BROODING MANAGEMENT

THE CRITICAL PERIOD

Present by : JIRAWAT SEETHAO

Technical Service
Charoen Phokphan Food Public Company Limited
The objective of proper brooding
is to develop
appetite as early as possible.
 Back To The Basic
 Houses Preparation and Biosecurity.
 Chick Quality and Transportation.
 Feed Quality and Feeding.
 Water Quality and Drinker.
 Management and Knowledge.
 THE FIRST 48 HOURS:
Maximize
– Immunity
– Performance
– Livability

To achieve all of them come from

yolk and feed consumption.
 THE FIRST 48 HOURS:
Proper
– Temperature
– Humidity
– Feeding programs
– water management
– Air quality
are also essential components of
brooding to avoid stress.
 THE FIRST 48 HOURS:
It is essential to assess and correct
early management problems to achieve
full genetic performance potential and
maximum immunity.
 Building Performance
Proper management during the first 48 to
72 hours of a broiler chicks life is critical
to:
– maximize immunity,
– performance and
– livability.
 Building Performance
Chickens yield breeds in particular are still
developing
– The immune system,
– The thyroid gland and
– Intestinal tract
 Building Performance
The thyroid gland is responsible for
producing thyroxine (and ultimately, T3), a
hormone involved in :
– protein synthesis
– growth
– development of the skeleton
– development of the nervous systems
– tolerance of stress.
 Building Performance
They help form the basis of performance
that reaches the genetic potential.
It is essential to protect the development
of these organs through stress-free early
management.
 Building Performance
Damage to these systems will irreversibly
affect growth and feed conversion for the
life of the flock.
 Building Performance
Avoiding stress through proper
management is critical because stress
induces the release of
immunosuppressing hormones called
corticosteroids.
It can also encourage the growth of
unwanted pathogens such as salmonella
or campylobacter.
 Building Performance
Stress can turn very minor infections into
life and performance-threatening
infections.
Environmental Factors
to Consider
When Brooding Chicks
 Thermoneutral Zone
The thermoneutral zone is the place where
the
– temperature
– humidity
– Ventilation
interact to produce a chick that is neither
heat nor cold-stressed.
All 3 components
are
significant
 Temperature
Ambient Temperature (Air Temperature)
Effective Temperature (Chick Feel)
 Temperature
Maintain the correct temperature.
This factor is crucial in chick brooding,
especially during the first seven to ten
days of the chick's life.
 Temperature
Early in life, the chick is poorly
equipped to regulate its metabolic
processes to raise or lower body
temperature.
Chilling or overheating during this
crucial period can be disastrous.
 Temperature
Death is often the result of temperature
extremes, but chilling or overheating
can damage young chicks without
causing death.
 Temperature and Chick
Physiology
Temperatures of 35 °C or higher
cause a highly significant drop in
cardiac output and blood pressure.
 Temperature and Chick
Physiology
Table 1. Average body temperature as
influenced by age.

Age of Chicks Average Body Temperature

1 day 39.7 °C
2 days 40.1 °C
4 days 41.0 °C
5 days 41.4 °C
10 days 41.4 °C
 Temperature and Chick
Physiology
Maintain proper temperature levels and
use good husbandry practices to prevent
long-term effects such as:
– low growth rate.
– reduced uniformity.
– poor feed conversion.
 Recommended Brooding Temperatures by House
Type and Age
Table 2
Brooding Temperatures
Age Controlled Environment
Conventional House*
House**
1st wk. 32.2oC (90oF) 29.4-31.0oC (85-88oF)
2nd wk. 29.4oC (85oF) 26.7-28.3oC (80-83oF)
3rd wk. 26.7oC (80oF) 23.9-25.5oC (75-78oF)
4th wk. 26.7oC (80oF) 23.9oC (75oF)
5th wk. 23.9oC (75oF) 21.1oC (70oF)
6th wk. 21.1oC (70oF) 21.1oC (70oF)
• Usually measure at chick height, one foot from edge of hover
** Usually measure at chick height
 Temperature
If a house is too cold, a chick's
body temperature will decrease,
– which can stunt its growth and/or
make it more susceptible to disease.
 Temperature
If the house is too hot, the chick's body
temperature will rise,
– which can lead to dehydration problems.
 Temperature
Avoidance of temperature stress,
either hot or cold, is key to proper
development of the thyroid and
gastro-intestinal tract of the young
bird.
 Temperature
The actual environmental
temperature is the single greatest
determinant of chick temperature,
But it is influenced by both
humidity and airflow.
 Humidity
Humidity is the heat transfer agent.
– Sufficient humidity must be present to
transfer heat to cold chicks
or away from warm chicks.

