Systems and the correct mode of heating chickens. Raising Hatchery Chicks Instructions for using the equipment

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To raise chicks, many owners use special technical means, moving away from the natural way of hatching chickens. Incubators are able to completely replace the chicken and create the necessary conditions for the development of the embryo in the egg.

The devices have a complex structure and require some care. The heater for the incubator is one of the main components of the device.

Why do you need a heater

In order for a bird to turn out of an egg, special conditions are required. Recreating the natural process artificially requires a special temperature, humidity, air circulation. The main, in this list, is the indicator of heat. It is precisely because of low or high temperature that the bird dies the most without hatching.

The heater for the incubator is a special part in the apparatus, which contributes to the regulation of the temperature regime. It is with his help that it is possible to achieve the desired indicator and maintain heat throughout the entire incubation period.

The heating element can be of different types and types. It all depends on the brand of the incubator itself, its capacity, the materials used for manufacturing.

The location of the part is possible:

above the tray;
below the eggs;
on the sides on the walls of the body of the incubator itself.

The main task is to uniformly heat the air over the entire area of the apparatus. The incubator is heated from the moment the eggs are laid until they hatch. The element works constantly and without it the entire incubator becomes unusable.

A properly selected heater guarantees the owner a high percentage of output. It has been established that a bird can appear only at a special temperature (for example, for a chicken, the optimal indicator is 37.5-39 'C, depending on the incubation period). If you lower or increase the level of heat, then you can be left without chickens, since the embryo will die while still in the egg.

Therefore, when choosing a device, first of all, you need to pay attention to the heating of the incubator. Without the right equipment, the hatching of chicks becomes impossible.

Types of heaters, their specificity and cost

Today, electric heating of incubators is widely used on the farm. It ensures optimal operation of the device with constant temperature maintenance without mechanical human intervention. There are different types of such details:

lamp;
heating elements;
infrared;
thermal cords;
thermal films.

The use of lamps is most common in the household. This option is convenient to use in that it is easiest to replace the element in the event of a breakdown using any other lamp at hand. Of the minuses - uneven distribution of temperature is often observed. This is especially true when incandescent lamps are used.

With insufficient ventilation inside the apparatus, the generated heat is concentrated near the light sources themselves, creating large temperature differences between different parts of the incubator.

Also, the use of halogen, ceramic lamps is practiced. It is more difficult to work with them, because they have specificity in heat radiation, and sometimes it is difficult to regulate the temperature level itself. Another disadvantage is the constant emission of light, which is not present in the natural process of hatching chickens.

The heating element of the incubator is also often used. The main plus is that with the correct design of the incubator, the heat distribution remains uniform around the entire perimeter of the apparatus. But, the built-in heating element is difficult to change if it breaks, especially if it is hidden in the walls or bottom.

The owners of subsidiary farms regularly face the task of replenishing the number of birds. It is not necessary to count on the solution of the issue with the help of brood hens. Chickens of modern breeds rarely become hens, and the volume of brood chickens is insignificant. If we add here the subsequent decrease in the level of egg production of the laying hen, then the use of an incubator to hatch chickens is the best way out of the situation.

Preparatory stage

Having set out to get chickens from the incubator, you should first study all the nuances of the technological process of their breeding. It is allowed to organize activities at any time, but beginners should think about the further maintenance of chickens. Therefore, a favorable time is the beginning of the warm season, that is, laying eggs in April, hatching chicks in May. So that the efforts expended are not in vain, first of all, it is necessary to organize good nutrition for chickens. In addition to the usual feed, during the cold period, the following are added to the diet:

artificial vitamins;
makukha, steamed in boiling water;
vegetables.

Important ! Nutrient deficiencies during the laying period will adversely affect the health of hatched chicks.

Selection of eggs for offspring

Eggs intended for hatching in the chick incubator are carefully selected:

On an industrial scale, they are weighed; at home, it is enough to estimate the size of the egg by eye. Too large and too small specimens are not recommended, the right solution for hatching in an incubator is a medium size.
Next, carefully examine the surface of the shell. An ovoscope will be of great help in this lesson. Cracks, growths, bumps or depressions are unacceptable for eggs intended for hatching. If the specimen with a notch belongs to a rare breed and is of particular value, experts recommend applying a thin strip of starch-based glue to it. The irregular shape of an egg is another reason to refuse to put it in a chick incubator.
An ovoscope helps to determine the freshness of an egg. A slightly dark spot near the blunt end is an air chamber that increases with each day of storage of the egg. Chickens bred in an incubator from stale eggs lag behind in development.
A sharp displacement of the yolk when turning indicates a torn cord, such a specimen is subject to rejection.

