How to raise laying hens or broilers that are still chicks is a very pleasant experience because you can see the growth of the chickens from birth, listen to the song of the chicks until they have the perfect plumage.

How to raise baby chicks correctly is actually very easy to do and can provide a decent profit.

However, if the treatment given is incorrect, the risk of death of the chicks will increase and, of course, it can make you lose money.

For this reason, it is very important that you know some of the important things to do before you decide to raise chicks, such as some important tips that we will give you below.

1. Keep a minimum of 3 to 6 chickens

Chickens are animals that like to interact with each other. For that at least you have to raise at least 3 to 6 chicks so that they can live in groups as well as how to care for the young fighting cocks. Additionally, raising more chicks can also anticipate that the chicks will die from predators or disease.

A hen can lay 5-6 eggs a week, so just 4 hens can produce two dozen eggs a week, so the more hens you have, the more eggs you will produce.

2. Choose Type of Chicken

The type of chicks to be raised should be selected based on qualities such as nature, ability of hens to lay eggs, size and color of eggs, and various other things such as compatibility of eggs and hens. with the climate, as well as the aesthetic value and quality of the meat produced, all of which can be determined according to your taste. .

• For high egg production, choose laying hens such as black australorps or Australian developed laying hens because they can produce good eggs.
• For chickens with dual functions, i.e. broilers and layers, choose Buff Orpingstons or Silver-Laced Wyadnottes, which are larger than ordinary layers.

3. Prepare the lamp and brooder

In general, the brooder can be made from cardboard boxes or plastic boxes, such as rabbit or guinea pig cages, which can be used because they are easier to clean. You can also buy this brooder at a livestock supply store or you can make your own.

The brooder can be placed in the garage or anywhere in the house as long as it can keep the chicks warm, so ensure that the room used is free from wind, including how to care for pelung chickens. Brooder sizes can vary and can be made to your wishes or to the size of the available venue complete with places to eat and drink.

4. Choose the right foundation

For the bottom of the brooder, you can use a clean bottom made of spruce sawdust or other materials, but avoid using newspaper because it is too slippery and the ink from the newspaper can stick to the chicks’ feet. The mat used for the brooder should always be changed every few days and do not allow the mat to get damp or wet when in use. Cleaning is one of the important things to support chick growth because they are still susceptible to disease.

5. Add brooder ventilation

When raising chicks, air circulation is very important, so ventilation arrangements should also be made very well, especially in raising chickens in the rainy season.

Ventilation will be of great help to keep the sand dry, avoid ammonia and co2. However, make sure the vent does not allow wind to enter the cage directly and is not too large to prevent predators such as mice from entering the cage.

6. Pay attention to the temperature of the cage.

Always keep a close eye on the temperature of the coop and add lights in the brooder to keep the chicks warm. Use incandescent light bulbs in the brooder because the temperature can be monitored well. For the first week, the temperature can be set between 32-37 degrees Celsius and then reduced to 5 degrees per week until the chicks are feathering.

If the chicks are seen moving away from the lights and making noise, this indicates that the temperature in the house is too high and should be reduced.

However, if the chicks are still gathered under the lamp, this indicates that the temperature in the room is still too cold so that the temperature can be adjusted by changing the lamp distance or the lamp voltage to a normal temperature for heat the chicks.

7. give enough food

Generally, the usual feed given to the chicks is pure or concentrated, which can be purchased at grocery stores or livestock farms.

This feed is specially formulated to meet the nutritional needs of chicks which also contains drugs, but some other feeds also do not contain drugs, such as the core feed. If you decide to provide centralized feeding, then cage cleanliness should always be maintained every day as is done in the way of raising turkeys.

8. drink enough

Drinking water is also important for chicks. You can also purchase special drinking water sold at affordable farm stores that will not drown chicks. This clean water should always be provided to prevent chicks from becoming dehydrated and keep them cool and should be changed once or twice a day to prevent contamination of the water.

9. Give supplemental feeding

As in broiler farming, although the chicks already get important nutrients from the feed, it is best to give them additional feed after the chicks are one to two weeks old. You can feed one or two worms and insects, but avoid giving plants because it can cause diarrhea and can be dangerous for the chicks.

Always clean the chicken’s bottom because chicken manure often dries out and can cause an infection in that area. To clean the bottom of the chicken, you can use a cloth dampened with warm water.

10. add hanger

After the chicks are 1 month old, they can be added using a low perch in the brooder. This perch will then be used by the chicks for playing or sleeping. However, avoid placing this perch directly under a lamp as it can overheat the chicks.

11. move chicks

Whether in the form of raising laying hens at home or broilers, after the chicks are two months old, they can be taken outside during the non-rainy season.

These chicken coops can be purchased at the store or you can make your own. If you buy a ready-made chicken coop, then a special room has usually been prepared for it, which can protect the chicks from the wind and predators. In addition, the room can also keep the chicks warm in the rainy season but still cool in the summer.

All chicken coops should have enough space to find food and breathe fresh air. Meanwhile, the size of the cage can be chosen, which is 4 x 8 feet for 3 to 5 chickens.

12. Maintain Chick Conditions

To ensure that the condition of the chicks can be properly maintained, do not forget to give them vitamins. Some types of vitamins that are very good for chicks include:

• Vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, each worth 1 point.
• A little brown sugar diluted with water to increase carbohydrate intake.
• 1/2 tomato to refresh and improve the digestive health of hens.
• 1 boiled quail egg to increase the protein that can be given every 3 days.
• 1 grain of fish oil which is useful for speeding up and strengthening chicken feathers.

13. prepare a shelter

All chicken houses must be equipped with incubation places or nests that are used as perches, including the method of raising laying hens. The size is approximately 12 x 12 x 12 inches for chickens to lay eggs where two chickens will be used in one place which can be covered with straw or wood chips.

14. Protect chicks from predators

The chick cage must also be able to protect from predators or predators. Safety is a top priority when choosing a cage to protect chicks from predators like mink, cats, ferrets, raccoons, or eagles. Make sure the coop is surrounded by wire cages with holes no more than 3cm deep and check periodically to make sure there are no gaps for predators to enter the coop.

15. Change food regularly

When the chicks are 2 months old, give them concentrate feed or fine-textured feed. As for the feed for larger chicks, you can give them leftovers from the kitchen or green plants.

Also, be sure to provide a container with fine sand in the coop that can help the chicks to chew and digest the food because chickens are not animals that have teeth.

Additionally, you can also give scallop shells that have been crushed because the calcium content in the shells can strengthen the shells of chicken eggs. Provide chicken feed in a durable place and clean it regularly as the cage is cleaned in laying hens. Also, make sure that the food you give him is not wet or dirty.