The first few hours of a chick’s life on site are crucial; if chicks don’t drink sufficiently within the first 12 to 24 hours after placement, they could fall behind by up to a day’s worth of growth. Over the course of a crop, this could amount to up to 100 grams per bird. For a farm that has 300,000 broilers, this equates to a considerable loss of both meat and profit.
A chick can provide itself with hydration through utilising nutrients in the yolk sac,
typically generating 1 to 2 grams of moisture in a 24-hour period. This equates to the amount of moisture a chick would lose in a natural environment. However, modern broiler houses, particularly those using biomass heating systems, often create high temperatures and low humidity conditions, which can increase the moisture loss to 5 to 10 grams over 24 hours.
This means that relying on the yolk sac alone to hydrate chicks within the first 24 hours isn’t enough. They must have easy, immediate access to clean water from the moment they are placed.
There are five areas where you can maximise hydration as chicks get started.
1. Get the water pressure right
One of the most common mistakes on broiler farms is that water pressures are set exceptionally high, particularly when terminal hygiene flushing has recently been done. Drinkers may be left with flow rates of up to 250ml per minute. The ideal range for a day-old chick is 30 to 60ml per minute.
If the flow is too strong, chicks may struggle to drink properly, and their first experience with water can become overwhelming or unpleasant. This means that they are now discouraged from going back for more. Even if the pressure in the water lines drops over time, the damage is often done within the first few hours, when hydration is most critical.
2. Set drinkers at the right height
Another commonly found problem is incorrect drinker heights. Even if lines have been properly levelled during turnaround, the spreading of bedding and tipping of chicks can sometimes alter the height enough to affect access to water. If adjustments aren’t made quickly, some chicks may go hours without a proper drink.
It’s easy to see how this could happen. The first shed may get tipped early in the morning, and then several other sheds are tipped after, and it could be a number of hours before you return to make final adjustments. This delay can lead to dehydration, contributing to stress and gut leakage, creating the potential for septicaemia and chick mortality.
3. Reduce distractions in the shed
Chicks are naturally curious and easily distracted by sound and movement. Equipment that makes loud or unusual noises, such as heaters running excessively or items like chick box liners left behind, can draw attention away from drinkers and feeders.
For example, even something like a metal stepladder on the floor can attract a crowd of chicks due to the ‘pinging’ noise that is made when it is pecked. These chicks often end up with a poor crop.
Alternatively, this behaviour can be used to your advantage by using the chick’s instinct to go towards noise. For example, placing corrugated cardboard with feed on top, near the drinker line, will create a rattling noise, which will draw the chicks to the feed and water.
4. Measure crop fill early
While we rarely see a shortage of feed on the floor when the chicks are tipped, if water isn’t readily available, then this can lead to problems with the crop.
To catch hydration issues early, crop fill should be checked. Waiting 24 hours to check crop fill is too late; by then, hydration problems may already be impacting bird health and performance.
5. Ensure the birds are receiving clean water
While there are products to encourage chicks to get started, such as Chick Gel, fundamentally, they need to have access to potable water. It is important to understand that all sources of water can be or become contaminated and that mains water doesn’t necessarily mean clean water.
One of the greatest influencers of microorganism contamination in water is the presence and abundance of biofilm. In warm, low flow conditions, biofilm can generate quickly and will soon become a source of waterborne bacteria such as E.coli, and Pseudomonas.
Cleaning your water lines with a product like Aqua-Clean, which is designed for the safe removal of biofilm from water lines.
Water hygiene systems can also be a good option such as ABC’s dosing system that delivers water hygiene and gut health products simultaneously and FarmWater – the only fully managed and supported Chlorine Dioxide water treatment system developed by vets.
Early hydration plays a big role in setting up chicks for success. By making a few simple adjustments, like managing drinker pressure and height, reducing noise in the shed, checking crop fill early, and ensuring the water you are providing is clean, you can give your chicks the best possible start.