Basic information

The purpose of broiler management is to provide a proper condition that can ensure the optimum performance of the birds. Given reasonable conditions, brooding hens are very successful at hatching their chicks, but good hatch ability using artificial incubation (both large and small) relies on careful management of temperature, humidity, ventilation, position and egg turning

This has to do with the maintenance of their cage, the lighting system or temperature, feeding, vaccination, drinking system, disposing their manure appropriate and so on are what the managing system must put in place

Broiler is a domesticated bird which is reared for the purpose of meat production either commercially or small scale in most of the countries. Now, it has been the most significant sector for employment throughout the world due to its convenient, easy doing, establish just beside the house & low investment for small scale farmers

Hence, it is being popular for rural people. But, it has the pre requisite before settling up the business otherwise, it would become the face lots of loss in this business

A part of my company's chicken house design, for reference only

Features

1. Housing

One of the major requirements for growing broilers is providing an adequate housing unit because broiler production is essentially a chick-brooding operation, the house should contain equipment so that such factors as temperature, moisture, air quality and light can be controlled easily. It should also provide for efficient installation and operation of brooding, feeding, watering and other equipment. All broiler companies require buildings with insulated roofs, side walls and end walls. Control over temperature, ventilation and air movement is necessary. Broiler houses should have planned air inlets, exhaust fans, heaters, an evaporative cooling system, thermostats and timers to provide environmental control. Houses should be capable of maintaining appropriate temperatures during the entire growing cycle, regardless of outside temperature. Colder climates require additional insulation, whereas proper air speed becomes crucial in a hot environment

2. Brooding equipment

Gas brooders are very common (L.P. or natural gas). Various types of gas furnaces are also used. The number of furnaces or brooders in the house is based on chick density and BTU output. Check with your contractor to see which brand or type heating system is preferred. Partial house brooding, a fuel conservation measure, is used by many producers. Chicks should not be restricted to less than a third of the house during the first 10 to 14 days. Additional feeders, water troughs etc., may need to be placed in the partitioned area where chicks are started. Increase feeding and watering capacity in proportion to chick density. With partial house brooding, proper ventilation is essential, as the additional concentration of chicks can rapidly cause condensation, caked litter and other problems

3. Feeding equipment

Mechanical feeders are a necessity. When properly installed and maintained, these feeders save labor and feed. Generally, two lines of pan type feeders are installed. These are placed on winches with pulleys and cables so the entire system can be raised to the ceiling during catching and clean out. If a controlled feeding program is used, pay special attention to bird density, feeder space, nutrient density and environmental conditions. The amount of time the birds are allowed to eat should increase with age. Bulk feed storage bins are also a necessary part of feeding equipment. The bins are located outside the house. An auger is used to move the feed from the bin into the house. Check with your contractor to see what capacity bulk feed trucks are used so you can buy the correct size bins. It is preferable that two feed bins be used for each house or three bins for two houses. This will allow you to change feed quickly if it becomes necessary to medicate sick birds or meet feed withdrawal requirements

4. Watering equipment

Water is an essential nutrient for broilers. It is used for heat removal, digestion and formation of body tissues. Broilers should consume approximately 1.5 to 2.0 times of water and on weight basis. A decrease in water consumption is known to substantially reduce feed consumption, which in turn can adversely affect feed conversion ratio. Contract poultry growers acknowledge the importance of providing an adequate supply of water, but improper water consumption can often occur if detailed management is not exercised during the daily operation. In the past, trough, bell and cup drinker were the primary types of water troughs used in broiler production. Currently, almost all broiler houses are equipped with nipple water troughs. Nipple drinker provides several advantages over other types of water troughs. They reduce water wastage, litter caking and condemnations and they keep water cleaner. Broilers obtain water from nipple drinker by pecking the nipple, in turn activating a pin that releases water into the bird's mouth. Nipple drinker height needs to be managed properly to ensure adequate water consumption. Optimum nipple height should be as high as birds are able to stretch their necks and drink from the end of their beaks. However, if nipple height is increased so the bird must first elevate its breast and then stretch its neck to reach the nipple, then nipple height is too high and inadequate consumption can occur. Proper nipple height becomes very important with high environmental temperatures. Water meters can serve as excellent tools to evaluate sufficient water consumption

