5 Signs of Quality Day-Old Chicks (DOC)

To get the best results from your farm, choose high-quality day-old chicks (DOC). You can get top-quality DOC from a reputable chicken farm. Choosing chicks in person at the farm lets you pick the best, healthiest ones. If the chicks you choose are poor quality, you'll run into problems while raising them, and that will cost you money. The harvest will be lower in quality, which means losses. Even if you're a beginner, you need a solid understanding of DOC. Here are the signs of prime, high-quality day-old chicks:

Also read Why It Matters to Get Day-Old Chicks from a Quality Hatchery

Hatching Time

Quality day-old chicks hatch on time. Hatching times can vary, but the normal period is 21 days, no less and no more. Only quality farms can hatch chicks right on schedule. Hatching eggs on time depends on many things, such as normal fertilization, hormones, response to light and much more. Chicks that hatch on time come from breeder hens with a high hatch rate.

Upright Posture

The next sign of quality DOC is the chick's posture. Traits are passed down genetically to the next generation, so if you choose chicks with imperfect bodies, their offspring will be imperfect too. That's why you should choose chicks that stand upright and have no defects. Quality chicks stand firmly, their legs support their bodies well, and you should also check their wings. Prime-quality chicks have symmetrical wings, with no part of the wing drooping as if broken.

Also read Sari Roti Isi Ayam

Clear Eyes

The next way to choose quality DOC is to pick chicks with clear eyes. An animal's eyes show whether it's in good condition or sick. A fish that's no longer fit to eat has cloudy eyes, and in the same way, an unhealthy chick's eyes look cloudy.

Active

Healthy, quality chicks move about actively. Unhealthy chicks can't move around nimbly. With this sign, you can easily tell healthy chicks from unhealthy ones. Never take poor-quality chicks, because if one chick in the coop is sick, the illness spreads easily to the others.

Glossy Down

You can also tell which chicks are healthy and of good quality by their down. Glossy down is a sign of good health. Besides being glossy, the down should be soft and clean. Poor-quality chicks have down that doesn't grow in fully and only covers certain parts of the body. These chicks get sick easily because their down isn't enough to keep them warm.

Also read Laying Hen Stock and the Nutritional Value of Their Eggs

Quality chicks are essential for a smooth-running farm. Without quality stock, many chickens will die simply because they started out as poor-quality chicks. Choose quality day-old chicks with the signs described above, and your farm will benefit.