My very first Day Old Chicks.

I got my very first chick from my manual incubator. Although they were just a few, I took care of them like they were delicate gems. Kuroiler chicks grow very fast. As long as you feed them quality chick mash, they will be just fine. My experience with my first set of chicks, although very little was that a full stomach beats any other problem that a chick may have. Just stick to the following list and you will be stress-free;

HOW TO TAKE CARE OF DAY-OLD CHICKS.

1. As soon as they hatch, dip their beaks in a glucose solution

When your chicks hatch, come up with a solution of water, glucose, and liquid paraffin. This is a powerful solution that combines three of the most important liquids to chicks. Glucose is for the energy they need to move around and feed, the water is for their metabolic rate and the liquid paraffin is for clearing their digestive tract.

2. Prepare a brooder for them.

This must be done way before your chicks hatch. It does not need to be too complicated. Even a simple cardboard box could do! Just make sure you have a source of heat for the chicks that would not harm them. With my first chicks, because I was in my rural area, my grandmother taught me to use a brooder hen to provide heat to my chicks only in the evenings to save electricity. So, come up with a suitable brooder that is spacious enough for the number of chicks that you hatch.

3. Measure the correct temperature for the chicks to be comfortable.

Temperature is the most important aspect when it comes to chicks management right from the start. Did you know that at the point of taking them out of the incubator, your hands should also be as warm? Chicks are very delicate and susceptible to any form of harm. The temperature of the brooder must be 28 to 32 degrees Celsius at all times. A drop in these temperatures at any point will cause the chicks to start hurdling together which will cause suffocation. An extreme rise in the temperature will also cause the chicks to run away from the source of heat. Depending on the size of your brooder, the chicks may also hurdle together away from the source of heat, causing suffocation.

4. Make sure there is enough space and the brooder is well ventilated.

Space is required for your chicks to run around, exercise, and grow faster. Ventilation again is also relatively important to facilitate the free flow of air in your brooder. There are different designs of brooders that have good ventilation. When coming up with yours, be creative enough to ensure your brooder is able to be cleaned frequently and also has good ventilation.

5. Maintain high cleanliness standards in the brooder or in the location of your chicks.

Cleanliness is the key to less disease in your flock! At first, personally, it was a lot of work to keep cleaning my brooder twice a day. That was the requirement for my chicks to be comfortable. I neglected cleaning my brooder and my chicks started getting lethargic. The location of my brooder, as well as a mud, floored house which I will write about in my next post. It was impossible to clean. So, pay attention to the floor of your chicks, brooding paper is the best, the corners must be rounded and not sharp-cornered and the ventilation of the house must be good.

6. Give them enough high-quality feed.

Chicks need to eat! It is essential to give your chicks the right type of food for their growth. There are various feed companies in Kenya, each of which is of different quality and price.

7. Leave the light on.

Do not be afraid to leave the light on for your chicks! So long as your brooder is predator-proof, just leave the light on. This will enable your chicks to feed throughout the night and grow even faster. Please note that animals grow in their sleep. Your chicks will sleep at their own time, just make sure the bulb is not too bright for them.

8. Teach your chicks how to feed.

The rate of growth of a day-old chick will differ according to the type of your chicks. Kuroilers, according to my experience are the fastest improved kienyeji chicken that I have ever kept. But, they feed more than any other breed of improved kienyeji chicken. Teach your chicks how to feed by gently tapping the feed that must be placed in the low basins like feeders that can be easily accessed by the chicks. Yes, the chicks may poop in the feed, but it will be just for a while. Once your chicks develop upgrade their feeding containers to larger feeders.

READ THIS NEXT POST ON HOW I STORED MY KUROILER EGGS.