7.

BROODING, GROWER, LAYERS, BREEDERS

AND BROILER MANAGEMENT
7.1. Brooding Management
OBJECTIVES
• By the end of the unit, you are expected to be able to:
 explain how to brood chicks
 identify necessary equipment and facilities for
successful brooding
 explain and demonstrate how to prepare for the
arrival of chicks
 distinguish between routine and periodic management
practices.
1
7. BROODING, GROWER, LAYERS, BREEDERS
AND BROILER MANAGEMENT

...Brooding Management
• The word brooding refers to rearing (care) of
young chicks from day-old to six or eight
weeks of age.
• The length of the brooding period depends on
the environmental temperature.

2
 ...Brooding Management
• Chicks are provided either with natural or
artificial heat starting from the time they are
hatched up to the time they are able to regulate
their body temperature.
• Chicks during this period are reared in a
brooder house, which should be sited well
away (not less than 45.5m), from those adult
birds are housed. This helps to curtail the risk
of disease transference from old to young
stock.
3
 ...Brooding Management

Brooding Methods
• There are two general systems of brooding:
natural and artificial method.
• The natural method is the care of chicks by a
mother hen.
• The local chicken are suitable for this method.
Depending on her size, a hen can brood 10-12
chicken.
• This method is used where only few chicken are
raised. In addition, the method is not suitable for a
commercial scale operation.
4
 ...Brooding Management

natural brooding methods

5
 ...Brooding Management
...Brooding Methods
• Artificial method involves the use of special
equipment (brooder) which provide conditions
similar to those of the broody hen such as
adequate warmth, protection from harsh
external factors of weather (wind, rain,
temperature) and predators. It also allows
good feeding, watering and disease control.
• Artificial brooding is the best method for the
commercial producer.
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 ...Brooding Management
...Brooding Methods
Artificial brooding has some advantages over the
natural method namely:
a) Chicks may be reared at any time of the year.
b) Thousands of chicks may be brooded at once
depending on the capacity of the farmer.
c) Sanitary conditions may be controlled.
d) Temperature may be regulated and
e) Feeding may be controlled to meet the production
objective.
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 ...Brooding Management

Management of chicks using artificial

brooding
• The most common sources of heat for
brooding are the following:
- Electricity
- Kerosene
- Gas and
- Charcoal
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 ...Brooding Management

House preparation and chick’s arrival

• The house and all the equipment must be properly
cleaned, disinfected and air- dried for at least 10
days before the chicks’ arrival.
• All the feeders and drinkers should be filled up
and put in place at least 24 hours before the
arrival of chicks.
• Brooders should be in operation and temperature
should reach the desired level at least 12 hours
prior to the arrival of chicks.
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 ...Brooding Management

....House preparation and chick’s arrival

• The house should be left empty for a period of not
less than two weeks to destroy any surviving
disease organizations through starvation.
• Spread litter material up to a depth of 5cm on the
floor and test run again the heating system for its
efficacy in heating up the brooder.
• If a half open-sided house will be used, the open
sides should be covered with plastic sheets, mats,
empty feed bags or any other suitable material.
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 ...Brooding Management

...House preparation and chick’s arrival

• Upon the arrival, the chicks should
immediately be placed in the brooder.
• The number of chicks to be placed in each
brooder depends on pen size and brooder heat
output.

11
 ...Brooding Management

Brooding temperature
• The main point in brooding is to maintain the
temperature in the brooder house that will
keep the chicks comfortable at all times.
• Recommended temperatures at chick level
depend on breeds (e.g. whether feathering is
rapid or slow) and the type of chicken.

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 ...Brooding Management

...Brooding temperature

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 ...Brooding Management

...Brooding temperature
• The behaviour of chicks during the first few
weeks of brooding should be observed
carefully.
• The following behavioural reactions of chicks
could be used as a guideline in addressing
problems related to brooding.

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 ...Brooding Management

...Brooding temperature

Figure: Behavioural reaction of chicks under

different brooding conditions
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 ...Brooding Management

Confinement
• To confine the chicks around the source of
heat and to prevent draughts it is necessary to
erect a so-called brooder guard around them.
• Wire mesh could also be used as brooder
guard material particularly during warm
months.