Chickens lose heat to the

environment by evaporation of
moisture primarily from the
respiratory tract.
 Humidity
 High RH increases the apparent
temperature at a particular dry bulb
temperature,

 Whereas, low RH decreases

apparent temperature.
 Humidity
High temperatures have a more
adverse effect when the relative
humidity is 65 percent or higher.
House is near 60 percent relative
humidity, the combination of high
temperature and humidity can
cause serious problems.
 Humidity
High humidity at the wrong temperature
may increase the speed at which
– heat is lost from chicks in a cold
environment
– may cause rapid overheating in a hot
environment.
 Humidity
The level of humidity appears to be
critical for poultry.
Results show that increased
relative humidity results in
depressed feed consumption.
Table 3 : Feed Consumtion
Relative Humidity (%)

Dry-Bulb
37 49 56 67 73 82
Temperatures
Feed Consumed (grams)
°
32.2 C 44 14
°
27.2 C 56 50
°
22.2 C 61 47
 Interaction Between
Temperature and Relative
Humidity
Effective Temperature
 Relative Humidity
recommended :
– first three weeks = 60 % to 70 %
– next four weeks = 40% to 60%
 Recommend Brooding
Temperature (Ross2003)

Too Low
OK
 Optimum Temperature

Maximum
Relative Humidity 60%

Minimum

Average
VENTILATION
 VENTILATION
 Air quality is critical during the brooding
period.
 Ventilation is required during the brooding
period to maintain temperatures at the
targeted level and to allow sufficient air
exchange to prevent the accumulation of
harmful gases such as:
 carbon monoxide.
 carbon dioxide.
 ammonia.
 VENTILATION
Gases such as carbon dioxide and
ammonia (in water vapor) are
heavier than oxygen.
If they are present in the house,
they will tend to sink to floor level,
displacing oxygen.
 O2

CO2 + NH3
 VENTILATION
The result can be the dual problem
of ammonia blindness due to
ammonia concentration at the
floor,
and ascites due to low oxygen at
floor level!.
Lack of Oxygen (High Co2 )
 VENTILATION

 Establishing minimum ventilation

rates from one day of age will
ensure fresh air is supplied to
chicks at frequent, regular
intervals.
 Stirring fans can be used to
maintain evenness of air quality at
chick level.
 Airflow
Airflow impacts the temperature of the
chick through wind chill.
It is also needed to distribute
temperature uniformly throughout the
environment.
 Airflow
Significant airflow is necessary in
stacked chicks to remove excess heat.
Too much airflow may chill chicks after
placement in the houses.
 Air velocity and Cooling Effect
Michael Garden: Aviagen 2005

Air velocity 1 week old 4 weeks 7 weeks

(FPM) (°C) old (°C) old (°C)
100 -2 -1

200 -6 -3 -1

300 -12 -6 -3

400 -8 -4

500 -10 -6
 Estimate wind chill effect
broiler chick

1wk 2wk 3wk 4wk 5wk 6wk 7wk

100 2 1.75 1.5 1 0.5 0.25 0
200 6 5 4 3 2 1.5 1
300 12 10 8 6 5 4 3
400 14 12 9 7 5 4
500 10 9 7 6
Chick Felt at Air Temperature 32°C
Age Target Air Velocity (FPM)
°C 100 200 300 400
1 33 30 26 20
2 30 30 27 22 18
3 29 30.5 28 24 20
4 28 31 29 26 24
5 24 31.5 30 27 25
6 22 32 30.5 28 27
The Effective Temperature of
Different Age of Bird
 Minimum Ventilation Rate
The most practical way to calculate the air-
flow is by the rule of thumb;
– provide 0.22 cubic feet of air-flow per minute
per kilogram of body weight of the chickens in
the house for each 1° F of temperature of
outside air (Table 2).

