Key Points for Rearing and Management During the Brooding and Growing Stages of Breeding Chickens

1. Clean and disinfect the chicken house: thorough washing—foam disinfection—spray disinfection—flame disinfection—fumigation—spray disinfection, followed by ventilation and drying.

2. Cleaning, disinfection, and fumigation of equipment (kettles, feeders, feeding troughs, water lines, feeding utensils, and poultry house supplies).

3. Temperature Testing: Begin three days in advance during summer and one week in advance during winter. Verify that the heating equipment is functioning properly, check for drafts in the chicken house, and pre‑heat the cages and floor to enhance the birds’ comfort.

1. Upon arrival, allow the chicks to drink water for 2–4 hours before introducing feed. Add glucose and electrolyte solution to the drinking water to replenish energy. Warm or lukewarm water is preferable, and the sugar solution should not be left standing for more than 6 hours. In the early stages, use a waterer; between days 9 and 12, transition from the waterer to a nipple‑type water line.

2. Begin feeding after the piglets have drunk water; start feeding based on the passage of meconium. Initially, offer wet feed twice daily to encourage intake and improve palatability. Use a feeder during the early stage, then transition to a trough at 9–10 days of age.

1. Temperature: 35–33°C for days 1–3, 32–31°C for days 4–7, 30–28°C for days 8–14, 28–26°C for days 15–21, and 25°C from day 22 onward. For weaker chicks, raise the brooding temperature by 2°C during the first three days.

Key points: Adjust heating based on the chickens’ behavior—those in the upper tier should not be gaping, and those in the lower tier should not huddle together.

2. Humidity: Maintain 60–70%; when the weather is dry, mist the ground three times daily (for days 1–7).

3. During the first three days, prioritize heat retention; while maintaining warmth, provide adequate ventilation by opening the upper-level windows or the walkway windows of the chicken coop.

4. Ventilate appropriately for 4–7 days (ensure there is no stuffy feeling when people enter).

After 5 to 7 days of age, maintain a temperature of 30°C while ensuring adequate ventilation.

6. When the temperature is suitable but winds are strong, avoid opening windows on the windward side to prevent drafts from blowing directly onto the chicks.

1. After 24 hours of ad libitum feeding, identify and isolate the weakest chicks by palpating their crop; typically, these weak chicks are placed on the upper tier at the front of the last cage.

2. Perform beak trimming at 7 days of age and administer vaccination around 15 days of age; at this stage, cull any weak or underdeveloped chicks.

3. At 12–13 days of age, begin sorting the birds: move the larger chickens to the lowest, fourth tier to reduce stocking density.

1. From day 1, chicks begin to molt their down; by around day 7, they start growing tail feathers; at 18 days, feather replacement begins on the shoulders; and by 30 days, facial feathers are shed. The first complete molt is typically finished between 35 and 40 days, though in weaker birds this process may be delayed by a few days. After day 12, down accumulates on the floor, and air quality starts to deteriorate. Regularly sprinkle water on the floor, allow it to dry slightly, then sweep it up; alternatively, using a vacuum cleaner is also an effective option. Given the high dust levels in the air, if vaccinations have not yet been administered, disinfect the flock several times. The brooding house should be equipped with a manual backpack sprayer. Except on the day of live‑vaccine administration—when no disinfection is required—disinfection can be carried out whenever needed.

2. Disinfect the chickens every 2–3 days, and clean the house daily.

3. Remove chicken manure on days 1, 4, 7, and 9; after day 10, clean it daily. Ensure thorough removal each time to maintain good air quality inside the house.

4. The water in the water dispenser should be changed twice daily, with the dispenser cleaned each time. Feed in the feeder should also be replaced twice a day; any stale or contaminated feed must be removed promptly. After switching to the water line system, drain the water from both the tank and the lines every morning. In addition, flush the tank and water lines once a week.

Week 1: 24 hours.

Weeks 2–3: Reduce by 1 hour each day.

Weeks 4–5: Natural lighting.

1. Water quality must meet standards; if it does not, chlorine-based disinfectants should be added. In addition, the water tanks and piping in the chicken house should be cleaned weekly.

2. Feed must be distributed evenly, with fixed rations and group assignments, to ensure that each chicken receives the same amount of feed.

3. Indoor disinfection of chickens should be carried out once every three days; during an outbreak, it should be done every two days. Outdoor disinfection should be performed once a week.

4. Weeds around the chicken coop should be cleared weekly; the interior of the coop must be cleaned daily after feeding, and spider webs on the roof should be removed weekly.

1. Weekly weight measurements must be taken for the flock, with 6% of the entire flock sampled; for flocks exceeding 5,000 birds, a sample of 300 birds should be weighed.

2. Randomly select 8–10 sampling points and weigh the chickens according to the principle of equal distribution across the upper, middle, and lower sections.

3. During the first clustering, the data were divided into five groups—ultra‑small, small, medium, large, and ultra‑large—based on the degree of uniformity; in the second clustering, the groups were reclassified into four categories: ultra‑small, small, medium, and large.

4. After grouping, feed restriction is required: for native chickens, apply the 1/6 method at 9 and 18 weeks, and the 2/5 method from 10 to 17 weeks; for fast-growing broilers, use the 1/6 method at 7 and 18 weeks, and the 2/5 method from 8 to 17 weeks. Feeding should be completed by 5:00 p.m.

1. Daily, the caretaker must sort out the weaker chickens and move them to the upper tier, while transferring the larger birds from the upper tier to the lower tier. The weaker chicks should be separated and housed individually; additionally, any sick birds must be isolated at the far end near the air vent.

2. Selection of breeding stock is based on plumage color, shank length, and body conformation. Additionally, since some roosters may not be identified at the time of chick selection, or hens that resemble roosters may be included, these birds should also be culled.

1. During the rearing phase, chickens are kept under artificial lighting with light exposure carefully controlled.

2. For free-range chickens, lighting must be strictly regulated. Typically, light exposure is limited to 6 hours, while for fast-growing breeds it is maintained at 8 hours.

1. During the rearing phase, feed intake must be strictly controlled to manage the flock’s weight gain—avoiding both excessive and insufficient weight gain. This requires managers to adjust feeding levels based on weighing data and their experience.

2. In particular, after grouping, the feed intake varies among groups of different sizes. The purpose of grouping is to ensure that most flocks have similar body weights: younger chicks require slightly more feed to promote faster growth, while older birds need their feed intake restricted to manage their growth rate.

3. At different growth stages, it is necessary to switch to feeds with varying nutritional profiles and to ensure a smooth transition. This is typically carried out over three days, with feed ratios adjusted as 1:3, 2:2, and 3:1.