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GrowingMeatChickens
Thisextensivewebpagecoversallaspectsofmeatchickenfarming,fromthearrivaloftheoneday
oldchicksfromthehatcheryatthefarmtowhenthebirdsreachthemarketweight.Thevarious
sectionscanbeaccesseddirectlybyclickingontherelevantheadinginthelistingbelow:

BroilerFarm
Hatcherytofarm
Shedding
Rearingthechickens
Harvestingthemeatchickens
Cleanout
NumberofBatchesaYear
FarmBiosecurity
GrowthRates
Feed
Mainfarmingandprocessingmethods:whatarethemaindifferences
Freerangeandorganicchickenproduction
ComparisonTableoftheMainCommercialMeatChickenFarmingSystems
KeepingFlocksHealthy
Vaccination
HygieneandBiosecurity
Coccidiosis
NecroticEnteritis
TherapeuticUseofAntibiotics
Metabolicdiseases

BroilerFarm
Mostcommercialmeatchickenfarmsareintensive,highlymechanisedoperationsthatoccupy
relativelysmallareascomparedwithotherformsoffarming.
Commercialbroilersarerunonlitter(e.g.ricehulls,woodshavings)floorsinlargepoultrysheds.
THEYARENOTKEPTINCAGESinalloftheproductionsystemsusedintheindustry.Themain
productionsystemsaregenerallyreferredtoasconventional,freerangeandorganic.Forasimple

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mail:

acmf@chicken.org.au

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comparisonofthesesystems,clickhere.
Hatcherytofarm
Chicksaretransportedfromthehatcherytobroilerfarms,usuallyinventilatedchickboxesin
speciallydesigned,airconditionedtrucks.Althoughtheremainsofyolksactakenintoitsabdomen
athatchingcontainsnutrientsandmoisturetosustainthechickforupto72hours,itisimportant
thatchicksreceivewarmth,feedandwaterwithinareasonabletimeofhatching.
Shedding
Meatchickensarefarmedinlargeopenpoultryhouses,usuallyreferedtoassheds,housesor
barns,butsometinesasunits.Shedsizesvary,butatypicalnewshedis150meterslongand15
meterswideandholdsabout40,000adultchickens.Thelargershedscancontainupto60,000
broilerchickens.Thereareoftenthreetenshedsontheonefarm.Atypicalnewfarmwouldhouse
approximately320,000chickens,witheightshedsholdingapproximately40,000chickens/each.

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Level7,122WalkerStreet
NORTHSYDNEY
POBox579,NorthSydneyNSW2059
Phone:

0299294077

Fax:

0299250627

E
mail:

acmf@chicken.org.au
ABN24077883026

Traditionally,broilershedsinAustraliahavebeennaturallyventilated,withthesidesoftheshed
opentofreshair.Theamountofaircirculatingthroughtheshedischangedbyraising/lowering
curtainsrunningalongthesideoftheshed,orbyaventopeningatthetopoftheshed.Fans
encourageairflow,andwatermistingsystemscoolbirdsbyevaporativecoolinginveryhot
conditions.
AnincreasingnumberofchickenshedsinAustraliahavetunnelventilation.Tunnelventilation
shedshavefansatoneendoftheshedwhichdrawairintotheshedthroughcoolingpadsinthe
walls,overthechickensandoutthefanendofthehouseathighspeed.Threeorfourtemperature
sensorsinthepoultryhouseallowthefan,heatingandcoolingsettingstobeadjustedasoftenas
everythreeminutes.
Feedlinesandpansrunthelengthoftheshedandaresuppliedautomaticallybysilosfromoutside.
Waterlinesrunthelengthoftheshed,withdrinkersatregularintervals.Waterandfeedareplaced
sothatchickensarenevermorethanabout2metresfromfoodandwater.

