CAGE HOUSING

11 LOHMANN › MANAGEMENT GUIDE 11 At first signs that the chicks are not fee- ling well determine the reason, correct the situation and check more frequently. Besides house temperature, there are other factors which could affect the body temper- ature of the chicks negatively: › Insufficient air distribution in the house › Low humidity level (heat transfer capacity of the air) › Missing to pre-warm the house at the right time After a few hours, check whether the chicks have settled down well. The chicks behav- iour is the best indicator of their well-being: › If the chicks are evenly spread out and moving freely, temperature and ventilation are all right. › If the chicks are crowding together or avoiding certain areas within the house, temperature is too lowor there is a draught. › If the chicks are lying about on the floor with outspread wings and gasping for air, temperature is too high. › Chicks should be active eating and drink- ing. Check if the bird find out where the water is and if they are learning to drink. When the water is too hot chicks can re- fuse to drink, water must be fresh! › Check after 12 hours the crop if feed is in it. Do it with more chicks to get a good im- pression.