Key Factors for Poultry House Ventilation

Larry Vest, Extension Poultry Scientist & Bobby L. Tyson, Extension Engineer
Table2 :Suggested Air Flow
Outside Air CFM per kg
Temperature bodyweight
(°F) (°C) at 30-60%RH

40 4.4 0.236

60 15.6 0.353

80 26.7 0.471

100 37.8 0.589

 How to Calculate CFM
Bird Age Bwt. No. bird Total wt. CFM/B Total CFM

1 0.075 10,000 750 0.5 375

2 0.225 9900 2228 1114

3 0.680 9850 6698 3349

4 1.086 9800 10643 5322

5 1.708 9750 16653 8326

6 2.040 9650 19686 9843

7 2.480 9550 23684 11842

 estimate wind chill effect
broiler chick

1wk 2wk 3wk 4wk 5wk 6wk 7wk

100 2 1.75 1.5 1 0.5 0.25 0
200 6 5 4 3 2 1.5 1
300 12 10 8 6 5 4 3
400 14 12 9 7 5 4
500 10 9 7 6
Chick Felt at Air Temperature 32°C
Age Target Air Velocity (FPM)
wk °C 100 200 300 400
1 33 30 26 20
2 30 30 27 22 18
3 29 30.5 28 24 20
4 28 31 29 26 24
5 25 31.5 30 27 25
6 22 32 30.5 28 27
Chick Felt at Night Time (22°C)
Age Target Air Velocity (FPM)
wk °C 100 200 300 400
1 33 20 16
2 30 20.25 17
3 29 20.5 18 14
4 28 21 19 16
5 25 21.5 20 17
6 22 21.75 20.5 18
Air Velocity can Chill The Bird and induce to infect by diseases.
WATER AND FEED
 WATER AND FEED
 Prior to chick delivery, a final check
must be made of feed and water
availability and distribution within the
house.
 Feed
Feed must be within the comfort zone
of the chicks.
Proper physical composition (good
crumbles, not pellets or mash) will
encourage uniform distribution of
nutrients and efficient consumption by
the chicks.
Proper nutritional composition will
give the chicks a good start.
 Water
Water must be easily available to the
chick, and it must reside within the
chicks comfort zone.
Nipple drinker height is important to
adjust according to the actual size of
the chick delivered.
Pressure must be low enough to allow
easy access to water for a small chick,
while not wetting the floor.
 Water
Water Temperature =18-24°C
 Water
360o nipples are easier for chicks of all sizes to
trigger than nipples that must be pushed straight
up.
Check nipples by depressing them lightly from
the side, to see how easy it is to access water.
Older drinkers may become less responsive to
the light pressure a small chick might apply.
MONITORING EARLY CHICK
PERFORMANCE
Overheating in the holding area
or during transport
Careful troubleshooting by taking rectal
temperatures is needed to discover and
correct overheating problems in the
holding area or during chick transport to
the farm.
Overheating in the holding area
or during transport
The air temperature within the basket of chicks
will be higher than the surrounding air
temperature.
One hundred 40-gram chicks at 32.2°C will
produce 165 Btu’s per hour.
If the air circulation stops, the temperature
within the basket will rise 0.75°C per minute
resulting in an ambient temperature around the
chicks of 40°C in about 10 minutes.
How do I know when my chicks
are in the zone?