The material selected for the incubator is subject to disinfection. Small volumes are carefully cleaned with a rag soaked in a manganese solution. Large batches are treated with formaldehyde vapor.

Attention ! Dirty eggs are not suitable for hatching chickens in an incubator.

Eggs intended for further placement in order to hatch chickens are stored upright with a blunt end in a vertical position. The room temperature during short-term storage is 18 ° C, for a longer period it must be reduced, the air humidity indicator is about 80%. The maximum allowable storage period before placing in the incubator is 6 days, the quality of the hatched chickens is higher if the eggs were stored for no more than 2 days.

Unit installation

All devices differ from each other in terms of technological indicators. Therefore, before starting the process of hatching chickens, you must carefully read the operating instructions for the incubator. Before the initial laying and after each hatching, the mechanism is thoroughly cleaned, while the use of chemicals is prohibited. It is recommended to check the new unit in idle operation within 3 days, observing the serviceability of all mechanisms and sensors. The incubator is installed on a flat surface in a well-ventilated room, the air temperature in which is 22-24 ° C and is not subject to significant fluctuations during the day. Nearby there should not be heating devices, and the possibility of heating from the rays of sunlight should also be excluded. To humidify the air during the period of hatching, baths with water are installed in the incubator. Depending on the design, the incubator is turned on for heating 3-24 hours before laying the eggs.

Before laying future chicks, they should be brought into a warm room in order to warm up and avoid a sharp drop in temperature in the unit in the first hours after placing the eggs. The chick incubator can operate in automatic egg turning mode or with the need to carry out these actions mechanically. In the second case, the eggs are marked with various marks: these can be the letters "U" - morning and "B" - evening, or a stick and a cross. The sign does not matter, the main thing is that it should be applied with a simple soft pencil, the use of markers or other means with a chemical base is unacceptable. Such actions are necessary to control the turning process in full. If future chickens differ in size, it is recommended to lay larger specimens first, after 5 hours - medium ones, and lastly - small ones. This will allow you to get offspring in the incubator at about the same time.

Important ! Compliance with temperature and humidity levels are the key conditions for hatching healthy chickens in the incubator with minimal losses.

High temperature provokes the development of the embryo at an accelerated pace, however, "overheated" chickens are smaller, often their umbilical cord does not have time to grow. Breeding in an incubator with a low temperature gives offspring with a delay of a day. In this case, the embryo may die before hatching, and the surviving chickens have reduced activity. There is a risk of beak and skin of chicks sticking to the shell. Humidity fluctuations in the incubator also have a negative effect on hatching results.

In order not to subject future chicks in an incubator to serious tests, it is necessary to study the periods of development of the embryo before hatching and the optimal conditions for each of them. The time of formation of chickens is divided into 4 stages:

from 1 to 6 days after placement in the incubator;
7-10th day of development;
12-18 days (until the first squeak of unhatched chicks appears);
18-21 day - the final period of breeding chicks in the incubator.

In the period of development from the first to the third period, future chickens are regularly turned over. This will prevent the embryo from growing into the shell. Experts recommend different time intervals between manipulations. Some agree that twice a day is enough to hatch chickens. Others insist on 4 single procedures: early in the morning, late in the evening and 2 times during the day. Rare professionals advise turning every 1-2 hours, when at the same time to sleep, even being the owner of an automatic incubator, it is not said. The golden mean in the form of a 4-time process during the day is quite enough for the proper maturation of chicken embryos in the incubator. Manual actions are carried out carefully; during the operation of the mechanism, it should be periodically checked whether the laying of future chicks has been disturbed. At the final stage, from day 18 until the chicks hatch in the incubator, the turning procedures are stopped.

If the volumes of bookmarks in the incubator are not of an industrial scale, at the end of each period of embryo formation, the eggs are examined on an ovoscope and discarded. It is not recommended to report new ones during this period due to the different hatching conditions at different stages. Proper development of chicks in separate incubators is impossible without regular ventilation and spraying to increase the humidity level.