16
 ...Brooding Management

...Confinement
• Brooder guard (hover guard or chick guard) is a 40-45
cm high made of galvanized iron sheet, corrugated
cardboard, or any similar flexible material fence that
confines brooded chicks to within 0.6 to 0.9 m of a
heat source.
• There should be no cracks in this guard as they will
cause draughts.
• The area inside the brooder guard could be enlarged at
least every two days.

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 ...Brooding Management

...Confinement
• When using infrared lamps for brooding, make
a circle with the chick guard about 2.4 m in
diameter around the heated area.
• This will keep the chicks confined to the area
under the lamp and prevent chilling.
• With any type of brooder, remove the chick
guard after 1 to 2 weeks.

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 ...Brooding Management

...Confinement
• Blocking the corners of the brooder house with
cardboard will prevent the chicks from crowding into
the corners and smothering (suffocating).
• Chicks may crowd into the corners when they are
frightened or if they are cold and have not yet learned to
return to the heated area.
• Chicks need heat until they are well feathered.
• This will be at 6 to 8 weeks of age, depending on the
season.
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 ...Brooding Management

...Confinement

20
 ...Brooding Management

...Confinement

Shown here in a cutaway, chicks may be

brooded in a sturdy cardboard box with a light
bulb for warmth. 21
 ...Brooding Management

Ventilation
• Air quality is critical during the brooding period.
• Ventilation is required during the brooding period
to maintain temperatures at the targeted level and
to allow sufficient air exchange to prevent the acc
umulation of harmful gases such as carbon
dioxide & ammonia. However, too much
ventilation is not required.

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 ...Brooding Management

…Ventilation
• A brooder house must provide fresh air.
• Be sure that there are no drafts on the floor.
• If the litter is wet and there is a strong odor,
the ventilation needs to be improved.
• This will help prevent respiratory diseases.

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 ...Brooding Management

Feed and water

• Chicks can go without water for 48 hours after
hatch, but the sooner they drink, the better
they will grow.
• Likewise, they can survive a couple of days
without eating but should eat soon after taking
the first drink.

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 ...Brooding Management

...Feed and water

• Feeders and drinkers must be of a size and
style designed for chicks, of sufficient number
for the quantity of chicks being brooded, and
positioned where the chicks can readily find
them.

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 ...Brooding Management

...Feed and water

• Chicks that are to be grown for egg production
needs chick starter ration from one day old to
about 6-8 weeks of age.
• The diet should contain 20% crude protein.
• Water is the most critical nutrient for the
newly hatched chicks.

26
 ...Brooding Management

...Feed and water

• Chicks are often given water before feed to
prevent dehydration and Pasting is less likely to
occur in chicks that are drinking well before
they start eating.
• Water should be in place 24 hours before chicks
are introduced so that the water temperature
approximates ambient temperature.

27
 ...Brooding Management

...Feed and water

• Flat feeders with shallow edges are provided for
chicks up to one week of age.
• Chicks box lids, feeder lids or plastic feeders are
commonly used.
• Thereafter until the end of the brooding period,
shallow but larger conventional trough feeders,
tube feeders or automatic feeders can be provided.

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...Brooding Management

...Feed and water

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 ...Brooding Management

...Feed and water

• To supply water several small founts must be
placed around each brooder stove, inside the
brooder guard.
• As soon as the chicks learn to drink, and the
brooder guard are expanded or removed, large
waterers should substitute small founts.
• Most of these are of a type that can be used until
the bird reach sexual maturity.
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 ...Brooding Management

Beak trimming
• Cannibalism is prevalent among chicken of all
age. Therefore, some methods of preventing
this vice should be used.
• The common procedure is to beak trim the
birds. Beak trimming is a process of removing
a portion of the beak to prevent or control the
outbreak of cannibalism.

