5 Common Mistakes When Raising Day-Old Chicks
Raising day-old chicks decides whether a chicken farm succeeds. Avoid these beginner mistakes, from skipping sugar water to the wrong coop and no heat.
The success of a chicken farm depends on how you care for your day-old chicks (DOC), the birds in the starter period. Beginner poultry farmers often do not yet know how to handle DOC properly, so their failures come down to poor care. To become a successful farmer, you need solid skills, and one of the skills you must have is raising DOC well. Master it and your chicken farm can succeed and turn a profit. To raise day-old chicks successfully, avoid the following mistakes:
Also read 6 Ways to Build a Proper DOC Coop
Skipping the Sugar Solution
DOC need more energy than birds in the grower or finisher period. Chicks need this energy to stay active rather than weak. You can meet this need by giving them a sugar solution. When the chicks arrive at your farm, give them the sugar solution to stabilize their energy levels. A common mistake beginner farmers make is not giving DOC a sugar solution, which leaves them weak and lethargic.
The Wrong Coop
Another mistake in raising DOC is keeping them in the wrong coop. A DOC coop is different from one for birds in the grower or finisher period, so chicks need a special coop that keeps them safe and comfortable. A suitable DOC coop is closed on all sides but open at the top. Enclosing the sides helps minimize the wind that gets in, especially at night. Cold weather and cold air are very bad for DOC, since they can weaken the chicks' immunity.
Also read 6 Ways to Choose High-Quality DOC
No Heat Source
Another mistake in the starter period is not providing a heat source. DOC do not have feathers as thick as birds in the grower or finisher period, so they still need a heater to keep their bodies warm, especially at night. To keep the chicks warm, place a brooder in the middle of the coop and set the temperature so it is neither too hot nor too cold. Watch how the chicks move: if they stay away from the brooder, it is too hot, but if they spread out, the temperature is just right.
No Sense of Security
Another mistake in raising DOC is failing to keep them safe. That is why you need to check on your chicks often. Predators such as cats can endanger them. On top of that, chicks can injure each other with their sharp beaks, causing bleeding or even death.
Also read 3 Ways to Source Laying Hen DOC and How to Care for Them
DOC are the stock you need to care for well. If they grow well, you benefit because they will be more productive. Avoid the DOC care mistakes above so you do not lose money.
