Chick Rearing - Cages - Accessories - Export to Africa

Chick rearing is very simple: chicks hatch from an incubator after 21 days of incubation. Once they are dry, after about 24 hours, they will be placed in a nursery, also known as a “chick pen.”

The nursery or chick pen should be prepared before the chicks and other baby poultry arrive. The feeder should be filled with special first-age food: a multi-grain mash. A drinker with room-temperature water should be placed next to the food. A galvanized steel nursery measuring 1 meter by 50 centimeters can accommodate around 40 chicks. The nursery will have a warm section that is free from drafts, while the other part will be open to the air. This is where the feeder and drinker will be placed for the chicks. The little birds will acclimate to a temperature lower than that of the infrared heating bulb.

In the chick pen, the temperature should reach 37°C during the first days, and then be reduced by about 1°C per day to reach 18-20°C by the third week. The purpose of this decrease is to produce healthy chicks that can be moved to a chicken coop at 3 weeks old. Make sure they don’t get cold.

You can observe the chicks in the nursery. This observation will help us regulate the temperature. I explain: if your chicks stay huddled under the 150W infrared lamp, if they try to pile on top of each other, or if they chirp constantly, it means they are cold. In this case, you can move the aluminum heater closer to the chicks, within reason. You can also increase the power of the infrared bulb, for example by replacing it with a 175W bulb.

On the other hand, if the chicks move away or have their beaks open, you will need to reduce the heating power with a 100W or 60W bulb. If you don't have a lower wattage bulb, raise the heater. This approach is less economical, as a 60W bulb consumes much less than a 150W bulb, and the cost of electricity is a waste.

If you are using non-lighting heating bulbs like Elstein 60W, 100W, 150W, or heating mats, you will need to place a 15W nightlight at a minimum.

Hygiene and Well-Being of Chicks

When the chicks have clean and dry plumage, it means everything is going well, but if their plumage is wet and dirty, it means there is too much crowding in the nursery or too much heat. The floor of the nursery is made of galvanized steel mesh, so the waste falls through into the waste tray. This is the best way to maintain perfect hygiene.

Indeed, using wood shavings can block their nostrils and cause all kinds of diseases, as germs and bacteria multiply very quickly in a hot and humid environment. It is important to note that a bacterium multiplies by two every 20 minutes above 4°C.

I recommend that the user of the VC46 nursery place newspaper on the mesh floor for the first three days to protect the chicks' delicate claws. Afterward, remove the newspaper and dispose of it in the compost.

In this "hygiene" chapter, I will also advise you to properly ventilate the chick rearing area, avoiding any drafts, to daily remove waste, replace the water in the morning and afternoon, and ensure that the food remains uncontaminated. I am convinced that these simple measures will help prevent mortality, promote growth, and provide you with high-quality future breeders.

Beware of Predators

It is wise to treat the "chick pen" with rodenticide and use rat and mouse traps to prevent pests. Surrounding areas should be equipped with weasel and fox traps, and don't forget to install an automatic door in the chicken coop.