Nghe An farmers burn coal to warm chickens on cold days

Ms. Nguyen Thi Bon in Hamlet 5, Dien Trung Commune uses an electric heater and a charcoal stove to warm the chickens. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Dien Trung Commune, Dien Chau District is the "capital" of VietGAP chicken farming in Nghe An, with 142 tea farms, ranging in size from 1,000 to 20,000 chickens/batch.

During these cold days, chicken farmers here are especially concerned aboutwarming the chickens, especially chickens under 20 days old. Mrs. Nguyen Thi Bon's family in Hamlet 5, Dien Trung Commune has a chicken farm divided into 3 areas. 10 days ago, Mrs. Bon imported 5,000 breeding chickens to raise for meat.

The coal furnace is always glowing red hot to radiate heat in the barn area. Photo: Xuan Hoang

During the cold weather at the end of the year, her family uses 4 electric heaters, 1,000 W/heater, combined with 2 coal stoves. The entire barn system is covered with 2 layers of canvas, so the temperature in the barn is always kept warm at 30 to 31 degrees Celsius.

On cold days, chicken farmers must check the thermometer to adjust the temperature accordingly. Photo: Xuan Hoang

"For chickens under 20 days old, they must be kept in a coop with a temperature of 30 - 31 degrees Celsius. If the chickens are left cold, they will die, but if the temperature is higher than 31 degrees Celsius, they will bite each other, so a thermometer must be placed in the coop to monitor" - Ms. Nguyen Thi Bon said.

Thanks to the warmth in the barn, the chickens still develop normally on cold days. Photo: Xuan Hoang

For chickens over 20 days old, there is no need to use a heater anymore, but the coop must be tightly covered with thick canvas, combined with the use of biological bedding, and regular vaccination against diseases.

Mr. Luong Tuong - a chicken farmer in Dien Trung commune said that using biological bedding, in addition to ensuring the environment,cleaning barnsalso keep the chickens warm so their feet don't get cold; combined with covering the coop, feeding the chickens with enough nutrients, and preventing diseases in time, so on cold winter days, chickens over 20 days old no longer have to worry about the cold.

Chicken coops are always covered with two layers of canvas on cold winter days. Photo: Xuan Hoang

Thanks to the application of solutions to keep chickens warm, 142 chicken farms in Dien Trung commune, Dien Chau district develop well in winter. Therefore, this locality has chicken meat and eggs to supply the market all year round.