Videos
World Poultry Foundation Training Videos
Our poultry training video series equips small-scale poultry producers to thrive by exploring topics in brooding, recordkeeping, poultry housing, and consumption. View our videos below, and download the accompanying worksheets and checklists to supplement your training. Below each video, you will find key takeaways to review the content provided. We hope these training videos assist you in your efforts to produce healthy dual-purpose birds.
Q U I C K L I N K S :
Brooding Videos | Recordkeeping Videos | Poultry Housing Videos | Small Scale Production Videos
Brooding Training Videos
Supporting Materials: Download Brooding Checklists | Download Brooding Training Worksheets
Preparing the House
- Cleaning and disinfecting the poultry house after each flock is a critical component of successful brooding
- All organic matter must be removed from the house and disposed of properly
- After the house is cleaned, make any necessary repairs to the floor, sidewalls, curtains, wire mesh, and roof
- Proper and complete use of disinfectants must be utilized after all organic matter has been removed from the house
- The house should sit empty for a recommended 14 days before your next flock
Zone of Comfort
- Have the house properly heated and all feed and water within the house prior to the arrival of the chicks
- You need a minimum of 5 cm (2 inches) of bedding material
- Have a minimum of one heat source for every 100 chicks
- Eliminate cool spots and air drafts within the brooding chamber
- Maintain a minimum of 29 degrees Celsius (84F) for the first week.
- Observe your chick’s behaviors closely for signs of stress.
Feed
- Have feed and water out prior to the arrival of your birds
- Avoid wastage of feed
- Purchase blended feed from a reputable vendor
- Make sure the particle size of the feed is appropriate for the age of your birds
- Store feed in a dry rodent-proof area
- After 5 weeks of age, only small amounts of supplemental feed may be required for dual-purpose breeds
- Make sure birds always have access to clean water
Water Supply
- At normal temperatures, chickens typically consume twice as much water as feed and during periods of high temperature, water consumption can double or triple
- The first water the chick sees and drinks upon arrival must be at room temperature to avoid chilling of the chicks and creating quality and stunting issues.
- If the quality of water is such that you will not drink it, then it is not good enough for the chickens
- Regularly wash the waterers in soap and water and apply any simple disinfectant that you have access to
- Place 1 waterer for every 50 chicks, spaced evenly across the room. Pay attention to the height of the waterers so birds can drink, but also keeps litter out of the drinker
Litter
- Always keep litter dry
- Dry litter hinders bacteria and mold growth and helps control ammonia levels
- Material used for litter should be highly absorbent, lightweight, and non-toxic
- Check regularly to assure drinkers are properly maintained and not leaking water
- Used litter has value as a fertilizer for crop production
Managing for Success
How to keep records that help you succeed
- You cannot manage what you do not measure
- Keeping records and checking for FLAWS provides you the opportunity to become a better manager and produce healthier birds
- You should keep daily and weekly records and observational notes when you are in the poultry house – do not rely on your memory to fill in the form at a later time
- Keeping records allows you to compare one flock to another, and identify and correct any production or management problems
- Keeping records will allow you to calculate the amount of income you have made on each flock
Vaccinations
Information about vaccines and boosters
- Purchasing a hatchery-vaccinated day-old chick for brooding provides a healthier bird
- Although the hatchery will vaccinate the chick, booster vaccinations at the brooder unit may also be required
- Consultation with a poultry health professional will provide insight into booster timing and need for your flock
- Vaccines stimulate the immune system to produce antibodies in chicks, providing them immunity to diseases and should be given to healthy birds
- Vaccines need to be transported and stored at certain temperatures (between 2 – 8 degrees C) or their quality/effectiveness may be affected
- Vaccines do have expiration dates, be sure to check your expiration date before use
- Most vaccines can be delivered through water, but directions for doing so must be followed exactly
- After vaccinating or giving a vaccination booster, keep record of the date and lot number for your vaccine
Poultry Housing
- All poultry houses must protect chickens from unfavorable weather conditions, provide good ventilation, and have some means to control the temperature
- All houses should have solid floors and walls which can easily be cleaned and disinfected
- All houses must protect the chickens from predators, water leaks, wild birds, snakes, rodents, and diseases
- You must inspect the house on a regular basis and repair any holes in walls, curtains, screens, and cracks in the floor
- The house needs to have electricity and a close, clean water source
Biosecurity
- Biosecurity on the farm is important for your family’s health as well as the health of your chickens
- Biosecurity is a set of preventive measures designed to reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases between people and livestock
- Immediately repair any holes in the walls, wire mesh and roof which may allow for rodents, snakes, birds and other animals to enter the poultry house
- Before you or anyone else enters the poultry house be certain that everyone has washed their hands with soap and water. Also wash after leaving the house.
- Have a set of plastic boots just outside the poultry house door to wear when entering the house. These boots should be cleaned daily.
Recordkeeping
- You cannot manage what you do not measure
- Keeping records and checking for FLAWS provides you the opportunity to become a better manager and produce healthier birds
- You should keep daily and weekly records and observational notes when you are in the poultry house – do not rely on your memory to fill in the form at a later time
- Keeping records allows you to compare one flock to another, and identify and correct any production or management problems
- Keeping records will allow you to calculate the amount of income you have made on each flock
Diet Diversity
Nutritional benefits of home consumption
- Dual-purpose breeds grow faster and produce more eggs than local breeds
- Additional egg production should first be consumed at home, especially by young children, pregnant women and new mothers
- Excess eggs and market weight males may be sold to pay fees, expand the current flock and provide for diet diversity
- Young children should always be kept away from chickens, especially when the birds are confined, to reduce the chance of transmission of disease to the child
- Store eggs in a clean, dry and cool place to protect their quality and food safety
- Eggs with cracked and broken shells should be discarded
Small-Scale Production
Also referred to as “Backyard Production”
- Purchase birds from a brooder to assure you acquired chickens which have been properly brooded and vaccinated
- At night, take care to confine the birds in an area with access to fresh water
- Train hens to lay in the coop and collect eggs every day
- It is best not to try and hatch eggs from dual-purpose birds as offspring will not perform to your expectations
- Keeping birds is a way to enhance family income and improve diets