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Feeding broilers.. Feeding program

The feeding program for broilers is to meet the requirements of each stage of growth in terms of nutrient concentration and the required quality. Therefore.

Feeding broilers

the stages of raising broiler chickens

The starter stage, in which starter feed is provided.

– The growing stage, in which the growing feed is provided.

– The finisher stage, in which the finisher feed is provided.

Sometimes, when slaughtering at young ages, another stage is added to push growth at the beginning of education with an additional stage called:

Pre starter feed.

Each of these stages has its requirements for nutrients that differ from the other, but we must know that the first stages of the life of broiler chicks need a high concentration of proteins (amino acids) and a lower amount of energy represented - with the progression of the age stages, proteins (amino acids) decrease ) and the represented power is increased.

First: starter feed

During the incubation period, the chicks growing inside the egg obtain all their nutritional needs for embryonic growth and development from the contents of the egg itself. Within a few days after hatching, the chicks depend on obtaining their various nutritional needs from the manufactured feed provided to them.

Likewise, this feed must be of high quality in terms of digestive values and biological value in terms of containing all the nutrients and in quantities that cover and meet the needs of the chicks to carry out all the vital functions within the body – with the necessity of providing all appropriate environmental factors such as heat, humidity, oxygen, ventilation and lighting. In order for the chicks to be able to show their latent strength represented by their genetic makeup in terms of achieving record growth rates with an excellent feed conversion rate.

Achieving the standard weight according to the breed catalog at the age of 7 days is a primary goal for the fattening breeder, as if the chicks do not reach this weight on the seventh day, they will not reach the required weight at the end of the cycle.

Starter feed is used up to the age of 10 days, and this period can be extended until the age of 14 days if the chicks do not reach the target weight at the age of 10 days as a result of any unfavorable conditions that the flocks may be exposed to.

It must be clear that the amount of feed consumed for each fattening chick during the first 10 or 14 days of life is a small amount and does not greatly affect the total feeding cost of the herd, so attention must be paid to the quality of the raw materials used during this stage, even if they are expensive.

The amount of starter feed used for each chick up to 10 days of age ranges between 250-300 grams.

The amount of starter feed used for each chick up to the age of 14 days ranges between 450-600 grams, bearing in mind that these quantities are what actually reach the chicks without any waste of feed.

– This starter stage requires high nutritional needs that must be covered, including:

Crude protein about 23%.

- Energy represented by 3000 kcal / kg of feed.

The feed at this stage is usually in the form of a granular Crumble.

Second: Grower Feed

This stage begins after the paddy feed, from the age of 11 days (or after 14 days) until the age of 25 days. With this stage, we start to reduce the percentage of protein (amino acids) in the diets and raise the level of energy represented by them.

Requirements for nutrients for this stage:

⦁ Crude protein is about 21.5%.

⦁ Energy represented by 3100 kcal / kg of feed.

The feed at this stage is in the form of coarse granulated feed or in the form of pellet feed with small diameters.

Third: Finisher Feed

This stage begins after the growing fodder stage after the age of 25 days until marketing, in which the percentage of protein (amino acids) is reduced and the energy represented increases, as the bird's energy needs increase to provide the requirements for weight gain and rapid growth.

Requirements for nutrients for this stage:

Crude protein 20%.

- Energy represented 3200 kcal / kg.

The form of the provided feed is in the form of pellets with a diameter of 3-3.5 mm. The previous three stages (starter, growing, finisher) with the aforementioned specifications are when reared for young ages and up to a live weight of 1.6 kg, and if reared to advanced ages and weights of more than 2 kg, the feed of the end stage will have other specifications, as the crude protein decreases to about 19-19.5%, and the energy represented is about 3200 kcal / kg of feed.

Amounts of feed required for broiler chickens:

The quantities of feed required for broiler chickens differ at each age stage, according to the weights required to be reached and the ages, as well as the type of feed used in terms of the concentration of nutrients, and in general:

In the case of feeding on 3 diets for slaughter at a weight of 1.6 kg, the required quantities are:

Starter feed up to 10 days of age, 250-350 grams.

Grown fodder from the age of 12-26 days, 1500 grams.

- Finally fodder from the age of 26 - 1.6 kg weight 800 - 900 grams.

In the case of feeding on 4 diets for slaughter weighing 2 kg, the required quantities are:

⦁ Starting fodder from the age of 1-10 days, 250-350 grams.

⦁ Starter feed 2 from the age of 11-20 days 800-1000 grams.

⦁ Grown fodder from the age of 21-33 days, 1600 grams.

⦁ Forage fodder from the age of 33 days for marketing, 750-800 grams, at a live weight of 2 kg.

Important nutritional notes

1- When receiving the chicks, the feed must be distributed regularly inside the house and the brooding area in the necessary quantities and spaces according to the number of chicks in the house, as well as drinking water, so that the chicks get all their needs of food, nutrients and water easily.

2- It must be clear that the components of the yolk sac are nutrients of high biological value that are very important and needed by the chick during the first days of life for the rapid development of the nervous system and the immune system.

3- The size of the feed pellets, the diameter and the length of the feed pellets (cubes) must be taken into account in proportion to the age and size of the chicks, especially during the transition periods from granulated feed to cubic feed so that there is no reduction in the amount of feed consumed, which negatively affects the daily weight gain and thus the average weight.

4- Chicks that do not reach the recommended weight in the breed catalog at the end of the first week will not achieve the required weight at the end of the fattening cycle.

5- Providing adequate heat and heating at the level of the chicks at the reception and during the first days of life is very important for the chicks to obtain their food and water needs, as the movement of the chicks inside the house is linked to providing warmth and the appropriate temperature.