Period	Temperature	Humidity	Airing	spraying
1 (1-6 days)	37,7-37,8	Above 50%	5 minutes while turning	Not required
2 (7-10 days)	37,7-37,8	-«-	-«-	Not required
3 (11-18 days)	37,1-37,2	-«-	5 minutes while turning, additionally once a day, starting at 20 minutes and gradually increasing to half an hour.	2 times a day after turning over, after the procedure, the incubator closes immediately
4 (18-21 days)	36,9-37,1	75-80%	1 time per day 30 minutes	Not required

The decrease in temperature in the incubator is associated with the development of the chicken embryo and the independent release of heat. The increase in ventilation time is due to an increase in the level of metabolism and an increase in gas exchange in future chickens in the incubator. It is not worth relying completely on an automatic incubator, it is recommended to periodically check the health of the mechanisms, if possible, have several temperature measuring devices, placing them in different parts of the unit.

Chicken care in the first days of life

After hatching the chicks on the 21st day, they are left for some time until completely dry in the incubator. Subsequently, the chicks are moved to a specially prepared place in advance (nursery). Healthy individuals have the following characteristics:

shiny down and strong paws;
react to sounds and actively move;
the eyes of chickens are slightly convex, clear, the beak is short;
the umbilical cord is soft, the abdomen is not sagging.

Some abnormalities in the form of a dried blood clot, a slightly enlarged belly, or dull down with little pigmentation should not be a reason for culling. As a result of slight overheating in the incubator, chicks may develop an umbilical hernia after hatching. The problem is solved by gluing the hole with adhesive tape, which will be tightened in a few days. Weak individuals are recommended to be killed immediately. Two factors contribute to high mortality immediately after hatching in the hatchery: poor egg quality at setting or deviations from established incubation conditions.

Newly born chickens require special attention and care. For quick adaptation and start of growth in the first days of life, the temperature for chickens should be elevated.

If there is a mother hen relentlessly next to the chicks, she provides such “hothouse” conditions. A chicken with babies should be indoors for 2-3 days after their appearance, and then the family is freely released for walking in the warm season, knowing that an adult bird will always protect chickens from cold and bad weather.

But what about when the chickens come from an incubator? Such chicks are more vulnerable, they have practically no natural resistance to fluctuations in humidity and temperature, and any oversight by the poultry breeder can be fatal. Therefore, as soon as possible after leaving the egg, the chickens are transferred to a lighted and heated place closed from drafts with dry bedding.

Chick temperature

In the first five days, the temperature regime for chickens is maintained at 29-30 ° C degrees. Measurements are best taken with a thermometer fixed slightly above the surface of the litter. Then, starting from the sixth day, the air is gradually cooled so that by the tenth day of the life of the chicks, its temperature is 26 ° C. Until the age of one month, the temperature for chickens decreases by 3-4 °C every week until it reaches 18-20 °C.

The well-being of pets can be judged not only by the readings of measuring instruments, but also by the behavior of the bird, taking into account its breed and age.

In comfortable conditions, the chicks are active, they move, drink and feed with pleasure, without straying into groups and not sitting in the corners of the cage:

As soon as the temperature of the chicks falls below the maximum allowable, or the chicks feel an unwanted draft, they try to snuggle closer to each other near a lamp or heater.
When the air in the room becomes excessively hot, the opposite can be observed. Birds puff up their feathers or fluff, keep their beaks wide open, drink greedily and try to stay away from fellow tribesmen, sitting on the litter along the borders of the house or cage.

Both hypothermia and too hot air are a serious danger to chickens. The bird eats worse and weakens, as a result, it becomes an easy prey for infections and other diseases.

Heating systems for chickens in the first days of life

A variety of means are used for heating or a box. Small containers, where it is easy enough to maintain a temperature comfortable for chickens in the first days of life, can be warmed up with:

water or electric heater, protected from moisture;
bottles of warm water wrapped in several layers of cotton, wool or cotton;
incandescent lamps;
one or two reflectors fixed in a place inaccessible to the chicks.

Whatever the box is heated with, one must remember about safety, the ability of individual heat sources to cool down or, conversely, to heat up excessively, and also that the air is most often heated unevenly. Chicks will be 3-6°C warmer near the heater than at the opposite corner of the box.

Egg breed chickens are usually more mobile than their broiler counterparts. Therefore, to save money in the first few days, a large house for chicks can be divided into parts. This will not only save energy, but also help the kids save precious energy. Heating of the cage or box is necessary until the age of one month, then:

in the cages, the temperature for chickens is set within 18 ° C;
on a deep litter, the chicks live when warmed up to 15 ° C.

