Broiler chicken breeding, domestic and industrial breeding, estimation of costs and income (2023-2024)

Broiler breeding is one of the most popular activities in Iran’s agricultural industry. In this article, we have discussed many things needed for raising broilers, including: costs, income, land and equipment needed, and many other things.

 

The principles of broiler breeding

 

The society’s urgent need for a suitable protein source with a fast growth rate in line with population growth has made many people turn to broiler and laying hens. Broiler chicken is one of the sources of protein supply, and with breeding, a 40 gram chicken can be turned into a 2.5 kg chicken in 41 days. Note that one of the reasons for the growth of broiler breeding in recent years is the conflict of many droughts in different regions of Iran. This issue has made it impossible to do agriculture in many places due to water restrictions. Therefore, the desire of farmers to operate in closed and controllable environments such as poultry houses and greenhouses has increased.

Among the importance of broiler breeding, the following can be mentioned:

• Ease of maintenance
• Need less space than other breeding items
• Low carcass drop after slaughter
• Its high nutritional value
• The growth rate mentioned earlier
• High conversion rate
• Fast return on investment

What is broiler chicken and what are its breeds?

As the name suggests, chickens that are raised for meat consumption are called broiler chickens. The main feature of these chickens is their high growth rate, their huge size and their low ability to lay eggs. Breeding has made significant progress in the livestock and poultry industry. A chicken naturally gains about 2 kg weight in 2 years. Today’s crossbred chickens reach a weight of more than 2.5 kg in about 42 days. The issue that should be paid attention to in the meantime is the needs that these birds have, which must be paid attention to in order to grow. The needs of cross-breeding chickens are offered in catalog form by their producer groups. In these catalogs, you will be told in detail, for example, on the 7th day, what kind of food is needed, in what amount and with what percentage of energy and protein, and it even predicts the weight of chickens at different ages. Paying attention to breeding breed catalogs allows you to know during the breeding period whether your breeding is correct or not. If you are under the catalog chart, you should check what is causing problems in your breeding. In this way, you can guarantee the principles and correctness of your chicken breeding.

In the following, the famous breeds of broiler chickens are provided for you. Also, in the link below, we have provided you with a catalog of different breeds of meat chicken, which you can download for free.

Get the catalog of broiler breeds

Broiler breeds

Among the most important breeds of this chicken, the following can be mentioned:

• Kushin
• Plymouth Rock
• Cornish

Full introduction of the best broiler breeds along with their advantages and disadvantages

 

Important points in broiler breeding

Breeding the first days

Breeding broilers in the first days is very important because it affects the performance of the whole period, so be sure to provide the right conditions for them. Paying attention and controlling the temperature of the hall is especially important during the cold days of the year. In the laying halls, the full capacity of the hall can be used and over time, as the chickens grow bigger, the space available to them can be increased.

Preparing the hall

 

Before the chicken enters the breeding hall, there are a number of measures that must be taken. Poultry beds should be prepared to receive day-old chicks. The temperature and environmental conditions should also be suitable for the condition of day-old chicks. Below, we have reviewed the important points regarding the preparation of the poultry house before the arrival of the chickens.

The recommended environmental conditions at the location are:

• You must heat the house at least 24 hours before the chickens enter.
• Air temperature: 30 degrees Celsius above the bird’s head and near the feeders and waterers
• Bed temperature: 28-30 degrees Celsius
• Relative humidity: 60-70%.
• Spread the bedding material evenly
• The height of the bed varies depending on the weather and season
• In ideal conditions and mild weather: height 5-10 cm
• If you have problems disposing of the litter, its height can be reduced to 5 cm
• In cold weather, the height of the bed should be above 10 cm

In the following article, the preparations of the hall before the arrival of the chickens have been discussed more fully.

Preparation of the poultry house before the arrival of chickens

 

 

Broiler breeding equipment

Today, as I am writing this article (March 1402), the policies of agricultural jihad are such that permits are allocated to poultry farms with high capacities. This issue makes it impossible to use the old and so-called manual broiler breeding systems. Therefore, the automatic systems of watering, feeding and in general the intelligentization of poultry halls are progressing at a high speed. We at KarnoTech consider one of our permanent missions to be the transfer of the world’s latest technologies in the poultry industry to Iran, and in recent years, we have taken many measures to industrialize broiler breeding by producing automatic products, examples of which can be found in the section See poultry projects.

But a very frequent question in this field is, what exactly are the equipment needed for a poultry house? To answer this question, we considered a hall of 20,000 pieces as an example. We have estimated the appropriate dimensions that are needed to grow 20,000 pieces. After that, we calculated the complete equipment needed for this hall, including nipple drinkers, automatic feeders, ventilation systems, ventilation systems, heating cooling, feeding lines, etc. You can see these items in full detail in the following article.

