In Côte d'Ivoire, the rainy season does not give warning: sudden downpours, air heavy with humidity, cooler nights. For a chick rearing operation, it is a real-life test. Here’s how to adapt your farming practices without disrupting your fundamentals.
The number 1 enemy of the season: humidity
Everything that the NEXTEKCI guide asks to keep dry becomes harder to keep dry:
- the litter: check it several times a day during the rainy season. Wet litter cools the chicks from the ground and threatens their legs and breathing. Replace wet areas without delay;
- the feed: store it elevated, dry, protected from infiltration and rodents;
- the surroundings of the room: avoid stagnant puddles against the walls, which always end up seeping in.
Heat: beware of nights and cold snaps
After a heavy rain, the temperature drops quickly, especially at night. However, a day-old chick does not yet regulate its temperature. Be extra vigilant about the heat source and rely on the behaviour of the flock: chicks huddled together = cold, away from the source = too hot, well distributed = correct. In the rainy season, the evening check is not optional.
Ventilate without drafts: the delicate balance
Completely closing the room to block the rain seems logical, but a confined and humid room becomes unhealthy. The guide's objective remains valid: a room that keeps the temperature stable without drafts, but that breathes. Protect the openings from the prevailing wind and driving rain, without suffocating the airflow.
The roof and access points: check before, not during
A leak above the living area of the flock, and it’s the litter, heat, and health that suffer overnight. Before each flock during the rainy season, inspect the roof, gutters, and thresholds. Also plan access to the delivery point on the day of delivery: in the rain, arrive equipped to protect the boxes during the final journey.
Biosecurity, even stricter
Mud and runoff water carry everything we don’t want in a chick rearing operation. Dedicated shoes are mandatory, hand washing, limited visitors: the usual rules, applied with even more rigor.
The rain should not delay your project: NEXTEKCI departures on Mondays and Thursdays continue all year round. For advice tailored to your room and area, send your photos on WhatsApp to +225 05 44 83 27 79: our team will respond, rain or shine.