6 Proven Layer Chick Care Tips for Beginners
New to layer chick care? Learn 6 proven tips for day-old chicks, from sugar water and a closed brooder coop to soft feed, vaccines, vitamins and water.
Day-old chicks (DOC) are crucial to a poultry farm's success. The more DOC die, the fewer hens reach the laying stage and produce eggs. When more DOC survive, on the other hand, more hens will lay eggs. Losing chicks means losing money, because the operating costs you have already spent won't be matched by your income when you only have a few eggs to sell. That's why caring for laying hen DOC can't be done carelessly: you need solid knowledge and skills to help the chicks grow and develop well. Here is how to care for layer DOC the right way:
Give Sugar Water
The first step in caring for layer DOC is to give them sugar water, especially after a long journey. Don't put the chicks straight into the coop, because they will be prone to stress. Sugar water also gives the chicks more energy.
The Right Coop
To help DOC feel safe and comfortable, it's important to give them the right coop. A DOC coop is different from one for grower or laying-stage hens. It must be enclosed, with just a little ventilation. If it's an open system like a layer or grower coop, the chicks will easily pick up viruses and bacteria and suffer from bloating. The DOC coop also needs lights so the chicks can see at night, and you should add a brooder or heater because DOC can't yet regulate their body temperature well.
The Right Feed
Layer DOC must get the right feed so they survive to the next stage and all the way to the laying stage. The right feed is high in protein, and it should also meet their other nutritional needs, such as fat, phosphorus, calcium and so on. DOC feed also has a different texture from grower or layer feed, because chicks can only handle soft-textured feed.
Vaccines
Layer DOC have weak immune systems, so they need vaccines to grow and develop as expected. In this respect, layer DOC differ from kampung chicken (Indonesia's free-range native chicken), which has strong immunity. Layer DOC catch diseases very easily, from mild illnesses to deadly ones, so they need the full course of vaccines. Once a disease takes hold, it spreads from bird to bird very easily and farmers will struggle to contain it, so prevention is better than cure.
Vitamins
Vitamins are also important for keeping the chicks' immune systems stable. They also help keep the chicks' appetite steady and make them more energetic and active.
Enough Water
To support the chicks' growth and development, give them enough water. Don't give DOC too much or too little, because their fluid balance must be carefully maintained. Too much fluid in their bodies will give layer DOC the flu and bloating, and excess fluid also makes their droppings runny and soft, so the coop starts to smell.
To succeed in the poultry business, farmers need to do more than care for layer DOC properly. They also have to watch for obstacles that can hold back the chicks' growth on the farm, such as stress, stunting disease and so on.
