The importance of the brooding period

R. Molenaar. HatchTech B.V., P.O. Box 256, 3900 AG Veenendaal, The Netherlands.

Several developmental and physiological processes occur during the important and sensitive brooding period of chickens, which is the first 7 days of a chicken’s life. The chicken seems anatomically complete at hatch, but the thermoregulatory, gastro-intestinal and immune system need further development and maturation. Optimal brooding is essential to optimize animal health and contributes to a good performance and survival in later life. Download the entire article via the button below.