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 ...Brooding Management

Electric debeaker Debeaked chick

32
 ...Brooding Management

...Beak trimming

33
 ...Brooding Management

Vaccination
• Some vaccination program begins in the
hatchery.
• Others begin during the brooding period.
• Those given during the brooding period
include the following.

34
...Brooding Management

...Vaccination 35
 ...Brooding Management

Appropriate densities
• Overcrowding and lack of enough floor, feeder
and drinker space can cause some chicken to
grow slowly.
• There is a standard recommendation for each
breed with regard to watering, feeding and space
densities. A decrease from the recommended floor
space usually means increase in mortality and
reduced rate of growth.

36
 ...Brooding Management

Brooder house equipment

• Chicks are small during the early part of the
brooding stage and require equipment that is
small in size, most of which cannot be fully
automated.
• The most important equipment during this
period include heat source (brooders),
feeders, drinkers etc.

37
7.2. GROWERS (PULLET) MANAGEMENT

• The growing period for chicken layers start

from 8- 18 weeks.
• Pullet may be raised in the same house that is
used for brooding, or they may be moved to a
grower house.
• Grower’s house can be deep litter, slatted floor
or a combination of deep litter or slatted floor.

38
 ...GROWERS (PULLET) MANAGEMENT

Feed and water

• For flocks from 8-18 weeks of age growers
ration are generally used.
• These diets are lower in protein and cheaper.

39
 ...GROWERS (PULLET) MANAGEMENT

Body weight and uniformity

• The body weight is a very important factor in
the growing period.
• The body weigh affects the maturity of the
pullet and the performance during the
production period.
• For that reason the target weight should be
followed as closely as possible.

40
 ...GROWERS (PULLET) MANAGEMENT

...Body weight and uniformity

• In addition to average body weight, the
uniformity of body weight within the flock is an
indicator of normal flock development.
• Uniformity is expressed as the percentage of
individuals’ weight which occurs within 10% of
the current flock average.
• A desirable goal is 85% of all the birds within
10% of the mean.
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 ...GROWERS (PULLET) MANAGEMENT

...Body weight and uniformity

• Uniformity is affected by factors such as,
chick quality, stocking density, feeding,
lighting program, vaccination and disease.

42
...GROWERS (PULLET) MANAGEMENT

...Body weight and uniformity

43
 ...GROWERS (PULLET) MANAGEMENT

...Body weight and uniformity

• For example, if the average flock weight at 18
weeks is 1270g, 85% of all birds should
weight between 1.14 and 1.4kg.
• To evaluate uniformity, at least 100 birds
should be weighted.

44
 ...GROWERS (PULLET) MANAGEMENT

...Body weight and uniformity

• Example: suppose you weighed 115 birds
individually and the mean weight is 1250grams.
The upper and the lower limit are 1125 and
1375grams. When 95 birds are within those
limits the uniformity is 95/115*100=82.6%.
When the uniformity is too low the cause has to
be determined and measures should be taken.

45
 ...GROWERS (PULLET) MANAGEMENT
Artificial light
• Light affects the age of sexual maturity and the
rate of egg production.
• The length of the day is the controlling factor.
Thus, increasing day length speeds up sexual
maturity, and decreasing day length slow
down sexual maturity.
• If pullet reaches sexual maturity too early, they
will lay small eggs for several months.
46
 ...GROWERS (PULLET) MANAGEMENT

Beak trimming
• Feather pecking and subsequent cannibalism is a
serious problem affecting farm profit.
• Beak trimming is a process of removing a portion of
the beak to prevent or control the outbreak of
cannibalism.
• It involves the partial removal of the upper and lower
beaks.
• Beak trimming can be carried out at various ages.

47
 ...GROWERS (PULLET) MANAGEMENT

...Beak trimming
• The most common ages for birds to be beak-
trimmed during this period is from 8 to 12
weeks of age.
• Hot blade trimming is the most popular method.
• The temperature of the blade is mostly assessed
by its color, although thermometers are
available to measure blade temperature.

48
...GROWERS (PULLET) MANAGEMENT

...Beak trimming

49
 ...GROWERS (PULLET) MANAGEMENT

...Beak trimming
• The most commonly used color is a dark (dull)
red blade with an approximate temperature of
650–750°C.

