Ensure better health for your chickens via better heating arrangements

ENSURE BETTER HEALTH FOR YOUR CHICKENS VIA BETTER HEATING ARRANGEMENTS

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Heating is a critical part of chicken farming, one that can determine the health of the chicks in future. The starting few days of the newly born chickens are quite sensitive. At this stage, the chicks still have immature thermo-regulation system in their body. In the brooding period of 14 days, chicks have trouble regulating their body temperatures on their own, and hence need external assistance for the same. This becomes extra important if your chicken farm is in a cold place. You have to ensure secure and comfortable warmth for your young chickens using heat lights and heat bulbs.

The supplemental heating provided to the chicks via heating lights and bulbs may have to be done for about 4 to 6 weeks depending on what’s the weather like outside. So if the weather outside is cold, you may have to keep using heating sources for at least 6 weeks.

The starting temperatures of the heat lights and heat bulbs need to kept pretty high, maybe between 95 and 100 degrees Fahrenheit. With the passage of each week, temperatures can be gradually lowered. This process should continue until the chickens have feathered or until you have reached a heating temperature that’s the same as the outside temperature.

Other than these general guidelines, there are other ways too through which you can tell if your chickens are receiving enough warmth or not. This will require you to be very observant towards the habits of the chickens. If you find the little ones clumping together or piling up on one another, chances are that they’re feeling cold. They might even get noisy, sending out alarm and distress calls if they are feeling too cold. This is an indication that your chickens are not warm enough.

On the other hand, if the temperature in the chicken house is too high, then the chickens would probably make no noise, their head and wings will look drooped, they will be panting and you’ll catch them moving away from the heat lamp or heat bulb. This indicates that the chicks are feeling too hot.

When the temperatures are just right, neither too hot nor too cold, the chicks can be found happily and evenly distributed around whatever is the heating source. The only noise they are then going to make is cheerful chirps. It’s important that you provide just this kind of heating environment to your chickens, one that keeps them content. Because chicks that are overheated or underheated can even die.

Address: Stapleton Lane Barwell LE9 8JT • Phone Number: +44 1455 393 000 WWW.LITTLEFIELFSFARM.COM

Heat lamps and heat bulbs come in all varieties, in terms of voltage, wattage, materials, etc. Based on what stage of development the chicks are currently at, choose the one that offers gentle radiant heating for the chicks. Buy the ones of robust, sturdy quality that can last without interruption for a long time. Last thing you need is your heating source out of order, thus causing trouble to your chicks’ health.

About Little Fields Farm: Set amidst the Midlands in UK, Little Fields Farm is a family-owned business that was born out of committed love and care for animals. This online store serves various farming needs, offering a great range of products in gardening, equine farming and poultry farming.

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Address: Stapleton Lane Barwell LE9 8JT • Phone Number: +44 1455 393 000 WWW.LITTLEFIELDSFARM.COM