When one ventures into poultry farming and starts with chicks ranging from one day old to two weeks old, they probably picture happy, healthy chicks clucking about the farm as the days roll by. This is hardly the case, as poultry farmers will tell you. Many of them lose their chicks within a few days or weeks and cannot tell the causes of high mortality rate in chicks.

“I started rearing chicken in January 2016,” says Risper, a farmer in Kitale. “I bought 1000 chicks. I had built a big chicken coop in my backyard and had enough food and water for them. By the second week, two hundred had died. I would wake up every morning to dead chicks. I was desperate. At the end of it, only 300 survived. I never replaced the ones I lost.” Like Risper, hundreds of poultry farmers make losses more than profit. Below are top 5 causes of high mortality rate in chicks.

1. Unhealthy breeds

A lot of poultry farmers do not research well before they spend their money buying chicks. Some sources can be notorious and sell poor quality chicks that are unhealthy just to make money. Make sure you consult and affirm that your source has good history with other poultry farmers before making a purchase.

You can also purchase just a few for trial purposes to reduce the risk of experiencing a big loss.

2. Lack of Vaccination

Vaccination is a step of paramount importance with chicks. It is mainly done for New Castle Disease, Infectious Bronchitis and Gumboro. New Castle Disease and Bronchitis should be done on the 7th and 21st day while Gumboro should be given on the 14th and 28th day. During vaccination, chicks should be given enough water to maintain fluid balance in their bodies.

3. Low quality feeds

Some farmers opt for the cheapest option of feed especially when dealing with a large number of chicks. Whether you have layers or broilers, maintain high quality in feeding so that the health of chicks is not compromised. Also make sure to serve dry feed.

4. Poor hygiene

Have you ever entered a chicken coop and was greeted by a pong? When the coop is left dirty, bacterial infections like Fowl Cholera and Botulism can arise, easily wiping out the brood. Make sure to clean everyday and empty the feeding troughs replacing them with fresh food. Water drinking troughs must also be cleaned everyday as chicks may deposit waste in water rendering it toxic.

5. High/Low temperature

High or low temperatures are causes of high mortality rate in chicks. Chicks below two weeks old cannot adjust their body temperature, therefore the temperature of their environment must be well monitored. High temperatures will dehydrate chicks, whose bodies have a big percentage of fluid. Dehydrated chicks have dry feet. Low temperatures may cause pneumonia in chicks leading to death. You can tell chicks are cold by touching their feet, which will be cold or when you notice they’re hurdled together in search for warmth. Hurdling together can also cause suffocation. Both high and low temperatures can cause pasting; this is where waste dries up around the vent, causing blockage which can lead to death if not removed.