broiler management (david swygood)
TRANSCRIPT
Broiler Management
David Swysgood
Chick Management• Get the chicks pulled, processed, delivered &
fed as quickly as possible
Unselected 1972 control broiler
Selected pedigree broiler
Comparison of selected and control broilers at 42 days
of age
0
5 00
1 000
1 5 00
2 000
2 5 00
3 000
3 5 00
4 000
0 7 14 21 28 35 42 49 56 63
Flock age (days)
Ave
rage
Wei
ght
Broiler Growth PhasesBr
oodi
ngG
row
th C
ontro
l
Rapid Growth
Genetics Management
Nutrition Health
Performance
BroodingLighting
Stocking Densities
Brooding-The First 10 Days
Brooding
• Good quality chicks can be hurt by poor brooding.
• Poor quality chicks can be made worse. • Good management may turn a flock
around.• House conditions can begin to affect
chicks starting on day one.
Brooding
• Brooding management is critical to the future performance of a flock. It may impact:
* Vaccination-reaction and effectiveness* Weight gain, feed conversion, and
uniformity* Ability to withstand leg problems
Due to genetic progress in growth rate, first 10 d of life is steadily increasing as proportion of total flock life…
Brooding as a Percentage of Total Flock Life
1720
29
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Year
% of time
in b
rood
ing pe
riod
….There is also less time to get out of trouble afterwards….There is also less time to get out of trouble afterwards
PrePre--brooding & Broodingbrooding & Brooding
Give the chick what it needs
Achieve 7-day weights
WeightGain
+ 10 g (.02 lb) + 50-70g (.11-.15 lb)
7 days
Live weight correlation (ad libitum)
42 days
Increased Emphasis on Achieving 7 day Weights
• 180 g at 7 days is achievable and can be exceeded
• 7 day weights should be monitored routinely to monitor the effectiveness of brooding management
• Watch the chicks at placement to make sure that they find food & water
• React positively if they do not
Achieve 7-day bodyweight•Target: 180 g (0.35 lb) or 3.7 - 4x placement weight
• Potential is >•Field Range: 160-190 g (0.32 - 0.38 lb) •<160 g (0.32 lb) is a concern
• Brooding management• Nutrition – density and quality• Temperature and humidity• Parent source flock age• Disease challenge / vaccination• Hatchery management
VAR
IATI
ON
VAR
IATI
ON
Effect of 7d weight on 35d weight
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2400
2600
120 130 140 150 160 170 180 190 200 210 220
7d weight (g)
35d
liv
ew
eig
ht
Males Females
5.35.3
4.94.9
4.44.4
4.04.0
3.53.5
Day Old Chick Weight vs 7 Day Body Weight
y = 2.1014x + 38.841R2 = 0.0934
0
50
100
150
200
250
25 30 35 40 45 50 55
Day Old Chick Weight - gm
7 Da
y B
ody
Wei
ght -
gm
7 Day Body Weight vs 17 Day
y = 3.5775x - 11.827R2 = 0.6721 p< 0.001
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
800
50 70 90 110 130 150 170 190 210
7 Day Body Weight - gm
17 D
ay B
ody
Wei
ght -
gm
7 Day Body Weight vs 35 Day
y = 7.4245x + 671.38 R2 = 0.3794 p<0.001
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
50 70 90 110 130 150 170 190 210
7 Day Body Weight - gm
35 D
ay B
ody
Wei
ght -
gm
7 Day Body Weight vs 38 Day Body Weight
y = 8.1533x + 791.53R2 = 0.3533 p<0.001
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
50 70 90 110 130 150 170 190 210
7 Day Weight - gm
38 D
ay W
eigh
t - g
m
For every 1 gram of 7 day body weight, 38 day body weight will increase 8.15 gme.g. 10 grams increase in 7 day weight = 81.5 grams or .18 lbs!
