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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Poultry Development Review
Poultry housing and management

in developing countries
Brooding and management of young chicks
Phil Glatz, Pig and Poultry Production Institute, SARDI, Roseworthy 5371, South Australia, Australia
Hatched chicks should be active, uniform in size and healthy. system is used, the house temperature is lowered by about 2 to
Although newly hatched chicks can survive on their own body 3 °C per week until it reaches ambient temperature, provided this
reserves for up to 72 hours, depending on environmental condi- is not below 18 °C.
tions, their survival is increased if they are provided with food
and water within 24 hours of hatching. The sooner they are pro- Chick feeders
vided with these and a warm area, the higher the rate of survival. At one day old, feed for the chicks can be scattered on paper.
Chicks must not be chilled or overheated at any time. After three to four days, the paper can be removed, and chicks
provided with feed in shallow feeders on the floor or cages.
BROODING SYSTEMS
Chick drinkers
Broody hens For village chicks, drinkers can comprise bamboo sections or wa-
Under natural conditions, the mother hen keeps the chicks warm ter bottles. These should be cleaned and refilled daily. Feed and
by allowing them to nestle under her feathers. The chicks follow
the broody hen around and learn to forage and drink by watching
her behaviour. In small village poultry settings, hens can care for
up to 15 chicks. Ideally, chicks should be provided with a com-
mercial ration (Ahlers et al., 2009) or other feed for at least the
first two weeks, to improve the survival rate.
Spot brooding
For small flocks of up to 20 chicks, a small enclosure in the poultry
house or a confined area can be set up. This can be made from
Photo Credit: Robert Pym

cardboard or timber, with a heat lamp suspended over the enclo-
sure to keep the chicks warm. When the chicks are provided with
an ideal temperature, they spread uniformly over the enclosure.
When chicks feel cold, they crowd under the heat source. If the
pen is too warm, the chicks move away from the heat and pant
with their wings spread out (Bell and Weaver, 2001). Older style brooding cages for layer chicks: hot water pipes run along
For larger flocks of up to 400 chicks, circular enclosures are set and above the brooder section at the back of the cages; an oil- or gas-
up in the poultry house to retain them. These areas are usually fired heater heats the water
made from Masonite or sheet metal, with a gas brooder suspend-

ed over them to provide the required temperature (about 35 °C
immediately under the brooder). There should be sufficient space
for chicks to move away from the heat source. Temperatures in
the outer part of the enclosure may be as low as 20 °C.
Commercial layers are often raised in growing cages (of up to
20 chicks/cage) with warm-room brooding, or with a heat source
over each cage in tropical climates. As the birds age, the stocking
density is reduced by moving chicks to other growing cages.
Whole-house brooding
In large commercial operations, the whole shed is maintained at
a temperature of 30 to 32 °C both day and night, using forced-
air heaters. This can be achieved only if the shed is completely Oil or gas-fired hot air brooder units on side of shed for whole-
sealed. As most developing countries are located in the tropics, house brooding: the entire brooding area is heated to the required
there is usually no need for whole-house brooding. When this temperature
1
Poultry Development Review • Poultry housing and management in developing countries
Daily management of chicks

Chicks should be checked four times a day, taking note of any
abnormal behaviour and ensuring that they are healthy and not
heat- or cold-stressed (Barnett and Glatz, 2004). They should be
observed to see if they are able to eat and drink successfully from
the equipment provided. Any dead chicks should be removed,
and litter should be dry.
REFERENCES
Ahlers, C., Alders, R.G., Bagnol, B., Cambaza, A.B., Harun, M.,
Mgomezulu, R., Msami, H., Pym, B., Wegener, P., Wethli, E. &
Conveyor and pan automated feeding system for young chicks: for the Young, M. 2009. Improving village chicken production: a manual for
first five days post-hatch every third pan in the line is replaced with field workers and trainers. Canberra, ACIAR. ISBN 978 1 921531 57 6.
scratch trays Barnett, J.L. & Glatz, P.C. 2004. Developing and implementing a welfare
audit. In Measuring and auditing broiler welfare, pp. 231–240. Wall-
water should be within 1.5 m of all chicks. In large flocks, auto- ingford, UK, CAB International.
matic drinkers are typically used. These can be nipple, cup or bell Bell, D.D. & Weaver, W.D. 2001. Commercial chicken meat and egg
waterers. production, fifth edition. Los Angeles, California, USA, Kluwer.
The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not
imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organiza-
tion of the United Nations (FAO) concerning the legal or development status of any country, terri-
tory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.
The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been
patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO in preference to
others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. The views expressed in this information product
are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of FAO.

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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

Poultry Development Review

Poultry housing and management

Photo Credit: Robert Pym

made from Masonite or sheet metal, with a gas brooder suspend-

density is reduced by moving chicks to other growing cages.

Daily management of chicks

and litter should be dry.

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