Lighting mode for young chickens

In addition to maintaining an elevated temperature, constant lighting is important for chickens in the first days of life. In this simple way, the bird is encouraged to actively feed and grow. By daylight hours lasting 9-10 hours, they gradually come to the age of two months, while walking in the sun is very useful for chickens, which are a measure of hardening and prevention of rickets.

Properly selected temperature conditions for chickens, combined with sufficient lighting, are the key to rapid growth, good health and active weight gain.

Heating and lighting are organized in various ways, but a growing number of poultry farmers tend to prefer red lamps for heating chickens.

The use of red lamps for heating chickens

Sources of infrared radiation used in poultry houses should be of a safe, reliable design, protected from moisture penetration, possible shocks, shocks and curiosity of the growing bird. We must not forget about the risk of fire, which will inevitably lead to grave consequences.

The infrared lamp for chickens is covered with a protective, lattice casing and suspended at a safe height. Today, poultry farmers are offered several options for such equipment.

Mirror, red lamp for heating chickens can be made with a transparent or red bulb. In the first case, the source provides not only heat, but also a luminous flux, in the second, almost all the energy consumed is used to produce heat. Such lamps have a sufficiently high power and a service life of up to 5 thousand hours. This allows you to reliably and uninterruptedly heat little chicks, without fear that the lamp will fail at the most inopportune moment.

Lamps with a ruby dome bulb are characterized by instant heating and, thanks to their reflectivity, help save up to a third of the incoming electricity. The light from such lamps for chickens is not an irritation factor, under it they grow beautifully from the first days until the moment of transfer to an adult bird.

When installing lamps for heating chickens, you should pay attention to the fact that the parameters of the heat flux directly depend on the mounting height of the radiation source:

From birth to a week of age, the lamp is fixed above the chickens at a height of 50 cm.
In the second and third weeks, it is carried higher, approximately 75 cm from the bedding.
Then the radiation sources are installed at a meter height.

As a result of this transfer, the temperature of keeping chickens decreases, and the area of lighting and heating increases noticeably.

The use of red lamps to heat the chicks stimulates the rapid growth of the birds. Chicks feed more actively, gain weight better, they have good immunity and consistently positive dynamics.

This effect is not accidental, since infrared radiation is as close as possible to what a bird would receive from the sun if it were free-range. In addition to the already proven red lamps, there are also combined devices that give an ultraviolet spectrum, which allows them to be used for disinfection.

The last chick has hatched and the incubation process is complete. And then they breathed a sigh of relief, it was all over. But just then, everything is just beginning. All worries about small fluffy lumps will fall on your shoulders.

The best solution for day old chicks is to raise them under a hen that can provide them with the necessary level of warmth and comfort. But we don't have a mother hen, so we'll raise chickens ourselves.

Raising hatchery chicks has many features to be aware of. From the correct and timely implementation, it will depend on how healthy and strong they grow.

In order for the chickens to dry out faster, they are placed in an incubator for several hours, but chickens should not be overexposed, as such chickens will get sick more often and grow worse during cultivation. A very important condition for the good growth of chickens is proper care and feeding.

Also, one should not forget that chickens in the first days of life need a good room, which should be clean, warm, dry and well ventilated, without drafts and good lighting.

For day old chicks that will be raised without a hen, it is worthwhile to equip a special fenced and heated place in the room in advance. When the chickens dry out, they are placed in specially prepared boxes. Height, which is 40 cm.

The bottom of the box is covered with several layers of paper, daily removing the contaminated top layer with droppings. Grow up 7 days old chickens can use sawdust, chaff, straw chaff as bedding.

Always remember that the bedding must be clean and dry. Dirty and neglected chickens are a sick bird. Therefore, the room where the chickens are kept must be kept clean and dry, and this can only be achieved by timely cleaning and replacing the litter.

Indoors, a box with chickens must be placed not on the floor, but on some surface.

In the first ten days when growing chickens, round-the-clock lighting is used. Upon reaching 2 months of age, daylight hours gradually decrease to 9-10 hours and are maintained until the young hens begin to lay eggs.

No more than 20-23 chickens should be placed per 1 m2. After 4-5 weeks, they are seated in 17 heads, and ac 10 to 20 weeks - 10 heads per 1 m2.

