Chicken Production

Chicken Production

1. Broiler

   • No meat birds in cages!
   • 35-43 days to get to table weight
   • Hybrid birds
   • Breeding Programmes for rapid growin males and breeder females
   • Males = Better FCR. Portions!
   • Housing= completely controlled
     • Continuous light 2 days, only 4 hours dark at once
     • Keep birds in thermoneutral zone
     • Spot Brooding and Whole House Brooding
     • Virgin White Wood Shavings
   • Nipple Drinker - Vitamin C added, start height low then rise
   • 70% of cost = food! - Starter, Grower and Finisher Feeds (25 days on finisher)

2. Egg Birds

   • Medium hybris cross bred brown bird
   • Enriched Cage (best system) - 1st Jan 2012 legally
   • Barn = 9 birds/sq m. 15cm perch
   • Free Range =2500 birds/ha
   • Organic = eggs not birds!
   • Females reared for 18 weeks - 3 vaccines given here
     • Reared to 1.6kg (1.65 free range - transfer, lose condition)
       • Transfer, should be 1 day. 3rd salmonella vacc. 15 hours of light/day
   • 280-300 eggs/hen/year
     • Hen Housed Average = No. eggs from shed divided by no. birds first placed in shed
   • Layer feed=higher in energy, add oil to feed=larger eggs
     • Consumption increase to 35% to peak lay
     • Calcium and Phosphorous - improve shell strength, prevent osteoperosis
     • Sodium + Chloride = improve shell quality, prevent cannibalism and weakening
   • Lighting duration affects onset of sexual maturity. Production house - more duration than rearing