Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4 Volume 3 Number 8 1962 Article 16 1-1-1962 Chick management D F. Hessels Follow this and additional works at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4 Part of the Other Nutrition Commons, Poultry or Avian Science Commons, and the Veterinary Preventive Medicine, Epidemiology, and Public Health Commons Recommended Citation Hessels, D F. (1962) "Chick management," Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4: Vol. 3 : No. 8 , Article 16. Available at: https://researchlibrary.agric.wa.gov.au/journal_agriculture4/vol3/iss8/16 This article is brought to you for free and open access by Research Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of the Department of Agriculture, Western Australia, Series 4 by an authorized administrator of Research Library. For more information, please contact [email protected]. i" ..' „. FOR THE POULTRY FARMER wp§ 1 -=«--. •— • 1 ••H i "M K«"" - CHICK 1 1r*% WJ £&2MM2mrt n % MANAGEMENT % * • Young chicks being reared In good conditions. The brooder is a new type using gas for fuel By D. F. HESSELS, M.D.A. Technician, Poultry Branch A UGUST is the month when most poultry farmers get their chickens. Special atten- •'*• tion will be needed in the coming weeks, with nutrition and disease prevention the main considerations. The Ration: (a) The synthetic riboflavin mixture Chicks require a balanced ration con­ is made by thoroughly mixing one taining all the essential nutrients. four gramme packet into 16 lb. of These three rations are successfully used pollard. Make a premix and then in the industry for pullet chickens from gradually break it down with the 0 to 18 weeks: 16 lb. of pollard. 0-8 9-12 13-18 Weeks. Weeks. Weeks. (b) As recommended by the manu­ lb lb. lb. facturer. After 18 weeks a layers' Bran 25 25 25 Pollard 10 10 10 ration is recommended. Finely gristed Oats or Barley .... 10 10 10 Gristed Wheat 60 60 60 NOTE: Good quality greenfeed should be Whale Meal (60% Protein) .... 6 6 4 Meat Meal (50% Protein) 6 5 4 fed to the chickens at all ages, but a Buttermilk Powder or Skim certain level of a Vitamin A feeding supple­ Milk Powder 3 2 2 Dried Brewers Yeast .... 2 — — ment should also be included in the mash Bone flour 3 35 4 Synthetic Riboflavin Mix­ at all times. ture (a) 5 1 I Vitamins A and Ds (b) (b) (b) Common Salt J J J Vaccination After-Effects: Manganese Sulphate 1 level 1 level 1 level tea- tea- tea­ spoon spoon spoon Where chicks have been vaccinated at one day old it is advisable to supplement Totals 126 lb. 122J lb. 119 lb. the chicks' ration bv:— 633 Journal of Agriculture Vol 3 No 8, 1962 • Including a water soluble Vitamin access to clean coarse sand for the first A in the water at half the level week, 1/16 in. blue metal up to 10 weeks recommended by the manufac­ and 1/8 in. blue metal from 10 weeks of turer in addition to the normal age onwards. Vitamin A in the feed, from the The absence of grinding material often second to the 20th day. Clean leads to a high incidence of coccidiosis as water is given for the first day as the intestinal wall of the chicks is damaged the slight film on top of the water, by the undigested fibrous particles of the caused by the Vitamin A supple­ ration. Feed efficiency will also suffer as ment, might prevent the chicks some of the feed is only partly digested. from finding the water. Diseases: • The systemic reaction from day old vaccination is sometimes quite Although some farmers are not troubled severe and can be noticed from by coccidiosis it is a generally recom­ the eighth to the 20th day. The mended practice to include a coccidiostat symptoms are drowsiness, ruffled in the ration until the birds are 12 weeks feathers, loss of appetite, lesions of age. on beaks, legs and around eyes and Where farms have had outbreaks of in severe cases some mortality. If urlcaemia in the past, a one-half per cent, these symptoms are noticed, a level of Potassium Sulphate or Potassium water soluble anti-biotic should Citrate can be included in the ration. be included in the drinking water at full strength for four days and De-worming: at half strength for the next four All chicks should be de-wormed at 10 days. and 18 weeks of age, preferably through the drinking water. Where farmers allow the chicks to roam outside the brooder shed at an early age, 12-Week Vaccination: it is advisable to keep the chicks inside Fowl pox vaccination if not done at day until after the systemic stress period (20 old should be carried out