5. Light

Light intensity should be a minimum of 20 candles (2 foot candles) in a very dark place in the planting area during the flooding phase. Post-feeding food and nutrition testing Plant testing is a useful tool to judge how chicks have successfully received food and water. Randomly select the chicks and slightly soften the harvest in the morning after laying. The plant should be soft and humble. If the crops are hard, this is an indication that the chicks are not getting enough water. If the plants are swollen and disturbed by water, the chicks do not get enough food. Indicator of good or bad flood control Seven-day weights are the most complete indicator of how successful brooding management has been. Failure to achieve the proper seven-day weights will result in poor broiler performance. The seven day weight loss regimen is four to five times the daily weight

6. Temperature

Buy a thermometer, and place it on a high chick stand away from the heat source, record daily temperatures. The average temperature for chickens should be between 40-41oc. An easy way to determine the temperature of a chicken is to place the chick’s feet on the cheek or neck. Chicken feet should feel warm, if the chicks’ feet are cold, raise the temperature in the brooder

7. Water

Significant changes in water use should be investigated regularly as they may indicate water leaks, malnutrition or disease. Decreased water consumption is always the first sign of a herd problem. Always keep four drinkers with 100 birds, and make sure the water stays cool and clean and available 24 hours a day. Insufficient water supply will lead to a decline in growth rate

8. Feeds

Feed should be placed on a clean egg tray, sack, or newspaper within the first 7 days for easy access. Gradually introduce them to the suppliers. The rate should be 4 trays per 100 chicks. This should cover 50% of the farm area. For standard feeders there should be three feeders per 100 birds. Feed should be stored in a dry place, sunlight and rodents mice. Liquid or molded food should not be fed to birds. Check the sample of birds 8 hours after arrival, and repeat after 24 hours to see if the birds are feeding well. Examine a sample of about 30-40 birds in different parts of the hen house. Feel the harvest gently. In well fed chickens, the crop will be full, soft and round. After eight hours of delivery, 80% should have full plants within 24 hours after delivery 95 to 100% should have full plants

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Management process

1. Cleaning

The poultry house requires thoroughly cleaning after every brooding stage before permitting the reuse of old litter

2. Cleaning after every brood

Remove all old litter and manure the brush or wash cobwebs and dust off walls and ceilings just prior to the clean out. Ask your flock supervisor about a disinfectant to use on wall, sill and equipment. Spread 2 to 4 inches of clean, dry bedding on the floor. It may be necessary to dust off equipment after cleaning out or after new shavings have been added. Do not use wet, moldy or partially decayed material. The most commonly used bedding is pine shavings, but other materials are available. Check with your flock supervisor for recommendations. Empty the feed bin by running the auger and collecting any remaining feed into bags or other suitable containers. Then remove the boot plate and clean the boot out. Clean the bin periodically

3. Reuse of old litter

The litter can be reused if previous broods were relatively free of infectious disease. Remove all wet or caked litter. Sweep down dust and cobwebs. Some companies may require about 1 inch of new bedding to be placed on top of the old, or they may suggest that only the areas where the chicks will be started have new bedding added

4. Water quality

Water quality is an essential component for optimum broiler performance since a chick's body contains approximately 80 percent water at hatching. Poor water quality can adversely affect bird performance. Water is not totally pure, and it contains substances that influence its quality. These substances include bacteria, nitrogen and minerals. The goal is to provide birds with drinking water that has bacterial content approaching zero, however, it is often difficult to maintain this level. Total bacteria and coliform bacteria concentrations, however, should not exceed 100 and 50 colony forming units/100 ml of water, respectively, a dead animal falling into a well or feces contamination can lead to an unacceptable amount of bacteria. Nitrate and nitrite content of water should not exceed 25 and 4 mg/l, respectively nitrate is converted into nitrite by microorganisms within the gastrointestinal tract. It is a well established fact that nitrite decreases the bird's oxygen carrying capacity, and high nitrite consumption can result in mortality

