Brooding is the “lift-off” phase of chicken development, with the highest percentage of feed going to growth and so producing the most rapid growth rate, giving chicks a good start in life. That good start is extremely important. No failure to achieve optimum growth during brooding can ever be made up later in the grow-out. Both research and on-farm experience show that even a few hours of poor conditions during brooding can do significant harm to overall flock performance. Modern poultry houses and management systems give us the ability to control conditions in the house and give chicks the good start they need. All it takes is paying proper attention to the seven brooding basics. Brooding Basic1: Litter Management Litter conditions set the tone for the flock long before the chicks arrive on the farm. For best performance, chicks must be placed on a consistent minimum of four inches of dry bedding at or around 88-92°F. Anything less will cause losses in performance
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