Optimal temperature values ​​for raising day-old chicks

When chickens are just born, they need special care. Their health is fragile and vulnerable at this time. It is important to maintain the optimal temperature for chickens so that the chicks grow up healthy and can better adapt to independent existence. When they are raised by a hen, she provides the temperature they need to develop. For those chicks that are raised separately, the necessary conditions must be created artificially.

Main causes of death

When chickens are born and the hen does not care for them, then with insufficient care, the death of the feathered population is possible.

This happens for the following reasons:

1. If the chicks are not cared for properly.
2. If the diet is incorrect, then it is also dangerous for them.
3. A chicken's internal organs are very delicate. The slightest damage poses a danger to their life. One possible danger is gastric blockage. For example, this will happen if a pebble is swallowed.
4. Due to weak immunity, infectious diseases can be fatal. Treatment is usually ineffective at this age. Here, only preventive measures are usually used.
5. Infection with pullorosis occurs at the stage of development when the egg matures. Then a sick chick is born. Almost everyone infected with this disease does not survive.
6. Sometimes, with insufficient care, chickens begin to peck each other. First, the chicks pluck each other's feathers, then injure each other with bites, pinching off pieces of their bodies. After this, infection usually occurs and the chickens die.
7. Foods included in the diet may contain pesticides that are harmful to chickens. If an inexperienced farmer feeds birds with greens on which pesticides remain, then this threatens them with death. Symptoms of poisoning include the following: parts of the body turn blue, wings droop, and birds die from suffocation.
8. If the diet does not have enough vitamins A and B, and there is no calcium and phosphorus in the required quantities, then the chickens develop toxic gastric dyspepsia. In the initial stage, the temperature rises, the chicks walk sleepy and droop their wings. Death occurs as a result of muscle spasms.
9. If chickens are fed only soft food and no solids in their diet, it will lead to stomach atrophy. This is expressed in the following symptoms: the birds develop severe thirst, the chicks walk around ruffled, and lose weight. If no measures are taken, then death occurs.

Chickens have a very weak body. To help them survive, it is necessary to take good care of them, providing them with everything they need.

Temperature for keeping broiler chickens

When chicks are born, the chicks do not leave the hen for the first three days. Then they are given the opportunity to go out into the fresh air. In this case, the temperature regime for the chicks is provided by the mother.

However, when chickens are raised in an incubator, this option is closed to them. They are not naturally resistant to temperature and humidity fluctuations.

The daily temperature for raising chicks should be set in accordance with the table:

To control the temperature, place a thermometer slightly above the litter on which the birds are located.

It is useful to observe the behavior of chickens. If they are feeling good, you can see their energy. In order to draw informed conclusions based on this, you need to take into account the breed and age of the birds..

If they are cold, the chicks begin to huddle in groups, trying to keep warm. When chicks are hot, they drink a lot, puff up their feathers, try to stay away from others and try to stay in the corners of the cage in order to cool down.

Chick heating system

The following methods can be used to warm birds:

1. Water heating pad.
2. An electric heating pad that must be protected from moisture.
3. Warm water bottles can be used.To heat chickens with them, you need to wrap them in several layers of cotton wool, cotton or wool.
4. The temperature can be increased using incandescent lamps.
5. It is acceptable to use reflectors as long as they are out of reach of the chicks.

When organizing heating, it is important to ensure the safety of the chosen method for birds. It is important that they cannot get burned or damage the device used for heating.

Light mode

For newly born chicks, it is important to provide not only adequate heating, but also adequate lighting. Having a continuous light supply throughout the day helps to increase the activity of the chickens. In this case, the duration is gradually increased so that after two months the duration of the continuous light period is 8-10 hours.

If possible, at this time it is recommended to organize walks in the fresh air in direct sunlight.

This will not only help harden babies, but is also an effective way to prevent rickets.

Using red heat lamps

Red heat lamps are effective as long as they are used safely.

It is important to do the following:

1. The lamp must have reliable protection against moisture penetration.
2. During operation, it is important that this device does not experience any vibrations.
3. Birds should not be able to exert any physical influence on the heating device.
4. The risk of fire must be excluded.

Such devices must have a reliable and durable design that meets the specified requirements.

The red lamp installed in the poultry house must be covered with a metal mesh protective casing.

It is hung and fixed on the wall.

You can see several versions of such a device on sale.

Available in red or transparent options. The second option is more versatile due to the fact that it provides not only heating, but also light. The red lamp has not only high power, but also a long service life (usually up to 5 thousand hours). Such characteristics allow you to be sure that the lamp will conduct heating properly and will not fail at the wrong time.

You can use a lamp with a ruby ​​dome to maintain the desired temperature. They heat up almost instantly. Since this device has high reflective characteristics, it is capable of saving a third of the incoming electrical energy.

When installing, you need to carefully select the attachment location. The fact is that the thermal and light conditions created for the chickens will significantly depend on the height.

It is customary to adhere to the following rules in this case:

1. From the moment the chicks are born until they are a week old, the recommended installation height is 50 centimeters.
2. For the next two weeks, it is recommended to use a height of 75 centimeters.
3. The rest of the time, a lamp attached at a height of one meter will provide the chicks with sufficient heat.

As you rise, the heating force will decrease, and the area affected will become larger.

When using such lamps, chickens receive light that is close in characteristics to sunlight, including the presence of infrared radiation.It stimulates the chicks to grow and be active.

How long to keep chicks in a brooder?

It is recommended to keep 20 chicks in the brooder for the first week. Gradually the chicks will grow and they will no longer have enough space. By the end of the first week, this box will only be able to accommodate 10-13 chicks. After 3-4 weeks, the birds are transferred to a regular cage.

Conclusion

When raising chickens without a hen, you need to take into account that they are very vulnerable. In order for them not only to survive, but to be healthy and grow well, it is necessary for them to create all the conditions necessary for development. The presence of high-quality heating is one of the most important factors for the full growth of chickens.