HOW TO REDUCE CHICK MORTALITY IN POULTRY FARMING

Every farmer desires 100 per cent survival of chicks once he or she has bought and put them in a brooding house. Losses will, however, almost always occur especially during the first two weeks of life.

A mortality of 1-5 per cent may be considered normal, but anything above 5 per cent is abnormal and requires immediate intervention to stop further losses. Indeed some of the causes can actually wipe out the entire flock.

Some of the common causes of mortality in brooding chicks include:

Genetic Factors

There are many lethal gene mutations in birds, most of which cause death during the incubation period. A few, such as congenital loco and congenital tremors will cause death of chicks within a week of hatching.

To prevent this, farmers are advised to purchase day old chicks from reputable firms who select against such genes.

Management Factors
The most common errors that famers commit include:

High brooding temperatures
These result into two major problems, namely,