SubscribetoEUpdates

Broilerchickendrinkingfromanippledrinker

Chicksatafeedpan

Rearingthechickens
Spreadingathicklayerofcleanandfreshlitter,suchassawdust,woodshavingsorother
materialsuchasricehullsacrossthefloorforbeddingforthebird.
Preheatingtheshed
Checkingfeedandwatersystems.
Onarrivalatthebroilerfarm,dayoldchicksareplacedontotheflooroftheshed,wheretheyare
initiallyconfinedtoanareaofbetweenahalftoonethirdofthetotalshedarea(thebrooding
area)andgivensupplementaryheatingfromgasheatersorheatlamps.Thisiscalledbroodingand
theheatersarereferredtoasbrooders.Extrafeedpansandwaterdispensersareprovidedinthe
broodingarea,andthebeddingmaybepartlycoveredwithpapertostopdroppedfeedfromgetting
intothebeddingandspoiling.
Bothmaleandfemalechicksarerearedasmeatchickens.Whiletheflocksareusuallyofmixedsex,
someoperationsmaygrowmaleandfemalechickensseparately,dependingonmarket
requirements.Forexample,onecompanygrowsoutonlymalechickensinonearea,allowingits
operationsandprocessingplantinthatareatobegearedupspecificallyforlargerbirds,while
sendingfemalechickstoanotherarea.

Broilershedafterarrivalofdayoldchicks

Forthefirsttwodaysoftheflockslife,theshedtemperatureisheldat3132C,theoptimum
temperatureforbabychickcomfort,healthandsurvival.
Asthechickensgrow,theyneedlessheattokeepthemwarm,sothetemperatureoftheshedis
graduallyloweredbyabout0.5Ceachdayafterthefirsttwodays,untilitreaches2123Cat21
days.Thefarmeraimstomaintainshedtemperatureswithinthisrange,althoughinshedsoflarge
birdstowardstheendofgrowout,thetemperaturemaybereduced.
Shedtemperatureandhumiditycanbemanagedbyalteringventilationandusingstirringfansand

watermists.Airqualityisalsomanagedbyvaryingshedventilation.
Dependinguponambientconditions,thebrooderswillberemovedatsometimebetween4and14
days.
Asthechickensgrow,theareaavailabletothemisincreaseduntiltheyhavefreerunoverthefloor
oftheentireshed.
Generally,feedandcleanwaterisavailable24hoursaday,althoughsomeoperatorsmakefeed
availableatspecific'mealtimes'only.Thispracticemaystimulatebetterdigestion,improvebone
strengthandpreventbirdsfrombecomingoverfat.Forfurtherinformationonwhatchickensare
fed,seeFeed.
Thechickenshaveadequatelightingtoseebyandtofindfeedandwater,withdarkperiodseach
daytoallowthemtorest.Thelightingprovidedisusuallydimmerthannaturallightingtopromote
calm.
Shedtemperature,humidityandairqualityarecheckedandadjustedregularly,eithermanuallyby
thefarmerorautomaticallybycomputercontrollers.
Thefarmeralsocheckshisflocksregularlytomonitortheflockshealthandprogress,removeany
deadbirds,andcullanysickorinjuredones.Farmersalsocheckfeedersandwaterers.Careful
managementofventilationandwaterershelpskeepthelittercleananddry,aspoorlitteraffects
airqualityandcanaffectbirdhealthandperformance.
Overthelifeofthebroilerflockonlyabout4%ofchickensarelost.Thisisthroughnaturalcauses
orselectiveculling.
Harvestingthemeatchickens
InAustralia,apercentageofchickensareharvestedfrommostflocksonseveraloccasions.
Harvesting,alsoknownaspartialdepopulation,thinningout,ormultiplepickup,maybedoneup
tofourtimes,dependingonneedforlightorheavybirds.Thinningoutshedsallowsmorespacefor
theremainingbirdsandreducesthenaturaltemperaturesintheshed.
Thefirstharvestmightoccurasearlyas3035daysandthelastat5560days.
Chickensareoftenharvestedatnightasitiscoolerandthebirdsaremoresettled.Theyare
generallypickedupbyspecialisedcontractpickupcrewsunderlowlightingconditionssothatthey
arecalmandeasytohandle.Theyareusuallycaughtbyhandandplacedintoplasticcratesor
aluminiummodulesdesignedforgoodventilationandsafetyfrombruisingduringtransport.These
cratesormodulesarehandledbyspecialistforkliftequipmentandloadedontotrucksfortransport
totheprocessingplant.
Cleanout
Whenallthebirdshavebeenremovedfromtheshed(afterabout60days),itiscleanedand
preparedforthenextbatchofdayoldchickens.
Thenextbatchgenerallyarrivesinfivedaystotwoweeks,givingtimetocleantheshedand
prepareforthenextbatch.Thebreakalsoreducestheriskofcommonailmentsbeingpassed
betweenbatchesasmanypathogensdieoff.
Manyfarmsundertakeafullcleanoutaftereverybatch.Thisincludesremovingbedding,brushing
floors,scrubbingfeedpans,cleaningoutwaterlines,scrubbingfanbladesandotherequipment,
andcheckingrodentstations.Highpressurehosescleanthewholeshedthoroughly.Thefloorbases
areusuallyrammedearthandbecauselowwatervolumesareused,thereislittlewaterrunoff.

