Broiler (English broiler, from to broil – “fry on fire”) is a precocious hybrid of meat chickens, other types of poultry or rabbits, obtained by interbreeding (heterosis). The bird grows quickly, while the cost per 1 kg of growth is low. The meat has good taste, it is tender and juicy. Purebred broilers are now kept mainly on small farms and, of course, in homesteads. Hybrid crosses are bred at large poultry farms. They are specially bred to be kept in artificially created conditions on large farms and are characterized by higher productivity – multi-breed and multi-line.
When selecting hatching eggs, chicks, and adult chickens, poultry farmers are guided by the main goal – obtaining a large amount of meat. If you create favorable conditions for broilers and provide them with a balanced and nutritious diet, they will quickly gain weight suitable for slaughter.
Scientific research and animal husbandry practice have proven that the best use of nutrients occurs when feeding them in the form of compound feed. They have a complex, homogeneous composition, created according to scientifically based recipes – it includes various feed products and micro additives purified and crushed to the required size. Depending on a combination of factors – the cross of the bird, housing conditions, feeding, etc. – by 30-31 days a broiler can reach a maximum weight of 1.8 kg.
Features Of Feeding Broilers
Among the main ways to increase the efficiency of broiler meat production, improving the quality of feed and using optimal recipes for poultry of certain lines and crosses is important.
Compound Feed
Mixtures for broiler chickens must be standardized for the content of metabolic energy, crude protein, fiber, minerals, amino acids, and vitamins. Complete feed provides all the needs of poultry; it is also recommended to use protein-vitamin-mineral complexes (PVMC), which are added to the grain part.
Given the need for rapid weight gain, chickens must be provided with everything they need. The diet of broilers must be as balanced as possible so that the result is good and there is a lot of meat. Any changes in nutrition can cause a decrease, or even a complete stop, in the growth of broilers. We recommend adhering to the following scheme, each stage of which has its feed:
- “Start” is a nutritious cereal for chicks up to 2 weeks old. Since the digestive system is not yet fully formed, the mixture is thoroughly ground and crushed.
- “Rost” is a high-calorie granulated feed for broiler chickens aged 14–28 days. The main advantages of coarse grinding: it takes a long time to digest, the beneficial components are better absorbed, and the digestive system is stimulated.
- “Finish” is a ready-made mixture for balanced nutrition from 28 days of age until broilers are sent to slaughter. The combination of all the favorable factors already mentioned above ensures increased body weight gain for the bird. As a result, the amount of meat products at the output of production can make it possible to recoup all the costs of raising poultry.
The ability to properly balance nutrition is the main condition for the good health of livestock. Mistakes can be detrimental to a sensitive immune system. Even an adult broiler is not always able to survive “experiments” with nutrition without any consequences. For poultry farms of any size, the combination of high-quality feed and BMWD is considered universal.
Mixture
Most poultry farmers prepare their feed for broilers. On private farms, mash is often used. They include boiled potatoes, grated carrots and beets, chopped herbs, and vegetables. All this is mixed with grain or a small amount of mixed feed, but the latter cannot be completely abandoned – this will lead to a decrease in the bird’s weight gain. Often the main components of mash are:
- Dairy products. The most valuable ones include skim milk, curdled milk, buttermilk, whey, and cottage cheese. The main condition is their freshness. Experienced poultry farmers often add dairy products to the diet of broilers because they provide calcium requirements. Also, the gastrointestinal tract begins to work correctly, bifidobacteria and lactobacilli appear. For the first time, dairy products are allowed to be given to chickens 10 days after birth.
- Greenery. The grass is chopped up and added to feed or hung as brooms in the broiler enclosure. You can use dandelion, lettuce, sorrel, nettle, clover, plantain, and alfalfa. It is recommended to include green fertilizer in the diet from the 3rd day of cultivation. In autumn and winter, the product is replaced with sprouted grains (preferably barley) and grass flour. It can be given to chickens from 5 days of age at the rate of 2-3 g per head per day with a gradual increase in the norm to 5 g. It is not recommended to exceed this amount, since too much fiber will be difficult to absorb.
At the same time, it is quite difficult to independently calculate the proportions and thoroughly mix the components without the appropriate education and equipment. The main advantage of mash – making it yourself from products that are on hand – also hides the main disadvantage.
Savings can become false, especially when using table scraps and spoiled food scraps. To avoid poultry health problems, it is recommended to use only recipes that have been tested by other breeders, and also to invite a specialist who will help you create the optimal list of ingredients for the mash from the products that you have on your farm.
What Not To Feed Broilers
You cannot feed newborn chicks according to the standard scheme. Typically, poultry farmers use boiled eggs, cereals, herbs, and cottage cheese for this. Despite the power and rapid growth of broilers, inherent in genetics, these products place too much stress on their digestive system. From the first days of life, it is recommended to provide feed that is specially balanced and adapted for broilers.
It is necessary to carefully monitor compliance with the temperature regime. Broiler chicks are kept within 32–34°C. The indicators are reduced weekly, but gradually and by only 1°C. The poultry farmer must carefully monitor the condition of the livestock so that it does not lose its appetite, otherwise, this will negatively affect its health.
What is included in the list of prohibited products? Chicks are quite indiscriminate in their food, so they are ready to try everything in their line of sight. There is always food waste on the farm, but some products can cause nutritional disorders, poisoning in broilers, and even lead to the death of the livestock.
We list what and why you should not feed:
- Raw potatoes, their skins. Poultry poisoning can be caused by too high a solanine content.
- Fresh bread, baked goods. Due to the peculiarities of digestion, there is a high risk of disorder in the form of diarrhea and intoxication of the body.
- Fatty and sweet food waste. With regular consumption, poultry increases fat mass, and its immunity is significantly reduced.
- Celandine, potato flowers and leaves, all the green parts of tomatoes, burdock, hemlock, black locust, pear seeds and leaves, colchicum, horse chestnut, elderberry, and juniper. Targeted feeding of these plants causes disturbances in the functioning of many body systems, which leads to the death of the bird.
- Beetroot and its tops (applies to chickens up to 18 days old), since it can cause digestive upset.