Trial vs 3wk Settlements
• Trial Farms Age Kill-66.3 days Livability-96.47% Avg. wt.-8.28 (3756 gm) Daily Gain-.1249 Adj Feed Conv-1.99 Grower Cost/Lb-24.01
• Avg. 3wk settlementsAge Kill-66.5 Livability-95.96% Avg. wt.-7.94 (3602 gm) Daily Gain-.1195 Adj Feed Conv-2.06 Grower Cost/Lb-24.15
BroodingBrooding
Put simply, broiler chick has 4 basic requirements for survival:1. Feed2. Water3. Temperature4. Air Quality
PrePre--brooding & Broodingbrooding & BroodingReceiving and starting chicks– one of the most difficult, and important, stages in
growing broilers
Important - producer must take special care during this period to ensure chicks are started properly– houses must be ready BEFORE chicks arrive– exploit genetic potential of chicks
PrePre--broodingbroodingHatchery processing & transportation– temperature 80-85 º F (26-29.5 C)– good air movement
Brooding facility– pre-heat
summer min. 24 hr
fall/winter min. 48 hrAvoid chilling and inadequate quality air exchange
PrePre--broodingbroodingPre- brooding Checklist
– Proper air and litter temperatures• no < 2 hr before chick arrival
– Air quality• free of ammonia
– Drinker system• turn on prior to arrival to allow water to warm up
– Ventilation system• timers and thermostats set properly
– Feed• lids must be in place with feed added
– Lights• min. 3.0 ft candles (30 lux) evenly dispersed
Litter Depth
• Absolute minimum of 10cm (4 inches).• Built up litter programs require cake removal
and most likely a litter amendment. • Critical to dry houses and good paw quality.
House EquipmentHouse EquipmentFeeding equipment
min. 2 lines of pan feeders should be in placemax. 120 birds/pan (based on half-house)supplement 1 lid/100 chicks during brooding periat chick placement, pans or trough should be manually charged with feed monitor eating behavior of birds Pan Feeder-whole house: 30-50 birds/pan Trough Feeder-5.0cm/bird
Can they get to the feed?
Does the Effect Persist with Older Chicks?- 15 hour Delay in Feeding After Delivery
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Flock Age (d)
body
wei
ght (
g) No Delay
15h Delay
.04 lb
.16 lb
Feeding chicks within 6 hours of their clearing the shell will:
• increase the rate at which yolk is utilized• improve villus growth to increase food
absorption (gut health)• increase satellite cell proliferation (breast
meat yield)• improve growth to marketing age and
breast meat yield (growth rate)
When there is feed in the digestive tract:• residual yolk will be used more quickly• digestive tract develops faster• gut immunity develops faster
Results• faster growth, increased robustness• improved breast meat yield
Practical Steps
• Feed birds as soon as they arrive on farm
• Place the chicks near feeding area
• Check crop fill 12 and 24 hrs after placement
• 12 hrs 80% with feed and water in the crop
• 24 hrs, >97% with feed and water in the crop
Water
Objective- To supply an adequate, easily accessible source of clean, bacteria-free water. It’s the most important nutrient that we supply to the chicken. It represents approx. 70% of the total body wt.
Water is an Essential Nutrient• Important to achieve optimum flock results
– Water:feed 1.6:1
• Good management practices for water line management include several procedures & monitoring processes.
• Used for the transportation of nutrients, chemical reactions, osmotic balance, body temperature regulation and lubrication of joints and organs.
House Equipment
• Drinker Types: • Trough- 2.0cm/bird • Bell 10-12/1000 birds • Nipples 8-12 birds/nipple • Supplemental Drinkers 10/1000 chicks placed
evenly throughout, so chick move no more than 2m to drink.
House EquipmentHouse EquipmentDrinker Systems
– Nipple drinkers
• 360 º type
• min. of 1 nipple/25 chicks (based on half-
house)
• day 1 height should be at eye level of chicks
• Trigger or activate each nipple
• > 1 day height should allow chicks to drink at
45 º angle
House Equipment
• Bell Drinkers • Whole House Brooding-Min.10 bell drinkers
per 1000 chicks. • Water Level- 19mm until 7-10 days and 13mm
thereafter- Adjust to prevent spillage. • Check and adjust daily-bell lip is level with
broilers’ back from 7 days onward.
