Vital role of chick transport in overall flock performance.

Vital role of chick transport in overall flock performance. Transporting day-old chicks from hatchery to farm plays a very vital role in the subsequent performance of the bird. However, transport conditions are still too often neglected when in fact they have the potential to significantly affect growth rate, feed conversion, meat yield and the development of the immune system. Nowadays, some companies still deliver day-old chicks from hatcheries to rearing farms at distances of 100 km (62.2 miles) or greater in vehicles which are several years old and may not have advanced ventilation and internal air mixing systems. This leads to uneven air distribution and air exchange, and consequently heat or cold stress on the baby chicks. The detrimental effects of such conditions will be proportional to journey duration. A day-old chick that comes out of the hatchery does not require feed and water for 48 hours due to their residual yolk. A yolk sac contains 1–2 grams of moisture, with two parts fat and one part protein. If early feed consumption is limited, the chick will use both fat and protein in the yolk for energy leaving inadequate protein levels for optimum growth. Vital role of chick transport in overall flock performance.