High Brooding Mortality is the term used to describe the high rate of early chick mortality that occurs during brooding. This article explains the causes of HBM and provides you with all the information you need to know.
One of the most common problems that occur during brooding is high chick mortality. This is a problem that every brooder experiences at some point.
Losing the opportunity to raise a brood of chicks that could potentially develop into a thriving flock of birds is utterly discouraging. Read also: Beginners Guide to Layers Farming: Egg production.
It is important to understand the underlying causes of high brooding mortality to prevent it from happening again. It’s a condition that can lead to significant losses in both yield and profit.
What is High Brooding Mortality in Chickens
High Brooding Mortality (HBM) is a condition where a flock of baby chicks has a high rate of mortality during brooding. It can be caused by many things, including disease, insufficient water, poor nutrition, overcrowding, stress, and a lack of space.
It’s estimated that more than 5% of broiler chicks suffer from early chicks’ mortality during brooding time. This is a very high rate of mortality for a production cycle, and it can lead to significant financial losses. You may also read Broiler Chicks Brooding: What You Should Know.
What are Chicks Brooding in Poultry?
Brooding is the management of chicks from the first week to the eighth weeks by exposing them to a conducive environment before they can be able to regulate their body temperature.
The first week of the bird’s life is essential because this is when the foundation for optimum growth and health is laid. Read also: How to prevent stunted growth in poultry birds
During the initial week of existence, the transition from sustenance to living tissue takes place swiftly. Important organs like the liver and digestive system, as well as skeletal and muscular tissue, develop quickly in the first few weeks.
What Causes High chicks’ mortality during brooding?
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The leading causes of high/early brooding mortality include but are not limited to the following;
Poor Nutrition
The most common cause of high brooding mortality is the use of low-quality feed. If you own a chicken farm, then you know how important it is to provide your chickens with a healthy diet.
As an entrepreneur, you should know how important a healthy diet is to your success. You must understand the causes of high brooding mortality in chickens.
Overcrowding/overstocking.
Brooding mortality is a very common problem in modern chicken farms, especially those that are large-scale.
The problem occurs when the chickens cannot get enough space and eventually die. Overcrowding of the birds, which leads to stress and exhaustion, usually causes this.
By following the recommended brooding space requirement for chicks, you can effectively minimize this problem and ensure ample space for your birds.
Insufficient water and drinkers
A study showed that insufficient water or food can cause mortality during brooding. A recent study aimed at evaluating the effect of water scarcity on newly hatched chicks revealed that those who were subjected to inadequate water supply, in combination with food comprising merely 12% of their regular diet, failed to survive beyond the first week.
Their body temperature rose, and they became weak and dehydrated, and they couldn’t stand on their legs. This was because the birds weren’t drinking enough water.
Ensure that at all times you provide fresh water for your chicks during brooding to prevent high Chicks mortality.
Infectious Diseases
These include avian influenza, infectious bursal disease (Gomboro), infectious bronchitis virus (IBD), Newcastle disease, and Mycoplasma. Various pathogens, including viruses, bacteria, and parasites may also cause HBM.
Infectious disease outbreaks are a significant problem in the poultry industry. Diseases such as Salmonellosis, Colibacillosis, Omphalitis, Pasteurella multocida, etc. can also cause high brooding mortalities in poultry.
Unusual loud noise.
A farmer wanted to see how his chickens would react when he made a loud sound. He brought his chickens into a barn and then made a loud noise.
The chickens started running around the barn, but when he tried to stop them, they all stampeded and trampled each other. This caused a lot of commotion and killed many of the chickens.
Other causes of high-brooding mortalities are
1. Management Practices: These include vaccination, medication, biosecurity, and management of the flock.
2. Genetic Traits: These include genetic selection for rapid growth, egg production, and disease resistance.
3. Environmental Factors: These include temperature, humidity, ammonia, dust, noise, air quality, and ventilation.
4. High/low brooding temperature.
6. Toxic gases (ammonia, carbon monoxide). Etc.
7. Trampling by careless walk.
8. Poor husbandry practices
9. Predators e.g., rats, dogs, cats, etc.
10. Vitamin deficiency (vitamins A, D, E and K).
How to reduce early chick mortality during Brooding
- Buy your day-old chicks from reputable hatcheries and chicken breeders.
- Vaccinate your chicks at the recommended time and avoid over dosage to prevent disease infection.
- Maintain a high level of sanitation and adhere strictly to biosecurity protocols.
- Provide quality chicks mash to your chicks for better growth rate and reduced mortality rate.
- Call for help if you observe health issues. You can consult a vet or poultry farm expert/consultant.
- Ensure you block every crack and hole on the floor of the brooding pen to prevent rats, reptiles and other animals from gaining access.
- Monitor the brooding temperature to avoid mortality due to heat stress. Also, ensure that the brooding temperature is adequate so that the chicks won’t die of cold.
Conclusion
In conclusion, many factors cause brooding mortality in chickens. To minimize the risk of this problem, make sure your chickens are vaccinated against contagious diseases such as Newcastle disease, Gumboro, and IBD.
