Broiler Farm Management 1.0

Brooder Management
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The overall broiler performance is dependent on several management practices. Brooder management is one of the important aspects of broiler rearing and management. The early / developmental stage becomes critical for the overall result and growth of the bird. Hence, care should be taken right from day one.

Following are the objectives for brooding management:

To ensure strong growth progression from day-old through to 7 days
To develop appetite and promote feather growth
To achieve target bodyweight by 14 days / 2 weeks and maintain a smooth curve through to 28 days / 4 weeks
To maintain uniformity across the flock
Effective brooding management includes providing the chicks with the right temperature, relative humidity, air quality, good quality feed and water. Key points in brooding management are:
Clean, disinfect and fumigate the shed and equipment well before the arrival of the chicks
Check for the right temperature and humidity levels 24 hours prior to the arrival of the birds
Ensure chicks have immediate access to fresh water and feed
Use chick behavior as an indicator of satisfactory temperature levels
Replenish feed constantly during the brooding period
Monitor and ensure chicks feeding by crop fill scores
These activities when followed collectively will result in good early development of skeletal size, immune system and cardiovascular system and also improves appetite.

Grower & Finisher Management

The grower stage is between the 14th and 28th day of the birds life cycle. During this stage, the management objectives are to help the birds develop their immune system, uniform growth, sexual maturity and production. The important functions of this stage is grading of the birds on the basis of their weight, check and maintain body weight on a weekly basis, feed and water management and vaccination. The birds above 28th day of age till lifting are termed finisher.

Resource Requirements

The environment in which the birds are reared becomes critical for their performance. In addition, it would help if the farm is located closer to the production and marketing centers. A farm that has access to good roads and easy transportation has an added advantage.
While setting up a farm, there are a set of must have requirements to be adhered to.

Below is a list of the requisites to setting up a poultry farm:

Water availability throughout the year. Water quality : Hardness below 750 ppm, pH 6.0 to 8.5
Shed breadth should be 25 feet and shed floor should be at least 2 feet above ground level
E.B service, Tube light @ 1No for every 400 sq. ft, is essential
Foot bath / dip with disinfectant for better bio – security
Separate feed room near to the shed with stacking arrangement for feed bags
Water tank - 2 Nos (One for medication and another for drinking water) with capacity of 500 litres for every 1000 sq. ft
Side Curtain for the entire length of the shed for both sides, inside and outside
Partition for every 500 sq. ft
Provision of death pit for disposal of dead birds
Plat farm Provision for placing weighing scales 3 feet X 3 feet