Brooding refers to the period after hatch when special care and attention are needed by chicks 'to ensure they remain healthy and survive before they can be able to manage their own body temperature.

There are 5 essential factors to consider when brooding

1. Temperature management Because of the high surface to body mass ratio chicks lose heat quickly, maintaining the ambient temperatures  chicks stay healthy and reach their full weight potential

2. Fresh air     chicks require a high level of oxygen proper ventilation is key to maintaining good air quality

3.  Clean water quality Water is an essential nutrient that impacts all body functions. providing enough clean water during brooding  directly affects long-term growth

4. Access to feed  Chick access to clean fresh feed is essential, chicks should never have to search for their next meal

5 Proper lighting Bright  light during the first 5_7 days  makes the chick active  which stimulate feed consumption and overall development

Temperature

Chicks do not have the ability to regulate their body temperatures; they therefore fully depend on environmental temperatures.

Too cold temperature leads to chilling which is a major cause of chick pneumonia-causing high mortalities on the 1^stweek of brooding , on the other hand, extreme temperatures the brooder leads to suffocation, dehydration , and starvation due to damaged intestinal lining.

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The chicks huddle together, leads to low feed consumption

There is also poor or delayed York absorption leading to poor maternal antibody transfer

This may predispose  chicks to bacterial infections

The key factor in temp regulation is the floor hence the need for proper litter placement to prevent the chick from losing too much heat through the feet

It’s always good to use a brooder thermometer or observe the chick behavior

Chick behaviors communicate a lot  on the brooder temperature ie 

huddling together a sign of low temperatures in the brooder, Even distribution of chicks  indicates  normal brooder temperatures and when chicks scatter  from the heat source means that the temperatures are too high 

setting up a chick brooder

The brooder should be circular   with the following requirements

1. wood shavings   There is a difference between wood shavings and sawdust, wood shaving does the following in the brooder; provide comfort, warmth, and absorbs moisture.  the recommended  depth of wood shavings should be 4-6 inches 
2. Source of heat-  with the preference  of a farmer, source of heat can be  electricity ( infrared bulbs250wts  for up to 150 chicks ), brooding jikos or pot
3. Feeders and drinkers  - feeders and should be clean and evenly distributed