7 Best Ways to Care for Day-Old Broiler Chicks

High-quality broiler day-old chicks (DOC) can produce high-quality meat. If you run a poultry farm, you are well advised to choose high-quality DOC. Top-quality chicks have a higher survival rate and are hardier than poor-quality ones. Even so, you have to back them up with proper care. Do not let good chicks go to waste through poor husbandry. DOC lose quality when they are raised the wrong way, and they may even die. Here is how to care for day-old broiler chicks:

Brown Sugar Solution

You can give the DOC a brown sugar solution to boost their energy. The glucose in brown sugar keeps the chicks from becoming weak and gives them energy, especially after a long journey. Day-old chicks need this extra energy to keep moving actively. Only after they have drunk the brown sugar solution should you move them into the litter pen you prepared earlier.

Also read 4 Ways to Raise Broiler Chickens for Beginners

A Closed Coop

The ideal coop for day-old chicks is enclosed and does not let strong drafts in. That is because DOC cannot yet adapt to strong winds, so several sides of the coop must be fully closed. This is different from a coop for adult chickens, where the more freely air moves in and out, the better. That does not apply to DOC. For the top of the coop, you can use wire mesh so that air exchange still takes place.

Lighting

You need to keep your broiler chicks safe by installing lights. Lights help protect the chicks from attacks by other animals such as rats or cats. Besides keeping the chicks warm, the bulbs also help them see at night, since chickens have poor night vision.

Brooder

Day-old chicks need a heater to keep their bodies warm. Set the brooder temperature correctly, neither too cold nor too hot. A brooder is essential in the rainy season, especially when the weather is extreme. Without one, the chicks will get cold and their immunity will weaken.

Nutritious Feed

The next step in caring for broiler chicks is giving them nutritious feed. Day-old chicks cannot eat coarse feed, so it is very important to give them feed in powder form. Spread the feed on a plastic tray so the chicks can scratch at it.

Vaccines

Vaccination is one of the most important parts of DOC care, because without vaccines the chicks easily catch a wide range of diseases. Broiler chicks at the DOC stage receive vaccines as eye drops, not injections. Also remember to give vitamins regularly to keep the chicks' immunity stable. Vitamins will make the chicks healthier.

Also read 5 Tips for Choosing Affordable & Fresh Chicken Carcasses

Chicken farming is not easy, because birds can die. Early deaths among DOC in particular are very common if you do not know how to care for them. If you want to raise broiler chickens, follow the chick care steps described above, because DOC have a major impact on the success of your farm.