Theshedisdisinfected,usinglowvolumesofdisinfectantwhichissprayedthroughout.An
insecticidaltreatmentmaybeappliedinareaswhereshedinsectssuchasbeetlesareaproblem
andmaythreatenthenextbatch.Disinfectantsandinsecticidaltreatmentsmustbeapprovedbythe
AustralianPesticideandVeterinaryMedicinesAuthorityassafeandfitforuseinbroilersheds.
Companyveterinariansorservicemenmaytestshedsafterafullcleanouttoconfirmshedshave
beenadequatelycleanedandpotentialdiseaseagentsremoved.
Onotherfarms,apartialcleanupoftheshedisdone,includingremovingoldlitterand/ortopping
upfreshlitterandcleaningandsanitisingequipment.Afullcleanoutisdoneaftereverysecondor
thirdbatchofchickens.
NumberofBatchesaYear
Aseachbroilerflockspends67weeksinashedandthereisatwoweekbreakbetweenbatches,
farmersrunabout5.5batchesthroughashedeachyear.
FarmBiosecurity
Farmerstakeprecautionstoprevententryofdiseasesontobroilerfarms.
Peoplecancarrydiseaseontheirfootwear,clothing,handsandevenvehicles,sogrowerstake
stepstominimisetheriskstheypose.Thesemayinclude:
signageandgatesataccesspointstothefarmtodiscourageunauthorisedentry
requirementsforvisitorsandserviceproviderstowearoverallsandbootsprovidedbythe
farmer
disinfectingfootwearinfootwashingbathsattheentranceofeachshed
minimisingvehiclemovements,andrequiringvehiclesorequipmentthathavevisitedother
farmstobewasheddown
schedulingmovementssothatwherepeopleorvehiclesmustgobetweenfarmsonthe
samedaywithoutathoroughdisinfection,theyoungestflocksarevisitedfirstandthe
oldestlast.
Aswildbirdscancarrydisease,keepingbirdsandtheirdroppingsawayfromchickensis
important.Preventionmeasuresinclude:
nettingtheshedssotheyarewildbirdproof
notallowingfarmersandtheiremployeestokeepbirdsofanytypeincludingbudgiesor
parrotsaspets
cleaningupspilledfeedpromptlytodiscouragevisitingbirds
wherepractical,nothavingdamsthatwouldattractwaterbirds
sanitisingchickensdrinkingwaterifitcouldbecontaminatedbywildbirds(egdamorriver
water).
Farmershavedocumentedpestcontrolprogramstoreducetheriskofdiseasesbeing
carriedontothefarmbyrodents.
Strictrecordsarekeptbythefarmerofthechickenshealth,growthandbehaviour,sothatany
emergingdiseaseproblemcanbeidentifiedrapidlyandactedupon.

