MANAGEMENT
The care and management of birds through is not much different in different systems, vary with different stages of bird. Thus the care and management of birds are the same in the two poultry keeping systems, but except that frequent removal of dropping and cleaning of poultry house, is required in cage system. The routine farm opera­tions are different during brooding period, growing period and laying period as the requirements are different in different stages of the birds life. They are given below:

A. Brooding period (0 - 8 weeks)
This is the most crucial and difficult period in the management of birds. Brooding and rearing of chicks is really an art, based largely on practical experience. For efficient brooding of chicks, the following guide lines are to be followed:
Preparation of brooder house

1. Before the arrival of chicks:
i) Remove all equipment (Brooders, feeders, waterers etc..) and old litter from the brooder house.
ii) Thoroughly clean and disinfect the brooder house by scraping and removing all dirt from floor, walls, wire netting, roof etc. wash all surfaces with 40% caustic soda (sodium hydroxide), white wash wall
and roof, use a flame gun for metal fittings and hard to reach positions. Do all repair work. Spray Malathion or lysol and keep the house vacant for 3 or 4 weeks.
iii) Thoroughly clean and disinfect brooders, feeders, waterers, etc. (with a detergent and warm water followed by dipping in potassium permanganate solution and sun dry).
iv) Put about 8 cm layer of clean, fresh, dry litter material (paddy husk, saw dust, or a mixture of both).
v) Arrange the brooder fitted with electric bulbs to provide about 2 watts per chick, the feeders and waterers alternately around the edge of brooder.
vi) Provide a 45 cm. high chick guard around the brooder about 60 to 90 cm away from the edge of the brooder so that the chicks do not stay away from the source of heat.
vii) Keep the house well-ventilated, avoiding draughts.
viii) Start the brooders 24 hrs. before the arrival of chicks and check frequently to make sure that 95o F tem­perature is maintained under the brooder about 5 cm. above the litter level.

2) On arrival of chicks:
i) Receive the chicks promptly, bring them immediately to the farm and release under the brooder kept readily running.
ii) Check the number of chicks and the instructions if any sent along with the chicks, Make sure they are vaccinated.
iii) Provide fresh starter-ration (spread on a paper for 2 or 3 days and after that in the feeders) and clean water all the time.
iv) Observe chicks frequently during day and night to see whether the temperature is optimum and chicks are comfortable and they are able to locate feed and water. If the temperature is more, the chicks will remain away from the brooder and start panting; if less, they will crowd near the source of heat; but when heat is optimum, they evenly spread out and will feel comfortable.
v) Pull the card board guards from the brooder (by 50 cm) each day and remove after 7 to 10 days.
vi) Reduce the brooder temperature by 5o F every week and remove the brooder after 6 weeks.
vii) Provide continuous light during brooding period. For 9 m2 area, one 40 watt bulb kept at 2m. height with 30 cm. reflector is sufficient.
viii) Grade the chicks once or twice in a month or at least when the chicks are handled for vaccination, debeaking etc. Small chicks are looked after separately to avoid culls at pullet stage.
ix) Cary out vaccination as per recommended pro­gramme (Table IV ). Debeaking may be done any time during 2nd week.
x) Isolate sick birds and take care of them separately; carry out post-mortem of dead birds to diagnose; take adequate control measures to prevent the spread of disease in the flock, by disposing off the dead birds properly by burning or burial.

B Grower-period:
i) Clean the grower house and disinfect as in case of brooder house and keep ready with fresh litter, clean feeders and Waterers.
ii) Transfer the chicks during early hours without much, stress. Remove all culls, weak chicks, cockerals etc. if any.
iii) Provide dimlight for 3 to 4 days and then discontinue.
iv) Change the starter feed to grower feed gradually and provide clean water all the time.
v) vaccinate the birds according to the recommendation, deworm the birds once in a month with Helmacide @ 2ml/lit of water.
vi) Inspect a few birds regularly for checking thc external parasites. Isolate sick birds and take care of them separately. Dispose off dead birds properly after post-mortem examination to diagnose the disease so that preventive measures can be taken to save the flock.

C layer period:
i) Clean the layer house and disinfect as in case of brooder house and keep ready with fresh litter, clean feeders, waterers and nests. Ensure enough clean feed and clean water.
ii) The pullets are to be transferred to layer house a few weeks before laying starts. Deworm the birds at least one week earlier to transfer.
iii) Transfer the birds preferably in the early hours, culls are to be removed during transfer.
iv) The feeders and waterers are well distributed in the pen for easy access to birds. Adjust the height of the feeders to the level of the Back of birds when standing to avoid feed wastage.
v) Change the grower feed to layer feed slowly.
vi) Provide enough nest boxes with clean litter material and collect eggs from the nests about 4 to 5 times a day. Pick out an floor eggs immediately so as to discourage floor laying.
vii) Check a few birds periodically for external parasites and take control measures if required. Deworm the birds once in a month, but must be avoided during peak production.
viii) Regularly remove obvious culls, non-layers broody­ hens, diseased /injured birds, etc.
ix) Carry out post-mortem of dead birds to diagnose disease so that timely control measures can be taken to save the flock. Dispose off the dead birds properly by burning or by burial to prevent disease spread.