ansci

• Factors affecting brooding period


  • Weather/climatic conditions – longer during cold and rainy months
  • Rate of feathering – longer for slow feathering; can be due to genetic makeup or nutrition of the birds
• Brooding temperature requirements


  1 d – 1 wk: 90-95 oF (32.2-35oC)

  1. 2 wks: 85-90 oF (29.4-32.2 oC)
  2. 3 wks: 80-85 oF (26.7-29.4 oC)
  3. 4 wks: 80 oF ↓ (26.7 oC & ↓)
• Floor space requirements


  • Litter floor: 2.0 – 2.5 sq ft/bird

  Slat floor: 1.5 – 2.0 sq ft/bird

  Cages: 0.75 – 1.0 sq ft/bird

  Egg type: 1 day – 3 weeks: 0.3 sq.ft/bird, 3 – 8 weeks: 0.5 sq ft/bird, 8 – 12 weeks: 1.0 sq ft/bird

  Meat type: 1 day – 2 weeks: 0.3 sq ft/bird, 2 weeks – market age: 1.0 sq ft/bird
• Pullet selection and vaccination

  • Only healthy pullets should be transferred to the laying houses: vigorous and active, have bright and alert eyes, prominent combs and wattles, possess well developed body and exhibit deep yellow pigmented beaks and shanks

  Pullets must be revaccinated against New Castle Disease or Avian Pest before transferred to laying house

  Vaccination schedule: Marek's 1 day, Newcastle-Bronchitis 9-14 d, Infectious Bursal Disease 14 d and 28 d, Newcastle-Bronchitis 4 wks, Laryngotracheitis/Fowl Pox 8 wks, Newcastle Bronchitis 13-14 wks, Laryngotracheitis 16 wks, Newcastle Bronchitis (post housing) every 3 months
• Egg collection


  • Oviposition happens about every 24 hrs, normally 7:00 am to 4:00 pm, majority 10:00 am to 2:00 pm

  Collecting eggs more often has advantages: eggs can be kept in storage with favorable conditions, eggs kept long in nests/pens/cages are liable to be exposed to high temperature, dust, dirt, bird's dung, trampled or broken

  Eggs must be collected in wire baskets to provide good air circulation
• Culling of layers


  • Culling refers to identification and removal of non-laying or low producing hens

  Advantages: reduced feed cost, reduced disease incidence, increased space for productive hens

  Types: sight culling at housing, culling by individual inspection evaluating laying ability or past performance

  Characteristics of layers vs non-layers: comb & wattles, head, eye, eye ring, beak, abdomen, pubic bones, vent
• Why broilers should not be kept longer than 8 weeks: Feed conversion decreases as the broiler becomes older, broilers become oversized, not easily marketed or saleable, and price is low per unit weight, there are some physiological changes relative to reproductive function, and there is a change in physical conformation due to sex difference
• Assured supply of good broiler chicks

  Profits in broiler raising come from a good number of broiler raised at one time, followed at close intervals regularly, from batch to batch and through the years
• Strains of broiler day-old chicks


  • ROSS
  • COBB
  • HYBRO
  • AVIAN
  • HUBBARD
  • STARBRO
• Feed is the biggest item in the operational cost, the quality of feed is always reflected in the growth of broilers, feed must be available all the time, the modern stock of broilers responds very well to feed supplements and additives that influence fast growth, the birds also benefit much from medical treatment in cases of stress conditions that may be unexpectedly encountered, biological preparations like vaccines must always be available to be able to follow the cardinal rules of disease prevention
• Broiler raising needs intensive capital, returns are quick but investments are high
• All-in-all out system


  Only broilers of one age are being raised and all of them are sold at the same time, this is most desirable to effect a simple disease control measure, especially if in one locality, community or area, there will be no other age groups of birds
• Two stage operation


  Two age groups of broiler are being kept in the farm, it calls for separate brooder house and grower house
• Basic requirements for a broiler house

  • Provide the essential requirements for comfort, biosecurity, and protection of the chickens against the elements of nature
  • Provide convenience and ease of work for the caretakers
  • Provide strength and durability to allow maximization of investments
  • Use locally available and cheap construction materials without sacrificing durability and comfort
• Slatted-floor type


  Provides better ventilation and more convenient waste handling (bamboo, ratan, wood, etc), elevated for ample ventilation, space between slats: 2.5 – 3.8cm (1 – 1.5 in), slat width 2.5cm, other options include plastic nets/fishnets 2.5cm holes as overlays to slatted floor, posts (concrete) 20.3cm (8 in) diameter
• Litter-floor type


  Locally-available litter materials e.g. rice hull, rice straw are commonly used, thought to minimize coccidiosis, limits stress, maintain a moisture content of 20-25%, below 20%level – dust problem, over 25% level – litter becomes wet and caked, thickness of litter – 3-4in over the floor
• Feeder height


  Maintain height of all feeders so that the lip of the feeders is level with the back of the birds, when using trough feeders, never fill ½ full and fill feeders 3-4 times a day to stimulate consumption and to prevent feed wastage
• Drinking water


  Drinking water should be available to the birds 24 hours a day, provide supplementary drinkers for the first 4 days of a flocks life, monitor the feed to water ratio daily to check that water intake is sufficient, make allowances for increased water consumption at high temperatures, flush drinker lines in hot weather to ensure that the water is as possible, adjust drinker heights daily, provide adequate drinker space and ensure that drinkers are easily accessible