At Huckleberry Farms, the health and well-being of our chicks start from day one in the brooder. We take a holistic approach to caring for our young birds, with an emphasis on providing a warm, secure, and clean environment that promotes growth and minimizes stress. The brooder is where the foundation for healthy, productive adult birds is laid, and our careful attention to detail during these early weeks ensures the chicks thrive. Let’s dive into our daily brooder management and how it aligns with our broader farming values of sustainability and care for both animals and the land.
Location and Overview: The Converted Horse Trailer Brooder
Our brooder is a horse trailer that we’ve converted into a functional, spacious environment for raising chicks. This setup is not only efficient but also portable, allowing us to move it as needed and keep it close to other farm operations. The brooder houses two types of chicks: meat birds and layer chicks, each raised on a carefully planned batch schedule.
- Meat Birds: New batches are introduced every 3 to 4 weeks from March through September.
- Layer Chicks: We add one batch in March (for fall layers) and another in October (for spring layers).
When chicks reach a suitable stage of development, they are moved out of the brooder and into their respective pens:
- Meat birds are removed at 4 weeks if fully feathered or if the temperature consistently exceeds 40°F.
- Layer chicks are transitioned out when fully feathered or when outdoor temperatures are stable.
This structured approach allows us to raise healthy chicks with minimal stress while keeping our brooder available for the next batch.
Daily Care Schedule: Consistency is Key
Maintaining a consistent routine in the brooder is vital to the health of the chicks. Each day, we follow a detailed schedule that includes feeding, watering, inspections, and heat management. This ensures the chicks always have access to what they need, and any potential problems are caught early.
At First Light: Morning Routine
The day begins with a thorough inspection and care routine to set the chicks up for a successful day.
Feed and Water Check
- The first task is to ensure that the chicks have plenty of crumble feed. We use crumble feed exclusively for young birds because it’s easy for them to digest and provides the nutrients they need for rapid growth.
- Waterers are filled, ensuring they always have access to clean, fresh water.
Visual Inspection
- We perform a detailed visual inspection every morning to spot any health concerns. Dead chicks are removed, and we make a note of any lethargic, sick, or injured birds. Monitoring these chicks helps us catch illnesses early and treat them before they spread. Thanks to our deep bedding method, we don’t often have sickness or death.
Bedding Assessment
- Bedding is a crucial part of chick care. If we detect an odor of manure or ammonia, we add 6-8 inches of fresh wood chips to absorb moisture and control odors. It’s important that the bedding is refreshed before smells develop to keep the environment healthy and clean.
Heat Lamp Adjustment
- Maintaining the proper temperature in the brooder is essential for chick survival. We check that all heat lamps are functioning properly, changing bulbs if necessary (spares are stored in the trailer). The temperature is adjusted based on the chicks’ age:
- Week 1: Maintain the temperature at 90°F for the first 4 days, then gradually begin lowering it.
- Week 2: Lower the temperature to 50°F.
- Week 3: Drop the temperature further to 34°F.
- If the outdoor temperature exceeds the required level for the chicks’ age, we turn off the heat lamps to prevent overheating.
Structural Inspection
- Finally, we check the integrity of the trailer itself. We inspect windows, doors, and any board coverings for gaps or damage that could allow predators in. If we notice any areas that need repairs, we make a note to address them the following day.
Early Afternoon: Midday Care
The early afternoon is a key time to ensure the chicks are thriving, especially as the temperature rises.
- Feed and Water: We double-check that the feeders are full and that the waterers are clean and adequately filled. At this stage, hydration is crucial for the chicks, especially on warm days.
- Visual Inspection: We repeat our visual inspection, paying close attention to the behavior and health of the chicks. This helps us identify any signs of illness early in the day.
- Heat Lamp Adjustment: We reassess the heat lamps to make sure the temperature remains appropriate for the chicks’ age. If the temperature in the brooder is climbing too high due to external weather conditions, we may turn off some or all of the lamps.