GrowthRates
Anumberoffactorsaffectthechickensgrowthrateandsizeatharvest.Theseinclude:
Breed
Ageatharvest
Feedingregime
Gender(malesgrowfaster)
Ageofparentflock(ageingflocksproducebiggereggsandthechicksfromlargereggs

growfaster)
Whydochickensgrowtomarketweightsoquickly?
Mostoftheimprovementingrowthratesoverthelast50yearsagoisduetoimprovedbreedsof
chicken.Thisgeneticgain,whichhasbeenachievedthroughconventionalselectivebreeding,isdue
to:
investmentinadvancedbreedingprogramsbythelargewellresourcedspecialistbreeding
companiesoverseas
thenumberofgenerationsthatcanbeproducedinarelativelyshortperiodoftime.
Chickensreachsexualmaturityatabout2025weeksofage,thentakeonlythreeweeksto
startproducingthenextgeneration.Eachhencanproduceupto150progenywithinayear
ofitsownhatching).
Afurtherimprovementingrowthisduetoimprovednutrition.Forcurrentmeatchickenbreeds,the
preciseprofileofnutrientssuchasenergy,protein,essentialaminoacids,vitaminsandminerals
thatthechickenneedsateachstageofitsgrowthhasbeenstudiedprecisely.Foreachfeed
ingredient,thelevelsofthesenutrientsdigestiblebythechickenhasalsobeenestablished.With
thisinformation,feedscanbeformulatedtomatchthechickensprecisenutritionalrequirements
throughoutitslifecyle,therebyoptimisinggrowth.
Othergainsmadeinmeatchickengrowthandperformanceareduetobetterhusbandrytechniques
andhealthmanagement.

Feed
Feedismadeupof8590%grains,suchaswheat,sorghum,barley,oats,lupins,soybeanmeal,
canolaandotheroilseedmealsandgrainlegumes.Forthisreason,internationalgrainpricesaffect
thecostofproductionverysignificantly.Toreadmoreaboutthesignificantproportionofwheat
andgrainmoregenerallythatisbeingpurchasedbytheAustralianchickenmeatindustry,click
here.Youwilllearnthat5%ofgrainsgrowninAustraliaarepurchasedbyourindustry.
Hormonesarenotaddedtochickenfeedoradministeredtocommercialmeatchickensorbreeders
inAustralia.Hormonesupplementationisapracticethathasbeenbannedinternationallyforforty
years.ThebanissupportedbytheAustralianChickenMeatFederation(seeACMFhormonepolicy).
Meatchickendietsareformulatedtostrictnutritionalstandards.Aroughguidetothespecifications
ofsomeofthekeynutrientsneededbyagrowingmeatchickenis:
NutrientSpecificationofaBroilerDiet(Grower)

Energy

13MJ/kg

CrudeProtein

20.5%

Lysine(digestible)

1.1%

Totalsulphuraminoacids(digestible)

0.7%

Calcium

0.9%

Phosphorous(available)

0.4%

Sodium

0.2%

Chloride

0.2%

Theoptimumandmosteconomicalcombinationoffeedingredientsthatmeetsthestrictnutritional
specificationsatanyparticulartimeisselectedbyleastcostformulationcomputerprograms.The
dietaryformulationwillthereforevarywithchangesintheavailability,priceandqualityofspecific

feedingredients,thelocationandseasonandtheageofanyparticularbroilerflock.Forexample,
dietsfedtomeatchickensinthesoutheasternstateswillpredominantlybebasedonwheat,
whereassorghumprovidesagreatercontributiontothedietofmeatchickensinQueenslandand
lupinswillnormallyonlyenterthedietsinWAandSA.
Generallyspeaking,cerealgrainsprovidetheenergycomponentofthediet,andsoyabeanmeal,
canolamealandmeatandbonemealprimarilyprovidetheprotein.Insomeareas,grainlegumes
suchaslupinsareusedasacomponentofbroilerdietswheretheyhavethedualroleofsupplying
energyandprotein.Vegetableoilsoranimalfats(suchastallow)mightbeincludedinthedietto
provideadditionalenergy.
Meatchickenshaveveryspecificrequirementsforparticularaminoacids,whicharethebuilding
blocksofproteins.Theaminoacidslysineandmethioninearealsoaddedtodietsbecausetheyare
generallynotpresentinsufficientamountsinthegrainsandproteinsourcestomeetthenutritional
needsofthebirds.Meatchickendietsarealsofortifiedwithadditionalvitaminsandmineralsand,
wherenecessary,otheressentialaminoacidstoensurethatthebroilersverypreciserequirements
forthesenutrientsaremet.
Atypicalbroilerfeedmightlooksomethinglikethefollowing.
CompositionofaTypicalBroilerFeed