The equipment required for the 20,000 piece hall

Characteristics of quality chicken

A quality chicken can be recognized to some extent by its appearance. Pay attention to the following:

• Cleanliness of the bird after hatching
• Standing firmly and walking well
• Being alert and active
• Free from external abnormalities
• The yolk sac is absorbed and the navel is healed

Filling the layer in the early hours is especially important for better growth in the coming days.

The following table shows the amount of filling of the layer in the first 84 hours.

Examining suitable conditions for raising broilers

Poultry density is a very important issue that should be considered. According to Jihad standards, at the date of writing this article, 15 chickens are considered per square meter. But I have seen many chicken farmers who have a higher number of chicks per square meter. How much hatching is done depends on many things. Perhaps the most important thing is the marketability of the final weight of the chicken offered in your city and province. Regarding the density of poultry, you can refer to the more complete article on the initial density for hatching. Below are pictures and important tips about density

Environmental conditions are correct: chicks are spread evenly throughout the rearing area

Environmental conditions are too cold: chickens huddled under heaters or in small enclosures.

Solution: increasing temperature and/or relative humidity.

The environmental conditions are too hot: the chickens gather near the walls of the house and move away from each other, away from the heating source, or they develop blisters.

Solution: reduce temperature and/or humidity.

Temperature and humidity management in broiler farming

The temperature in the first days of hatching should be around 32-32 degrees so that the broiler can easily consume feed and water, and as the age of the chicken increases, the temperature of the room should be reduced.

The humidity required to prevent dehydration in the first days of broiler breeding is about 60-70%, and after that, the appropriate humidity is 50-60%.

Keep in mind that if there is high humidity, the conditions for the growth of microorganisms will be provided and diseases such as coccidiosis will occur.

The table below shows the temperature and relative humidity required for broiler chicken (red color is the best).

Standard temperature and humidity for raising broilers

Food programs in broiler breeding

Broiler chicken diet includes three parts: beginning, middle and end, which are from 1 to 10 days old, 10 to 25 days old and 25 to slaughter, respectively. Note that the discussion of feed includes up to 70% of the current costs of broiler farming. Therefore, paying attention to the quality of the consumed feed and its final price can guarantee a good course for you.

Regarding nutrition, you should pay attention to the balance of energy and protein according to the age of your chicken. A balanced diet includes the right combination of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and vitamins and minerals. Broiler chicken feed should include quality protein sources, such as soybean meal, rapeseed meal, sunflower meal, etc. Also, it is necessary to provide carbohydrates from sources such as corn, wheat, and barley. Vitamins and minerals such as vitamin A, D, E, B, calcium, phosphorus and potassium, chlorine, sodium, etc. should also be present in the broiler diet.

Today, many collections prefer to use grain prepared by animal feed factories. The grains of Jat factories are usually kept in good conditions and due to the use of animal and poultry nutrition experts, they adjust the exact rations. Of course, there is definitely a difference in the quality of grain among factories, and it is not the case that the grain produced by all factories is very desirable. Many other farms, especially industrial and large farms, prefer to produce their own poultry feed. Of course, if good equipment is used and the ration adjustment is done by an experienced expert, because you know exactly what input and quality you have purchased, you can have much better quality food at a lower cost than factories.

In the article on ration writing (regulation of ration energy) and regulation ration writing (ration protein), we have examined the standards of providing energy and ration protein.

Broiler drinking system

Water is the most important material used by poultry, and it is very important to provide them with enough water. Broilers need clean and fresh water to consume and cool their bodies. It should be ensured that clean and quality water is always available to the chickens and the capacity of the drinking troughs should be calculated according to the needs of the poultry. Access to fresh and quality clean water is essential during the broiler breeding period. Pay attention to the following tips about broiler chicken broth.

• Check the ratio of feed to water daily.
• The ideal water temperature should be between 15°C and 21°C
• Adjust the height of the waterer every day.
• Adjust the watering lines as the bird grows.

Use of nutritional supplements and feed intake control

In some cases, the use of nutritional supplements can help poultry perform better. These supplements can include vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes, and probiotics. The use of nutritional supplements should be done with the advice of experts and following the manufacturer’s instructions. Also, accurate and regular control of feed consumption in different growth periods of broilers can help their productivity and health. Feed consumption should be based on the growth process, nutritional needs and environmental conditions, as well as experts’ recommendations.

