Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
however, only a small window for hatching turkeys, and if you need them on a cer-
tain date (especially a later date in July) order them early. I like to have all my order-
ing done in February so I know when chicks are coming and can schedule brooder
availability and processing dates.
All hatcheries require a minimum order of 25 chicks. There are four sections in a
standard shipping box; each section holds 25 chicks. This number is necessary for the
chicks to maintain body heat during shipment. Chicks from Pennsylvania hatcheries
usually come by ground and those from farther away are shipped by next-day air. In
my area, chicks arrive by truck at my local post office, which then calls me when
they arrive. If you are planning to receive hundreds or thousands of chicks at your
post office, it behooves you to make it easy on the postal staff. Arrive promptly when
they call (chicks can be noisy in a small post office), and take them some eggs. While
still at the post office, inspect the chicks and check for any dead. If you need to make
a claim for dead chicks you must do it at the post office. When counting dead, re-
member the hatchery usually adds an additional two or three chicks per box. No mat-
ter how far away our chicks have come, we rarely have any death in shipment. The
system works well.
The Brooding Structure
Prior to the chicks' arrival, the brooder house must be prepared for the season. My
brooder is in use nearly year round and must be refitted for the chicks. The last batch
of birds using the brooder in fall is replacement layers (100). These pullets spend all
winter in the brooder on a deep pack accumulated throughout the season. As they be-
gin laying in early March, I move them into the chicken greenhouse with the mature
layers. This gives me a chance to renovate and repair the brooder before the broiler
and layer chicks arrive the first week of April.
The brooder design is simple with a few key elements that make it work well for us.
The structure is 10 × 12 ft. with a 12 ft. front and a metal shed roof. The floor and
walls up to 3½ ft. are rough-cut poplar. From the low wall to the shed roof it is clear
plastic to allow as much light as possible. The entire brooder is lined with 1-inch
chicken wire, and the floor is covered with hardware cloth. Attached to the rear of
the building is a 10 × 12 ft. plywood deck covered by an old Salatin-style pasture
pen. The chicks access this “poultry patio” through a small door in the brooder wall.
We designed with the chicks in mind to prepare them for their lives out on pasture.
The plastic walls allow abundant natural light, and the “poultry patio” gives them a
chance to adapt to weather and foraging within the safety of the brooder environ-
