How To Care For Chickens

Transcription

1 HOME RAISED POULTRY POULTRY FEEDING GUIDE Throughout the centuries, home raised chicken has been a staple on many farms. Not only does raising chickens allow you to produce your own food, but is also a great tool for teaching youngsters responsibility by allowing them to be actively involved in the process. No matter if you are raising the chickens for pleasure or profit, there are a few key management issues that you should consider to ensure a healthy flock. CLEANING AND DISINFECTING Before the birds are brought home, all portable equipment like feeders and waterers should be removed from the poultry house and thoroughly disinfected. There are a variety of commercial disinfectants on the market today and are widely available at any hatchery or farm supply store. Ensure that you read the label and follow the instructions properly. The inside of your poultry house will need to be cleaned as well. Using soap or detergent, wash all dust, dirt and organic material from the walls, ceilings, fans and waterlines. It is best to leave the previous litter in place while you are doing this wash down so that it will absorb the water. Once washing is complete, remove the litter and dispose of it following Agricultural Operations Practices Act (AOPA) Guidelines. Small poultry producers (under 2000 broilers) are not required to register with AOPA, but are expected to follow the guidelines for manure disposal. For more information on AOPA, visit Once wash down is complete and the litter is removed, the house must be disinfected using proper disinfectants. GETTING THE HOUSE READY Before your birds arrive, you will need to get your poultry house ready. The best type of litter to use is baled shavings. Avoid small shavings or sawdust as the poults or chicks may pick up the small particles and die due to gizzard impaction. Straw is also an acceptable bedding choice. Ensure your bedding is dry in order to prevent mold from forming. Outside the brooder house, good fencing is necessary to prevent loss to predators. A 2 meter (6 foot) high fence, with an additional 0.5 meter (2 feet) buried in the ground should be sufficient to keep out most predators. Netting may be required if hawks or owls become a problem. Meat-type birds and egg layers should be allowed 0.19 m 2 (2 ft 2 ) of floor space per bird. Larger birds, like turkeys require 0.47 m 2 (5 ft 2 ) of area per bird. These recommendations are lower than for commercial poultry operations as ventilation systems in small flock houses are usually not adequate to support a higher stocking rate. Champion Feed Services Ltd Page 1 of 6 Copyright October 2010

2 HEATING AND TEMPERATURE The ideal temperature for the brooding area for broiler chicks should be 32 C (90 F) with the heat source being placed at 18 inches above the floor and temperature readings taken at chick height. Hang a thermometer in the house, at a point farthest away from the heat source at chick height. Reduce the temperature by 3 C (5 F) every week until the ideal temperature of 21 C (70 F) is reached. Turkey poults must be brooded at a higher temperature (35 C or 95 F), with the same 3 C (5 F) temperature decrease each week. Make sure you pre-heat the brooding house before the chicks arrive to ensure that all equipment is working properly. The most common heat source is though electric brooder lamps. If liquid propane or natural gas brooders are used, ensure adequate fresh air is available Remember to watch your flock closely. They are your best temperature indicators. If they are huddled, they are too cold. If they are panting or are crowding near the brooder guard, they are more than likely too hot. The flock needs to be evenly spread over the area. WATER Prior to bringing the chicks home, fill all the waterers with potable, fresh water at room temperature. If you are using portable waterers, refill them daily and remove any manure or debris that falls into the water. Remember to check automatic waterers daily to ensure a constant supply of water. LIGHT Light intensity should be no less than 20 lux (2 foot candles) for the first 3 days of life. 20 lux is roughly equivalent to the light given off by a regular street lamp. Light that is too intense can trigger excessive behaviors like feather pecking or cannibalism. After the first 3 days of life, the light intensity should allow for adequate lighting for feed and water intake as well as normal activity. EQUIPMENT There is a variety of different feeding and watering systems available on the market today. It is recommended that you consult the staff at the farm supply stores to explore your options and find out which equipment will best suit your operation. Champion Feed Services Ltd Page 2 of 6 Copyright October 2010

3 BIRD HEALTH BASICS With the recent outbreaks of avian influenza and exotic Newcastle disease throughout the world, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency has outlined some very important Bird Health Basics to protect your birds and keep them healthy. 1. Prevent contact with wild birds and other animals. 2. Clean, Clean, Clean. 3. Spot the signs and report early. 4. Limit exposure to visitors. 5. Keep new birds separate when entering your flock. More information about Bird Health Basics can be found at or you can pick up a Bird Health Basics brochure at any Champion Feed Services Ltd. store. NUTRITION To ensure proper skeletal and muscular development, and healthy gains, a fully balanced diet must be fed to chicks. Since each type of bird has different needs, no one feed is good for all birds. Meat-type and egg laying birds require a 21% starter feed, where as turkey poults require a 25% protein feed. If turkeys are fed a lower protein starter feed, they may suffer from leg weaknesses and may fail to thrive. Champion s 21% Chick Starter is available in a medicated and non-medicated form; whereas Champion s 25% Turkey Starter is only available in a medicated formula. Medicated formulas provide prevention of disease and sickness and should be fed for the first three to four weeks of life. After which, a grower/finisher ration can then be fed for the remainder of the bird s life. Poultry feeds are available in two different formats complete rations and supplements. At Champion Feed Services Ltd., complete rations are available for meat-type birds, egg layers, turkeys, ducks, geese, pheasants and other exotic birds. On page eight, you will find Champion s Poultry Feeding Guide which outlines which feed to use and when. For those poultry producers who choose to mix their own feeds, Champion Feed Services Ltd. offers a 35% All-Grain Based Poultry Supplement non-medicated. All Poultry Supplements are to be mixed with appropriate grains and hard shell (for egg laying birds) in the recommended rates to ensure proper protein levels are achieved in the mix. This guide is by no means a complete reference for raising poultry on your farm. It is intended to provide you with some basic guidelines to get started. For more detailed poultry nutrition and health issues, please contact any Champion Feed Services Ltd. Poultry Nutritionist. Champion Feed Services Ltd Page 3 of 6 Copyright October 2010

