
There must be sources of light, after the construction of the brooder house the hall should be wired in other to get a light source for the birds to eat very well.
Sources of ventilation
The brooder house should be enclosed with enough windows in other to allow adequate ventilation once the bird’s clock three weeks.
After looking at the requirements in constructing a brooder house we will now go further to explaining to you the types of brooding in poultry.
Types Of Brooding In Poultry
There are two categories of brooding which we are not going to talking about, they are natural and artificial
There are three major types of brooding in poultry farming this are
- whole house brooding
- partial brooding
- spot brooding
Whole House Brooding: In this type of brooding the room is warmed to the same temperature. the chicks will have no choice between the hot and the cold environment.
Partial Brooding: in this type of brooding it almost the same thing whole-house brooding because the whole brooding area is warmed but in here the brooder house is reduced based on the size of the chicks.As the chicks grow the brooder house is increased based on the size of the chicks.
Spot Brooding: In spot brooding the chicks have access to a cooler area or unheated area. meanwhile provided there is a heated area in the brooder house the chicks determine their own body needs a choice where to stay.they can also choose to switch environment depending solely on the weather and vice versa.
Note:During this brooding there should be good ventilation.
We have given brief information on how the brooder house looks like, will now be going straight to what we are having today which is brooding in poultry and brooding management in poultry.
Brooding In Poultry And Brooding Management In Poultry
Brooding in poultry and brooding management in poultry are done or practiced in the first 14 days of the chicks’ life prior to the arrival of the chicks.
This management which is carried out in the brooder house is what am going to explain here.
The following are things to consider while brooding.
- Housing
- Equipment
- What to do on the arrival of the chicks
Housing in
The brooder house should be heated prior to the arrival of the chicks. A recently hatched chicks require to allot of heats in other to maintain the temperature of the body.so an external heat source should be provided to the chicks for at least the first ten days of the life.
A charcoal heater or heat lamp should be provided for the birds.
Equipment
Before the chicks arrive, all ways ensure that this material which will be listed below is ready in other to avoid mortality or even losing all your birds.
Below are the most important types of equipment in brooding in poultry
- Thermometer
- Brooder guide
- Heaters or Brooders
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Thermometer
The thermometer is used in monitoring the temperature of the brooder house.so it is important to have a thermometer in the brooder house in other to regulate the temperature of the birds.it is the thermometer that will tell you when the weather is too cold or when it is too hot.
Brooder Guide
The brooder guide is used in the brooder house to restrict the movement of the chicks in a certain heated area or place. the brooder guide does not have a role to play if the chicks are been brooded in a battery cage.
the brooder guide is usually made with hardboard which is usually streamed in other to form a ring that can easily be bent with ease. The brooder guide should be spaced one meter per 100 birds or chicks.
Note:when you are brooding Turkey ,the brooder guide should be lifted one meter above the ground level compared to that of the chicks.
Heaters or Brooders
There are different kinds of heaters or brooder that exist in brooding.But among all this heater we will be telling you the major types of heaters.
Below are the major types of heaters we have
- Electric heater
- charcoal heater
- gas brooder
- infrared bulb
- hovers
- Automatic heater
Electric Heater
the use of an electric heater in brooding poultry chicks is very okay because it is capable of spreading heat uniformly above a large area so it prevents the chicks from overcrowding under the heater.
Charcoal Heater or Kerosine stove
This is an alternative where is no electricity.this is the use of fabricated charcoal or kerosine stove in brooding in other to generate enough heat for the birds.
Gas Brooder
This type of brooder uses gas, unlike electric heater and charcoal which uses electricity and charcoal heater respectively.
Infrared bulb
the infrared heater is also used to generate heat for the chick.
Automatic Heater
an automatic heater is used to generate electricity it has an enclosed 600-watt heating element with a reflector.it is usually hanged above the chicks.
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Conclusion in brooding in poultry and brooding management in poultry
Brooding in poultry and brooding management in poultry is the most important area every farmer should take note of because without successful brooding there is no poultry farming or harvesting.
What is your view in brooding in poultry and brooding management in poultry?