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 find it hard to get access to quality day-old chicks thus limiting their performance.
Several factors can impact the quality of chicks, including the hatchery’s reputation from the breeder’s farm to transportation to the final farm reception. Farming management practices also have a real impact. Good processes and better preventive measures can give chicks the right start in poultry farming.
For poultry farmers or anyone wishing to venture into the industry and will want to use 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.
The hatchery should be a reliable source of quality chicks; when buying these chicks, you need to make sure that you get them from a registered hatchery- known for producing good healthy and quality chicks as this will give you the hope that they won’t have any problem at all when it comes to performance.
Similarly, one should have clear information about the chicks’ 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.
Transportation of the 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 them from bruising as they can easily succumb to bruises.
Proper ventilation is also key; the type of transport you intend to use should be well-ventilated to prevent them from suffocating. However, like they say too much of anything is bad, the portions allocated for ventilation should not be many or big because they may die.
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
