How to create proper bedding for your chicks

Chicken on fresh bedding. [Courtesy]

The cold and rainy season is here with us now and every poultry farmer is worried about the eminent surge in the cost of brooding their day-old birds to the third week of life. This week though I want to dwell on the need to keep your litter dry under the current challenges of cold and rainy weather.

Keeping litter dry is a critical part of overall management on every poultry farm. Litter conditions influence bird performance, which in turn affects profits of growers and integrators. Dry litter helps control ammonia levels, provides a healthy flock environment, and reduces condemnations due to hock and footpad burns and breast blisters. So, it is extremely important to keep this litter dry.