Flow Rates for Nipple Drinkers • During each grow-out, flow rate checked;
– Placement– 3 weeks– 6 weeks
• Equation of weeks of age times 7 plus 20Example: 3 week broiler. Flow rate should = 3 x 7 + 20 = 41 ml/minute.
Before and After-Have to see to know.
Can they drink?
Water Management
Available at all times ?- air locks, too high or low, leaks, stuck nipple, volume, space, etc.
Test the water supply regularly for bacterial and mineral problems. No coliforms.
Treat water with an approved sanitizer on a routine basis (e.g. chlorine-2-3ppm tested at furthest point from source).
Growth of bacteria in open water in cup drinkers
05000
10000150002000025000300003500040000
aftercleanout
day old 5 daysold
Total CountS aureusE coli
Water Management
Water-Common chick quality problems associated with cool floors or poor access to water: “starve-outs” or dehydration.
* Sluggish chicks are often cold; loud, excited chicks are often short of water.
Can they physically get to the water?
• Is it the proper floor temp. where the water is?
• Was the nipple drinker line “triggered”? • Are the water lines the right height? • Can even the smallest chicks reach
water? • Is pressure set properly for chicks to
drink?
Approx. Daily Water Consumption/100 Broilers
• Temp-21C Wk 1- 3 Liters Wk 2- 6 Wk 3-9 Wk 4-13 Wk 5-17 Wk 6-22 Wk 7-25 Wk 8-29
• Temp-32C Wk 1-3 Liters Wk 2-9 Wk 3-20 Wk 4-27 Wk 5-36 Wk 6-42 Wk 7-46 Wk 8-47
House EquipmentHouse Equipment
Heating Equipment-Brood end - Radiant or jet brooders (with
option of forced-air heater back-up)
- min. of 90 BTU/ft2
– Off-brood end - Radiant, jet brooders or forced-air heaters
- min. of 50 BTU/ft2
House EquipmentHouse Equipment
Controllers– Capable of operating lights, feeders,
heating, cooling and ventilation
– Monitoring capability - min. of 5 sensors
– Must have a back-up system tied into the controller in case of failure
Brooding Brooding --TemperatureTemperatureElectronic sensors and thermostats will become inaccurate over timeIf the sensor is incorrectly placed, temperatures across the house can vary excessively
– place sensor at bird head level in a location around feeders and drinkers
Do not rely exclusively on the computer control - cross-check regularly
BroodingEnvironmental and litter temperature are critical for bottom-line performance – especially during the brooding period
Remember - the chicken is most efficient at 1 day-of-age – performance in terms of growth and FCR
seems small in absolute terms, but FCR is most efficient and economical during this period
What is the Proper What is the Proper Temperature?Temperature?
• Manuals say 90 F (32 C) Floor Temperature • Rectal Temperature of 104 to 105.5 F (40 –
40.8 C)• Humidity 50 to 65%
Birds act like Cold Blooded Animals for first two weeks of Life. Just like Reptiles
Brooding Brooding --TemperatureTemperature
Too Cold: – chicks will huddle and not start well– chilled chicks will die
Too hot: – depressed appetite, dehydration and
slow feathering
Variation from target temperature will hurt uniformity
Brooding TemperatureTEMPERATURE TOO HIGH TEMPERATURE CORRECT
TEMPERATURE TOO LOW Draft
Chicks make no noise, Chicks pant, head and wings droop. Chicks away from Brooder
Chicks evenly spread. Noise level signifies contentment
Chicks crowd to brooder. Chicks noisy, distress calling
This distribution requires investigation. Influenced by draft-uneven light distribution - external noises.
Brooding Brooding --TemperatureTemperature
Too High Correct Too Low-More Noise
Chilled chicks
• Summary:– Broiler strains differ in their growth responses to
light restriction.– Aviagen broilers have been selected to have slower
early growth to minimize metabolic disease and improve feed conversion.
– Limitations to early growth:• early light restriction• low nutrient density• nutrient intake
– Over-limiting early growth reduces market weight, lowers uniformity, and can depress breast yield.
