Pheasant Brooding Reminders 2003
Another season of pheasant brooding is upon us. Here are a few reminders to take to heart.
Hopefully you had the time in the off season to do any improvements, maintenance or repairs to your brooding facilities. Anything from sealing the building from drafts, upgrading feed systems, ventilation, water system or heat source, replacing belts, hoses and light bulbs. Any mechanical devise can and will fail at some point. Guard against this by keeping everything well maintained.
It is a good practice to have your facility cleaned, disinfected, up and running at least 24 hours before your chicks arrive, the more time the better. This allows you to cycle through your heating and ventilation systems to make sure they are operating properly. It also allows your water system to charge and find any leaks. You don’t want to have to be doing repairs when your birds arrive!
To facilitate this, go through your inventory and make sure you have replacement parts for the typical things that wear out or fail.
Go through your records and receipts and see what you replaced last year on a regular basis. This is also a good reminder on what worked well for you last year.
When your birds arrive, inspect them at the point of receiving. This is the time to determine if there were any problems in transit. If receiving a large number, place ALL the boxes in the brooder house and remove the lids. Then go back and place the birds. This allows you to control the birds, allows the birds to adjust to the new conditions, and quickens the process of placing the birds. Leave the birds for 15 to 30 minutes to allow them to adjust to conditions, unless you see something critical such as piling on a waterer, or in one area of the room. Check back on the birds and make any necessary adjustments to lighting, ventilation or heat. Again allow 15 to 30 minutes for your adjustments to take effect and then check back on the flock.
Once your birds are settled it is just a matter of reducing temperature to transfer to the outside. Keep them fed, watered, calm and healthy.
I hope these reminders help everyone a little and that you have a successful and trouble free season.