Wheat

45.0

Sorghum

25.0

SoyabeanMeal

12.0

CanolaMeal

8.0

Meat&BoneMeal

7.0

Tallow

2.0

Lysine

0.3

Methionine

0.2

Vitamins&TraceMinerals

0.5

TOTAL

100

Asthechicksgrow,thecompositionandformofthefeedischangedtomatchtheirchanging

nutritionalneedsandincreasingmouthsize.Thestarterfeed,whichisinsmallcrumblesjustbig
enoughforbabychickstoeat,isreplacedwithgrowerfeedassoonastheyarelargeenoughtoeat
fullyformedpellets.Afterabout25days,thechickensmoveontoafinisherfeed,andthenoften
toawithdrawalfeedjustbeforeharvest.
AlmostallbroilerfeedusedinAustraliathesedaysissteampelleted(incrumbleform,inthecase
ofbabychickfeeds).Ingredientsareground,mixedtogether,steamconditionedandcompressed
intobeaksized,wellformedpellets.Thehightemperaturesappliedinpelletingkillmanybacteria
thatmaybeinthefeedingredients,essentiallysterilisingthefeed.Somecompaniesincludewhole
grainmixedwithpellets.
Feedisdeliveredinbulktogrowingfarmsbymoderntrucksincorporatingpressurisedblowerunits,
rangingincapacityfrom20to35tonnes.Thefeedisstoredinsilosonsiteanddispensed
mechanicallytochickensinthesheds.
Aflowdiagramoftheprocessesinvolvedinthemanufactureofchickenfeedinatypical,large
Australianfeedmillisbelow.

Mainfarmingandprocessingmethods:whatarethemaindifferences
Thedescriptionofferedaboverepresentswhatwegenerallycalltheconventionalfarmingmethod.
Chickensareraisedinlargeenclosedbarnswithlitter(woodshavings,ricehulletc)onthefloor.
Theolderstylefarmshavesome"soft"sidewalls(calledcurtains)whichallowadegreeofcontrol
overairmovementandtemperaturewithintheshed.Modernshedsaregenerallyofthetunnel
ventilatedtype,withsolidwalls,largefansplacedatoneendoftheshedandairinletsattheother
endwhichdrawtheairacrosslargepadsthatcanbesoakedwithwatertogenerateevaporative
coolingoftheair.Floorsareeitherconcreteorcompressedclaysoiltoallowthoroughcleaning
betweenbatchesofchickens(allchickensareremovedfromashedandtheshediscleanedand
disinfectedbeforethenextbatchofonedayoldchicksisdelivered).Thebreakofseveraldays
betweenthefullygrownbirdsbeingpickedupandthenewbatchofdayoldsbeingplacedisan

importantaspectinourefforttomaintainthechickensfreeofdiseaseandcontamination.
Conventionallyproducedchickenrepresentsabout90%ofthetotalproductioninAustralia.Free
rangechickenmakesuptheremainder,withcertifiedorganicbeingafreerangesystemwithsome
additionalfeatures.
Freerangeandorganicchickenproduction
Freerangechickenmeataccountsfor10to15%ofchickenproduced,withlessthan1%ofthe
totalproductionalsobeingorganic.
Freerangemeatchickensareproducedusingsimilarmanagement,housingandfeedingpractices
asconventionalmeatchickens.Themajordifferencesarethatfreerangechickensareallowed
accesstoanoutsiderunforpartofeachday(atleastpostthebroodingperiod)andoftenhave
lowertargetstockingdensities.Dependingontheaccreditationprogramadheredto,useof
antibioticstotreatsickbirdsmayprecludethemeatfromthesebirdsbeingsoldasfreerange.
ThemaincertifieroffreerangechickenmeatinAustraliaisFreeRangeEggandPoultryAustralia
Ltd(FREPA).Thestandardsthatfreerangemeatchickensmustcomplywithtobecertifiedby
FREPAcanbeviewedatwww.frepa.com.au.Thereisalsoan"outdoorsystems"RSPCA

