Poultry Development Section

 Table of contents

In Seychelles it is recommended that the broiler farms use the all in all-out system. However for the present time such system cannot be fully implemented, because of the chicken abattoir limitations.

Receiving the chicks

• There should be a good communication with the hatchery in order to know the time the new batch of chicks will be delivered.
• A nine week cycle is practised on all the broiler farms here. The birds are collected by the abattoir at 7 weeks.
• Therefore two weeks before the arrival of the new batch of chicks the house is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected with a suitable disinfectant eg. Antec Farm Fluid.
• One week before litter is spread over the floor at about 4 inches thick and disinfect the litter if necessary.
• Place the surrounds, chick drinker, brooders, feeder plates 24 hours before make sure the blinds are inplace turn brooders on in the surrounds.
• The surrounds are usually of Masonite, or plywood of approximately 45cm high. They are placed in such away that the area for the chicks can be increased as and when necessary.

• When the chicks arrive the brooders should have reached its optimum temperature. Place the chicks in the surrounds. If the temperatures is optimum very soon the chicks will locate water and feed. (feed is often given 2 hours after the chicks arrive) This prevent dehydration and mortality.
• Do not stack boxes or crates with chickens close to the brooders.
• Remove the empty chick boxes from the chicks area as soon as possible.
• Check the behaviour of the chicks regularly and ensure that they start drinking as soon as they arrive. If they are slow to take to water encourage them by dipping the beak of some chicks in water.

• Under the brooders the chicks select their own wanted temperature, have thermometers installed 30cm above floor to have a guide of the temperature.

1. Temperature too high

The chicks gasp, the wings droop and the chicks move away from the heat source.
Raise the brooder higher or reduce the amount of heat.

1. Temperature too low

The chicks are crowded near the source of heat and make a typical distress noise.
Lower the brooder or increase the temperature.

1. DRAFT

The chicks avoid one side of the floor. Do not be confused by chicks being attracted towards people or afraid of strange things.
Block up side where draft is coming from.

1. Temperature Good

 The chick are evenly spread over the floor and are  confortable.

• Chicks should receive23 hours of light per day for the first week to have them accustomed to darkness, and will prevent them to panic should the power fail.

• After one week the light intensity can be reduced gradually. It should be at a level that keeps the broilers quiet and docile, yet not affecting their eating habit.

• Wood shavings is most commonly used.

• Ensure it is always kept dry and turned regularly. When necessary add fresh litter.

• Caked litter should be removed.
• Wet (cold) litter increases the feed conversion. Caked litter may induce breast blisters, so prevent wet and caked litter, always keep litter loose.
• Good litter should be free from molds, preservatives and pesticides.

The equipments may be installed in such a way that they may be winched out of the way during loading of birds for slaughter, and cleaning the house.

Drinkers:

• When chicks arrive water should be present in chick drinkers evenly distributed in the brooding area 70 - 80 chicks should use one drinker.
• The chick drinkers will gradually be replaced by automatic drinkers starting from the 3^rd day.
• The maximum distance between drinkers is 2.5 metre. The height of the drinkers should be adjusted according to the age and size of the broilers, keep them at back line.
• A water reservoir should be available in each house to supply drinkers in that particular house as this will facilitate medication. Water comsumption generally is twice as much as feed intake (grms)
• During hot weather the water consumption may increase.
• Cool water will encourage the chicks to drink and eat more, thus improving growth and feed conversion.
• The water reservoir in the house should be checked regularly to ensure the water quality.

• Feeder plates, new egg trays and cardboard are used for day olds.
• An even distribution over the brooding area within a distance of 1 metre will make it easy for the chicks to locate the feed.
• Gradually change to regular feeders and have the chick feeders removed at the end of the first week.
• Pan feeders of diameter 33cm for 75 - 100 chicks. This kind of feeder is popular, they always provide fresh, clean feed and require less labour for cleaning. Prevent wasting of feed.
• Record the daily feed consumption. Poor appetite may indicate the beginning of problems.
• There are two types of broiler feeds used here in Seychelles.

1. Broiler starter code 21 from day old to 3 weeks
2. Broiler finisher code 25 from 4 weeks onwards

• These are normally fed adlibitum.
• Due to the fact that over 60% of broiler production is the cost of feed the ratio of kg of feed to kg of growth (feed conversion) is very important.

• In practice it has been found that many factors may influence this ratio.

1. Environmental control

• House design with inadequate ventilation to maintain proper temperature.
• Maintaining the temperature requirements of chicks, at arrival time, during growing period, day time, night time.
• Drafts
• Gaseous condition of the house (dust ammonia) Proper fan adjustment.
• The birds quiet and contended.

• If broilers are housed at a high stocking density a number of chicks are trapped or tramped. In that case feed and water are not easily located.
• Wet litter has a very negative effect on feed conversion.

• Feed quality and quantity

• Remove all feeders and feeds from the birds at least 10 - 12 hours before the actual slaughter of the birds.
• At the moment of catching the birds, which is best done very early in the morning, have the drinkers removed too.
• The birds are normally loaded in crates, do not overload the crates to avoid suffocation.
• A properly reared flock can be spoiled by lack of care during catching, causing condemnation of certain parts due to bruising.

• As soon as the flock has been removed for slaughter, the house and the equipments should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
• All the litter is removed, the floor washed then disinfect with a disinfectant dissolved in water.
• The equipments are repaired if necessary, cleaned and disinfected and reinstalled.
• When the litter is brought in for the new flock the second disinfection is carried out.

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