How to accurately observe the temperature rise cycle of the chicken in the battery cage
Time : 2007-12-27

Basic information

The best method to observe chicken’s comfort is to observe the chicken’s behaviour and regulate the temperature accordingly. When carrying out the observation the chickens should be distributed evenly across the house. Maintaining the correct temperature is critical in chick brooding, especially during the first two weeks of the chick’s life. Early in life, the chick is poorly equipped to regulate its metabolic processes to adequately control its body temperature. As a result, the young chicken is dependent on the environmental temperature to maintain optimal body temperature 

One of the goals during brooding is to maintain chicks within their comfort zone, which is where they are not using energy to gain or lose heat to maintain body temperature. When birds are kept in environmental temperatures above or below their comfort zone, more energy must be expended to maintain body temperature. This extra energy will ultimately be supplied by the feed consumed.   Therefore, the energy from the feed will be used to maintain body temperature instead of growth and development resulting in poorer feed conversion. Thus, the environmental temperature plays a major role in determining the cost of producing a pound of meat or a started pullet

The main objective in brooding chicks is to efficiently and economically provide a comfort, healthy environment for growing birds. Temperature, air quality. Humidity and light are critical factors to consider. Failure to provide the adequate environment during the brooding period will reduce profitability, resulting in reduced growth and development, poorer feed 

How to accurately observe the temperature rise cycle of the chicken in the battery cage


Features

1. Relative humidity

The ability of air to hold moisture depends upon its temperature. Warm air can hold more moisture than cold air. The term relative humidity refers to the percent of water saturation of air at any given temperature. The level of humidity influences the ability of the bird to cool itself through panting and influences ammonia production.  It is recommended that a low level of relative humidity be maintained between 50 and 70 percent throughout the growing out period, including the brooding period. Ammonia production occurs due to the microbiological breakdown of faecal material in the litter. Dusty conditions in the poultry house are associated with relative humidity below 50 percent. Relative humidity of 70 percent or greater provides environmental conditions suitable for microbial growth in the litter. As the microbial population increases, more ammonia is generated from nitrogen sources found in bird faecal material. Ammonia is a gas that has a negative impact on chicken’s health and performance

2. Temperature

When chicks arrive at a farm, they cannot control or adjust their internal temperature until seven days of age. The chickens should be provided with an environment where they can stay in their thermos-neutral zone so that they do not need to divert energy normally used for growth and development to compensate for the adverse conditions, the correct temperatures to provide for chickens when they arrive are 32-33° C for the air 30-32° C for the litter and at least 28° C for the concrete. The litter and concrete temperatures are very important since the feet of the chicks are the part of their body from where they tend to lose most of their heat. All of these temperatures will also depend on parameters like relative humidity and the type of heating used (e.g., radiant brooders, forced air heaters, etc.). Observing the behaviour of the birds will help signal if they are comfortable or not, Chicks should be evenly spread across the brooding area eating, drinking, walking and “talking” to each other. Do not forget to directly measure the chicks’ temperature with a cloaca thermometer to confirm the well-being of birds, which should read 40.4-40.6° C in the first five to seven days and 41.5° C later

3. Feed

Feed intake makes it possible for chickens to grow, developing necessary tissues and systems. It is fundamental that chicks have easy and unrestricted access to feed from the start. Their growing potential is highest during the first week and will naturally decrease in the following weeks. However, this will be irreversibly reduced if a correct seven-day weight is not achieved. In a chick’s first days, protein and energy from the feed will be used for basic metabolic needs and for development of vital systems like the skeletal, digestive and immune. To achieve the correct feed intake, make access to feed as easy as possible. It is advice to cover at least 50 percent of the brooding area with good-quality paper and provide at least 75 grams of feed per chick on the paper. This allows all chicks to have adequate feed available and will make for an easier transition to the automatic feeding system. It is also possible, especially with partial house brooding, to use trays or supplemental manual feeders. If using manual feeders, make sure that there is at least one per 50 chicks and that they never run empty since that will create a huge stress for chicks, leading to reduced growth

4. Water

The importance of providing fresh, good-quality water is often underestimated but vitally important. In fact, a young chick’s body is more than 70 percent water. Water is a critical component of chick development, helping to transfer nutrients, remove toxic substances, and disperse heat and chemical reactions. Also, remember: Feed consumption is directly correlated to water consumption, so if chicks do not drink enough they will also not eat enough. There are many systems available to provide water for chicks, both open and closed varieties. Nipple drinkers are the most hygienic option and also provide easy distribution to the chicks. When using these, there are several rules to follow to ensure water intake is correct. The first parameter is temperature. This can be difficult to manage, given high brooding temperatures and the low consumption during a chick’s first days, causing water temperature to exceed the recommended level. Water temperatures higher than 25° C will have a negative impact on consumption. If the water temperature exceeds 25° C, then it is necessary to flush the lines at least three times

5. Air

Oxygen is another critical nutrient for all living organisms. Provide chickens with an atmosphere that has no less than 19.6 percent oxygen. The easiest way to check if there is enough oxygen in a broiler house is by measuring the level of carbon dioxide, which has a direct correlation to the oxygen level. The carbon dioxide concentration should never be above 3,000 parts per million. Install a minimum ventilation system to ensure that chicks have the correct air quality, as this system will be responsible for removing the air in the chicken house and replacing it with fresh air from the outside, the fan capacity used must be able to exchange the entire air volume in the house in eight minutes (fans needed = house volume/8/single fan capacity). Air entering the house should be the correct speed and pressure to ensure that it reaches the top of the house where hot air tends to rest. Additionally

6. Light

Chickens need a bright environment so that they can easily identify and locate feed and water. The maximum variation in light intensity between the darkest and the brightest spots in the house should be no more than 20 percent. Greater variations will have a negative impact on bird distribution, leading to uniformity and sizing issues. After seven days, it will be possible to start reducing light intensity and providing several hours of darkness to allow birds to follow the natural circadian cycle. However, if feed is available but temperatures are off, the chickens will not eat. If oxygen levels are too low, chickens will have little to no activity, as well as less water and feed intake, which leads to less growth. Chickens have an extraordinary potential for growth and performance, but they need help and care to reach it. Every extra effort made during their first days, such as providing the correct environment and easy access to good-quality feed and fresh water, will be repaid in excess in the final performance data


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Frequently ask questions

Q: What are those things to be considered when observing the temperature of the chickens? 

A: Air quality, Light, humidity and light are the major factors to be considered because failure to provide an adequate environment during the brooding period may reduce growth and development

Q: What is best way to carry out the observation method?

A: The chickens should be distributed evenly across the cage so you can maintain the correct temperature in chick brooding, especially during the first two weeks of their life

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