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General
Brooding is the process of managing the birds for the first 2 weeks of the birds life. There are 3 requirements for brooding, good quality drinking water, Nutramix broiler crumble and a heat source.
Nutramix recommends that all farmers use an external heat source , for example – heating bulbs (250W infra red bulbs) or gas LPG heater to provide additional heat to young birds for at least the first 2 weeks. A heating bulb is an essential piece of equipment for any broiler farmer.
Most commonly when birds do not reach the required weight for age ie: “the birds are light” at 5 weeks, it indicates that the birds were not provided with a heating apparatus during the first 14 days of life.
Below are listed the temperature requirements for broiler birds during the grow out period:
It is estimated that the average farmer would require 18 bags of Nutramix to feed 100 broiler birds to market age of 42 days.
In Jamaica, the most common cause of “colds” or respiratory infections are bacterial issues. Most colds can be treated with an antibiotic for 5 -7 days to ensure a speedy resolve. Farmers should consult their veterinarian for treatment options.
To ensure the right conditions for growing broiler birds all coups must be “cleaned” and the “disinfected” before placing a new set of birds. Cleaning and disinfection is a two step process – you must clean first with soap and water, wash off this “dirty water” let the surface air dry and then apply the disinfectant to the area and leave the disinfect to dry.
Recommended disinfectant include; household bleach, Virkon S and Viricide.
One of the most common causes of greenish-blood coloured feces is a disease called Coccidiosis. It is causes by a parasite that lives in the birds gut called coccidia ( Emieria spp.). In conditions of damp and caked litter, often after heavy rains the parasite multiplies and then damages the birds intestines. The damaged gut produces the blood coloured feces. It can be prevented by ensuring that your litter stay dry at all times. If it occurs consult your veterinarian for treatment options.