Production of broilers

Breeding

The breeding and hatching of chicks requires parent stock that has been selectively
bred from grandparent stock.

Specialist breeding companies continuously improve their breeding lines to select for
a large range of positive and healthy traits. For example, growth/meat yield and the
efficiency with which birds convert feed to meat are critical, but breeders also look
for egg production, fertility traits and resistance to disease and metabolic conditions.

Characteristics
the important characteristics selected for in broilers are growth rate, feed conversion
and carcass processing characteristics. The modern commercial broiler strains are
capable of achieving live weights of 2.8 kg at 49 days of age with feed conversion of
less than 1.9 kg of feed per kg of live weight.

The significance of further processing to the chicken meat industry should also ensure
that the meat to bone ratio of broilers at fixed body weights is increasing and that
birds will generally become larger to capture efficiencies in boning out and further
processing. Mortality in broiler flocks currently averages about 4-5%, and it is
estimated that this will decline to between 2-3%, as metabolic diseases and issues of
immunological competence are clarified.

Brooding and hatching

The most common sources of heat for small flocks are electric brooder lamps and
liquid propane gas or natural gas brooder stoves.

The temperature of the brooding area should be 32°C (90°F) at chick height when
placing broiler chicks. Temperature of the brooding area should be reduced gradually
by 3°C (5°F) per week until 21°C (70°F) is reached. Turkey poults must be brooded at
a higher temperature, i.e. 35°C (95°F). The same 3°C per week reduction can be
followed.

Preheat the brooding area a couple of days before the hens arrive to ensure that the
litter is heated to the proper temperature. Cold floors can weaken a bird's immune
system. A higher incidence of ascites or water belly has been recorded when birds are
brooded on cold floors.

Preheating the brooding area will allow growers to ensure that all equipment is
functioning properly and permit time to buy parts it necessary. Have the waterers
filled with room temperature water when the birds arrive. If a gas brooder stove is
being used, be sure that there is plenty of fresh air in the brooding area.
Finally, observe the flock carefully. They are your best thermometer. Huddled birds

1
are too cold, and birds that are panting and crowding against the brooder guard are too
hot. If the temperature is ideal, the flock will be evenly spaced over the entire
brooding area.

Order fertilized eggs from a hatchery or from poultry farmers. The eggs should be
medium sized and free from holes or cracks. If you are breeding chickens, the best
way for the eggs to hatch is to allow the hens to sit on them, this is called setting. And
other alternative method of hatching is by using an incubator; a forced-air incubator is
large, great for large numbers of eggs and has a fan. A still-air incubator is smaller,
hatches a fewer number of eggs and does not have a fan. Most experts prefer a forced-
air incubator.

The Eggs and the Incubator

Place the eggs into an incubator. The temperature will naturally go down in the
incubator for the first few hours. Do not adjust the temperature for the first 48 hours
after setting the eggs. The incubation period is about 21 days.

Do not help any of the chicks out of the shells once the eggs start hatching. Chicks
need to work their own way out of the egg for proper maturity. Clean the incubator
after the eggs have hatched and before reusing the incubator.

Rearing and housing

Chickens are grown to processing weight in enclosed sheds where ventilation is

provided by either natural cross ventilation across the shed width, fully enclosed
sheds with extractor fans on one side, or the modern tunnel ventilated sheds. The floor
is covered with litter material, usually rice hulls or wood shavings, while feed and
water are available ad lib.

Feed is provided automatically via an auger system in regularly spaced pans while
water is most commonly supplied through a nipple system. Birds are grown to an age
ranging from 5-8 weeks and birds are collected at intervals within this period
depending on the weights of the birds and the demands of the processor.

Following the removal of all birds, the litter bedding is removed, sheds are cleaned
and disinfected, and fresh litter is applied, to decrease the risk of disease in
preparation for the following batch of chickens.

They are slaughtered at around 10 months old when their peak egg production is past
Houses should have a uniform level of light and if behavioral problems, such as
cannibalism, occurs then it recommended the lights are dimmed for a few days.
Artificial light should be given for at least 8 hours a day for those with no access to
daylight and 30 minutes of darkness must be given each day so the birds become used
to total darkness and help prevent panic in the event of a power failure.

Birds are closely packed and have little space to move around in. The current
recommended maximum stocking density is stated as 34 kg of bird per square meter

2
(up to 17 chickens per square meter). This means each bird has an area of around
0.05m², similar in size to an A4 sheet of paper. .

Feeding and nutrition

For successful broiler production a chick requires good bodyweight, with excellent
nutritional reserves at day old. It needs to be in excellent health with a fully
functioning immune system. From this starting point, providing the broiler with
suitable environment and nutrition will enable optimal performance to be achieved.

The developing embryo and the hatched chick are completely dependent for their
growth and development on nutrients deposited in the egg. Consequently the
physiological status of the chick at hatching is greatly influenced by the nutrition of
the breeder hen.

