RURAL AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

BROILER PRODUCTION
Michael Ennis
Livestock officer Rada
Westmoreland
THINGS TO CONSIDER
 Marketing Management
 Capital Farm

These four important criteria should come together in order to

achieve success and also the farmer's attitude towards his
business. If one of the criteria is not met, most probably the
business will end up with failure.

Remember that home flocks, even small ones, require daily care, including
weekends, vacations, and holidays. The time and effort required for this
care should be considered when deciding whether or not to start a poultry
flock of any kind.
MARKETING

 Marketing of the chicken should be planned. A successful farm

will depend on the good market and the price offered

 Four important factors should be considered by the farmers in

running their business or marketing strategy:

- Location/Place (near to the marketing place, no

communication problem).

- Production (Can be sold in the form of live chicken, processed

and frozen, cuts and others.)

- Price (Depend on the location and market demand)

- Advertisement (Usually done by the big companies)

Housing Design
The house should have the following criteria:-
 Good air ventilation help to dry up the moisture and
minimize ammonia gas from the faeces

 The size of the house should be suitable with the

number of chicken reared. Do not build house that is
too small or too big because it is not profitable. The
suitable size is 1 square foot per bird.
For example: 100 birds need 100 square feet.
Housing Design
 Suggested dimension of the house: 10 feet x
10 feet (Location of the house, East - West
direction, in order to avoid heat from the direct
hot sun.

 Remove all sticks, boards, and sharp objects

from the broiler pen. This will reduce the
likelihood of your birds getting injured.
HOUSING
VENTILLATION
  Reduce flock density
Side wall curtain and
 Feed in the cooler periods of the
natural ventillation
 Sidewall curtain and fan
day
 Increase the number of fans
 Power ventillation and fan  Raise side curtains in the
 Tunnel ventillation brooding house during the
daytime
On very hot days:
 Build house with roof vents
 Spray roof with water
 Add extra waterers
 Remove wet litter
CURTAINING

Purposes
 Protect chicks from draft
 Retain heat in the house
 Prevent rain blowing in
Curtain should be:
 Free from holes
 Unbroken
When not in use rolled neatly to allow
ventillation
LIGHT
 It is often recommended to provide continuous lighting for broilers.
Twenty-four hour lighting allows the broilers access to feed at all
times and increases body weight, especially during the summer
months. This can be done by providing continuous artificial
lighting, or by supplementing natural daylight.

 If there is a possibility of a power outage, with a subsequent loss

of lighting, it is recommended to provide the birds with at least 1
hour of darkness a day. This will let them get accustom to the dark
so they will not panic, pile up and suffocate if the power should go
off.

 Broilers also can be grown with fewer than 24 hours of light per
day or with only natural light, but growth rate will be slower than
with 23- or 24-hour lighting.
LITTER

Good litter will:

 Absorb water and will not be dusty or mouldy
 Provide enough cushion for the feet of the
bird
 Clings together very slightly when squeezed
tightly and breaks when dropped from the
hand

Wood shaving of bitter wood and hardwood must be avoided

for their high tanning content and ease with which they
splinter
TYPE OF LITTER
 Sawdust- limited absorption and can become dusty
 Wood shaving – highly preferred, however should be
sprayed with a suitable antifungal before bringing in
baby chicks
 Bagasse – becomes mouldy easily due to remains of
sugar cane juice
 Rice hull- provides soft cushion but not very absorbent
LITTER MANAGEMENT
 Use new litter in the brooding area covered with
newspaper for the first 3 days
 Litter can be as high as 5” but should not be less than 3”
in depth
 Get rid of damp areas and rake to prevent compaction
If litter is to be reused the following should be done:
- Use litter from a flock with no history of disease
problem
- Remove the caked and wet litter
- Remove excess feathers
- Replace damp spots with new litter
- Raking or turning old litter will expose and destroy
some pathogens
FEEDING EQUIPMENT

Feeder trays Hanging Automatic feeder

feeder

Used in starting Used mostly on large farms.

broiler flock. This system provides 2-3 lines of
Manufactured from high feeders in houses 30 ft wide
quality galvanized (minimum of 25-1000 birds)
sheeting (2 per 50 birds)
WATERING EQUIPMENT
Plassons
Chick fonts

Recommended for Used in brooding and growing

baby chicks in early out operations. Used mostly
stages of growth on large farms and can
1 gal per 100 birds supply water to 75-100 birds
BROODING EQUIPMENT

Brooding lamp
 When using heat bulbs two
125-watt bulbs per 50 chicks
are recommended
 Brooder should deliver heat
of 95ºF throughout the first
week
 Reduce temperature 5ºF
each week until house
temperature is reached
GETTING READY

 Clean your house and equipment.

