-Maintain a high level of biosecurity.

-Maintaining a clean dry and well ventilated environment for the chicks without cold or draft areas.

-Taking note of the smell in the brooding area, feeling the bedding make sure its dry and loose and listen to the chickens.

-Always have feed and water available to chicks.

-Follow the vaccination program.

-Maintaining the correct temperatures and regularly checking temperatures. Thermometers should be at chick level.

PREPARATION BEFORE CHICK PLACEMENT:

-Brood area must be clean and disinfected.

-Bio security should be implemented to a high standard at this stage

-Place litter at least 10 cm deep. (Pine shavings, rice husks, wheat straw, hay /straw etc.)

-Preheat the brooding area 24 hours before chick placement.

BIOSECURITY:

-Placement foot bath and hand wash stations before entering the poultry house.

-Restrict entry to the poultry house.

-Limit movement of people between different poultry houses, especially limit visitors to your poultry house.

-Don’t mix different species of birds, and birds of different ages.

-Install a perimeter fence around the poultry house, this helps people and animals out of the poultry house.

Credit: Zikulu Nkuku