Poultry farms are increasing day by day in different parts of the country, and many are starting them to escape unemployment. It is quite a profitable business.

But the most important thing for a poultry farm is being able to recognise and buy healthy chicks. If chicks are not of good quality, meaning disease-free, healthy and of the right size, the farm risks losses. There are simple ways to tell a healthy chick.

A chick with high genetic potential will feel clean and dry in the hand. Signs of a healthy chick include a body covered in soft down and free of any wound or contamination, an alert look, clean and bright eyes, and no physical defects.

A healthy chick's navel will be clean and dry, with no membrane or yolk stuck to the body. The body will feel firm to the touch, but the bones should not be felt when it is held. It should be free of breathing problems, and curious about and responsive to its surroundings.

A healthy chick weighs 67–70 percent of the initial weight of the egg, and a chick with a longer body has better production capacity. Farmers who check these points when buying chicks will profit.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.