BROILER

GUIDE
Broiler production introduction
Broilers are chickens that are specifically bred and raised for their meat.
The goal for any broiler farmer is to successfully raise a day old chick to a
market-ready chicken in the shortest amount of time. Within this period the
birds will likely meet many challenges that will inhibit their growth and affect
their production. This is why broiler production systems require management
to have high levels of responsiveness and availability of information.

To be a successful broiler farmer at any level, one has to master the day-to-
day management tasks of the broiler’s life. The most significant management
task would be FEED. Feed makes up 65-70% of the total cost of production.
Therefore we cannot overemphasize the importance of good quality, well
balanced formulated feed for the best possible production results.

This is why we at Feedmaster only use quality raw materials, formulated by

qualified nutritionists to supply the poultry farmer with a quality solution in
the feed.

Housing
• Poultry houses should be built with the shortest closed sides in an east to
west direction.
• The house should have side curtains opening from the top to the bottom.
This improves ventilation and avoids direct airflow on hens.
• Houses can be insulated, preventing big fluctuations in temperatures and
conserve heat during the night and cool down during the day.
• Roof overhang should be extended to avoid the hens from being exposed
to rain. Gutters can also be used to divert and collect rainwater.
• Concrete floors are ideal and most hygienic, however expensive. All floors
need to be covered in bedding. Ground floors are the cheapest option,
least hygienic and difficult to clean, is a bad moisture absorber can
contain dangerous viruses and bacteria.
• Make use of metal and plastic when building. These materials are easy
to clean
Placement of chicks
• Stocking density should be adapted with temperature changes. In the
summer the stocking rate (10 birds per m²) would be lower than in the
winter (12 birds per m²).
• The chicken house must be cleaned and disinfected at least 10-12 days
before the placement of the new chicks.
• Pre-heat the floor 2 days before chick placement. (Floor temperature 32˚C)
• Feed and water should also be placed the day before to ensure that it
would be room temperature and available when the chicks are placed.
• Use paper to cover 50% of the brooding area and place feed on the paper
to stimulate intake in the first 24 hours.
• Weigh some of the chicks to get a starting weight.

Post-placement chick checks

1. C
 hick-check 1 4/6 hours after placement: Test the temperature of the
feet of the chicks against your cheek. If cold, the pre-heating was not done
correctly and the farmer should re-evaluate his pre-heating procedures.

Results of cold floor temperature:

• Poor early feed intake
• Poor growth
• Poor uniformity

2. Chick-check 2 24 hours post-placement: This check is called a crop check.

The reason for this check is to confirm that the chicks found the placement
of feed and water.

• By this time a minimum of 95% of the crops should feel soft and pliable,
indicating chicks have successfully located feed and water.
• Hard crop – chicks have not found adequate water. Check the water
supply immediately.
• Swollen and distended crop - chicks have located water but insufficient
feed. Check the feed supply immediately.

Daily checks should be made throughout the cycle:

• Check if there are cold spots and draughts in the house.
• Check if the ventilation is correct - no build-up of ammonia.
• Check if the drinkers and feeders are at the correct height and if there are
enough of them for the number of birds.
• Check for wet bedding or too dry bedding.
• Keep notes of all dead birds removed.
Brooding
Why brooding?
During the first 14 days, a chick cannot properly control its body temperature.
This is why it is so important to manage their environmental temperature. The
following would be improved by good brooding practices. The development of
the following would be improved by good brooding practices.

1. The skeletal structure.

2. The cardiovascular system.
3. Appetite and water consumption.
4. Health and the immune system.
5. Minimize stress.

All these improvements will help accelerate the rate of growth of the chicks.

INFRARED LIGHTS GAS BROODER

CHARCOAL
 Too Hot Too Cold Draught Comfortable

Litter/Bedding
Important functions of litter include the ability
• To absorb moisture.
• To dilute excreta, thus minimizing bird to manure contact.
• To provide insulation from cold floor temperatures.

Litter Type Minimum depth or volume

Wood shavings 2.5cm - 10cm
Dry sawdust 2.5cm - 10cm
Chopped straw 1kg/m²
Lighting program and its advantages
• A period of darkness is a natural requirement for all animals.
• Better feed conversion because of energy conserved during resting.
• Reduce mortality rate and skeletal defects.
• Stimulates the production of melatonin. Melatonin is important in the
development of the immune system.

Lighting program as by the Ross

Aged (Days) Hours dark
0 0
1 1
100-160 grams 9
22 8
23 7
24 6
5 days before slaughter 5
4 days before slaughter 4
3 days before slaughter 3
2 days before slaughter 2
1 day before slaughter 1
Temperature management
Temperature management is one of the most important tasks, especially
during the brooding period. Because any stress chicks experience during this
period, will affect the growth and development in other phases.

