Agriculture Reference
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We lined the brooder with chicken wire, so they ate through the floor. We put bait
behind the wire and they ignored it (why eat it with so much yummy chicken feed
around!). We installed high decibel alarms, so they got earplugs (we think). They
found every crack and crevice we failed to seal and slipped in every night to gorge.
They particularly like the tiny Silkie chicks. Once broiler chicks were a week old the
rats pretty much stopped bothering them, but before that age, the chicks were in
danger. We continue to fight these battles. The war is far from over, but we keep the
wily rodents to a dull roar. We've even considered raising a brooder cat.
Deep Thought on Deep Litter
One of the biggest differences between our brooder management and that of conven-
tional operations is the deep litter pack. We do not remove litter at any time during
the brooding season. After each batch of chicks we add 6 to 8 inches of fresh shav-
ings on top of the pack. This is continued throughout the season until the last batch of
layer chicks takes over occupancy. These birds remain on that pack all winter while it
composts. The litter, now compacted down to approximately 1½ ft., heats up and
warms the brooder all winter. The young hens love to dig holes in the pack and dust
in the warmth.
Leaving this pack intact jump-starts the manure composting process and warms the
birds at the same time. In addition, we believe it provides an incubator for good bac-
teria and a mild immune booster for the chicks. Each batch of chicks is lightly ex-
posed to the bugs of the last batch, giving them natural immunity and vigor. In our
six years of using this method we have not had any major illness. We get a little pas-
ted vent early on which we think is due to the chicks not drinking enough water when
it's cold. Last year we had our first small case of coccidiosis when a new batch of
Rhode Island Reds arrived in the brooder already housing two-week-old Dominique
chicks. The Reds immediately came down with coccidiosis and started dropping. I
continued to add vinegar to their water and let the illness take its course. Five Reds
died within the first couple of days and then five more subsequently. The older
Dominiques never showed any signs of sickness. Had I treated with coccidiostats I
would have still lost that many and wouldn't, I feel, have strengthened the immunity
of the other chicks. Our brooder losses usually occur within the first day (just weak
chicks) or from rats.
My organic brooder-management approach is based on the principles of natural
light, wholesome feed, outdoor access, and greens to eat. If the brooder is a warm,
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