25/05/2026
COMPLETE GUIDE: Raising Day-Old Chicks to Growers 🐥➡️🐔
What to do, when to do it, and why it matters.
Many poultry projects fail in the first 8 weeks due to simple management mistakes. Success isn't random—it follows a strict system. At Haven Agri-Solutions, we’ve put together the ultimate breakdown to help you minimize mortality and maximize your growth rates.
1. THE BROODER: Weeks 0–4 (The Critical Phase)
Why it matters: Day-old chicks cannot control their own body temperature. Cold stress causes immediate huddling, smothering, disease, and death.
° Optimal Heat: Use a 100W bulb, infrared lamps, or charcoal brooder pots. Start at 32–35°C in Week 1, dropping by 2–3°C every week.
° Space Layout: Allocate roughly 0.05m² per chick. If the brooder is too big, chicks drift away from the heat and freeze. If it's too small, they trample each other.
° Bedding: Use dry sawdust or rice husks. This absorbs droppings and prevents "spraddle leg" caused by slippery floors.
° Biosecurity: Clean and disinfect the area before chicks arrive. Keep rodents, wild birds, and unauthorized visitors out—they carry deadly pathogens.
° Equipment Ratio: Provide 1 feeder per 25 chicks and 1 drinker per 50 chicks. Keep water fresh and clean at all times.
2. THE WEEK-BY-WEEK MANAGEMENT PROGRAM
Week 1 (Days 1–7): Foundation
° Feed: Starter crumbs or starter mash only. Strictly NO raw grains (jenga), dried fish (omena), or large pellets—their tiny digestive systems cannot process them yet.
° Medication: Chick formula (for energy/multivitamins) + Aliseryl (to boost appetite & immunity) + liquid paraffin. Why liquid paraffin? It lubricates the gut and prevents constipation from the first dry feed.
° Vaccination: Newcastle Disease at Day 7. Why? Newcastle spreads incredibly fast and is highly fatal. Early protection is non-negotiable.
Week 2 (Days 8–14): The Vulnerable Stage
° Feed: Continue with Starter feed.
° Medication: Chick formula + Coccidiostat. (Stop the liquid paraffin). Why? Coccidiosis is the number one killer at this age. Preventive coccidiostats protect the gut lining.
° Vaccination: Gumboro (IBD) at Day 14. Why? Gumboro destroys the chick’s developing immune system, leaving them defenseless.
Week 3 (Days 15–21): Building Momentum
° Feed: Continue with Starter feed
° Medication: Boost with vitamins and mild preventative antibiotics (e.g., Aliseryl, NeoXy Vitamin, or Miramed) to handle post-vaccination stress and support growth spurts.
° Vaccination: Newcastle Booster. Why? A single dose doesn't provide lifetime immunity; the booster cements long-term protection.
Week 4 (Days 22–28): Transition Window
° Feed: Begin mixing chick mash into the starter crumbs gradually. Why? Sudden feed changes cause digestive shock and stunting. (Note: If you started on pure crumbs, it's safest to stay on crumbs until Week 7).
° Medication: Coccidiostat. Why? Peak coccidiosis risk remains high as birds become more active.
° Vaccination: Gumboro Booster at Day 28 for complete defense.
Week 5: Out of the Brooder
° Feed: Full transition to Chick Mash or Chick Crumbs.
° Medication: Multivitamins only. Why? Moving birds out of the brooder into the main floor causes environmental stress; vitamins help them adapt quickly.
Week 6: Toughening Up
° Feed: Chick Mash.
° Medication: Coccidiostat + stress packs (like Strexia).
° Vaccination: Fowl Pox. Why? Fowl Pox is transmitted by mosquitoes. It causes agonizing lesions, poor growth, and high mortality.
Week 7: Moving to Growers
° Feed: Gradually introduce Growers Mash by mixing it into the Chick Mash. Why? Growers feed has lower protein but higher energy, specifically formulated for structural bone and frame development.
° Medication: Feed supplements/tonics (e.g., Molar Plus, Vigosine, or Tonophos) to ease the transition.
Week 8: Full Growers Management
° Feed: 100% Growers Mash.
💡 Cost-Saving Pro-Tip (Optional Mix for 10kg): Combine 6kg Growers + 1kg Jenga + 1kg Omena + 1kg Pellets + 0.5kg Wheat + 0.25kg Sunflower + 0.25kg Cotton. This custom mix boosts protein and energy affordably without compromising frame growth.
° Medication: Maintenance vitamins.
° Vaccination: Fowl Typhoid. Why? Typhoid causes devastating, sudden losses in maturing growers.
3. CRITICAL MISTAKES TO AVOID ❌
° The Wrong Starter: Never feed broiler starter to layers or road runners. The excessive protein levels will permanently damage their kidneys.
° Premature Grains/Fish: Adding omena or jenga before 4 weeks causes severe diarrhea, gut damage, and death.
° Skipping the Schedule: "Saving money" on vaccines is a gamble. A single disease outbreak can wipe out over 80% of your flock in 48 hours.
Your Birds Deserve Better Housing 🏛️🐔
Even with the perfect medication schedule, poor housing will kill your profits. Damp floors, drafts, and poor airflow cause pneumonia and spread parasites.
At Haven Agri-Solutions, we design smart, highly optimized brooders and poultry structures that maximize ventilation, guarantee biosecurity, and drop mortality rates drastically. From small backyard fowl runs to large-scale piggeries, goat sheds, and cattle pens—we build for agricultural success.
🚀 Don't leave your investment to chance.
Message us today to begin your poultry journey! Let’s design a high-yielding structure for your farm.
📞 Contact Haven Agri-Solutions:
Mobile: +263 712 587 045
💬 WhatsApp: +263 784 633 318
📧 Email: [email protected]
[email protected]