 Scrape and sweep out all old litter, manure, dirt
and dust.
 Remove all left over feed from feeders
 Disinfect equipment, but be sure to rinse it in
clean water afterwards.
 Use a hose and wash the house to knock down
dust and cobwebs.
GETTING READY
 Disinfect using a strong detergent, or a
commercial disinfectant solution
 After the floor of your house has dried, put 4
to 6-inches of clean, dry litter on the floor.
 Arrange equipment so it will be ready when
chicks arrive.
 Turn on the heat lamps the day before the
chicks are to arrive. This will allow the area
time to warm up before the chicks arrive.
PREPARATION

 Clean and disinfect the broiler house, feeders and

waterers at least 2 weeks before the chicks arrive. Wash
the pen down with soap and water. Then spray a
commercial disinfectant labeled for use in poultry houses.

 Be prepared for the chicks 2 days in advance. Put the

bedding material (e.g., wood shavings) on the floor of the
cleaned and disinfected house. Turn on the heat lamps
the day before the chicks are to arrive. This will allow the
area time to warm up before the chicks arrive.

 You need to think about how you are going to transport

your chicks home.
PREPARATION
 Never place chicks on a slick surface such as cardboard,
plastic or newspaper. The smooth surface may result in
spraddled legs or other leg problems.

 Bedding material is usually placed on the floor for the chicks. In

addition to providing a non-slick surface for the chicks, it
absorbs the moisture from the manure and helps to maintain a
"clean" environment. Wood shavings, cane fiber, ground
corncobs, peanut hulls or rice hulls make good litter. Hay or
straw make very poor litter and should not be used.
PURCHASING CHICKS

 Good quality broiler strain chicks should be

purchased from a reputable hatchery
Chicks should be:
 Uniformed
 Alert
 Active
 Free from deformities (twisted beak, crocked legs)
 No signs of naval infection
TRANSPORTATION
You need to think about how you are going to transport your chicks home. A
small box will work. Cut three to four small holes along the top to make sure the
chicks get enough air to breath and don't get too hot. Chicks are quite resilient,
but try to handle them as gently as possible to minimize the possibility of injury.
 ARRIVAL
Ideally, the chicks should be fed about three hours after they've been
placed in the brooder. This gives them time to drink first

Add 2 tablespoon
of sugar per quart
for the first 2 days
CHICKS IN
BROODER
Regulating brooding temperature
 The lamps should hang so the bottoms are 18 inches from the
litter. Raise the lamps 2 inches per week to a maximum height
of 24 inches. Place watering pans a good distance from the
lamps to prevent splashed water from cracking the hot bulbs.
Make sure you have a spare bulb.
 The brooding temperature should remain at 95F for the first
week. This should be reduced by 5F each week until room
temperature is reached

 Observe the chicks to gauge their level of comfort. If they

crowd together under the lamp or are huddled and peeping,
increase the heat by lowering the lamp, increasing the wattage,
or by adding a second lamp. If the chicks tend to move away
from the heat source, or are panting with their beaks open,
reduce the heat by raising the level of the lamp or reducing the
wattage. Watch your chicks closely for the first few days and
nights to be sure they are comfortable. Adjust the lamps if they
Regulating brooding temperature

Too hot

Too cold
FEEDING
Optimum performance of broilers is dependent on proper nutrition

 Birthto 14 days – broiler starter

 Day 15 – day 30 - broiler grower
 Day 31 to market – broiler finisher
 When the chicks first arrive, the feeders
should be full, but after the chicks have
learned to eat, the feeders should be no
more than ¾ full to prevent feed waste.
FEEDING

 Feed consumption- 4.08 kg (9lbs)

 Final weight 1.95 kg (4.5 lbs)
 Feed conversion rato – 2

Feed conversion is the quantity of feed that is

consumed which is converted to meat.
Quantity consumed 9lbs =2
Final weight 4.5lbs
WATER
 Chicks need a source of fresh water. Clean the
waterers at least once a day. The water should be
changed daily. Even clear-looking water may have
an awful smell because of the feed lost in it while the
chicks are drinking.

 Waterer should be at least 1” from the litter level to

keep out debris. Adjust equipment as the bird grows
ensuring equipment is always slightly above the back
of the birds
LIGHT

 A 100 watt bulb can provide light for 1000

birds
 At 4 weeks light intensity can be reduced to
40 watt
CULLING

Culling is the removal of birds that are

- Crippled
- Injuried
- Deformed
- Unhealthy

This also prevents the spread of disease

COMMON DISEASE

 Aspergillosis
 Coccidiosis
 Chronic respiratory disease
 New castle disease
 Avian Influenza
HEALTH

 If the litter gets wet, the wet portion should be

removed and new litter put in its place. Wet litter is
an excellent media for disease organism growth
which can affect the health and production of the
flock.

 Chick feed usually contains a coccidiostat, which is a

medication to prevent coccidiosis. Coccidiosis is the
most common cause of death in young chicks.
RECORDS
Keep records al all times. Records tell you how well you have done
with your poultry farm. Keep a record of these things:

 number of chicks started

 number of chicks that died
 cost of chicks
 cost of brooding
 cost of feed
 all other costs
 A good poultryman always keeps a complete record of
his flock