The optimal temperatures are as follow:

• Environmental (Air) temperature 32-33˚C
• Floor temperature 32˚C
• Directly underneath brooders 40.5˚C

Temperatures as by the Ross

Relative
Aged (Days) Temperature °C for chicks
Humidity %
0 30-50 34
7 40-60 31
14 40-60 27
21 40-60 24
28 50-70 21
35 50-70 19
42 50-70 19

Ventilation
The function of ventilation is not only to supply the chicks with an adequate
supply of oxygen, but it also assists with the removal of waste products of
growth and combustion from the environment such as:
• Moisture removal.
• The provision of oxygen to meet the bird’s metabolic demand.
• The control of relative humidity.
• The maintenance of good litter conditions.

Always ensure that there is a supply of fresh air at all times, but be careful not
to have a cold draft blowing into the house. This will reduce the temperature
in the house.

Good maintenance of house curtains is crucial and curtains need to be opening

from top to bottom to ensure no cold drafts are blowing over the chicks.
Bird health
Prevention is by far the most economical and best method of disease control.
Prevention is best achieved by the implementation of an effective biosecurity
program in conjunction with an appropriate vaccination program.

Bio-security is a practice designed to prevent the spread of disease into your

farm. It is accomplished by maintaining the facility in such a way that there is
minimal traffic of biological organisms (viruses, bacteria, rodents, etc.) across
its borders. It is the most effective and cheapest means of disease control on
the farm. Below are a few key points to a successful bio-security program:
• Farms should be fenced.
• Limit non-essential visitors to the farm.
• Farm supervisors should visit the youngest flocks at the beginning of the
day and work by age to the oldest flock for the last visit on that day.
• Provide wheel dips or wheel spraying facilities at the farm entrance and
allow only necessary vehicles on site.
• Absolutely no other poultry should be kept on the same farm as your
broiler unit.
• The area around the poultry house should be free from vegetation, debris,
and unused equipment that could harbor rodents.
• Adequate downtime between flock placements is essential (10 days).
• Dispose of dead birds immediately.
• Footbaths should be placed at every poultry house entrance.

Vaccination
Vaccination is the administration of antigenic material (a vaccine) to stimulate
the bird’s immune system, to develop adaptive immunity to a pathogen. That
means that it gives the bird’s defense mechanism a “memory” system against
that disease.

The most common vaccinations given to day-olds are against diseases such as:
• New Castle disease
• Infectious Bursal Disease (Gumboro Disease)
• Infectious Bronchitis
• ILT

It is very important to CHECK WITH YOUR CHICK SUPPLIER WHAT VACCINATIONS

YOU NEED TO DO! Some hatcheries do carry out vaccinations at the hatchery.
Nutrition
Broiler diets are formulated to provide the energy and nutrients essential
for health and efficient broiler production. The basic nutritional components
required by the birds are water, amino acids, energy, vitamins, and minerals.

Feedmaster provides the following:

• All our products are specifically formulated to achieve the desired product
at a lower cost.
• All our products are produced in an ISO 22000 accredited plant.
• All our products are formulated with natural products such as maize and
soya, sunflower oil cake, chop, and bran.
• We don’t include any animal protein sources or animal-derived products
into any of our product ranges.
• We adhere to strict bio-security rules at all times to reduce possible
contamination.
The produced feed is put through a rigorous quality control process to confirm
the quality before being distributed.
Target weights
It is important to weigh the chicks as they grow. The table below shows the
target weights of the Ross 308.

Age (Days) Live Weight for age (Grams)

0 43
7 208
14 519
21 985
28 1573
35 2235
42 2918
Feedmaster Classic Broiler Range
Ideal for the smaller producer who sells live broilers to the market. It is a
cost-effective range with a moderate growth rate.

35 Day Model
Number Of Classic Broiler Classic Broiler Classic Broiler
Total Feed
Chicks Starter Grower Finisher
Day-old- 13.5 Days 13.5 Days - 3 Days 3 Days before
500 g before slaughter slaughter
Bags Bags Bags
KG Need Bag 50kg KG Need KG Need KG Need
50kg 50kg 50kg
100 50 1 206 5 31 1 286 7
200 100 2 411 9 61 2 573 13
300 150 3 617 13 92 2 859 18
400 200 4 823 17 123 3 1146 24
500 250 5 1029 21 153 4 1432 30
600 300 6 1234 25 184 4 1718 35
700 350 7 1440 29 215 5 2005 41
800 400 8 1646 33 245 5 2291 46
900 450 9 1851 38 276 6 2577 53
1000 500 10 2057 42 307 7 2864 59

