Winter brooding in Punjab: warm the litter a day before the chicks arrive

As nights turn cold across Punjab, the problems farmers bring to our mill in Arifwala change. Chicks are slow to start, litter is wet by week two, and feed leaves the bags faster than weight goes onto the birds. In most of these cases the feed is not the cause. The shed is.

What we see working on broiler farms this season:

1. Start heating 24 hours before placement. Air warms quickly; the floor and litter do not. A chick on cold litter loses heat from below all day and burns feed to stay warm, which shows up later as poor FCR.
2. Read the chicks, not only the thermometer. Packed under the heater = cold. Spread to the edges and panting = too hot. Bunched on one side = a draught on the empty side.
3. Keep minimum ventilation running. Sealing the shed traps moisture and ammonia. If your eyes sting at bird height, ammonia is already too high. Never fully seal a shed while a fuel-burning heater is running (carbon monoxide).
4. Keep drinkers inside the warm brooding zone for the first days, and check drinker height as birds grow to keep litter dry.
5. Do not thin or cut feed to save money in winter. It stretches the flock and every extra day costs more.
6. Weigh a sample every week. A flock behind at day 7 was usually cold, thirsty, or both in its first days.

For the exact temperature curve, follow your chick supplier's breed guide for your strain.

I would like to hear from other integrators and farmers: what minimum ventilation settings are you using this winter in open-sided sheds?

Waqas Rafiq, CEO, Vital Feeds (Private) Limited, Arifwala, Pakistan