Broiler Farming changes in Brooding Procedures

Present day, broiler farming has become as much expensive as it has never been though. In countries like Pakistan majority of the broiler farmers are no more capable of continuing their broiler farming, due to increasing costs of farm operations, like feed, medicine, sudden rise in chicks rate, electricity, litter, brooding, etc. The purpose of this article is to invite the poultry scientists to understand the possibilities of such an idea to practice in the field.

Present day, the traditional broiler farming has been shifted in to integration which requires a huge investment; here we want to work for the survival of the small capacity farmers whose sheds are commonly known as "Bengali" sheds. This shed may be an ideal shed for the harsh summer in hot areas of Pakistan, but cold winter badly affects these types of sheds, leading to closure of broiler farms in some very potential broiler production areas of Pakistan, otherwise heavy mortality and high brooding investment.

Today, the challenging nature of broiler production demands changes to minimize the cost of production starting form best feed conversion and maximum livability to minimum medication and minimum brooding cost. As a matter of fact we are capable of doing very little in this regard. However, I believe that a little done is half done, minimizing at least the cost of brooding will help to reduce the cost of production from Rs:5 to Rs:10 (PKR) per bird.

The common practices of brooding are either through electricity or burning coal or wood. Due to the high cost and less availability of electricity it is now impossible to use electricity as brooding source. On the other hand the demand for coal and wood as heat source has increased which led to indiscriminate destruction of forest which is already facing extinction. However, latter is the most common practice having immense of disadvantages like: availability and high cost during the months of November to February. Fire drums are placed inside the shed for burning wood which produce smoke and oxygen deprivation causing respiratory problem in the flock. A fire drum burning 80 kg of fire wood at a time produces more than 100 Celsius temperature in the radius of 6 ft; leading to dehydration and stressed chicks consequently causing heavy mortality and uneven flock.

Now keeping the fact in mind that the 6 cm chicks require temperature at the level of their height, it makes easy to think about providing heat from under the shed.

Structure of shed:

This type of shed is similar to the common "Bengali" shed, except for the floor which in traditional Bengali shed is not cemented. The floor of the non-traditional shed will be concreted, this is the floor of the shed now fix large metal plates like steel plates over this leaving 60 cm space in between the cemented floor and the metal plates. Now make two fire ditches outside the shed in opposite directions on both ends of the shed connected to the underground of the shed by two each 60 cm concrete pipes. Two fire ditches are sufficient for a 5,000 capacity shed.

Advantages:

* Burn anything like green wood, rubber, garbage, etc, without the danger of smoke and oxygen deprivation in the shed.

* Unlike traditional methods, smoke-free shed minimizes the risk of respiratory problems.

*The two opposite direction fire ditches on both ends of the shed will provide an even temperature to every part of the shed without leaving any pocket.

*In this shed the litter will remain dry for long period thus minimizing the cost of litter.

*The litter will act as an insulator.