42 Day Model
Number Of Classic Broiler Classic Broiler Classic Broiler
Total Feed
Chicks Starter Grower Finisher
Day-old- 13.5 Days 13.5 Days - 3 Days 3 Days before
500 g before slaughter slaughter
Bags Bags Bags
KG Need Bag 50kg KG Need KG Need KG Need
50kg 50kg 50kg
100 50 1 352 8 45 1 447 10
200 100 2 705 15 89 2 894 19
300 150 3 1057 22 134 3 1341 28
400 200 4 1410 29 179 4 1788 37
500 250 5 1762 36 223 5 2235 46
600 300 6 2114 43 268 6 2682 55
700 350 7 2467 50 312 7 3129 64
800 400 8 2819 57 357 8 3576 73
900 450 9 3172 64 402 8 4023 81
1000 500 10 3524 71 446 9 4470 90

This calculation was based on Ross 308 breeding standards and Feedmaster
information. The calculations were also made with a 2% mortality rate in
the starter phase and a 5% mortality on 35 days and 7% mortality on 42
days respectively.
Remember
• The amount of feed per bird is an indication, stick to the recommended
feeding days indicated on the feeding table.
• For the first 10 days, feed should be on the pan feeders or paper.
• From day 2, feed should also be in feeding troughs so that the chicks can
learn to eat from it.
• Do not place feed or water directly under the heat source as this may cause
the chicks to eat or drink less than they should.
Water Management
• To ensure optimum egg quality and overall health, the water supplied to
the hens should be of a good standard.
• Chicks which do not drink enough water will have an inadequate feed
intake and bad growth. This effects future egg production ability.
• Do regular checks to ensure that drinkers are working properly and/or are full.
• Make sure drinkers are at crop level and the water pressure is correct.
• When temperatures are high or if birds have health problems, they
consume more water to regulate body temperature.
• Add chlorine tablets to the water to sanitize water, but not during
vaccination days
• Under normal conditions, broilers drink between 250 ml -500 ml of water
each day.
• Do not feed water directly out of a borehole or big tank. Divert water to a
smaller catchment tank to help with medicating and vaccination of hens.
• A 100-liter tank is ideal for a 100 hen setup.
Record keeping
The biggest function of accurate records is for the farmer to utilize the
information in future decision making. Accurate record-keeping is essential to
monitor the performance and profitability of a flock.

Daily records that should be taken:

• Mortality and culls
• Type of culls
• Feed consumption
• Water consumption
• Water to feed ratio
• Water treatments
• Minimum and maximum daily temperatures
• Minimum and maximum daily humidity
• Number of birds taken for processing
• Management changes

Flock records:
(are a summary at the end of the flock’s cycle and include the following)
• Feed deliveries (supplier/amount/type/date of consumption)
• Feed sample from each feed delivery
• Live weight (daily/weekly/daily gain)
• Medication (type/batch/amount/date of administration/date of
withdrawal)
• Lighting program followed
• Litter (type/date of delivery/amount delivered/visual inspection)
• Chick delivery (number/date/time/count in boxes/truck temperature and
humidity)
• Stocking density
• Chick source
• Weights of each load at the processing plant
• Downgrades
• Date and time of feed withdrawn
• Date and time catching started and finished
• Clean out
• Post-mortem results
• Repairs and maintenance
• Controlling sensors and thermostats (date calibrated)
• Technical visits
Annual records
• Water (Tested at source and the drinker)
Where do I buy broiler chicks?
DAYOLD CHICKENS NAMIBIA is a distributor of broiler chicks throughout
Namibia. Visit www.dayoldchickensnam.com to register as a broiler farmer
and order your chicks online.

You can track your delivery online and confirm your delivery date as per
your order. Delivery dates and distribution points would be communicated
to the customers per email or by phone.

Once you have received the chicks you must release them into the brooding
house as soon as possible to minimize stress and prevent mortalities.

Feedmaster is responsible for the feed your chicks need to grow, we do not sell
the chicks.

Contact DAYOLD CHICKENS NAMIBIA

Tel. 0833318175 or visit their web site www.dayoldchickensnam.com
Follow them on Facebook: Dayold Chickens Namibia
 DAY 13.5 - 3 DAYS
1 DAY DAY 1 - DAY 13.5 before slaughter

BROILER
PRODUCTION
CYCLE
END PRODUCT Full-grown broiler LAST 3 DAYS
on slaughter until slaughter

NAMIBIA
Tel: +264 61 290 1300 | Fax: +264 61 290 1313 | info@feedmaster.com.na | www.feedmaster.com.na
+264
08181 297
456 0358
8679
Markus du Plessis : Technical Adviser - SME Poultry | mduplessis@feedmaster.com.na | +264 81 635 4061 chickorders@dayoldchickensnam.com
chickorders@dayoldchickensnam.com
Beata Auala : Technical Advisor North - Communal | BAuala@feedmaster.com.na | +264 81 396 5383 www.dayoldchickensnam.com
www.dayoldchickensnam.com