A Simple Guide to Raising Kampung Chicken Day-Old Chicks
A simple guide to raising kampung chicken chicks: brooder temperature, ventilation, fine feed for the first week, stocking density and vaccinations.
Caring for baby kampung chickens (Indonesian free-range native chickens), known in the farming world as day-old chicks (DOC), starts on the day they hatch and continues through their first week. This period is usually considered the first phase of raising kampung chicken DOC. It is the phase that decides whether a chick survives to become an adult kampung chicken. That is why it is seen as a critical phase: if things go wrong here, kampung chicken DOC may fail to reach standard weight or even die from viral diseases. To reduce that risk, kampung chicken DOC can be housed in an artificial brooder, or DOC box. The DOC box acts as a stand-in for the chicks' real mother, so it is kept warm, dry and well ventilated. The DOC box is meant to protect kampung chicken DOC from cold air and from the high humidity of their surroundings.
The air temperature inside the DOC box must be kept warm and adjusted to the conditions around the box. If the temperature inside the box is uneven, kampung chicken DOC usually huddle in the warmest corner, piling on top of each other, and this crowding in the warm spot can lead to deaths.
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Besides the right temperature and coop setup, raising kampung chicken DOC also means paying attention to the following points so the chicks are well cared for.
- Newly hatched kampung chicken DOC need a warm space, so their room or coop must be tightly enclosed. Kampung chicken DOC should be separated from the mother hen to avoid catching diseases carried by adult kampung chickens. Well-placed air vents are also important so the chicks can breathe fresh air inside the coop.
- Besides feeding and keeping the coop clean, kampung chicken DOC also need vaccines to stay healthy. Vaccines can be given to healthy kampung chicken DOC to prevent Newcastle disease and bird flu. Vaccines for kampung chicken DOC can be mixed into their feed or given as eye and mouth drops. The vaccines can be given when the chicks are 4 days, 4 weeks and 4 months old.
- Give fine-textured feed to kampung chicken DOC aged 1 to 7 days. At that age, the chicks cannot yet eat coarse feed. Coarse feed will actually upset their digestion.
- Always keep an eye on stocking density. An overcrowded coop has poor air circulation, which makes it hard for the birds to get fresh air. Overcrowding kampung chicken DOC can also lead the chicks to attack one another, which can end in deaths.
- Vaccines are also needed to keep kampung chicken DOC healthy. Vaccines for kampung chicken DOC can take the form of medicines, vitamins and minerals.
Proper care of kampung chicken DOC will produce the best kampung chickens, whose meat and eggs people can enjoy. Kampung chicken meat and eggs are widely eaten: the meat can be cooked into a variety of dishes, and the eggs are valued for their health benefits.
