Broiler chicken tips for beginners only
Looking to start a broiler chicken farming business or you simply want to keep some broilers in your backyard for the family? This is a quick list that will guide you through some of the things that you need to consider before you start at all.
- Find out the best breed available
- Look for hatcheries with your preferred breed of broiler chicken
- Use only reliable vendors
- Prepare your brooding house; heating devices, medications and vaccination schedule
- Get your disinfectant for foot dip and general sanitation
- Block all crevices and prevent rodents, reptiles and birds from entering
- Heat up the house to about 34.5oc before chicks’ arrival
- Reduce supplementary heat every other day until no supplementary heat is needed
- Get a small thermometer to monitor brooding temperature
- Use good bedding/litter material
- Know your floor space requirement (1.3 to 2.4 Sq. ft. per bird)
- Keep daily record of your broiler feeding, growth rate, medications and vaccines used
- Monitor weight gain per week (this is your selling point – weight)
- Check your feeding – know when your birds are not eating well
- Feed your broilers ad-libitum (without restrictions)
- Monitor drinking water. Always provide cool water and prevent dehydration
- Broiler chickens need more ventilation as they grow. They will die if denied access
- Watch out for common broiler diseases like coccidiosis and CRD
- Avoid spilling water on the litter. When you do, pack the spot and replace the bedding.
- Use broiler starter for the first 3-4 weeks
- Switch to broiler finisher at week 4 or 5
- Skip grower feed if you are raising your broilers for maximum of 8 weeks
- If possible, start marketing before your birds hit 4 weeks
- Make sure your broiler chickens are free from coccidiosis before you vaccinate
- Always measure drugs and micro-ingredients with a digital scale
You can raise your broilers organically too
The list of broiler chicken tips you have just seen should help you to prepare better for the ever-profitable venture of broiler chicken farming.
You should also read: How To Promote Uniformity in Broilers
AskAgric
What’s the best broiler breed of chicken in Nigeria?
Okegbe Patience
Thanks so much sir.
Akintola Adebimpe
Thank you for those useful broiler breeding major tips
Opeyemi
You are welcome, Adebimpe. It’s my pleasure to see that my readers didn’t just waste their time