Having a good start for broiler chickens is crucial for achieving results, and the uniformity of the chicken flock is one of the necessary factors.

When broiler chickens grow evenly, all chickens will have a unified response, making management decisions easy and increasing profits. The uniformity of the chicken flock begins before the one day old chicks are transported to the farm. A reasonable configuration is to provide chicks with easily accessible feed and drinking water, in a good environment without stress response to chickens, and to help the flock grow reasonably.

Chickens with high uniformity can be fed and ventilated reasonably, as almost all chickens develop together and achieve higher meat production rates in slaughterhouses, especially on automated equipment.

What is the uniformity of the chicken flock?

Uniformity is used to measure the differences in the size of chickens in a flock:  Before discussing the main factors that affect uniformity, it is necessary to first understand how to measure and calculate uniformity. Uniformity can be measured through many methods, such as

1. Average weight of chicken flock +/- 10%

2. Coefficient of variation

3. Analysis of carcass meat yield after slaughter

Calculate the uniformity of the chicken flock

oneDivide the chicken coop into three sections

2. Take approximately 100 chickens from each paragraph, or the total number of chickens  1%

threeWeigh and record each chicken. An important point is to weigh every chicken in the circle, including the weaker ones.

4. Count the number of chickens within plus or minus 10% of the average weight of 100 sample chickens.

5. Dividing this number by the sample number represents the uniformity of the chicken flock.

Coefficient of variation

Coefficient of variation(CV)It is generally used to describe the degree of difference within a chicken flock. A lower oneCV Represents a uniform flock of chickens. A higher oneCV Represents an unbalanced chicken flock. The degree of difference can be expressed in the following way:

1. Average weight of the chicken flock

2. Standard deviation of weight

3. Coefficient of variation of weight

I knew your chick from the beginning

When the chicks arrive at the farm, take a sampletwo hundredWeigh each chick individually. There are many electronic scales in the market that can automatically calculate the coefficient of variation. If the coefficient of variation is poor, it indicates that more effort is needed to achieve better chicken quality and uniformity.

Male and female separate feeding is an effective method to improve the coefficient of difference and the uniformity of the chicken flock. The good situation is that the hens are on one farm and the roosters are on another farm due to concerns about biosecurity. Roosters will reach their target weight earlier than hens, so they will be slaughtered earlier.

When the uniformity of broiler chickens is high, all chickens have the same reaction, making management decisions easy and increasing breeding profits. The uniformity of the chicken flock begins from the transportation of one day old chicks to the farm. A reasonable setting is to supply a lot of feed and drinking water, and the environment of the chicken coop is comfortable, which will not cause stress to the chicken flock and help them grow reasonably.

Adequate feeding space

Providing sufficient feeding space for all chickens to eat simultaneously is extremely important. If the feeding space is not sufficient, fierce chickens will push timid chicks aside, resulting in uneven feeding and poor uniformity. Provide sufficient feeding space; Ideally, provide additional feeding trays or cushioning paper. Chickens with weaker individuals are very delicate and afraid of chickens with larger individuals. During the first four hours, frequently walk around the chicken coop to stimulate them to stand and eat. Add fresh feed to the feed tray 2-3 times a day.

Crop inspection

Crop inspection is a good tool for measuring the development of chicks. Select 100 chicks from 3-4 different locations in the chicken coop. After 8 hours of feeding, there should be 80% crop material, and after 24 hours of feeding, there should be 95-100% crop material. The texture of the crop should be soft, indicating that the chick has successfully found feed and water. A hard crop indicates that the chick has not found water. The swollen crop indicates that the chicken has found water but not feed.

Additional feed should be provided in the first 7-10 days through padding, trays, or plastic lids. The feeding tray should provide 50 grams of feed for each chicken. The additional material tray should be placed between the main material line and the water line, near the nanny umbrella. It is very important that these additional feeding systems are not empty. Without feed, it will cause stress reactions in the chicks and reduce the absorption of yolk sacs.