5. Waste management

As previously mentioned, every grower will be faced with removing old litter from broiler houses. Broiler companies place the responsibility to properly dispose of broiler litter and bird mortality on the contract grower. The amount of manure produced annually for each broiler house can be substantial. It is a good rule of thumb to consider that 0.5 pound of litter is produced from every pound of meat produced. The clean-out time may occur during the winter when litter is not needed for crop growth. As a result, the poultry grower should have an adequate storage facility for the litter until the spring and summer months, several litter-storing methods are available, but the method of choice depends upon length of storage, quantity of litter produced and input cost. Covered stockpile, stockpile with ground liner, and roofed storage structure are the three basic alternatives for litter storage. The primary goals of storing broiler litter are to prevent nutrient runoff and leaching and to minimize insect and odor problems. Estimate the amount of litter produced annually so you can calculate litter storage requirements to determine facility costs. Once these have been estimated, the grower can determine which method of storage is best for his/her operation

Management systems

1. Housing systems

Broilers can be housed on deep litter slatted or wire floor or cages.  However, cage, slat and wire floor rearing of broilers are not as popular as litter floor rearing, due to problems like breast blisters, leg weakness and higher initial investment

2. Rearing systems

This type of systems of rearing refer to either single batch at a time (all in all out system) or multiple batches of brooding and rearing of broilers

3. All in all out system

Under all in all out system, the farm will have only one batch of broilers, belonging to the same hatch at any time.  Sufficient chicks will be purchased to accommodate the entire farm capacity, reared and marketed in a single lot. This system is more hygienic, lesser sub-clinical infections and horizontal spreading of diseases and thereby lesser mortality rate, better growth rate and improved feed efficiency.  However, this system is not suitable for large scale farming and needs higher fixed and working capital per bird

4. Multiple batch system

The multiple batch system consists of rearing of more than one batch of chicks at any time, with a batch interval of 1 to 4 weeks. Here, the farmer is buying day-old chicks and selling grown up broilers at weekly, fortnightly, once in three weeks or at monthly intervals.  The chicks are reared for five to six weeks of age, or until they attain the desired body weight and sold for table. The ideal system for India at present is having 5 to 6 batches of broilers at any time, with weekly interval between batches and “direct retail marketing”.   Here, the birds will be marketed daily, from 40 to 54 days of age, based on their body weight, i.e. heavier birds will be sold earlier; giving a chance for weaker birds to have a compensatory growth

5. Floor space, feeder space and waterer space

The floor space requirement of broilers varies depending on their body weight at the time of marketing, housing systems, marketing age and ambient temperature.  The feeder and waterer space also varies depending on the environmental temperature and health condition of the birds.  The following is the approximate floor, feeder and waterer space requirement for broilers

6. Brooding and rearing of broilers

It is similar to that of egg type chicks

7. Cage rearing of broilers

Broilers can also be reared on cages.  Broiler cages are similar to that of grower cages.  To prevent the breast blisters, the bottom of the cage may be coated with some plastic materials.  The floor space requirement in cages is 50% of the floor space needed in deep litter. The relative advantages and disadvantages of cage rearing of broilers are,

Advantages

1. Higher density of rearing possible

2. Easy to catch the birds at the market time and hence reduce bruising

3. No expenditure on litter

4. No incidences of coccidiosis

5. Reduced cannibalism

6. Cleaning and disinfection easier

7. Better growth and feed efficiency

8. Feeding

Generally, there are three types of feed which are offered to broilers from day-old to marketing

0 to 2 weeks broiler pre starter mash or crumble

3 to 4 weeks broiler starter mash

5 to 6 weeks broiler finisher mash

9. Lighting

In open sided broiler houses, the most commonly recommended lighting program is 24 hours light during brooding period, followed by 23 hours light and one hour darkness per day, until marketing.  This one hour darkness is to train the birds to acclimatize for darkness, in case of power failure, which may cause panic and trampling