Broiler Lighting Programs
• Summary:– The type of housing affects our ability to control light
intensity:• Clear-sided: Control primarily with light duration• Dark-sided: Control primarily with light intensity
– The nutrient densities of the rations fed impact early growth rate and therefore affect the type of lighting program that should be used:
• High Density Rations/Fast Growth Rate:More Light Restriction
• Low Nutrient Density/Slow Growth Rate: Less Light Restriction
Broiler Lighting Programs
Broiler Lighting Programs
• Make certain foot candles are correct! • Use a light meter-don’t eye ball it! • Brood Period>chick activity • Grow-out> do not restrict too much hurting
growth rates.
Light ManagementLight ManagementKeys
Light intensityDuration of lightLight distribution in the barn
Uneven patterns could cause bird flightiness, incidence of skin scratches / cellulitis, and bird weight variation
Shadows and pockets of light or dark will result in uneven bird weights
Questions to ask yourself when you into a house of chicks:
• What is the pattern on the floor?
• What is the activity level of the chicks?
• Can they physically get to the feed and water?
• What is the air quality?
Ventilation
Successful Brooding
• Ventilation, Ventilation, Ventilation– A broiler chick excretes about 0.06 ounces (2ml)
of water per hour in the first week and .11 ounces (3.5ml) per hour the second week
• 20,000 2 week chicks = 70 liters/hour or 18.5 gallons/hour
NATURAL VENTILATION
• “Curtain ventilation”• Allows outside breezes and inside convection
currents to flow right amount of air into and through house
• Ideal when temperature outside is close to temperature birds need
• Exchange rates depend largely on outside winds
NATURAL VENTILATION• Works best when outside temperature is = or >
10-15ºF (5.6-8.4ºC) colder than target temperature
• Problem in cold weather– with small curtain openings, heavy outside air
comes in at low speeds and drops immediately to floor
– chills birds and cause moisture condensation -creating wet litter
NATURAL VENTILATION
• Curtain machines operated on thermostats at bird level are essential during cooler weather
• Circulation or stirring fans controlled with timers help mix incoming cold and in-house warm air
NATURAL VENTILATION
• On warm to hot days with little wind, circulation fans needed to get wind chill cooling of air moving over birds
• Foggers or misters used with circulation fans add second level of cooling capability
• Curtain ventilation requires constant management
Natural Ventilated House
POWER VENTILATION• Two types• Positive pressure
– Pushes outside air into house• Negative pressure
– Fans pull air out of house• Creates a partial vacuum• outside air is pulled into house through cracks or
inlets
NEGATIVE PRESSURE VENTILATION
• Three major setup configurations• Minimum ventilation
– Used for cooler weather and/or smaller birds
• Tunnel ventilation– Used for warmer weather and/or larger birds
• Transitional ventilation– Used for “in-between” conditions
Negative Pressure Power Ventilated House
MINIMUM VENTILATION
• Provides fresh air to exhaust excess moisture and harmful gases during cold weather or when birds are small.