at 12 weeks of days.) age. The systemic stress period for birds done at 12 weeks is between 14 and 21 days Grit is Essential: after vaccination. If birds are observed Some farmers tend to forget one of the closely during that period a slight decrease most essential requirements of chicks in daily consumption can often be observed. reared under artificial conditions. Chicks Feeding of wet mash will usually overcome are not capable of grinding their food the decrease in consumption, and if the without coarse clean sand and blue metal flock is severely affected, treatment with to assist the gizzard in grinding up the food an antibiotic and additional Vitamin A particles. Chicks should therefore have should be included in the diet. MANAGEMENT OF LAYING FLOCK GG production usually declines in birds which have been under lights during E autumn and winter. Egg prices are lower and flocks should therefore be culled more severely. Culling: De-worming: Second year hens laying at 35 per cent, Where a few years ago birds were de- would at present only be breaking even if wormed by drenching with carbon-tetra- chloride only twice (10 and 18 weeks) their consumption was approximately 5.5 during their lives, it is now possible to oz. of food per bird per day. They should de-worm the flock more often, as de- be culled and only the very good producers worming with piperazine does not cause a kept for a few more weeks. drop in production. 634 Journal of Agriculture Vol 3 No 8, 1962 The complete cycle of the round worm Most farmers have successfully used (Arcaridia galli) is 90 days and the appro­ lime to dry out the litter. This practice priate time to break this cycle is between however, will release more ammonia which 60 and 70 days. It is therefore recom­ is detrimental to the flock's health. Super­ mended that all flocks be regularly phosphate, at the rate of about i lb. per de-wormed at 60 to 70 day intervals. square yard should be used instead of lime. Deep Litter Management: Superphosphate is hygroscopic (water Management of deep litter during the absorbing) and will also bind the nitrogen wet winter months is often very difficult in the litter and form a stable phosphate. and break down of the litter can cause Litter treated this way is a better fertiliser enteritis and unthriftiness due to the due to its higher nitrogen and phosphate release of ammonia fumes. content. CHICK SEXING EXAMINATION An examination in chick sexing will be held at the Department of Agriculture, Jarrah Road, South Perth, on Thursday, September 27, com­ mencing at 7 p.m. Applications will close on Monday, August 20. A special certificate will be given for sexing 300 day-old chickens in 45 minutes with an efficiency of 98 per cent, and over. A first class certificate will be given for sexing 200 chickens in 30 minutes with an efficiency of 95 per cent, and over, and a second class certificate for sexing 100 chickens in 20 minutes with an efficiency of 90 per cent, and over. An injured chicken will count against the candidate the same as a chicken which has been wrongly sexed. The chickens will be supplied to each candidate by the Department and will cost £7 10s. a hundred. The money for these chickens together with an application fee of 2s. 6d. must accompany each application. The applicants for the examination should bring a box in which to deposit the chickens after sexing. A receptacle for bowel deposits after emptying must also be supplied by the applicant. Chicken sexing lamps with electrical fittings for either two or three point plugs must be supplied by the applicant. The standard of chicken sexers in Western Australia is high and there are still many positions available for qualified sexers. 635 Journal of Agriculture Vol 3 No 8, 1962 BOOKS FOR THE MAN ON THE LAND i d. | Principles of Animal Production s. C. P. McMeekan 6 f 36 j Easier Shearing Barnes 11 0 I Wool Away Godfrey Bowen 23 6 I Grass to Milk McMeekan 45 0 1 j The Australian Dairy Industry Drane & Edwards 84 0 | Practical Sheep Farming in Aus- , tralia J. W. Jordan 63 0 I j Animal Breeding ... Allan Praser 33 3 DAY OLD CHICKS Agricultural Science Aitken & Tulloh, Tribe & Wilson 40 0 I Australorp, First Cross, Kriss Kross, Soil Conditions & Plant Growth White Leghorns, Rhode Island Red. ; Russell 95 9 I All chicks hatched are from our own trapnested and Australian Agriculture progeny tested stock. Imre Molnar 110 0 ! We will gladly send any books on f STARTED PULLETS approval for 14 days. Price List on request. WHITCOMBE & TOMBS PTY.