AccreditedFarmingSchemeStandarddetailsareavailableontheRSPCAwebsite.
Certifiedorganicmeatchickenshavetwoadditionalrequirements:

Feedmustbepredominantlyfromcertifiedorganicingredients.
Birdscannotbetreatedwithroutinevaccination.Thereareexceptions,suchaswhere
treatmentisrequiredbylawordiseasecannotbecontrolledwithorganicmanagement
practices.
Certifiedorganicchickenmeatbearsacertificationlogofromanapprovedorganisation.Please
seekmoredetailedinformationfromtherelevantaccreditationbody.
Notethatatpresentchickenmeatcanbedescribedasorganicwithoutbeingcertifiedbyan
organicassociation.Thereforeitisimportanttolookforarelevantcertificationandtoseek
detailedinformationontheactualrequirementsmandatedbytherelevantstandardfromthe
organisationadministratingthestandard.
ComparisonTableoftheMainCommercialMeatChickenFarmingSystems

Ifchickenmeatissold
as:

Conventional

FreeRangeor
OutdoorSystems

CertifiedOrganic

Keptincages

No

No

No

Housedinlargebarns

Yes

Yes

Yes

Accesstooutdoorforage
areas

No

Yes.Requiredonce
chicksareadequately
feathered

Yes.Requiredonce
chicksareadequately
feathered

duringdaytime

2840kg/m2depending 1634kg/m2depending
StockingDensityMaximum onthestandardofthe onthestandardofthe
(insidethebarns)
ventilationprovidedin ventilationprovidedin
barns
barns

25kg/m2

Ageofbirdsatharvest

3555days

3555days

6580days

Givengrowthhormones

No

No

No

Dependson
accreditationprogram
(undersome
No(ifantibioticsare
standards,ifantibiotics required,cannolonger
arerequired,meat
besoldasorganic)
maynolongerbesold
asfreerange)

Maybegivenantibioticsfor
prophylacticand/or
therapeuticpurposes

Yes

Feedconsistsmainlyof
grains

Yes

Yes

Yes

Feedmaycontain
supplementssuchas
vitaminsandaminoacids

Yes

Yes

Yes

Feedhastocomefrom
organicproduction(no
chemicalfertilizers,
pesticidesandherbicides
used)

No

No

Yes

Yes,toalimitedextent
(soymealisnot
availableinsufficient
quantitiesfromlocal
sourcesandimported
soymealmaycontain
GMgrain)

No

Yes

Yes

Yes,toalimitedextent
(soymealisnot
availableinsufficient
UseofGMproductsinfeed quantitiesfromlocal
sourcesandimported
soymealmaycontain
GMgrain)
ModelCodeofPracticefor
theWelfareofAnimals
applies

Yes

Mostchickensare
Monitoredby
Accreditationprovided
grownundercontract
organisationsthat
byorganization
Controlsinplacetoensure toprocessorsandthe accreditfarmssuchas
approvedbythe
farmsaresupervised
FREPAandRSPCA AustralianQuarantine
adherencetothese
bytheprocessors
commentunder
standards
InspectionService

