STARTING CHICKS

• Be ready BEFORE chicks arrive
• Facilities should be clean, dry, and free from drafts, with at least 2 inches of suitable litter on the floor
• Be sure the heat source (brooder, heat lamps, etc.) is working. Heat lamps should be about 20 inches above chicks, and raised weekly as the birds grow.
• Be sure chicks are drinking water BEFORE feed is provided. Use electrolytes in the water for the first week.
  NEVER allow chicks to run out of water!
• Keep waterers clean.
• Chicks should have feed at all times. The first 2 or 3 days some feed may be placed in paper plates or in box lids in addition to the feeders.
• If “pasting up” is a problem, top-dress the feed with a small amount of oatmeal.

TEMPERATURE

Chicks: Keep the temperature at 90-95° F the first few days. Gradually reduce the temperature about 5° F each week until 70° F is reached. Take the temperature at chick height.

Layers: Layers can tolerate a rather wide range of temperatures without affecting egg production. Laying house temperatures below 55-60 ° F increase the amount of feed required to produce a dozen eggs.

LIGHT

Chicks: Start pullets on 2 days of continuous light (10 watt incandescent bulb per 200 square feet of floor space). From 3 to 21 days, gradually reduce day length to 15-16 hours. From 3 to 18 weeks, maintain a constant day length of 10-12 hours or that dictated by natural day length.

Layers: Artificial light will help maintain egg production during the fall and winter. The use of artificial lights may begin when the pullets are placed in the laying house. Increase the amount of light 30 minutes per week to 15-16 hours per day.

FLOOR SPACE

Chicks: Allow one square foot of brooder space per chick through 8 weeks of age, and 2 square feet from 8 through 18 weeks of age.

Layers: Allow 3 to 4 square feet per bird.

FEEDER SPACE

Chicks: Provide one inch of feeder space per chick through week 2; two inches per chick from 3 to 7 weeks, three inches per chick from 8 to 18 weeks of age. A 20 lb hanging feeder should be adequate for 50 chicks. Adjust height of feeders so that all the birds can eat easily without wasting feed. The lip of the trough should be even with the bird’s back.

Layers: Provide 4 inches of feeder space per bird. For larger hanging feeders (40-45lbs), allow 6 feeders per 100 birds. Adjust feeder height as needed.

WATERING SPACE

Chicks (per 100 chicks): Provide 20 inches of trough space or two 1-gallon fountains from day 1 to 2 weeks of age. Provide 36 inches of trough space or three 1-gallon fountains for weeks 3 through 12. Always provide plenty of clean, fresh water, especially when starting baby chicks.

Layers: Provide one 8-gallon gravity flow waterer or 8 linear feet of trough-type waterer for 100 layers from 12 weeks to production. No bird should be more than 15 feet from a waterer.

LITTER

Chicks: Floors should be covered with at least 2 inches of suitable litter. Ground cobs, shavings, peat moss, chopped straw, and commercial litter are common. Litter should be clean, dry, free of dust, absorbent, and free of injurious material. Stir litter frequently and remove damp and/or caked litter. Add fresh litter as needed.

Layers: Provide at least 4 inches of suitable litter at housing.