Health and vaccination programs

Vaccination in broiler flocks should be according to a comprehensive program and be followed carefully. Normally, health programs for broiler flocks are against diseases such as influenza, and infectious bronchitis, which are administered by oral injection and eye drops.

The following table is a hypothetical sample of the vaccination program:

Lighting program in broiler poultry farm

Exact light programs will vary depending on where you live and market conditions, but the following will work for good broiler performance:

• From the age of 0-7 days, chicks should have 23 hours of light and 1 hour of darkness.
• After 7 days, a dark period of 4-6 hours will be beneficial.
• The change in the lighting program should be done within a period of 2-3 days.

If you want to use intermittent light programs, you should include at least 4 hours of continuous darkness in your program.

The minimum recommended light intensity is as follows:

• Get 30-40 lux up to 7 days.
• After 7, get at least 5-10 lux.

Poultry ventilation system

The ventilation system is one of the most basic issues in broiler breeding. As mentioned, excess humidity and high temperature must be removed from the hall, and the bird needs fresh air to grow. In general, ventilation of poultry halls is divided into minimum (winter) and maximum (summer) categories according to the season we are in.

The aim of the minimum ventilation system is to provide fresh air for the bird with the least heat loss, which includes inlets and ventilators. At this stage, the rotation of the incoming air and proper negative pressure are important factors.

As mentioned, the air intake valve (inlet) is one of the main pillars of winter ventilation and creating air circulation.

Karnotech Inlet

The aim of the maximum ventilation system is to reduce the temperature, remove excess moisture and reduce thermal stress. Cellulose pads and ventilators can be mentioned among the components of this system.

 

 

Different parts of a complete chicken farm

Poultry farms include different parts. Many poultry farmers build their farms in such a way that they become a very suitable place for their family outings. In my many visits, I have come across many of these farms and tried to take proper aerial pictures of them. I will share some of these pictures with you.

 

In general, a broiler farm consists of common parts:

• Chicken breeding halls
• Work office
• Feed storage warehouse
• Suite for employees
• Emergency power room

In general, it is better to consult with breeding experts before building different parts of the chicken farm. Regarding the placement of different parts of the poultry house, you should consider that the orientation of the halls should preferably be done in the direction of the prevailing wind in the area in order to have a positive effect on the efficiency of the ventilators. Also, the location of the warehouses should be such that we have the minimum traffic of vehicles carrying the inputs.

On the other hand, considering poultry development plans in the coming years should be considered by an expert. Our experience at KarnoTech company has shown that after a few years of operation, poultry farmers get permits to increase their capacity. Therefore, it is important to consider the necessary forecasts for the possible development plan in preparing the location map of different parts of the farm (site map).

At KarnoTech company, providing a location map and building a chicken farm is available to friends. We have given more explanations in this matter in the poultry farm map. If you want to get a map of the chicken farm, you can do it through online support or by registering a consultation form.

Calculation of profit and loss

Regarding the profit of poultry farming, we usually do not see much definition from the language of poultry farmers. Perhaps the main reason for this is the sensitivity of chicken meat in the food basket of us Iranians. Because due to wrong planning and sometimes incorrect permission to import to adjust the prices, they cause a lot of losses to poultry farmers. This issue often discourages poultry farmers from continuing their work. But what we see in practice regarding chicken farms with standard and large capacities, as well as chicken farmers who have good financial support, we always see that these chicken farms are developing and getting bigger. This issue can indicate the important issue that if broiler chickens are raised properly, you can be satisfied with the amount of income.

Another point that I always mention in consultations is the issue of financial support, which was mentioned above. Really, poultry farmers who consider all their capital to do a course, it is not recommended to start this work. Because they may face losses due to various things such as price reduction, disease or losses in poultry farming. But in the case of poultry farmers whose financial support allows them to continue hatching in case of losses in one or two consecutive periods, they are usually satisfied with the income status of poultry farming in the long term and continue it permanently.

Sometimes it can be seen that due to the shortage and scarcity of chicken in days of the year such as Ramadan or Nowruz, the price of chicken rises dramatically. Regarding the estimation of the income of poultry farming, there is a lot of discussion, which you can read in more detail in the article below which I have linked.

Investigating the income of poultry farming, the profit of broiler breeding in 1402

I am Farid Vahedi, the author of this article, a graduate from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad and a member of the KarnoTech group, and in this article I tried to share experiences regarding I will share broiler breeding with you. For sure, this article is not free of scientific and experimental problems, so please share the desired technical notes with me in the comments section.

Also, if you want expert advice about your farm or setting up a chicken farm, you can book an appointment through the expert advice link.

Be steadfast and proud in God’s shelter.