Healthy chickens are very well distinguished from their counterparts in appearance. They stand firmly on their feet, they have soft, even, shiny, clean fluff, the stomach is tucked up, they are very mobile, the legs and beak are yellow, clear eyes, the umbilical cord is healed, they respond well to sound, wings are tightly pressed to the body. A normal day old chick has an average weight of 36 - 39 g

Weak chickens are inactive, sit more with their eyes closed, stand poorly on their feet, their stomach is large due to the large residual yolk, the umbilical cord bleeds, the legs and beak are bluish-white. These chickens are kept separately. It should not be left for rearing chickens that have deformities of the beak, legs, head.

Since chickens at an early age cannot regulate the heat exchange of their bodies themselves, a certain temperature at floor level must be maintained in the room where the chickens are kept.

Therefore, an additional heater should be installed in the room. Chickens are heated with incandescent lamps, which are located at a distance of 55 centimeters from the floor. You can also use ordinary infrared lamps or rubber heating pads filled with hot water for heating.

The correct temperature regime in the room can be determined by observing the behavior of the chickens. At normal temperatures, chicks behave cheerfully, their fluff is smooth, shiny, they eat food well and quickly gain weight. In a room with an elevated temperature, everything happens on the contrary, the chickens are lethargic, they eat food poorly, drink a lot, and breathe heavily.

In a room with a temperature below the norm, the chickens are inactive, squeak, crowd, their plumage is tousled. In such conditions of detention, the development of chickens is slow.

In the first days of life, the death of chickens occurs due to malnutrition. After hatching, the supply of nutrients in the yolk sac remains and the chicken can safely live with such a supply for several hours, but it is necessary to start feeding and watering the chicks after hatching no earlier than after 8-10 hours, then they will grow and develop better.

Prolonged lack of food after hatching leads to severe chick damage and nutritional deficiencies, resulting in poor development and growth.

For chicks to gain weight well, they should be fed only good quality feed. Moldy, musty, sour feed can kill chickens.

You need to feed them plenty and always at the same time throughout the day.
1 week - 8 feedings every two hours;
2 weeks - 6 feedings every 3 hours;
3 weeks - 4 feedings in 4 hours

The first feeding of chickens consists of hard boiled egg yolk. The yolk is finely chopped with the addition of a small amount of semolina. You can also add chopped green onion to the yolk.

Chickens need to be fed every two hours, including at night in small portions so that the chickens do not scatter food. Chickens are given enough food to completely eat it.

Feeding chickens in the early days must be accompanied by abundant drinking, and the water in their drinkers should always be clean and boiled.

I add finely chopped greens of nettle, clover, alfalfa, grated carrots to the diet of chickens from the second day of life. In order for the chickens to grow well, their diet must be diversified and from the second day you can add a mixture of cereals: wheat, millet, barley groats, ground oatmeal, screened from films.

Good growth results for chickens can be obtained by feeding chopped boiled potatoes, cottage cheese, skim milk, food waste, crushed cake, boiled meat waste.

Starting from three days, chickens should be fed cottage cheese, which is a source of calcium. Cottage cheese should be given in the morning, mixed with cereals (approximately 50 grams per 10 chickens).

In warm sunny weather from the fourth day of life (at an air temperature of at least 15 ° C), chickens need to be released for a walk, the more they are in the air, the better they develop.

Sunlight can have a positive effect on the body of young animals, while activating the production of vitamin D, which eliminates the likelihood of developing rickets in chicks.

Fresh, curdled milk is introduced into the diet of chickens on the second or third day, white bread is added to the diet of chickens, soaked in milk and squeezed out. Finely ground corn grits are a good nutritious feed for chickens.

Protein feed: boiled meat waste, reverse, buttermilk, crushed cake are fed to chickens with a stir from the fifth day. From the fifth day, a little fish oil can be added to the diet of day-old chickens - 0.1-0.2 g per head per day. To prevent possible stomach upsets in chickens, sifted sand should be placed.

From the sixth day, you need to increase the content of mineral baits by adding crushed shells, wood ash and eggshells to the sand.

Young animals are accustomed to crushed grain gradually. From the tenth day, the chickens are given boiled potatoes. From the age of 20 days, chickens can be fed all kitchen waste: bread crumbs, porridge, chopped boiled meat, etc. Chickens are more willing to eat if the composition of the feed is changed during the day.

To date, there is a variety of ready-made feeds on sale, including those for keeping chickens after the incubator. Properly organized care and feeding of day-old chickens in the future is a successful and productive rearing of chicken stock.

When growing young chickens at home, you should worry about creating comfortable conditions for the chickens. In particular, about the desired temperature regime. Today it is possible to heat chickens with lamps such as infrared. In an aviary with it is permissible to use fluorescent, LED and combined lamps for lighting. We will tell you what temperature indicators chickens need, how heating is carried out in the first days, what is the lighting mode, how an infrared lamp is used for chickens.