• Timer driven– 5 minute timers ideal
• Minimum vent fans should be equipped with a thermostat which overrides timers as birds grow and/or weather warms
MINIMUM VENTILATION• You must create proper partial vacuum so air
comes in with sufficient speed through all inlets• Inlets should be distributed evenly along entire
length of house• Static pressure should be ran at .10 in to .12 in
(2.0 to 2.5 mm) of water with sidewall vents open 2 - 3 in wide (5.1 - 7.6 cm), ceiling vents 1 inch wide
– Allows air to come into house with enough volume and speed to mix with warm in-house air above the flock
– Incoming air doesn’t drop directly onto chicks• No chilling
POOR & GOOD MOISTURE CONTROL-RH-less than 70%
PROPER INLET OPENING
IMPROPER VENT OPENING
Inlets Control Mixing
MINIMUM VENTILATION CFM’s PER BIRD
• 0.10 CFM 1 WEEK• 0.25 CFM 2 WEEKS• 0.35 CFM 3 WEEKS• 0.50 CFM 4 WEEKS• 0.65 CFM 5 WEEKS • 0.70 CFM 6 WEEKS• 0.80 CFM 7 WEEKS• 0.90 CFM 8 WEEKS
RULES FOR MINIMUM VENTILATION
• Seal all house air leaks– a non-air tight house cannot be properly
ventilated• Insulate before you ventilate
– proper growing conditions cannot be maintained in cold weather
• Set the fan timer for correct minimum ventilation rate
RULES FOR MINIMUM VENTILATION
• Increase fan timer settings as needed -minimum ventilation rate
• Bring cool outside air into the house high above the birds, with enough velocity to mix with warm inside air
• If wet litter and/or ammonia becomes a problem, increase the minimum ventilation rate
RULES FOR MINIMUM VENTILATION
• If increased minimum ventilation rates doesn’t solve wet litter problem, add heat
• If house gets too dry and dusty, reduce the minimum ventilation rate
• If a house gets too warm, check the thermostat settings, not the timer settings
MINIMUM VENTILATION
• Curtain cracks and fixed board inlets more likely to allow too-wide openings and dump cool in-coming air onto birds
• When using curtain cracks or fixed board inlets:
– Stirring fans recommended– Static pressure decreased to .03 - .05 in (0.8 - 1.3
mm)
MINIMUM VENTILATION
• DETERMINING TOTAL VENTILATION RATE NEEDED
– If we have 20,000 birds 2 weeks of age, and we need .25 cfm per bird
– 0.25 cfm x 20,000 = 5,000 total cfm needed
MINIMUM VENTILATION
• DETERMINING FAN ON/OFF DUTY CYCLE NEEDED
– Fan duty cycle = cfm’s needed ÷ fan cfm’s
– If we use a 20,000 cfm fan
– 5,000 cfm ÷ 20,000 fan cfm = ¼ or .25% on/off cycle
MINIMUM VENTILATION• DETERMINING TIMER SETTING NEEDED
– Timer ON setting = Fan duty cycle X timer minutes
– If we use a 5 minute timer and fan duty cycle is ¼ or 25%:
– ¼ or 25% X 5 minutes = 75 seconds on– Timer setting is 75 seconds on
TRANSITIONAL VENTILATION
• Begins when higher than minimum air exchange rate is required
– outside air should not contact birds directly• To be successful, requires sidewall inlets
linked to a static pressure controller so heat can be removed without switching to tunnel ventilation
Typical Paddle Fan Layout
Typical Stirring Fan Layout
TRANSITIONAL VENTILATION
• Rule of thumb– transitional ventilation may be used when
outside temperature is +/- 10ºF (5.5ºC) of target house temperature
TUNNEL COOLING
• Turn on the right number of fans for cooling needs
– effective temperature must be estimated– wind chill is greater with cooler air, and
less with warmer air; greater for smaller birds, less with larger birds
TUNNEL COOLING
• Wind Chill Effect– Easy rule of thumb
• 4 week and younger birds- 2.5 degrees per 48” fan • 4 week and older birds- 1.5 degrees per 48” fan
GUIDE TO TUNNEL VENTILATON
