Acquiring quality chicks is not only crucial but the starting point for any farmer who hopes to thrive in the poultry business. However, due to several challenges, many farmers do not have access to quality chicks, thus limiting their performance.
Several factors can impact the quality of day-old chicks, including the hatchery’s reputation from the breeder’s farm to the hatchery and transportation to the final farm reception. Farming management practices also have a real impact. Good processes and better preventive measures can give day-old chicks the right start in poultry farming.
For poultry farmers or anyone wishing to venture into the industry and will want to use day-old chicks as a start, there are certain things you need to do or take note of because chicken growth management will hugely determine their productivity at later stages.
Below are some of the things you need to do or consider before buying day–old chicks are;
The hatchery should be a reliable source of quality chicks; when buying day old chicks you need to make sure that the place where the chicks are hatched is a registered facility and has a valid license. The hatchery should also be known for producing good healthy and quality chicks to give you the hope that when you buy them, you won’t have any problem at all when it comes to performance.
The chicks should be known for high production; before buying chicks from any hatchery, you need to get clear information about their production rate and whether they are efficient feed converters. As a customer, you need to be informed about the chicks you want to buy because you are buying them to start your own business and you don’t want to lose any profits thus you have every right to know what happens around the hatchery and in it.
The chicken breed should be well adapted to the area and selected management system; to any area where you wish to transport the newly purchased chicks to, you need to establish if the type of breed you wish to invest money in, is compatible and can thrive well in that new environment.
Transporting day old chicks
When transporting these chicks to their new destination, it is advisable to use containers that are hard on the outside and inside very soft. When the inside of the container is very soft it will act as shock absorbers to protect the chicks from bruising. Day old chicks are very delicate and if they are exposed to injuries or bruised, they can easily succumb.
Proper ventilation is also key; they type of transport you intend to use to carry the chicks should be well ventilated to enable proper breathing of the chicks and prevent them from death by suffocation.
However, like they say too much of anything is bad. The portions allocated for the ventilation shouldn’t be too much as to expose the chicks to the strong wind because when that happens they may also die. Care must be taken to ensure that there will not be any mortality during the journey.
These are some of the many steps that must be adhered to in a bid to prevent financial loss and increase your gains in the poultry industry.
The writer is a veterinary officer at Vet Aviana services in Kampala