Mid-Afternoon: Water and Feed Recheck
As the afternoon progresses, we focus heavily on maintaining water levels and keeping the chicks hydrated.
- Water and Feed Maintenance: We repeat the morning routine by gathering all water buckets, emptying, rinsing, and refilling them with cool water. If temperatures are high, we move the waterers to shady spots to keep the water cooler and more appealing to the chicks.
- Visual Inspection: Once again, we check the chicks for signs of illness or injury, keeping a close eye on their activity levels.
Early Evening: Pre-Nightfall Routine
Before the evening settles in, we go through the same checks as earlier to ensure the chicks are ready for the night.
- Feed and Water: One final check of the feeders and waterers ensures the chicks are well-supplied before dark.
- Visual Inspection: We do another thorough scan of the birds, checking for any signs of health concerns that may have developed during the day.
- Heat Lamp Adjustment: As evening temperatures begin to cool, we make sure the heat lamps are adjusted to the appropriate level to maintain warmth through the night.
At Dark: Final Check and Secure Lock-Up
Nighttime is one of the most vulnerable times for chicks, so we take special care to ensure the brooder is secure.
- Final Inspection: Before shutting down for the night, we perform one last inspection of the chicks. We check their feed and water, ensure all lamps are functioning correctly, and make any last-minute adjustments to the temperature.
- Secure the Brooder: The trailer is securely closed and inspected for any gaps that could allow predators in. This final check ensures that the chicks are safe for the night and that the brooder environment remains secure and warm.
Supporting Health and Sustainability in the Brooder
Beyond the day-to-day care, our brooder management aligns with the principles of regenerative agriculture and animal welfare.
Natural Bedding Management
The wood chips we use for bedding are part of our broader sustainable practices. Once the bedding has been used and refreshed multiple times, it becomes compost material that is rich in nutrients from the chicks’ waste. This compost is then used to fertilize our fields and gardens, creating a closed-loop system that benefits both the birds and the land.
Aerating Bedding Between Batches
Between batches of chicks, we dampen the bedding, turn it with a pitchfork, and add a couple of inches of fresh wood shavings on top. This helps us maintain a healthy microbial ecosystem and reduces mortality. We’ve found a direct relationship between bedding quality and chick health. When we only aerate and add fresh material instead of completely cleaning out the brooder, the chicks are healthier, and mortality rates drop. This deep bedding helps keep the carbon-nitrogen ratio balanced, which boosts microbial activity and leads to healthier birds.
Ammonia Control
Anytime you can smell ammonia in a livestock facility, it’s a signal that more carbon—such as wood shavings—needs to be added. Ammonia damages respiratory systems, pulls vitamins A and D out of the body, and can lead to toxic liver deposits. We aim to prevent this by maintaining deep bedding, which controls odors and generates natural heat through composting.
Bedding as Heat and Protein Source
Our deep bedding also generates natural heat, reducing the need for heat lamps. The composting process creates a warm, moist environment that mimics the conditions under a mother hen. It also attracts bugs, which provide an additional protein source for the chicks.
Gradual Heat Reduction
By gradually lowering the brooder temperature after the first 48 hours, we help the chicks adapt to outdoor conditions. This “hardening off” process ensures they develop the hardiness they need to thrive on pasture. The temperature is lowered by 2-4°F per day until the chicks can handle outdoor temperatures.
A Foundation for Healthy Birds
Raising chicks is one of the most rewarding parts of life on the farm, and the attention we give them during their first weeks is critical to their long-term health. The brooder provides the safe, controlled environment they need to grow, and our detailed daily routines ensure that every chick is given the best possible start in life.
By maintaining the right balance of warmth, nutrition, and cleanliness, we’re laying the foundation for strong, productive adults that will go on to play an essential role in the ecosystem at Huckleberry Farms. As our chicks grow, they transition smoothly into their next phase, thanks to the care and management they receive in the brooder.
