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Growing
chicks
Care of growing chicks
The brooder and artificial heat should be removed after about 6 weeks of age. Cull
and dispose of unthrifty and sick chicks. Floor space should be 0.095-0.19 m2
floor space per bird. From 8 weeks of age, place the birds on a grower feed. A formula
that can be used is given below..
Composition of grower ration
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Ingredients
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Percentage
|
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Yellow Maize
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43
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Groundnut cake (expeller)
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8
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Gingelly oil cake
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5
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Fish meal/dried unsalted fish
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6
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Rice polish
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16
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Wheat bran
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20
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Salt
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0.25
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Mineral mixture
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1.75
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Total
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100.00
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(Source: Kerala Agricultural University)
Average feed consumption of egg type birds during
growing period
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Age in weeks
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Feed consumed (g/bird/day)
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|
10
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53.0
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|
11
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58.0
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12
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60.0
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|
13
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60.0
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14
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60.0
|
|
15
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62.0
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|
16
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62.0
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17
|
65.0
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18
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70.0
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|
19
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75.0
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20
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75.0
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(Source: Kerala Agricultural University)
Feeding and watering
The number of feeders has to be increased, so also their height from the floor.
The feeder space requirement for growing chicks is 10 cm per bird (considering both
sides of the feeder). If tube feeders are used, provide one tube feeder of 25 kg
capacity for 50 birds. The level of the mouth of feeder should be in line with the
back of the bird or slightly high. Water should be available at all times, the water
space requirement being 2-2.5 cm /bird.
Disease control
The birds should be vaccinated as detailed in the schedule for vaccination. Deworming
should be done routinely as detailed earlier.
Debeaking: Debeaking prevents cannibalism
and feed wastage. It is an established procedure for poultry management, usually
carried out by means of thermocautery by using electric debeaker. It is important
to remove only 1/3 of the upper beak and slight cutting only of the lower beak.
Debeaking can be carried out between one day and six weeks of age. Debeaking may
have to be repeated sometimes before the pullets are placed in the layer house,
say at about 16 weeks of age. Birds under backyard system are not to be debeaked.
If indicated broiler chicks may be debeaked during the first week. A trained person
should carry out debeaking.
Dubbing: Dubbing may be resorted to in
day old chicken belonging to breeds, which have larger/lopped comb.
Light: During night hours, light is not
required for egg type growers.
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