farmingmanagerand
vet

Conventionalalso
applieshere

independentlyaudited

Note:Chickenmarketedas"chemicalfree"comesfrombirdsraisedinaconventionalmanner.The
differenceisintheprocessingplantwherenochlorineisused,Inmostprocessingplantsin
Australia,chickencarcasesareplacedinawaterandicemixturetowashthecarcassesandtocool
themtobelow5degreesCelsius.Thiswaterisgenerallysanatizedbytheadditionofchlorineat
levelsof35ppmtocontrolmicrobialcontaminationsuchasSalmonellaandCampylobacterthat
occurnaturallyonmeat.
_______________________________________
Cornfedandgrainfedchickenisproducedasthenameindicatesbyfeedingchickensa
substantialdietofcornresp.grain.Allchickensarefedgrainsasamajorpartoftheirdiet.In
Australia,thegrainismainlywheatandsorghum.Thegrainsusedwilldependonthelocal
availabilitysothatintheUS,forexample,cornisthestapleingredientratherthanwheat.Cornfed
chickentendstohaveaslightlyyellowappearance.
Thechemicalfreelabelreferstoadifferenceintheprocessing,notthefarming.Asexplainedin
thefootnotetothetableabove,itindicatesthatnochlorinatedwaterhasbeenusedinthe
processingplant,withwaterbeingsanitizedbyexposuretoUVlightratherthanadditionof
chlorine,andcarcassesbeingcooledbyexposuretoacoldairstreamratherthananicedwater
bath.
Finally,theclaims"noaddedhormones"and"nocages"APPLYTOALLCHICKENMEAT
SOLDINAUSTRALIAregardlessofthefarmingsystem.Theclaim"producedin
Australia"isapplicabletoalmostallchickenmeatsoldinAustralia.Smallquantitiesof
cookedchickenmeatisbeingimportedfromNewZealandandretorted(e.g.canned)products
containingchickenmayalsobeimported.

KeepingFlocksHealthy
Increasingly,theemphasisinflockhealthprogramisonpreventionratherthantreatment.
Vaccination,farmhygieneandbiosecurityarethemostimportantstrategiestokeepflockshealthy.
Forpoultrydiseasescausedbyviruses,theyaretheonlyusefulstrategies.
Forsomediseasestheseapproachesareinsufficient,unavailableoruneconomical(seeCoccidiosis
andNecroticEnteritislater)andothermethodsofcontrolarenecessaryatthispointintime.
Inunusualcircumstanceswhereabacterialdiseasehasflaredandallothermanagementstrategies
havefailed,theveterinarianwilltreatthebirdswithanimalfriendlyantibiotics(seeTherapeutic
UseofAntibiotics).

Vaccination
Breederflockswillbevaccinatedagainstarangeofdiseasesduringtheirlifetime.Theactual
diseasesvaccinatedagainst,vaccinesusedandprogramandtimingofvaccinationswillvaryfor
eachcompany.
GreatGrandparents,themostvaluablebirds,areusuallyvaccinatedforinfectiousbronchitis,
Mareksdisease,infectiouslaryngotracheitis,infectiousbursaldisease,chickenanaemiavirus,
inclusionbodyhepatitis,Newcastlediseaseandfowlpoxandmayalsobevaccinatedagainstegg
dropsyndromeMycoplasmagallisepticum,Mycoplasmasynoviaeandcoccidiosis.
GrandparentandParentbreederflockswillbevaccinatedagainstasimilarrangeofdiseases,

andsomemaybevaccinatedforfowlcholeraandSalmonellaaswell.Breederflocksarevaccinated,
notonlytoprotecttheirownhealthandproductivity,butinmanycasestoprovideprotectionfor
theirprogenychicksthroughtheantibodiespassedonintheyolksac.Thisisparticularlyimportant
inthecaseofinfectiousbursaldisease,forwhichprotectionofbroilerflocksislargelydependent
onmaternalantibodies.
Bloodtestsareusedtomonitortheeffectivenessofvaccination.Somecompanieshavetheirown
laboratories,whileothersuseuniversity,governmentorprivatediagnosticlaboratories.
ChicksaregenerallyvaccinatedforinfectiousbronchitisandMareksdisease.AsNewcastledisease
vaccinationiscompulsoryforallcommercialpoultryflocks,broilerchicksarevaccinatedatthe
hatcheryorinthefieldthroughdrinkingwaterat714daysofage.

HygieneandBiosecurity
Farmhygieneandbiosecuritypracticesareimplementedatbothbreederandbroilerfarmsto
reducetheriskofdiseasemovingontofarmsfromoutsidesourcessuchaswildbirdsorother
farms,movingbetweenshedsonthesamefarm,beingcarriedoverbetweenbatchesinashed,or
beingpassedfromparentsviatheegg.
ThesearediscussedinmoredetailatFarmBiosecurityandHygieneunderBreederFarmsandat
CleanoutandFarmBiosecurityunderBroilerFarm.Farmersadheretotheproceduresdocumented
intheNationalBiosecurityManualforContractMeatChickenFarming,whichisavailablefromthe
ACMFwebsite.
Goodhygieneinthehatcheryhelpstoreducethechancesofinfectionsbeingpickedupbychicks
whiletheyareinthehatchery.
Measuresarealsotakenatthefeedmilltoreducetheriskofanydiseaseagentsandother
pathogens,particularlySalmonella,fromgettingintochickenfeedfromfeedingredientsorfrom
contaminationofthefinishedfeed.

