Good practices

It is recommended to lay 10 cm (4.5 in) of litter in the coop – wood shavings, chopped straw, shredded paper, etc. It must be dry and absorbent.

• Litter must be free of impurities and harmful chemicals.
• The litter must not have been exposed to moisture or vermin.
• Store litter in a clean, dry, covered area protected from vermin and insects.
• It must be mold-free and free of feathers and droppings.

Feeders (or hoppers) allow feed to be distributed to poultry without waste. These can be linear hoppers (30 to 100 cm in length) or cylindrical with a capacity of 7 to 20 kg.

Drinkers or water pots must provide water to the birds 24 hours per day. We will refer to siphoid drinkers because birds suck up (or siphon) water. We recommend using drinkers with a lid. Bells generally house the automatic watering systems.

Adding 1 ml (10-15 drops of bleach (5% chlorine)) per liter of water will reduce the proliferation of bacteria. Weekly washing of equipment is recommended.

FOR THE LARGER FARMS

There are closed drinking systems (teats) with continuous feeding. These systems must be cleaned between each flock. Adding chlorine (3 to 5 ppm) reduces bacterial proliferation

A bird that is in its comfort zone (between 20 and 25°C) will consume twice as much water as food. During heatwaves, water consumption can triple or even quadruple.

Provide your birds with fresh water daily.

You should not use surface water, either for cleaning or for watering your birds, to avoid the risk of infection with the avian influenza type A virus spread by wild birds.
If you do not use municipal water, have your water tested regularly. Ask your livestock equipment specialist to find out how to proceed.

Commercial feeds are formulated by specialists. Birds are provided constant feed and simply eat their fill.

Laying poultry

Laying poultry must receive a feed specially formulated for egg production and according to its species.

In the laying cycle, it is recommended to place coarse calcium or pulverized oyster shells in a container, in addition to the feed.

Quantity of feed and content of feed depending on the species and age of the birds

Three different feeds will be served to the birds. The first, between 0 and 3 weeks of age; the second, between 4 to 6 or 8 weeks of age; the last, 7 or 9 weeks until processing.

Comfort zone

Backyard poultry have a body temperature between 40 and 42°C, compared to 37°C for humans.

It is recommended to call on a specialist to choose the appropriate equipment and avoid the risk of fire.

During the summer, brooders (electric lamps or propane supplementary heating) can provide the necessary heat for the chicks or at night.

If the outside temperature is below 10°C, the addition of a brooder or other heating device is necessary.

Bird behavior depends on temperature

Birds that are cold will be less active and will tend to pile on top of each other. They will drink and eat less. Growth and egg laying will be slowed.

Birds that are hot will consume more water and risk becoming dehydrated. They will become sleepy, eat less, and their growth will be stunted. You will also see them cooling off by breathing with their beaks open. They will be more aggressive. Severe dehydration or heat stroke can lead to death.

Birds are good indicators of their comfort. Observe them!

During heatwaves

During periods of extreme heat, the flow rate of the existing ventilation system should be increased or additional fans added to the ceiling or in a corner of the building.

Humidity

Ideally, any chicken coop will have a humidity level between 50 and 75%.

A humidity level below 50% corresponds to air that is too dry. Moisten the litter by sprinkling or misting to avoid high levels of dust.

If the humidity level in the chicken coop is above 75%, the litter will have a crusted surface, and bacteria will develop more easily. You may notice digestive problems and lameness. The production of ammonia and sulfur dioxide will be increased, hence the risk of respiratory problems, even conjunctivitis and eye discharge.

Ammonia and harmful gases

Poultry farming leads to the production of ammonia (NH3) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S). Be on the lookout for red flags such as poor plumage quality, lameness and eye problems (discharge).

On larger farms, a device can be installed to measure air quality. In this case, the rates not to be exceeded are:

• 25 ppm ammonia (NH3);
• 10 ppm hydrogen sulfide (H2S);
• 35 ppm carbon monoxide (CO).