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1
Guide to Broiler Farming
Using the
Inkukukaya 25-Bird Broiler Coop
(Day-Old to Slaughter (Days 1 – 35)
2
Assembly of the Broiler Coop (& Blanket Brooder):
Please see the coop Assembly Instructions, and assemble as instructed.
See the picture below to show the advised placement of the bricks/blocks which the
coop will sit on.
Placement of the Bricks / Blocks:
Blocks / Bricks
3
The Day Prior to the Placement of Day-Old Chicks:
Ensure that the coop and the brooding blanket are clean and disinfected.
Place the coop under cover to ensure that the birds stay dry and away from direct
sunlight. This can be a simple structure with a tin roof, and shade-cloth/hessian
walls.
If possible, place a sheet of plastic, or use old chicken feed bags to cover the floor
under coop. This will make the removal of the manure at the end of the cycle much
cleaner and easier.
Place the coop on bricks +/- 20cm above the floor to allow the manure to fall
through the floor and improve the air flow to the chickens.
Ensure that the Coop is level.
Place clean cardboard boxes on the floor of the brooding area (3x2 Panels) with a
vertical division between the brooding area and the rest of the coop (see diagram
below) DO NOT USE PAPER OR PLASTIC IN THE BROODING AREA.
Vertical
partition
between the
brooding area
& the rest of
the coop.
Coop placed on
bricks or blocks
+/- 20cm off
the floor.
4
Fill 1 of the SMALL yellow feeders with Starter Crumbles/Mash and spread over the
entire cardboard floor area.
Place CLEAN and WASHED stones into 3 of the small drinkers and place them on the
cardboard floor area at opposite ends of the coop and fill them with water.
1 small feeder measure of
starter crumbles.
Sprinkle on the
cardboard floor
of the brooding
area.
Place the
drinkers on
opposite
sides of the
brooding
area.
Place washed stones in the drinkers
and top up with water. The stones
stop the chicks from getting wet if
they stand in the drinker.
5
Place the LARGE yellow feeders/drinkers on the lower level of the outside of the
coop around the brooding area to prevent the chicks from climbing out.
Placement of the Day-Old Chicks:
Gently remove the chicks from the box and place them in the brooding area
previously set up.
Place the blanket on the coop and raise one side of the blanket in the brooding area
slightly to allow light in and allow for air flow.
Ensure that feed and water are available at all times. DO NOT LET THEM RUN OUT! DO NOT move the coop once the birds have been placed!
COOP & BIRD MANAGEMENT: DAY 1 TO 35
Feed & Water Management
Days 1 - 4: Floor Feed (Sprinkle the feed on the floor) Place 3 small yellow drinkers
on the floor, filled with cleaned stones and water.
Days 3 – 4: Continue floor feeding and place 2 small yellow feeders on the floor and
fill with feed to get the chicks used to eating out of the feeders. DO NOT REMOVE
THE STONES FROM THE WATER BEFORE DAY 4.
Days 4-7: Remove the cardboard floor on day 4 and burn it for hygienic reasons!
Keep the vertical partition in place until day 10. Place 3 small drinkers and 2 small
feeders on the lower level of the INSIDE of the coop, with the feed on one side and
water on the other. The stones can be removed from the drinkers if the chicks are
not climbing in.
Large feeders placed
on the upper level on
the outside of the
brooding area to
prevent chicks from
climbing out.
6
Keep the large feeders/drinkers positioned in the UPPER level on the OUTSIDE of the
coop to prevent the chicks from escaping (see photos below)
.
Days 7-9: Remove all the small drinkers and feeders from the inside of the coop.
Move all the large feeders & drinkers to the LOWER level on the OUTSIDE of the
coop (see photo below) Place the feed on one side and water on the other to
prevent the feed from getting wet, or the water contaminated with feed.
Days 10 -12: Remove the cardboard partition to open up the rest of the coop.
If there are small chicks unable to reach into the large feeders/drinkers, keep a few
of the small feeders/drinkers on the in place on the inside of the coop.
Large feeder /
drinker placed on
the LOWER level of
the outside of the
coop (Days 8 to 14)
Feed & water
on opposite
sides.
Cardboard
floor
removed.
Large feeders/drinkers
still placed on the
upper level on the
outside of the coop.
3 small drinkers & 2
small feeders placed in
the lower level on the
inside of the coop.
7
Days 18 – 35: Move the large yellow feeders and drinkers to the UPPER level on the
outside of the coop. Keep the feed on one side and water on the other side.
Drinkers must be cleaned out once a day!!!
Feed Consumption
1 x 25kg Bag of Starter mash or crumbs until finished
1 x 25g Bag of Grower pellets until finished
1 x 40kg-50kg Bag of Finisher pellets until finished (depending on the live weight
required)
We recommend that our feed usage guide be adhered to for optimum results.
The birds should reach have reached their target weights by the time the feed is
finished (day 35), when they can be removed from the Inkukukaya coop.
