How to take care of chicks so they don't die quickly
When deciding to become a chicken breeder, the chickens that are kept are not only large brooders. The eggs that produce chicks must also be considered for development.
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| How to take care of chicks so they don't die quickly |
Moreover, raising chicks has a high risk of death compared to brooders. This makes chicken farmers must know how to properly care for chicks in the following review.
How to take care of chicks to have a long life
1. Choosing a Superior Chicken Type
Not infrequently some people are tempted to see the cuteness of chicks and then raise them without looking at the quality of the chicks.
Not only that, the type of chicks must also be adjusted to the owner's goals. If you want to produce laying hens then choose the type of chicken developed in Australia or black australorps chicken.
This is because this type of chicken is able to produce eggs with good quality. Meanwhile, if you want laying hens but have good meat quality, then you should choose chicken with the Orpington buff race.
In addition, you can also choose a chicken with a silver laced wyandottes type that has a large body. This is because the type of chicken has qualifications as a chicken with a dual function, namely, laying and broiler.
If you want special chicks for complaints, of course these chicks have special characteristics. These characteristics can be seen from the body parts of your chicks.
What are the characteristics of quality fighting chicks? Here are the characteristics:
Has a beak with the characteristics of a line at the top center, and has a beak color that is almost the same as the ribs. With the characteristics of the beak, it can be indicated that the chick has the ability to peck strongly.
Having eyes that are round, clear and slightly indented into the eye sockets, this indicates that your chicks have keen eyesight;
Has slightly dry leg scales, as well as balanced feet;
It has a thin and smooth head, and is long and rather large;
It has a large, elongated and tight neck and sternum.
2. Keep More Than 1 Chicken
Chickens are known as group animals that are interacting with others. For this reason, the best way to take care of chicks is to keep more than one, i.e. 3 to 6.
In addition to producing more chickens, it is also to facilitate the flocking habit of the chickens. Having lots of chicks also anticipates the existence of dead chicks.
3. Regulating the Cage Temperature
Chicks have a physical condition that is not too strong and is very susceptible to changing air temperatures. Especially if the chicks have just hatched, the temperature conditions in the eggs and in the room are very different, so they need adaptation.
To provide a solution, use a brooder to keep the chicks healthy. Brooder is made of cardboard yourself or buy it at a livestock store that provides such equipment.
Add a lamp or other heater for heating. Chicks should be checked regularly to see their development. You can also put a thermometer or check the spread of chicks away from or near the heater.
This can be a sign that if you approach the chicks, they may still feel cold.
4. Choosing the Right Base
Choosing the right base on the brooder is one way to take care of chicks to stay healthy and not die easily. Litter or floor mats sometimes have a function to absorb water and minimize blisters on the chest and legs.
Not only that, the litter also keeps the cage warm. In choosing litter, you should use materials that easily absorb water or you can use a base made of sawdust.
Litter must be regularly cleaned and replaced if the litter is wet this is to keep it clean. Cleanliness becomes very important when raising chicks this is because chicks are still very susceptible to various kinds of diseases.
If necessary, give a disinfectant solution before using the base.
5. Provision of Food and Beverages
Giving food and drink to chicks must pay attention to the portion and time of administration. Usually the food given is in the form of pur or concentrate which can be found in animal feed stores.
Feeding is given gradually and often this is so that the chicks are not deprived of food. Drinks can come from any water as long as it's clean and cold or drinking water sold in farm shops. Drinks are used so that the chicks are not dehydrated.
6. Give Vitamins and Supplementary Foods
How to take care of chicks is not only by providing the right food and drink, but also giving vitamins must be considered.
Vitamins can be added to the chicks drink in the form of antistress drugs when the chicks just arrived and 3 days before and after vaccination. Another vitamin that can be given to increase carbohydrate intake is diluted brown sugar.
Vitamins can be obtained from ingredients such as fish oil, tomatoes, and quail eggs to keep the chickens in top condition. Additional food can be worms or insects and do not give food from plants because it can be dangerous for chicks.
Because plants cause diarrhea which of course makes chicks weak and can die.
One of the diseases that are often experienced by chicks is worms. This happens because the chicks are eating the wrong one. But you don't need to worry, because the disease is easy to treat. One of the most effective drugs for treating intestinal worms in chicks is Alben Plus. This product is proven effective in handling intestinal worms in chicks. You can buy it here.
7. Routine Vaccination
To get healthy and long-lived chicks, vaccines are also needed. The vaccine can be given when the chicks are 4 days old by giving eye drops.
When chicks are 7 days old, ND vaccination can be done by injecting. Furthermore, the vaccine can be dissolved in drinking water. Vaccine schedule should be done regularly as a way of caring for chicks that have a long life.
8. Moving the Chicks
After the chicks are 2 months old, the chicks can be moved out of the booler as long as it is not in the rainy season. Chicks are moved to cages that have good protection from bad weather and predators that can prey on the chicks.
Make sure the new cage is kept warm and has a large enough space with good ventilation. The recommended cage size is 4×8 feet with 3 to 5 chicks.
9. Change Feed and Drink Regularly
The food for chicks that are 2 months old is not the same as before. The food provided is still finely textured but with more variety, for example kitchen scraps or vegetables.
This feeding must be adjusted to the body posture of the chicks. As a way to take care of the next chick, the food in the chicken should not be wet and dirty because it can be a spread of bacteria for the chicks.
10. Interact With Chickens
Health in animals is not only physical, but mental health is also needed. By inviting the chickens to play and betering, it makes the chickens not stressed so they stay healthy.
Not only that, by interacting, the owner can also find out the nature and habits of his pet chicken. The owner can also predict the cycle if he pays close attention to his chickens and more often.
The owner must really pay close attention to the chicks, for example, such as checking the chicken's bottom for dirt. This should be cleaned as it can cause infection in the area.
How to clean it is to use warm water and a soft cloth so as not to hurt the skin of the chicks. Raising chicks is not difficult if you already know what you can and can't do.
When the chicks are big, advantages such as having lots of eggs and good meat can be obtained. This can certainly be a promising business field considering that chicken is still a much-loved food ingredient.
The health of chicks is the main thing in order to become big chickens and lay lots of eggs.