Ratites (emus and ostriches) - brooding

Chicks hatched in incubators have to be brooded artificially until about 6 weeks of age. This period may have to be extended, depending on the outside environment and condition. If the weather is warm, chicks should have access to outside runs during the day from 1-2 weeks of age.

Before birds are transferred to the brooding area, the yolk sack or navel should be treated to combat the introduction of disease organisms. Suitable products are buffered iodine or antibiotic powder.

During artificial brooding chicks need:

• heat
• water
• food
• ventilation
• light
• litter.

Heat

It is important that chicks are brooded at the correct temperature in a draught-free suitably sized area. The best guide to the correct temperature is the chicks´ thermal comfort behaviour. If they huddle close to the heat source they are cold. If they are well dispersed, they could be too hot. A maximum-minimum thermometer put near the chicks will provide valuable information on temperature fluctuations (particularly during the colder parts of the night) to assist your management. As the chicks grow older, the temperature can be reduced. The following table provides a guide to the temperatures required by ratite chicks at different ages during brooding.

Back to top

Water

Young chicks often die because they cannot find water. To prevent these deaths, young chicks must learn very early in life where to find water. Cool, clean water must be available to them at all times in several small, readily accessible drinkers. Their attention can be attracted to the water by shiny or coloured objects placed in the water containers - making sure that the chicks cannot eat the objects.

Feed

In the first 2-3 days of life, chicks may eat very little. However, feed should be made available to them so that they learn to peck and eat. Ratite chicks need a fresh, high-quality starter diet containing about 18% protein. This can either be as a mash or as a crumble. In addition, to encourage chicks to eat it is recommended they have daily access to small amounts of fresh, finely-cut green material like lucerne, kikuyu or broad leafed grasses sprinkled on the feed. Emus and ostriches are attracted to the colour green.

Ventilation

Chicks need a constant supply of fresh clean air if they are to grow well and remain healthy. Chicks quickly chill therefore draughts should be prevented. With localised brooding, draughts can be blocked out by using solid panel surrounds (at least 300-450 mm high). To increase the space available, the surround is gradually expanded as the chicks grow to enable them to get away from the heat when needed.

Light

The best lighting regime is yet to be developed. However ratite chicks do respond and grow better when a constant light source is provided. This enables the chicks to move around the pen to find feed and water throughout an extended period. A program of 23 hours of light at an intensity of 20 lux provides excellent growth rates while intensities equivalent to a 40W bulb have also been found satisfactory.

It is essential that the chicks do have a period of darkness; this prevents young birds huddling together, which may result in suffocation if a blackout should occur.

Litter

A lot of information has been written about litters. Most litter problems that occur druing brooding are the result of management decisions and not the particular litter. Some litters have advantages over others.

It is essential to use a litter which satisfies the young chicks' needs. Choose a litter which is clean, chemical-free, soft, absorbent, has good insulation properties and is relatively dust-free. Pine shavings, sand and sawdust are suitable.

Brooding systems

There are two basic types of brooding systems: localised heat and whole space.

Localised heat

Several brooders of this type exist, including infra-red lamps, gas heaters, or electrical bar heaters.

Infra-red brooders

The infra-red lamp brooder is simple. Installation costs are low and it requires a minimal attention. The infra-red lamps are suspended 450 to 600 mm above the litter. Two 100 watt bulbs are sufficient to brood small numbers. It is wise to use at least two lamps in case one fails. It is also advisable to provide each globe with a reflector to transfer the light and heat down to the baby chicks. However this type of system may not provide enough heat for young chicks in colder areas.

This type of brooding unit is usually surrounded with a solid partition at least 300-450 mm high to eliminate draughts. A number of feeding and watering points are included within this surround. A removable lid to the brooder pen can in certain circumstances be also useful; by sliding the lid over the pen, extra heat can be retained during cold weather. However, it is extremely important that fresh air circulates around the birds to prevent diseases such as aspergillosis.

Gas brooders and electrical infra-red bar heaters

These provide radiant heat to the immediate area under the heating elements. They vary in size and heating potential. They are used in a similar fashion to infra-red globes. Existing poultry brooders, both gas and electric have not only proved to be satisfactory for brooding, but are superior to infra-red and porcelain globes.

Whole space

In whole-space brooding, the whole brooding shed is enclosed, insulated and heated to a uniform temperature. The heat source may be gas, electricity, oil or kerosene, and the heating units are portable or fixed to the brooding shed. Heat must be evenly distributed throughout the whole area. This brooding system is only practical and economical when large numbers of similarly aged chicks have to be reared (batch rearing). Under this system the atmosphere within the shed needs to be assessed on a regular basis and if the air becomes stuffy or levels of ammonia can be detected, then the shed should be flushed with fresh air.