A normally-maturing chick (i.e., breeds which mature in about 6 months, such as

egg-layers) will eat about 2 pounds of starter feed in its first 6 weeks of life. A
Cornish-cross breed, however, which is used for meat, will need about 8 pounds of
starter feed in its first 6 weeks of life. (These breeds are bred to grow extremely
rapidly, and are harvested at 2 months of age).

Feeding birds on range

Range cannot provide a complete diet for birds. Pullets that get the green feed of the
range need the additional nutrients of a growing ration. Mash or pellets usually are fed
in one hopper and grain is fed in another.

Some poultry men use pellets for range feeding, because the larger particles are less
subject to blowing out of feeders.

You need about four inches of feeder space per bird. Plan to have enough so all birds
(of any age) can eat at the same time. Feeders and waterers should be raised as the
birds get older. The top of the feeder side should be raised to at least the level of the
bird's back as it stands (in a normal position) on the floor. The birds should have to
reach up and over the edge of the feeder. This will help prevent feed wastage.

Nutrition level

When considering nutrient levels in breeder feeds, the nutritionist must focus on the
daily supply of individual nutrients to the bird. Starting with protein, studies have
shown that the protein levels fed to breeders in production can affect chick
bodyweight and final broiler performance. The relationship between protein content
of breeder feed and chick weight seems well defined.

It is recommended that your basic ration be a mixed feed purchased at a poultry feed
store. Broilers need a mixture with a 15 percent protein level.

The impact of energy content of the breeder feed is not as well defined as that of
protein. When considering energy, attention must also be given to fat composition and

3
in particular to the requirement for unsaturated fats such as linoleic acid. This
essential fatty acid is required for cell membrane integrity, immune competence and
embryonic development, therefore directly affecting chick quality. In practical terms,
the inclusion of added fats into breeder feeds should be kept low, with preference for
unsaturated fats rather than saturated fats.

The major minerals, especially calcium, phosphorous, sodium, potassium, magnesium

and chloride are involved in shell formation; improvements in shell quality generally
lead to better egg and chick quality. Variations in maternal phosphorous supply have
been shown to influence bone ash of young but not older progeny. It is important to
supply adequate phosphorus in breeder diets to ensure best possible bone integrity in
the early stages of chick growth.

Vitamins are involved in most metabolic processes and are an integral part of foetal
development, therefore the consequence of suboptimal levels of these nutrients in
commercial diets are known to result in negative responses to both parent and
offspring performance. The influence of increased vitamin levels fed to young parent
stock on progeny performance is an area which has received significant commercial
interest. Internal and field trials have shown that increased vitamin levels (mainly B
Vitamins and Vitamin E) improved livability and early growth. A practical basis for
making recommendations is to feed vitamin levels that maximise the resulting level in
the egg.

Health care and disease control

Remember following points to prevent diseases in broilers.

A hygiene programme is fundamental to successful broiler production. Following

control and preventive measure should be taken for healthy broiler production.

 Start with disease-free chicks.

 Vaccine chicks against Ranikhet and Marek’s disease at the hatchery.
 Use effective drugs in the feed, or a vaccination programme to prevent
coccidiosi.
 Keep feed free from aflatoxin.
 Do not allow visitors or attendants inside the broiler house unless they wear
disinfected boots and clean clothing.
 When there are several age groups on the farm, always care for the youngest
birds first while performing daily routine works.
 Rework built-up litter. When built-up litter is used, all caked and wet litter
should be removed and replaced with fresh, clean litter before chicks arrive.
 Cover floor with clean litter at least 3 in. deep after each clean out, Wood
shavings, rice hulls, straws cut into small pieces are suitable litter materials.

For keeping good hygienic condition in broiler housing following managemantal

practices are followed

1. Poultry house temperature

4
On the first week 95o F is quite comfortable. This may be reduced at the rate of 5o F
weekly until 7 o F is reached on the sixth week. When chicks circle, wide, it is too hot.
If they tend to crowd, under the hover it is too cool. In either case, adjustment is
needed immediately.

2. Ventilation of Broiler house

The main functions of ventilation are to maintain Oxygen, keep CO2 at low level,
remove dust or moisture and ammonia from the house and maintain required
temperature. Air movement requirements are best determined by observing bird
comfort, litter condition, and odour build up. If necessary exhaust fan may be used.

3. Lighting for Broilers

Use of night lights, about 15 watts to each 200 square feet of floor area during early
growing period. Growing chicks in semi-darkness by using red bulb keeps the chicks
quiet, prevents cannibalism, and may have a slight effect on feed efficiency. Most
broiler growers provide light in the brooder 24 hours a day throughout the entire
growing period. One 60 watt bulb for each 200 square feet of floor space.

4. Floor space requirement

Broilers will require from 0.8 to 1.0 square of floor space per bird.

5. Debeaking

In addition to preventing cannibalism, debeaking usually lessens mash feed wastage.

Electric debeakers are now available and chicks can be debeaked after they are only
one day old.

By: Dr. Abdurrahman Said Abdurrahman