The bottom of the extra tray should never leak out - always keep it full! The supplementary feeding tray should be filled three times a day until the chicks can eat from the main feeding line. This usually occurs on a weekly basis. Do not place feed or water directly under the heating system, as this may reduce the intake of feed and water.

The automatic feeding system should be placed on the ground, allowing chicks to easily access it. Fill the automatic feeding system with feed whenever possible. If using padding paper, the feed area should be at least 50% of the brooding area. It is recommended to lay 50-65 grams of feed per chick on the cushion paper. The paper should be placed near the automatic drinking water system so that the chicks can easily eat the feed and drink water.

When chicks can easily use the feeding tray, remove the additional tray/padding paper. If there are a large proportion of weak chicks in the chicken flock, extra trays can be left for a longer period of time. Proper activity stimulation of chicks during the first 5 to 7 days is beneficial for digestion and absorption, as well as aiding in the development of the immune system.

Teach drinking water skills

Teaching new chicks how to use nipple water dispensers is a great time investment. Chickens naturally remain curious about their surroundings, and breeders should teach them how to activate their nipples. Other chicks will learn from chicks who have already mastered drinking techniques. At one day of age, the waterline should be at the height of the chick's eyes. There is a droplet on the nipple, but it doesn't drip down. Water droplets reflect light, attracting chicks to come over. In the next few days, gradually raise the waterline to ensure that the chicks can easily drink water.

The consumption of water and feed is directly related - when chickens drink less water, they also eat less and their growth will rapidly decline. As a fundamental principle, healthy chickens drink twice as much water as they feed, although this proportion is higher in hot weather.

1. Temperature guidance

Low or high temperatures during the chick rearing stage can lead to a decrease in growth rate, and the difference can be clearly seen in chicken flocks growing in low temperatures. During the first five days of chick rearing,twenty-eightThe temperature of Celsius has long-term negative effects on subsequent growth and development. The ideal temperature for bedding during chick rearing isthirty-twoCelsius degrees, relative humidity30-50%. Good bedding temperature encourages chicks to discover new environments, eat feed and drink water as early as possible.

Entering the chicken4-6After an hour, place the chicken feet on your neck or face to check the temperature. If the chicken feet are cold, the internal temperature of the chicks is also lowered. This can lead to poor early feed intake and growth, as well as compromised uniformity.

2. Lighting balance

A good lighting program should be designed before entering the chicken. Generally speaking,twenty-fourThe length of the hourly light can help chicks find feed and water. Suggest reaching in a dark area of the chicken cooptwenty-fiveLux, measure at chick height. The more uniform the lighting, the better. The intensity of the lighting at ground level should be optimal, with a difference not exceeding20%.

3. air quality

The ideal air quality for broiler chickens is19.5%Oxygen and carbon dioxide are less than3,000ppm,  Carbon dioxide and ammonia are less than10ppm The dust level is less than3.4mg/ m. High concentrations of ammonia are harmful to broiler chickens. Converting broiler chicken manure into ammonia requires water, so reducing the moisture content in the bedding is necessary to lower ammonia production. Good ventilation management is crucial for maintaining good air quality during the chick rearing stage.

4. Anti migration barrier

Using anti migration barriers is a great way to prevent chickens from crowding into one bar. Anti migration barriers should be installed in the early stages of breeding to ensure a balanced ground area, water dispensers, and feeding space for a chicken flock, especially in summer. In tunnel ventilation, chickens like to move into the wet curtain area, leading to overcrowding. This may result in uneven weight distribution from one end of the chicken coop to the other, and high density can lead to issues with carcass quality.

typical122-152The rice chicken coop should at least havethreeA migration barrier divides the chicken coop into four parts - the first two are installed along the length of the coop1/4Location and1/2Starting from the wet curtain end. When the chickens occupy the entire brooding area, divide the number of chickens into two, each occupying half of the chicken coop. The third anti migration barrier is installed in the chicken coop when the breeders confirm that the chickens have been evenly distributed to the back of the coop3/4Divide the chicken flock into four equal parts based on their location.