Blanket Brooding Management (Day 1-14)
Blanket brooding alone is not sufficient where temperatures fall below 15°C. A heat
source will be required in such instances.
During the colder months, reduce the size of the brooding area to 2 x 2 panels for
Days 1-4. When the cardboard floor is removed on Day 4, the brooding area can be
expanded to 3 x 2 panels.
During the colder winter months, two blankets may be needed to cover the brooding
area to keep the chicks warm enough.
Avoid drafts at all times by using the blanket to protect the birds from the direction
of the draft. This is done by lowering the blanket on the sides that are affected by
the draft.
Large feeders /
drinkers all placed
on the UPPER level
of the outside of
the coop (Days 18
to end)
8
The blanket should be placed over the whole coop – but not allowed to touch the
floor all the way around, as this will stop airflow to the chicks.
Fold the blanket over to double cover the brooding area.
At night the coop should be completely covered. Ensure that there is enough
ventilation on days 1 – 4 while the cardboard floor is in place. There will be enough
ventilation from the floor area once the cardboard has been removed.
Fold the blanket
over to double
cover the
brooding area.
Direction of wind
Position of the blanket :
Showing the direction
of the wind
Coop completely covered at
night.
9
Day 1 – 4: Open one of the sides during the day.
Day 4 – 14: Open up ALL of the sides during the day.
Day 10 - 12: Remove the cardboard partition. Continue blanket brooding.
Day 15: Blanket brooding is no longer required.
If the chicks start huddling together in one spot, they may be getting cold. Try
dropping the blanket on one or more sides to see if they disperse. If the chickens are
cold they will huddle to get warm, and will not eat or drink, and therefore growth
could be slower.
If the weather is very hot during brooding and the chicks are spread out (& panting /
sitting with their wings spread out), then remove the brooding blanket completely
and only cover again when it cools down.
AVOID DRAFTS AT ALL TIMES!
Ensure that there is sufficient feed and water at ALL times (24 hours a day!)
Blanket opened up on one side
during the day.
All sides open up during the
day, unless there is a breeze.
Keep the blanket in position
on the top of the coop.
10
Record Keeping
Record keeping is a very important part of poultry production.
When you place chicks, record the number of chicks, the date placed and the
supplier and breed of chicken (e.g. Cobb or Ross). Keep a separate set of records for
each coop / house.
Make a daily record of any deaths, and if needed, the circumstances leading to that
death so that you can keep track of the number of birds. E.g. Day 1 – 1 death, Day 6
– 2 chicks escaped & eaten by dog.
Make a note of any signs of disease or illness such as chicks coughing or struggling to
breathe or walk.
Make a note if the chicks run out of feed or water.
Make a note when you change feed e.g. when you change suppliers or from starter
to finisher etc.
If you have a scale, record the average weight of the birds on a weekly basis (this can
be done by weighing 10 birds at random, adding up the total weight and dividing by
10 to get your average weight.) Ideally this should be done on the same day and time
each week.
See sample Daily Record Keeping Sheet at the back of the Broiler Guide
Preparing the coop for the next cycle
Once all the chickens have been removed, the coop needs to be removed from the
chicken shelter. The coop must then be scrubbed with a brush, using water, soap
and some Jik (to disinfect). The coop must then be left out until it is completely dry.
All the yellow feeders and drinkers (small & large) must be scrubbed clean and left
out to dry.
Remove the blocks/bricks on which the coop was standing, scrub clean and let them
dry.
The plastic sheeting/feed sacks from the floor under the coop must be removed
from the shelter.
Put the manure to one side for composting (See composting guidelines)
If using plastic sheeting, it must be thoroughly cleaned and dried. If using feed sacks,
they must be burnt for hygienic reasons, and new sacks used for the next cycle.
The brooding blanket must be washed and dried.
Next, the inside of the chicken shelter can be swept out to remove any traces of feed
or manure. If the floor was wet, allow it to dry completely before setting up the coop
for the next cycle.
Return the clean plastic/feed sacks, blocks and coop to the shelter and prepare the
brooding area for the next cycle.
11
Composting the Manure
You cannot put fresh chicken manure onto your vegetables or crops straight away, or
you will burn or kill the plants – the manure needs to be composted for about 3
months (sometimes a little longer in cooler areas)
Put the chicken manure into a pile and add the same amount of soil. Any scrap grass,
leaves or vegetable scraps can also be added to compost. If the mix is dry, add some
water and mix well.
Leave the compost pile for 2 weeks, and then mix. Move the manure from the
bottom of the pile, to the top. Sprinkle some water on top if the mixture is dry. The
compost needs to remain damp.
Mix and add water (and any grass/leaves/veggie scraps) every week for the
remaining 10 weeks.
Once the mix gets a “sweet” and not stinky smell, it is ready, and can be spread and
mixed into your vegetable garden.
This compost will improve soil quality and help increase yields.
DO NOT add new chicken manure from the next cycle; rather make a new pile next
door.