Vaccination schedule

10. Sex separate rearing of broilers

The growth rate, floor space and the nutrient requirements of male and female broilers are not the same.  Since the males grow faster than females, males need higher floor space and nutrients than female broilers.  Due to these reasons, male and female broiler chicks are reared separately, in many countries, from day old to disposal.  Here, day-old broiler chicks are sexed by “feather sexing method” rather than by “vent-sexing”, as in the case of egg type chicks. The sexed broiler chicks are brood and reared separately until marketing. Separate diets are provided for males and females.  Male broilers require more protein, whereas the females require less energy and less protein

Advantages

1. More uniform body weight of flocks can be produced by separate rearing of sexes

2. Specialized market requirement can be met.  The females can be reared, dressed and sold as whole chicken; whereas the male carcasses will be exclusively used for deboning and various cut up parts

3. More accurate feeding to meet out the specific requirement of each sex will be possible.  This will lead to better growth rate and feed efficiency

4. Due to flock uniformity, the automatic processing equipment can be adjusted more accurately for greater processing efficiency and minimum condemnations

5. Minimize the incidence of cannibalism and peck order, due to more flock uniformity

Measures of performance efficiency in broilers

1. Livability

2. Feed efficiency or feed conversion ratio

3. Broiler performance efficiency factor (BPEF)

Higher the value better will be the index. A value of 100 or more is desirable

4. Broiler farm economy index (BFEI)

5. Squab broilers

Very small broilers, weighing around 0.9 kg weight at around 28 days of age is called squab broilers. These are raised straight run, processed, eviscerated and sold as fresh or frozen whole carcass

Preparation of poultry for show

1. Selection of birds

Select only healthy birds. This is important for two reasons which is as follows It increases the chances of winning the price since healthy birds will have good physical condition and bright appearance. It reduces the chances of spreading diseases to other birds present in the show

2. Training birds

The birds to be presented for show should be confirm to the standard description for its breed and variety, select the bird early. At least one week before the show, place each show bird in a cage similar to the one used during poultry show. Handle each two to three times a day in a manner similar to that used during judging so that the birds get trained and do not get excited during the show.  Do not expose the red coloured birds to direct sunlight for several hours because it will fade the plumage colour

3. Washing the birds

When the plumage is soiled and dirty, it does not look good in show cages. The birds are washed with detergent solution (avoid the detergents which makes the feather brittle).  If external parasites are present, birds may de dipped in 0.25 to 0.50 % sevin solutions. A bird can be washed for 15 to 20 seconds and the bird should be placed in a drying cage and it gets dried in 20 to 30 minutes.  The birds should be dried slowly for best results

4. After washing the birds

A small piece of cloth is moistened with baby oil or vitamin E enriched oil and rubbed over the comb, wattles, beak and shank of the bird. A mixture of equal parts of alcohol, glycerin and olive oil makes an excellent cleaning and polishing solution for shank, feet, comb and wattles, check the nails and beak and see if any trimming is needed, tooth pick is used to clean the bird’s nostrils

5. Transporting the birds

Transport the birds in a clean cage with straw or wood shavings as bedding material.  Do not provide water since it will spill and spoil the bedding material.  If the birds are to be transported to a long distance, water should be provided at intervals during transport

6. Care of birds during show

Make sure that the birds are provided with plenty of feed and water during the show

7. Care of birds after the show

After the show, the birds should be quarantined and should not be mixed with other birds in the farm immediately because it may transmit some diseases which has been acquired during the show from other birds.  After 14 days of quarantine, they can be mixed with other farm birds

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Frequently ask questions

Q: How do you manage broilers?

A: You can manage your broilers by properly cleaning and disinfecting the poultry house

Q: How often should I deworm my broilers?

A: Birds show some signs when the worm infestation is becoming severe, look out for this signs