• Watch the birds, not just the thermometer, to see how much cooling is needed
– the temperature the birds experience is not the same as the thermometer reading
– birds sitting down usually indicates too much air movement
– birds panting, lifting wings and not eating usually indicates birds are too warm
TUNNEL COOLING
• Monitor and maintain adequate airflow
– Keep tunnel inlets fully open– Partly closing tunnel inlets does not increase air
velocity, it reduces needed airflow– Keep fans and shutters clean and belts tight– Close all doors and seal all leaks or other
openings, so all incoming air enters through tunnel inlets only
Birds Panting at “normal” temperatures
Migration
US Broiler Information
US Broiler Producing Region
Average Weekly Broiler Slaughter
58.1 63.2
5.925.8
13.942.0
45.01
6.9
12.86.5
10.08.9
020406080
100120140160180200
1988 2006
millions
Pilgrim'sTysonGold KistConAgraPerdueHolly FarmsWayneSandersonOther
Top 5 U.S. Broiler Companies
Source: Watt’s Poultry USA, Feb. 2007
2006 Top 20 – Volume (kg)
Source: Watt’s Poultry USA, Feb. 2007
2006 Million ----- Million Kg's -----Slaughter Head/ Average Live Weight/ Live Weight/ R-T-C*/ R-T-C*/
Company Plants Week Live Weight Week Year Week Year1 Pilgrim's Pride Corp. 38 45.01 2.35 105.57 5,489.65 82.53 4,291.432 Tyson Foods, Inc. 39 42.00 2.23 93.54 4,864.12 68.88 3,581.933 Perdue Farms, Inc. 10 12.77 2.55 32.60 1,695.20 25.47 1,324.654 Wayne Farms, LLC 8 5.80 3.13 18.14 943.48 15.83 823.195 Sanderson Farms, Inc. 7 5.92 3.13 18.55 964.71 15.72 817.296 Mountaire Farms, Inc. 3 4.50 3.43 15.44 802.67 12.54 651.957 House of Raeford Farms 5 3.64 3.03 11.03 573.40 9.34 485.898 Keystone Foods, LLC. 3 3.53 3.01 10.63 552.88 8.82 458.539 Koch Foods, Inc. 4 5.31 2.15 11.44 594.87 8.44 438.72
10 Foster Farms 5 5.47 2.44 13.34 693.46 7.71 400.9811 O.K. Foods, Inc. 2 3.00 3.18 9.53 495.33 7.35 382.1112 Peco Foods, Inc. 4 2.89 3.24 9.38 487.54 7.01 364.6613 George's, Inc. 3 4.77 1.84 8.83 459.24 6.60 343.1914 Fieldale Farms Corporation 2 3.12 2.49 7.77 403.81 6.50 338.2415 Townsends, Inc. 2 1.90 3.56 6.77 351.92 5.62 292.4816 Allen Family Foods, Inc. 3 2.53 2.72 6.89 358.05 5.34 277.8617 Simmons Foods, Inc. 3 2.90 2.13 6.21 323.14 4.58 238.2318 Case Foods, Inc. 3 1.57 3.33 5.25 272.90 4.28 222.4319 Cagle's, Inc. 2 2.09 1.86 3.89 202.38 3.05 158.5020 Amick Farms, Inc. 1 1.00 3.63 3.63 188.70 2.90 150.96
*R-T-C = Ready to Cook
Source: Watt’s Poultry USA, Feb. 2007
Average Broiler Weights
2.36 2.452.57 2.60 2.62 2.64
2.80 2.83 2.90 2.91 3.00 3.103.24 3.35 3.44
2.06 2.10 2.12 2.14 2.17 2.20 2.22 2.26 2.28 2.30 2.35 2.42 2.44 2.48 2.50
1.84 1.86 1.88 1.89 1.84 1.85 1.86 1.84 1.84 1.83 1.83 1.84 1.801.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Year
Kg'
s
Heaviest 5
Average
Lightest 5
The small bird market holds around 1.8 kg and the tray pack and large bird deboning companies keep increasing weights.
Average Weight by Processing Type
1.50
2.00
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
2001
120
01 6
2001
1120
02 4
2002
920
03 2
2003
720
0312
2004
520
0410
2005
320
05 8
2006
120
06 6
2006
1120
07 4
2007
9
Year Month
kg
Debone/PartsLarge DeboneSmall BirdTray PackWhole Bird/Parts
Improvement in adjusted FCR can be seen across all weight categories.
Adjusted FCR by Weight Category
1.50
1.60
1.70
1.80
1.90
2.00
2.10
2.20
2.3020
01 1
2001
5
2001
9
2002
1
2002
5
2002
9
2003
1
2003
5
2003
9
2004
1
2004
5
2004
9
2005
1
2005
5
2005
9
2006
1
2006
5
2006
9
2007
1
2007
5
2007
9
Year Month
Adj
uste
d FC
R
<2 kg2 - 2.36 kg2.36 - 2.72 kg2.72 - 3.08 kg3.08 - 3.40 kg>3.40 kg