Choosing the right equipment for your starter chicks

Choosing the right equipment is crucial to making sure your birds have a good brooding period and healthy growth. Here’s everything you need to know about water lines and ventilation systems for poultry farms.

Poultry farmers need to take a number of different steps before, during and after the arrival of a new batch of chicks, but the basics are always the same: providing the right amounts of good-quality water, air and feed. And the right equipment can make that much easier.

Water: The importance of choosing the right nipples

To give your birds a good start, your watering system has to have the right nipples. Chicks’ beaks are very fragile and weak, so you need to make sure your drinking equipment can be activated without much pressure. It has to be easy for the chicks to press down on the nipple and squeeze out a drop of water.

On the other hand, you also don’t want the nipples to let too much water out when your birds get older, as this can make a mess and lead to wet litter. It’s important to find a happy medium.

Nipples should also be chosen based on the type of production. For example, some nipples work fine for layers but are too difficult to activate for young chicks.

Ventilation: The importance of making adjustments

There are several companies offering good ventilation solutions. No matter what ventilation technology you use, the important thing is to adjust it properly.

Too often, I see farmers over-ventilating their starter batches, which can really affect the chicks’ comfort.

Remember that the smaller the bird, the less heat it gives off. This also means that chicks produce little to no humidity at this stage of production, so ventilation mainly just serves to keep their air fresh. Keep your fans as low as possible to avoid causing them unnecessary stress.

The secret to choosing the right poultry equipment

Choosing the right equipment is highly personal. As a farmer, you’ll have your own unique preferences. The key thing to consider is who will be in charge of the equipment.

For example, if your equipment is going to be operated by less experienced employees, it’s a good idea to choose more advanced technology. That way, you can keep an eye on what’s going on in your barn at all times, from an app on your phone.

If your production is smaller and you’ll be operating the equipment yourself, you can choose something more basic that works well but costs much less.

Why you should always keep an eye on your birds

Technology can bring major benefits—such as the increasingly accurate water meters hitting the market recently—but it’s no substitute for keeping a close watch on your birds.

With modern equipment promising to “do it all” for you, it’s easy to find yourself relying heavily on the technology. And that can be risky.

Whatever equipment you choose, you still need to go into the henhouse to see how things are playing out. You need to watch how the equipment affects your chicks’ behaviour, paying close attention to any clues they may be giving you as to their needs.

Although this kind of observation is often second nature for farmers, you’ll need to teach your employees how to spot potential problems on your farm.

A poor brooding period has numerous consequences that can impact your yields. Chicks that don’t get all their needs met during brooding won’t develop a healthy immune system. This opens the door to more disease and higher mortality rates.

Remember, your agri-advisors are always there to help you optimize your equipment and get your birds off to a great start.