Avian Production Management

BROODING EQUIPMENT

Objective of brooding equipment - Is to provide a suitable temperature to chicks from the day-old-stage upto the time they are able to adapt and regulate their temperature to the ambient environmental temperature condition

• Brooder guard
  • This is a hard board or GI sheet 12" to 18" wide and 25" long totally, which forms a brooding ring of 7-8 feet diameter
  • This is used where brooding is done on deep litter, to restrict the movement of the chicks away from the heated area
  • Generally 250 chicks are placed within the brooder guard having 7-8 feet diameter
  • In farms where brooding is done in cages, the brooder guard is not necessary
• Heater or Brooder
  • There are many types of heaters or brooders. The most common are:

a. Hover type

• This is the most frequently used type of brooders
• The heating unit is generally a 250 watt bulb, preferably an infra-red-bulb or incandescent bulbs about five in number having individual on/ off switch arrangement
• This is covered by a round or angular sheet of metal (GI sheet 3 feet x 3 feet bent suitably) to deflect the heat towards the floor
• The brooder unit is usually suspended from the ceiling by a cord or cable in such a manner that it maybe raised or lowered depending on the brooding temperature required

When not in use it may be drawn up as high as possible out of the way

• Gas brooders : Gas is used to provide warmth. This is cheaper than electric heating.

• Infrared brooding: An Infra Red bulb is used to provide warmth, one infrared bulb is sufficient for 250 chicks.

b. Automatic brooder

• This consists of a closed heating element of 600 watts with a reflector and a thermostat. This heater is sufficient for 250 to 300 birds and is hung in the same way as the hover

c. Fuel heaters

• In areas where power supply is not available or erratic, heaters using paddy husk, sawdust or kerosene as fuel are used, such as:

Bukhari heaters

• A cylindrical chamber with a central funnel
• The chamber is packed with sawdust or paddy husk as fuel
• Generally used as a room heater
• Care is to be taken to lead the funnel gauges and smoke out of the brooder house

Kerosene stove

• This arrangement also serves as a room heater
• Proper precautions are to be taken to avoid accidental fires in this case

Coal heaters

• Coal is used to heat the room, normally 'Leeco' or hard coal is used to heat the room for 8 hours
• Used to heat a pan of sand or stone pebbles