Broiler Chick Rearing - 1st 24 Hours

ü 1st 24 hr. ü Feeding program ü Maternal immunity ü Break ü Vertical transmitted diseases ü Check and Trace ü Prophylactic program ü Evaluation of broiler cycle ü Artificial intelligence in broiler cycle  1- Before Chick Arrival Provide chicks with bio-secure, clean housing Arrange eq...

ü 1st 24 hr. ü Feeding program ü Maternal immunity ü Break ü Vertical transmitted diseases ü Check and Trace ü Prophylactic program ü Evaluation of broiler cycle ü Artificial intelligence in broiler cycle  1- Before Chick Arrival Provide chicks with bio-secure, clean housing Arrange equipment to enable the chicks to access water and feed easily upon arrival. Feed should be a sieved crumb with no dust. Chicks should not have to move more than 3 ft (1 m) to find water or feed in the first 24 hours Position supplementary feeders and drinkers near the main feeding and drinking systems. Pre-heat the house and stabilize temperature and humidity prior to chick arrival-achieve a floor temperature of 83- 80°F (28-30°C) 4-Environmental Air temperature of 80°F (30°C) at chick height Targets Chick placement targets: Litter temperature of 83-06°F (28-30°C) Relative humidity of 60%-70% Use chick behavior to determine if temperature is correct Ventilation (without drafts is required to provide fresh air and remove waste gas, excess moisture and heat). Chicks are susceptible to wind chill effects, therefore the air speed should be less than 30 ft/min (0.15m/s). Crop fill q When chicks start to feed, they tend to eat a good meat chicks are feeding and drinking properly the crop fills with a mixture of feed and water. Gentle handling within the first 24 hours can indicate the chick's progress. q Check a sample of birds 2, 12 and 24 hours after arrival to ensure all chicks have found feed and water. q Gently sample the crops of 30-40 chicks from 3 or 4 different places in the house. q Chick crop fill assessment: Time of crop fill check after Target crop fill placement (% of chicks with full crops) 2 hours 75% 12 hours > 85% 24 hours > 95%  During the first week of rearing, a broiler chicken can gain up to five times its starting weight. This period corresponds to one-third of a standard broiler chicken’s life. The objectives, at the end of this first week, are to have animals that are as homogeneous as possible, with controlled and increasing growth and the highest possible viability, all while minimizing the impact of pododermatitis and with humane treatment of the animals. Three Important Criteria for the First Week of Brooding Thermally Suitable Environment Like most birds, broiler chicks are homoeothermic animals. This means that they must maintain a constant body temperature between 40 and 42°C. Above or below their thermoneutrality, chicks have the ability to produce heat (thermogenesis) or to lose heat (Thermolysis). However, in the first week of brooding chicks do not have the ability to efficiently respond to a lower temperature, which is why it is very important to monitor the air temperature across the whole area the flock has access to. A thermally suitable environment will allow the chicks to comfortably access food and water- critical for efficient growth. Litter requirements: Clean, Dry and Smooth q Well-managed litter is an important element to ensure good broiler chick performances and improve animal welfare. q The first function of the litter is to absorb moisture, much of which comes from animal excretions and the drinking system. Regardless of the type of support, quantity and quality chosen, the litter must fulfill several functions and roles. § Minimize the contact between the animals and their Take the litter in your hands. When touching excretions, the litter material, it § Act as thermal insulation, must feel: Clean, Dry § The feel of the litter must be pleasant for the animals so and Smooth. that they exhibit natural behaviors such as scratching  Nutrition management Without mentioning the technological and nutritional specifications of a starter feed, here are some ways to improve feed intake during the starting period, specifically feed intake as soon as the chicks arrive. The essential standards are: 17 g, this is the feed average consumption of a day old chick 50%, this is the minimum surface area of a building covered with paper and feed. Feeders: Pan feeders should have 100 birds to 1 linear meter, Chain feeders should have 100 birds to 0.75 meter q Feed and water should be distributed over the whole span of the building with adequate stocking density at the feeder or drinking point. q Birds per feeder or drinking point is important for achieving performance targets and reducing competition amongst the broiler chicks. q If the feeding lines need to be empty, so that the chickens consume the crumbs, or if the drinking system needs to be purged (to limit biofilm formation), it is preferable to do this at a time when the material is being used the least: during the day for example. Maternal Derived Antibodies (MDA) or also known as Passive Immunity are the naturally transfer of immunoglobulins from one individual to another. In birds, maternal antibodies are passed from hyper-immunized or naturally infected breeder hens to the progeny through the egg. This Passive Immunity has relatively short duration, commonly 1-2 weeks and generally less than 4 weeks and its function is to protect young chicks during a period (first few weeks) when their immune system is not fully developed to proper react to an early challenge.