For newborn babies, a high temperature in the house is provided. In the presence of a hen, it is she who in the first 3 days relentlessly stays with the offspring and heats it. On warm days, it is customary for the family to be released to the promenade. Birds that were obtained at home with the help of an incubator require special attention. Since they almost cannot independently withstand changes in humidity levels and temperature indicators. They need to find a warm place with dry bedding, which is adequately lit and able to protect the young from drafts.

In the first 5 days, the temperature in the house should be between 29 and 30 degrees Celsius. Gradually, the air is cooled, bringing up to 10 days of life for babies up to + 26 degrees. Up to 1 month, the temperature is reduced by another 3 - 4 degrees so that it is no more than 18 - 20 degrees Celsius. A good thermometer will help you control the temperature in the house. But you should also focus on the condition of the chicks.

If they are quite active, drink and eat with pleasure, do not gather in groups, then you are doing everything right. Since, with a lack of heat, young animals will tend to stray into groups and be closer to lamps or another heater. If the air is too hot, the birds are able to open their beaks wide, drink a lot and greedily, puff up fluff and feathers, and be away from their fellows.

Video “Heating for chickens”

From the video you will learn how to properly heat the chickens in the brooder.

Heating systems in the first days of life

In order to provide warmth for their chickens, many owners place various devices in their place of detention that work well in practice. In a cage or box, you can place electric or water heaters, bottles with warm water poured into them, which are wrapped in a couple of layers of cotton or woolen material, cotton wool. Incandescent lamps or a couple of reflectors will also help to create heat, the fasteners of which must be carried out in a place where curious kids cannot reach.

Remember that regardless of the choice of heat source, air heating usually occurs unevenly. And near the device, the temperature will always be 3-6 degrees higher than at the other end of the box or cage. To save electricity and help the chicks save energy, it is advised for egg breed chickens to divide the house into parts. Heating is necessary for babies up to a month of age. Further, in the cells, it is necessary to achieve the presence of a temperature at the level of + 18 degrees. When kept on deep litter, it is usually possible to maintain the indicator at + 15.

Lighting mode for young animals

The lighting system, along with proper heating, is important for the normal growth and full development of young animals. The creation of daylight hours within 9 - 10 hours is carried out in stages by the time the babies reach the age of 2 months. At the same time, walks in the fresh air and the opportunity to receive solar heat are useful for crumbs.

This is an excellent prevention of rickets and the ability to harden growing organisms. Creating the recommended temperature, sufficient lighting system, a balanced nutritious diet will allow you to grow viable and healthy chicks.

The use of red lamps for heating

Increasingly popular is the use of red, or infrared lamps. An infrared lamp for heating small chickens is usually subject to such requirements as the presence of a safe and reliable design, protection from moisture, possible impacts, and inaccessibility to birds. The chick warmer lamp must always be covered with a lattice casing for protection and hung at a safe height for pets. On the market, such designs are presented in several versions.

Mirror is usually made with a red or transparent flask. In the first case, it is not only a source of heat, but also light. Such a lamp has a high degree of power, and the warranty period of its service is about 5 thousand hours. Choosing it, you can not be afraid that the lamp will stop working at the wrong moment. This design is very reliable and is able to ensure trouble-free operation.

Luminaires with a ruby dome of the bulb heat up very quickly and are endowed with reflectivity. They make it possible to save up to a third of all incoming electricity. Light from such a heat source is normally perceived by chicks. It is recommended to use the device from the first days of life of babies and until they grow into adults.

When installing a light bulb, it must be taken into account that the parameters of the light flux depend on how high the radiation source is located. The height from birth until the chicks reach the age of 1 week should be about 50 cm. At 2-3 weeks, it is advised to raise the device to a level of 75 cm from the surface of the litter. Further, the radiation source should be located at a height of up to 1 meter. As a result, the ambient temperature decreases, and the heating and lighting area increases.

The use of infrared devices leads to an increase in the appetite of chicks, a better set of live weight, and strengthening of immunity. It allows you to create the effect of obtaining solar energy, subject to free range.

In addition to red lamps, combined devices are often used. They are able to give an ultraviolet spectrum, which ensures high-quality disinfection.

Video “Proper nutrition and maintenance of chickens”

From the video you will learn how to properly feed and maintain small chickens.