Raising meat
chickens from brooder to broiler is similar to raising layers, but meat birds
have special needs during the rearing process.
Meat-breed
chicks need a dry, clean, draft-free location large enough to accommodate their
fast-growing bodies.
Until
the chicks are pretty well feathered out, drafts can stress them, which can
sometimes lead to death, especially in the colder months.
Bedding
or litter is used in the brooder house to absorb droppings and help the chicks
stay warm. Cover the floor of the broiler room with litter 3 to 4 inches deep.
Daily, remove any clumped litter and stir the remaining litter so it absorbs
moisture better and lasts longer. You may need to change the litter out once a
week or so, depending on its cleanliness.
Chicks
may mistake small sawdust particles as food, so avoid using it until the chicks
mature at least a week. Slick bedding, such as newspapers and shredded paper,
shouldn’t be used after two days, as the chicks can’t get proper footing on the
slick surface, causing their legs to splay out. This can lead to leg
deformities which fast-growing meat chickens are already at risk of
Heat
source is a non-negotiable piece of equipment that keeps chicks warm just like
a mother hen would. Traditionally, this is a heat light or infrared bulb fitted
with a shield that reflects warmth down onto the chicks.
Although
24-hour light increases feeding time and weight gain, and helps broilers
feather out faster, it can be a good idea to familiarize them with darkness by
giving them 10- to 15-minute periods without light. This can help prevent panic
or death by piling up on each other in the event of a power outage.
Newly
hatched chicks need to be kept in a 35-degree-centigrade environment for the
first week of their lives,
It is
best to set up your brooder box and heat source a day or two before your chicks
arrive. Use a thermometer to help figure out the proper temperature. If you’ve
adjusted it correctly, chicks will nestle in a ring around the outside reaches
of the brooder. If it’s not warm enough, you’ll find them huddling together in
the center directly under the heat beam, but if it’s too hot or close to the
floor, they’ll scatter out from under the heat. The ideal temperature allows
them to move freely about their space, coming back to the edge of the heat to
warm up and nap. Raise or lower your brooder light or heater to adjust the
temperature: approximately 1 inch per every five degrees.
Don’t be
surprised if Cornish Cross chicks look half-naked at several weeks old. It may
take a while for their feathers to grow, which is why you’ll want to maintain a
heat source until they are fully feathered or the outside temperature reaches 18
to 21 degrees. Here’s a handy table to help you with temperature control:
- Week 1: 35
degrees centigrade
- Week 2: 32
degrees centigrade
- Week 3: 29
degrees centigrade
- Week 4: 26
degrees centigrade
- Week 5: 23
degrees centigrade
- Week 6: 21
degrees centigrade
For
their first two to three days of life, chicks don’t eat or drink much because
they’re using nutrients from their yolk sac. However, if you ordered chicks
through the mail, they’ll be ready to start eating and drinking by the time
they arrive. As you remove them from their carton one by one, dip each chick’s
beak in water to help them take that first drink. Make sure water is always
available to the chicks. If the chicks appear lethargic, you may add molasses,
glucose or coconut water to boost their energy levels.
And a
word here on water pans: Chicks drown easily, and they also climb up and into
water pans, so use small troughs that will keep them safe. Some farmers add
clean marbles or pebbles to the water pan or ring for the first week or two:
The chicks can access the water easily, but danger of drowning is low.
Meat
chickens are growing machines—Cornish Cross hybrids can double their weight and
size in just days—so you’ll need enough feeder space so that all the chicks can
eat at the same time. For the first two weeks, allow 2 inches of space per
chick—count both sides of a long, straight feeder. Double that amount to 4
inches per bird after two weeks old. To prevent wastage and soiling, it is
advisable to fill feeders only halfway full and to keep both feeders and
waterers level with the height of the chicks’ backs as they grow.
As
incredible as it seems, some meat breeds can put on up to a pound of weight for
every two pounds of feed they consume! A pre-mixed commercial chick-starter
with a 20- to 24-percent protein gives these birds a good start for the first
two weeks. If you’re raising Cornish Crosses, start with 20 percent
protein. How you feed this breed is important, as well,
because they will quite literally grow too fast for their organs and bones to
accommodate, resulting in heart and growth issues. For their first five days,
offer food free-choice, then remove their feeders for 12 hours each day,
keeping the feed available the other 12 hours. Continue this schedule until
butchering time.
At two
weeks old, transition the feed from chick starter to chick grower, which
contains 20 percent protein. You can mix the starter and grower together for a
few days to ease the changeover. For Cornish Cross, feed 18-percent protein
after five weeks until butchering.
Once
feathered, the broilers can be transferred to a predator-free, sheltered grow
pen, coop or chicken tractor. Meat breeds finish out at different ages and weights.
Cornish Crosses finish at 8 to 9 weeks old with weights of around 4.5 g for
males and 3.6 g for females.
Special
Considerations for Meat Birds If you’re raising Cornish Crosses, keep in mind
that their heavy body conformation makes it difficult for them to walk far, so
keep food and water sources close at hand, and don’t expect them to forage.
Cover
the basic needs for warmth and shelter, give a little extra attention to
feeding, watering and housing protocols, and you’ll take your chicks from
brooder to broiler stage in a matter of weeks.
