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Broiler Chickens

Broiler Chickens. What is the brooder?. A home for the chicks for the first couple of weeks you are raising them Clean sawdust (wood shavings) should be in the brooder at all times It is very important that there is always food and clean water available

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Broiler Chickens

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  1. Broiler Chickens

  2. What is the brooder? • A home for the chicks for the first couple of weeks you are raising them • Clean sawdust (wood shavings) should be in the brooder at all times • It is very important that there is always food and clean water available • The beginning temperature of the brooder should be 90 degrees and should be decreased by 5 degrees each week that goes by

  3. Is the brooder too hot or too cold? Heat Lamp Heat Lamp Too cold. Chicks are bunched up under the Heat lamp Too hot. Chicks avoid the heat lamp and Migrate toward the outside of the brooder. Heat Lamp Just right. Chicks are scattered evenly throughout brooder and are eating and drinking.

  4. Handling chickens • When young, be careful when handling the chicks • As they age, it will be more difficult to pick up and move birds • Be careful of wings and nails • Too much handling when older can stress the birds and cause heart attacks

  5. How much space does a chicken need? • Each chicken will need 1 square foot of space • Waterers and feeders should be kept above the shavings

  6. Bedding • Maintain clean bedding • Remove wet bedding daily and top dress as needed • Pine shavings are the most ideal type of bedding • We will have the chicks on newspaper for a few days. Why do we do this?

  7. Feed Management • Keep feed in cool and dry location • Keep off the floor • Keep out insects, rodents and other animals • Fresh feed should be added at least every morning • Monitor feed consumption- if birds are not eating, there might be something wrong

  8. How much lighting do birds need? • In order to reach the proper weigh on time, you should have lighting on the chickens at all times 24/7 • Birds will start to gain weight very rapidly as they get older

  9. Biosecurity • Measures taken to keep diseases away from broilers • Bacteria, viruses and other disease-causing agents • Three components • Isolation • Keeping your flock from other animals • Traffic control • Who or what visits your flock • Sanitation • Keeping your equipment and buildings clean

  10. Introduction to Poultry

  11. Poultry involves: Meat Chickens Egg layers Pheasants Geese Squab Ducks Quail Turkeys Guineas Ratites Game birds

  12. Broiler Production History NCC

  13. Broiler Production • 1934 • 11,405 hatcheries • 24,224 eggs average capacity • 276 million eggs/time

  14. Modern Day Broiler Production • 2001 • 323 hatcheries • 2.7 million eggs average capacity • 862 million eggs/time

  15. “The Chicken of Tomorrow” • Arkansas contest – 1946 • 1951 Finals sponsored by the Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company (Supermarket Chain) • Vantress Hatchery, CA won • Cornish X White Rock

  16. USDA Labeling • Broiler or fryer • Tender-meated with soft, pliable, smooth-textured skin and flexible breastbone cartilage • Roaster or roasting chicken • Tender-meated with soft, pliable, smooth-textured skin and breastbone cartilage that may be somewhat less flexible than that of a broiler or fryer • Capon • Surgically unsexed male chicken (usually under 8 months of age) that is tender-meated with soft, pliable, smooth-textured skin

  17. Meat Birds

  18. Meat Birds

  19. Broiler Production (Head) 1.05 – 1.38 billion 0.5 – 0.9 billion 0.5 – 0.51 billion 0.86 billion – combined Excluded < 0.5 billion NASS, 2006

  20. Broiler Marketing National Chicken Council, 2007 Further Processing Cut-up WHOLE Year

  21. US Per Capita Consumption USDA, 2001

  22. U.S. Broiler Production (1934-99) USDA, 2000

  23. Cycle of Broiler/Turkey Production Broiler Supply Layers Fertile Eggs Incubators Chicks Broiler Supply Pullets Broilers

  24. Management • House (40 – 60’ X 500’) • 50’ x 450’ = 30,000 broilers • Stocking density • (NCC recommended) • Straight Run • Nutrition program • Lighting regime • Marketed ~42 days • Prepare for next flock • 7 to 10 days • ~6 flocks/year

  25. Top 5 Broiler Companies, 2011 1 Tyson Foods Inc. 2 Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. 3 Perdue Farms Inc. • Sanderson Farms Inc. • Koch Foods WATT Poultry USA (2011)

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