Coccidiosis
Coccidiosisisasignificantandcommondiseaseofallpoultryallovertheworld.Itiscausedbya
parasitewhichinfectsthegutofthechickencausingdiarrhoeaandsignificantproductionlosses
andmortalities.
Itistreatedbytheuseofcoccidiostats.Ascoccidiosisisextremelycommoninallpoultryraisedon
theground,coccidiostatsareroutinelyincludedinchickenfeed.

NecroticEnteritis
NecroticenteritisiscausedbytheovergrowthofabacteriacalledClostridiumperfringensinthegut
and,whentriggered,ahighproportionoftheflockcandie.Thisconditioniscontrolledbya
combinationofdietarymanagementandtheprophylacticandtargeteduseofoneoffourpossible
antibiotics,deliveredinthefeed.
FormoreinformationontheuseofsuchproductsseeAntibioticsunderConsumerIssues.

TherapeuticUseofAntibiotics
Antibioticuseisimportantinchickenmeatproductiontoensuretheoverallhealthandwellbeingof
chickens.OnlyantibioticsapprovedbyAustraliasregulatoryauthoritiesandadministeredin
accordancewithstrictregulatoryguidelinesareused.TheAustralianChickenMeatFederation
recommendstheuseofantibioticsinfarmanimalsintwoimportantways:
therapeuticagents(usedtotreatthesymptomsofabacterialinfection)

prophylactic(preventative)agents(usedtopreventdiseaseoccurringinhealthyanimals).
Antibioticsareusuallydeliveredviadrinkingwater,notinfeed.Onlyaveterinariancanauthorise
andsupervisethesetreatments.
TheantibioticpolicyoftheAustralianChickenMeatFederationstatesthat:
Antibioticsmustnotbeusedtopromotegrowthinchickens
Antibioticsareonlytobeusedfortherapeuticorpreventativetreatmentsagainstserious
diseasessuchasnecroticenteritis.
Antibioticsthatareconsideredimportantforhumanusearenottobeusedinpreventative
treatmentsofchickens.
Antibioticsmustbeusedunderveterinarysupervisionandaccordingtogoodveterinary
practice.
Atalltimeswithholdingperiodssetbyregulatoryauthoritiesmustbeobserved.
TheindustrysupportstheAustralianGovernmentsNationalResidueSurvey,whichconducts
regularindependentchecksofresiduesofantibioticsinchickenmeatandconsistently
showsthatAustralianchickenmeatdoesnotcontainresiduesofantibiotics.
FormoreinformationontheuseofsuchproductsseeAntibioticsunderConsumerIssues.

Metabolicdiseases
Someconditionsarenotinfectiousbutcanaffectthehealthofmeatchickensandresultinlosses.
Thesecanbecausedbyintoxications,suchasthroughtheconsumptionofsmallquantitiesoffungal
toxinsbroughtintothefeedthroughgrains,orbemetabolicinorigin.
Intoxicationsaremanagedbytheindustrythroughthecarefulscreeningandsometimestreatment
ofrawingredientsandthroughcarefulfeedformulationpractices.
Fortunately,theincidenceofmetabolicconditions,suchasskeletaldeformitiesandheartattacks,
hasdeclinedtoverylowlevelsinrecentyears,largelyduetogeneticselectionforreduced
susceptibility.
Furthermore,researchintotheenvironmentalandnutritionalfactorsthatpredisposetothese
conditionshasledtothedevelopmentandadoptionofenlightenednutritionalandhusbandry
practicesdesignedtopreventtheemergenceofsuchconditions.

Copyright2013AustralianChickenMeatFederationInc.