The only way to know for certain is to take

rectal temperatures of chicks throughout
the house (at least 3 locations).
 Comfortable:
Rectal temperatures are solidly at 40-
40.8oC.
At the farm, the chicks will spread out,
eating and drinking.
The chicks have warm feet.
 Hot:
Rectal temperature is over 41.1oC.
– The chick is panting.
– In the houses, a chirping distress
sound may occasionally be heard.
– Chicks may move away from the
heat source and line up along the
wall.
 Hot:
At the hatchery or during
transport, the chicks cannot move
out of their uncomfortable
environment - panting is their only
option.
 Cold:
Rectal temperature less than 40oC.
– The chicks will be less active.
– At the house, the cold chicks may
huddle or bunch around the heat
source or in feed lids.
– The low temperature chick has
cold feet.
 Struggling
Rectal temperature just at 40oC.
– The chick has cold feet.
– These chicks may be more difficult to
pick out of the group without actually
taking temperatures.
– Struggling chicks are diverting
energy that should be used for
growth and development to
temperature maintenance.
Chilling in the first 12-48 hours
of brooding
Chicks do not have the ability to
control their body temperature
completely until they are 2 weeks old.
They are reacting as a cold-blooded
animal during the first few days.
Floor temperature and insulation will
be more important to chicks during this
time than the air temperature.
Chilling in the first 12-48 hours
of brooding
Floor temperature in the area of the
feed and water should be 32-33°C
at placement.
Chilling in the first 12-48 hours of
brooding
Smaller chicks from young flock
sources have more trouble controlling
body temperature than larger chicks:
– They will be the easiest to chill.
– Floor temperature is more critical to
these chicks, and warm temperatures
must be held longer to achieve
maximum survival and performance.
Chilling in the first 12-48 hours
of brooding
Insulation from the cold and
condensation inherent with concrete
flooring is also essential.
At least 5 to 7 cm of fluffy dry litter
material is needed.
Chilling in the first 12-48 hours
of brooding
Students at the University of
Georgia6 submitted chicks to 12.8°C
for 45 minutes.
– At 35 days of age, the liveweight of the
cold-stressed chicks was 0.11 kg less
than the normally brooded controls.
Chilling in the first 12-48 hours
of brooding
Increased metabolism required to
meet the demand for heat production
in a chilled chick requires increased
oxygen.
The heart works harder to meet this
need, predisposing the chick to
ascites later on.
Chilling in the first 12-48 hours
of brooding
Litter with a tendency to mat and hold
moisture at the surface should be
avoided.
Thin floor coverage may be adequate
for summer brooding,
but doesn’t provide enough protection
from cold concrete and moisture in
the cooler seasons.
 Key Point

Litter temperature
is
critical
Not air temperature.
Over Heating in the first 12-48
hours of brooding
Ernst et. al.4 found that heat stress
at 40°C (environmental temperature)
for one hour significantly reduced
growth rate to 16 days.
The weight difference persisted with
no compensatory gain!
Over Heating in the first 12-48
hours of brooding
Van der Hel et. al.5 examined feed intake
at environmental temperatures over 35-
36°C, especially during the first 48 hours.
He note that exposure to temperatures
above this is critical temperature resulted
in decreased feed intake during the
following 14 days, as well as increased
mortality.
Chilling in the first 12-48 hours
of brooding
Cold stress negatively impacts all
chicks,
– young flock sources suffer the greatest
impact,
– most noticeably reflected as
dehydration or starve-out losses.
 Remedial Measures?
Studies have shown that some of the
damage caused by early stress is
irreversible:
A percentage of the genetic potential will
be permanently lost.
Measures can be taken to minimize the
impact of short-term management lapses
and the subsequent performance loss:
 Different weight curves depending on
body weight at 7 days of age (1996).
2120
2000
BODY WEIGHT (gms)