4 UNDERSTANDING A FEED TAG Product Name: The name of the feed describes the intended use and class of livestock for which it is intended. Medications: When feeds are medicated, a shaded box appears on the label indicating the medication type, concentration and claim. Selenium: If additional selenium is added to the feed, it will be noted on the tag, along with the concentration. Guaranteed Analysis: The guaranteed concentration of protein, fat, fibre, minerals and vitamins found in that particular feed. Feeding Directions: This section (1) describes the feeding rate for the particular feed and the method of delivery, and (2) indicates the type of livestock that the feed is intended for. Caution Statement: Information relating to animal hazards and/or to safe product handling and storage. Warning Statement: Information relating to human health hazards and/or mediation withdrawal periods. Lot Number: Always located on the bottom of the tag. A combination of letters and numbers by which a lot of feed can be traced in manufacture and distribution. Feed Type & Product Number: Always located on the bottom left of the tag, these numbers indicate the format of the feed (pelleted, crumbles, textured) and the Champion Feed Services Ltd. product number for reference. Name and Address of Manufactuer: Specific to each Champion Feed Services Ltd. location. Champion Feed Services Ltd Page 4 of 6 Copyright October 2010

5 Champion Feed Services Ltd. Poultry Feeding Guide Broilers/Roasters Age (Weeks) Feed (kg/bird) Ration % Barnyard Starter Plain or Medicated % Barnyard Starter Plain or Medicated 6-market 1.3 kg per week 17% Barnyard Grower/Finisher Plain Pullets/Layers Age (Weeks) Feed (kg/bird) Ration % Barnyard Starter Medicated % Barnyard Grower/ Finisher Medicated kg per week 17% Barnyard Grower/Finisher Plain 18 onward 16% Layer Ration Turkeys Age (Weeks) Feed (kg/bird) Toms Hens Ration % Barnyard Starter Medicated % Barnyard Starter Plain or Medicated % Barnyard Starter Plain or Medicated 15-market 4.0 kg per week 3.0 kg per week 17% Barnyard Grower/Finisher Plain Ducks and Geese Feed (kg/bird) Age (Weeks) Ducks Geese Ration % Barnyard Starter Plain % Barnyard Grower/Finisher Plain 8-market 1.2 kg per week 2.0 kg per week 17% Barnyard Grower/Finisher Plain Game Birds (Pheasants & Guinea Fowl) Age (Weeks) Feed (kg/bird) Pheasants Guinea Fowl Ration % Barnyard Starter Plain % Barnyard Grower Plain 12-market 1.0 kg per week 1.3 kg per week 17% Barnyard Grower/Finisher Plain Champion Feed Services Ltd Page 5 of 6 Copyright October 2010

6 COMMITTMENT TO FEED SAFETY Champion Feed Services Ltd. is committed to producing quality animal feeds in a safe and environmentally responsible work environment and to producing feed that will not compromise human food safety. For these reasons we have been FeedAssure TM (HACCP) certified since July of FeedAssure TM (HACCP) is a comprehensive feed safety management and certification program developed for the Canadian feed industry through the Animal Nutrition Association of Canada (ANAC). It is a systematic approach to controlling feed safety during the manufacturing and delivery process by indentifying potential hazards at all stages and maintaining procedures to eliminate those hazards or to minimize the likelihood of occurrence. To fulfill our FeedAssure TM (HACCP) requirements, we have set up a program of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP s) which control the way that we operate our mills. GMP s can be summed up as Saying what we do in written procedures (Standard Operating Procedures SOP s), Doing what we say through staff training, and Proving it through good record keeping. GMP s cover everything at our mills including premises, receiving, transportation and storage, equipment maintenance and calibration, sanitation and pest control, personnel and recall procedures. In addition, and as per The Health of Animals Regulations (C.R.C., C.296), part XIV (SOR/ , S.20) Food for Ruminants, Livestock and Poultry, Rendering Plants, Fertilizers and Fertilizer Supplements, Sections , Champion Feed Services Ltd. does not manufacture, package, store, distribute sell or advertise for sale any animal food for ruminants (cattle, sheep, deer) that contains prohibited material. Prohibited Material means anything that is or contains any protein that originated from a mammal other than porcine or equine. It does not include milk, blood, gelatin and rendered animal fat or their products. Champion s FeedAssure TM (HACCP) program is an on-going program that will constantly be refined in response to changes in our facilities as well as those in the feed industry. Our corporate mandate is to be an industry leader in feed safety. Gary Golby General Manager Champion Feed Services Ltd. September 2009 Champion Feed Services Ltd Page 6 of 6 Copyright October 2010