BROILER FARM MANAGEMENT - PREPARATION

ONE WEEK BEFORE ARRIVAL OF  CHICKS 

1.       Plan the next batch at least 15 days after liquidation depending on the size of the farm. Clear gap of minimum 7 days should be available after cleaning and before arrival chicks. Plan to house the total farm with one batch. Calculate the number of chicks required for the whole farm. 

         (Available space in our farm is 9750 sft, but I brought 9500 ODCs and we entered into agreement with Venkateshwara Hatcheries for integration farming) 

2.       Remove all litter scrape the floor off the caked litter. ( Done )

 
3.       Clear cobwebs at the roof, broom all the dust.  ( Done )

4.       Wash the roof with a pressure hose, if the roof is washable. ( Gravel flooring )

5.       Clean the floor with water. ( Cleaned with Broom )

6.       Sprinkle caustic soda flakes on floor and apply with broom. ( Sprinkled lime )

7.       Wash with water after a gap of one hour. ( Not possible )

8.       Spread bleaching powder on the wet surface and apply with broom. 

         ( Spread lime on wet surface )

9.       White Wash the side walls and floor. Leave the shed vacant for one week. (Done)

10.     For mud floor- Scrap off some mud along with litter-Replace at least 3 inches of fresh mud. Stamps well apply dry lime powder +bleaching powder on the wet surface and allow it to dry.  ( Done as I have mentioned above )

11.     Take out the equipment and clean with water. ( Done )

12.     If the side curtains are HDP or plastic, dip them in water and leave to dry. 

         (Not Done)

13.     Clean the surroundings of the poultry house off the grass and Vegetation. ( Done )

14.     Drain out the water tank and pipe lines. Put Acetic acid of Chlorine liquid 3 times the normal quantity and leave for a day. 

        ( Cleaned with the chemical supplied by VHL )

ONE DAY BEFORE ARRIVAL OF CHICKS 

1.       Put back the curtains. ( Done )

2.       Disinfect equipment like brooders, waterers and feeders by dipping them in disinfect solution or spraying the surface with disinfectant. (Formalin, Asiphor) Disinfect-S can be used for this purpose. (Done with the solutions supplied by the VHL)

3.       Spread husk on the ground ( Done )

4.       Check water and electrical connections. ( Done )

5.       Depending on the number of chicks to arrive, complete the brooding arrangements. Make a round shaped guard and hang the brooder in the center. If electric bulb brooding is used, make a round of 5ft diameter for 250 to 300 chicks. If gas brooders are used, up to 2500 chicks can be brooded in one group. Follow the manufacturer’s specification. Arrange to hang the brooders, so that, they can be raised during the daytime. 

        (18 brooders arranged for 9500 chicks)

6.       Spray 2% Formalin (200ml in 10ltrs of water.) all over the interiors of the shed, over the equipment and the surroundings. ( Done )

7.       If the house is small, consider fumigation. Measure width / breadth /average height in feet to arrive at the total cubic feet. Use 40 ml Formalin for 100cft. Place it in a bigger container(the quantity should be half full) Take Potassium Permanganate 50% of the quantity of Formalin. See that all persons are out. Pour Potassium Permanganate crystals in to the Farmalin liquid and come out quickly as the fumes raise.(The fumes burn the eyes)25/40/10 ft=1000 cft for this 4000ml Formalin and 2000gms Potassium Permanganate is required. Keep all curtains closed. ( Not Done )

8.       Open the curtains on the sides on the sides one hour before the arrival of chicks to allow some fresh air. (curtains lifted during transporting into shed )

9.       Spread news paper on the litter carefully after making the litter leveled. ( Done )

10.     Add medicines in water tank as required. We use one antibiotic like Amoxyl, Tetracycline or Furasol @ one gm per liter of water. B-complex liquid @ 30 ml/100 chicks and AD3EC @ 5ml/100 chicks. ( Done as per the instructions of Supervisor, VHL )

11.     Keep small drinkers inside the guards. One for 80 chicks. Keep them at least 2 inches above ground level on a stand to prevent chicks getting in . ( Done )

12.     Sprinkle maize powder or feed on the paper slightly. (spread feed)

WHEN THE CHICKS ARRIVEL 

1.       If the weather is too cool, request the hatchery to deliver the chicks in the day time. The chicks will have time to settle down. Find out the time of hatch. If the chicks are delivered on the same night and if the weather is bad, the chicks can live without feed or water for 48 hours. Keeping them in the boxes is better than leaving them in chilled weather. Delay leads to dehydration. The chicks should reach the house in minimum possible time. 

2.       Open the boxes and ensure that all chicks are alive and active. The chicks should try to jump out of the boxes, when the lids are taken out. Check the number against the delivery note. Take out the dead and dull chicks. 

3.       Take medicated water in a plate. Dip the beak of each chick in the medicated water before releasing.  Count while releasing. If you find some chicks too small or weak while handling, destroy them or place them in a separate brooder. Few chicks should be shown to nipples. Others copy them. 

4.       Put the heating system on before the chicks are released. When gas brooders are used, use an extra bulb for light above the brooder so that all the chicks can see the surroundings clearly. If the temperature is high, the chicks move away from the heat source, If the temperature is low, they crowed in the center. Adjust the height of the brooder or the source of heat accordingly.