Brooding refers to rearing or management of day-old chicks until they can live on their own. There are two types of brooding, natural and artificial brooding.
Natural Brooding
The natural way of rearing chicks is provided by its mother. A hen will provide heat and protection for the chicks. A broody hen will sit on its eggs until it hatched. Hen's instincts are to find food, give heat and protection for her chicks. In free range-setup, natural brooding only requires little management and costs a little.
The disadvantages of this type are;
A hen can only rears 12 up to 20 chicks.
A broody hen will not lay eggs, within the stage of rearing.
It's not advisable to let the hen and chicks to roam further away, a ranging area with net fences is still required.
Artificial Brooding
Chicks that were newly hatched can be placed in a brooder house. It needed food, water, and heat to survived. The brooder temperature must be 35 degrees Celsius and will be adjusted as the chicks aged. The most common sourced of heat were heat lamps, charcoals, and gas heater. Chicks were placed in a brooder house from day one up to 6 weeks or until the chicks got feathered already. A single person can brood up to a thousand chicks with enough space and equipment.
This diagram shows the reaction of chicks in heat, inside a brooder. It should be at a right heat.
The disadvantages of this type are;
It needs more time in managing and caring of chicks.
The heat source is fire hazard.
Building a brooder house, cost money.
Proper brooding means a healthy growing chicks. Provided with enough food and water, the chicks' needs were met. This will lead to healthy growing chickens.
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