Broiler chicken breeds are birds produced commercially for their meat or a market broiler. The best broiler breed birds can also be raised on a breeder farm for their eggs.
Considering two major factors and other conditions that must be met for the production to be effective. We’ll look at how to choose the ideal broiler for your production in this article.
Broiler chicken farming
Broiler chicken farming is a method of poultry production that is becoming increasingly popular as the demand for meat rises. Broiler chicken breeds are raised for meat production only and attain market weight in 6-8 weeks. Broilers require a specialized feed that is tailored to their requirements, as well as heat and light to grow swiftly.
What is the most common breed of broiler?
- Types of broiler chicken
- Cornish cross chicken
- Bresse chicken
- Brown leghorn chicken
- Orpington chicken
- New Hampshire red
3 market types of broilers
Broiler chicken breeds are the most common meat chicken breeds. They’re also known as poultry or fryers. The Cornish broiler is a hybrid between the Cornish and White Rock breeds, resulting in a bird with soft breast flesh. Infants are prone to limb problems if not provided extra calcium due to their quick growth pace.
The following are the types of broiler chicken:
Cornish Cross: The most prevalent type of broiler chicken is the Cornish Cross. It has a high feed conversion rate and well-developed muscle tissue, making it excellent for rapid growth. If not given supplementary calcium, this breed can develop leg difficulties.
New Hampshire Chicken: This breed produces a significant amount of carcass and breast meat but does not grow as quickly as other breeds.
White Broilers are chickens with white or light-colored feathers and legs. Cornish Cross Chickens are also known as Cornish Cross Chickens since they were created by crossing Cornish and White Rock Chickens. They grow swiftly, but their flesh is of low quality due to their huge breasts, which makes them unappealing to some.
What you need to know to select broiler chicken breeds.
These factors should be considered because these birds are intended for commercial meat production.
- Feed conversion ratio
- Maximum weight of broiler bird after a period.
These two primary qualities play a huge role in why farmers broiler chicken breeds.
7 Free biosecurity tips you should practice on your poultry farm
Feed conversion ratio
The bird’s feed conversion ratio ability determines the amount of feed consumed that can be converted into body weight.
For example, if Bird A consumes 1.5 kg of feed and produces 1.0 kilogram of body weight, but Bird B consumes the same amount of feed and produces 0.9 kg, the former will be preferred for production.
Most importantly, a high feed conversion ratio indicates that a bird performs better than a non-performing bird with a low feed conversion ratio.
Maximum weight gained after a period
The feed conversion ratio determines the maximum weight gained within a given time frame. Production time is usually 6 weeks. However, it can take up to 8 weeks if marketing is problematic.
After 8 weeks, keeping broilers becomes a cost to you, the producer.
So, what do you do? You choose a breed that will gain weight in the fastest period feasible to match market pricing.
Can a broiler chicken lay eggs?
When you hear the word “broiler,” what comes to mind? If you’re anything like me, the birds grown for meat on factory farms come to mind. The bodies of these birds aren’t designed to lay eggs, and they’re engineered to grow swiftly.
However, not all broiler chickens are the same. Some birds are classified as dual-purpose breeds. They can be utilized to produce both meat and eggs.
A list of dual-purpose broiler chicken breeds follows:
Cornish Cross – This breed was created by crossing Cornish and White Plymouth Rock chickens in England in the 1950s. It’s a fast-growing bird with a high heat and humidity tolerance, making it excellent for industrial farming in hot locations like Florida or California.
New Hampshire Red – This breed was created in the late 1800s in New Hampshire by combining Rhode Island Red chickens with English Dorking stock. It’s a tough bird with white shells that lays brown eggs.
Bronze Campine – This chicken breed was created in Belgium in the 1930s by crossing Barnevelder, Belgian Blue, and French Poulet de Bresse.
Important conditions to take note
- Some breeds are more susceptible to heat stress than others. Therefore, a hot zone may not be ideal for them.
- Heat stress may compel them to eat less and drink more water, resulting in a lower maximum weight.
- Fatty liver disease is a condition in which the liver is fatty. Some breeds grow so much fat around the liver due to ad-libitum feeding that it is a prevalent cause of mortality.
When deciding, consider the major factors, such as the feed conversion ratio and maximum weight.
More resources:
- Russia-Ukraine Crisis 2022: India To Rise In Wheat Export
- Tyson Foods and 9 other tops poultry processing companies in the US
- Bird Flu South Africa: 6 Ways Poultry Biosecurity Can Protect Your Poultry Farm
- Number of poultry farms in the US: 233,770 poultry farms exist in the United States
- Potch Koekoe Chicken Raising Guide (Pdf)