1690
1975
1500 1195
1500
1000 720
1000
390
500 600
155
330
0 120
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
AGE IN WEEKS
 Culling
Avoid culling before day 7, especially in
flocks composed of chicks from
– young breeders,
– mixed breeder sources or
– split placements.
Give chicks an opportunity to start.
 Culling
By day 7, however, poor chicks should be
obvious.
These struggling chicks will serve as an
infection source and a drain on feed and
floor space.
No amount of medication will fix this
chicks. Cull them from the flock.
 Walk the chicks!
When chicks are congregating in feed lids,
along walls or in corners, frequent walking
will force the birds to move out.
This allows the chicks in the center to
access feed and water, and may prevent
sweating due to condensation in the
groups.
 Walk the chicks!
Attempt to correct the temperature,
humidity or air movement issues that are
causing the bunching in the first place, but
try to manually keep the chicks spread out
in the meantime.
Be alert to flock differences!
The identical environment may produce
40°C rectal temperatures in chicks from
older flocks but only 38.3-38.9°C rectal
temperatures in chicks from younger
flocks.
Don’t assume that the birds will always
respond to management the same way!.
Be alert to flock differences!
– All of these measures may be helpful
to the borderline chick.
– The unstressed chick does not need
them, and the severely stressed
chick will probably be irreversibly
damaged,
– and ultimately culled.
Vitamins? Electrolytes? Antibiotics?

– The use of vitamins, electrolytes or

antibiotics will not be deemed cost-
effective by a large integrated
operation.
– On a house-by-house basis,
however, logical use may improve the
performance of the struggling chicks.
Take time to Assess and Correct
the Problem!
The first 48 hours go by quickly.
It is easy to let the problems go,
especially since the rectal temperatures
of most birds will be 40-41.8°C after 48
hours anyway.
Take time to Assess and Correct
the Problem!
Do not let it slip by!
Failure to properly assess and correct
problems flock after flock lets the
genetic performance potential of every
flock slip through your fingers!
Take time to Assess and Correct
the Problem!
Check rectal temperatures of chicks in
hatchers, holding areas and during
delivery to make adjustments in airflow
where possible to correct problems.
Check rectal temperatures of chicks in
the barn after placement.
Take time to Assess and Correct
the Problem!
Make corrections in early management
for the current flock, or adjust
management for future flocks as
needed.
Be sure to walk chicks to keep them
spread out, eating and drinking, until
the corrections take effect.
Take time to Assess and Correct
the Problem!
Observe feeding and drinking
behavior.
Note any repeated incidence of the
indicators of poor air quality:
– ascites and ammonia blindness.
– Correct early air quality issues with
improved ventilation and temperature
control.
Take time to Assess and Correct
the Problem!
Do not rely on remedial measures once
damage is already done!
Some of the lost performance is
irretrievable!
 Conclusion
 Before chicks arrive, inspect the house
closely to ensure proper setup.
 After a poor start, there is little time to
compensate for the lost growth as a
chick's life is only approximately 1000
hours.
 Conclusion
 Thus, every hour represents 0.10% of the
chick's life. In a 24-hour period, 2.4%
performance can be lost.
 Many producers recognize that
performance lost the first day or first week
will be reflected in final performance
results.
Take Time For a Good Start
THANK
YOU
 References
1. Hill, D, 2001. The crucial first 48 hours in the life of a chick. Proceedings
of Virginia Poultry Health and Management Seminar, Roanoke, Virginia,
2001.
2. Hulet, R. M. and R. Meijerhof, 2001. Multi- or single-stage incubation for
high-meat yielding broiler strains. Proceedings of Southern Poultry Science
and Southern Conference of Avian Diseases, Page 35.
3. Savage, S. The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Broiler Tip,
March, 1991.
4. Ernst, R. A., W. W. Weathers, and Jean Smith. 1984. Effect of heat stress
on day-old broiler chicks. Poultry Sci. 63:1719-1721.
5. van der Hel, W., M.W.A. Verstegen, L. Pijls, and M. van Kampen, 1992.
Effect of two-day temperature exposure of neonatal broiler chicks on growth
performance and body composition during two weeks at normal conditions.
Poultry Sci. 71:2014-2021.
6. Lacy, M. P., The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service
Broiler Tip, January, 1994.