50
 Vaccination
Vaccination is the main method for the control of infectious disease in poultry.

51
7.3. LAYING FLOCK MANAGEMENT
• Birds of egg laying strains are normally
moved to layers house at 18th week of age.
• Many types of intensive housing are used
for laying birds and these include deep
litter, cages or slats (wire floor).
• The trend in large commercial flock is
towards using cage system.

52
cage system

53
 Routine Management Operations on Layers
• Dead birds are removed once found to prevent
contamination of the live birds.
• Fresh feed is added to stale feed in the feeder and
mixed after the litter and droppings in the latter have
been removed. A feed depth of not more than one-half
is recommended and feed given ad libitum.
• Waterers (watering trough) are taken out, cleaned and
re-filled with clean, cool water.
• If a battery cage is used and birds are in separate
compartments, the drinking trough should first be
cleaned removing the stale water and then refilled.
Fresh feed is added to the stale one in the feeding
trough and mixed up. Dead birds should then be
removed.
54
 Feed and water
• During this period layers should be provided
with layers diet that contains around 16% CP
and 3 % calcium.
• Feed troughs should not be filled over half full
with feed to avoid excessive feed wastage.
• Chicken need a constant supply of fresh water.
• Locate the waterers all over the house and
clean them daily.

55
...Feed and water

56
 Egg collection and handling
• In small scale production facilities, eggs are
gathered from nest or from cage roll out by hand.
• They are packed on to filler flats that can hold 30
eggs.
• Filler flats were originally made from paper pulp,
but most are now made of moulded plastic.
• With large system, mechanical device is used to
bring the eggs from several cage rows to a single
point, where they may be packed by hand.
57
 ...Egg collection and handling
 Frequent collection of eggs prevents egg
breakages and help keeps eggs clean.
1)Eggs collected should be kept in egg trays or
cartoons and should be packed with the small
end down.
2)Cracked eggs, leakers and thin-shelled eggs
should be kept separate after gathering.
3)Eggs should not be stored for longer than 2
weeks at room temperature to avoid spoilage.

58
 ...Egg collection and handling
 Floor eggs: eggs laid on the floor rather than
in nest boxes of floor-type laying or breeder
houses.
• These types of eggs are usually dirty, many
are broken and it is laborious to collect them.
• Pullets must be trained to use the nests when
they begin to produce eggs.
• Once they start to lay on the floor it becomes
difficult to change their habit.

59
 ...Egg collection and handling
• Pullets may lay on the floor because:
 Nests were not provided in time for the pullets to
get used to them before they started laying
 Nests are too high for the pullets to reach
 Too few nests are furnished for the number of
pullets (provide at least one nest for every four to
five layers)
 The nesting area is too bright, causing pullets to
seek out darker corners for laying
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 ...Egg collection and handling
The following practices are suggested to
reduce the incidence of floor laying.
 Place the nest in the layers house before the
birds start laying
 Place the nest in a darker part of the house
 Maintain stocking densities and hen-to-nest
ratios at recommended levels

61
 ...Egg collection and handling
 Keeping the nesting material clean and ample
 Eggs should not be allowed to accumulate in
areas other than nests.
 Accumulation in undesirable areas encourages
other hens to lay in the same location.

62
 Culling
Culling means removing unproductive
birds from the flock.
Part Laying Non laying
Comb and wattle Enlarged, bright red, waxy Shrunken, gray appearance
appearance
Vent Large, moist, and oblong in Small, round, contracted and dry
shape
Pubic bone Spread apart (2-3 fingers) Close together (1-2 fingers)
Width b/n pubic bone Spread apart (3-4 fingers) Close together (2-3 fingers)
and keel bone
Abdomen Full, soft, pliable Contracted, hard, & dry

63
Laying Vs non-laying

64
 How to measure egg production
• Daily or weekly egg production can be
calculated as the percentage of the total
number of birds present at 21 weeks (hen-
housed egg production) or the percentage of
the number of birds available on each day
(hen-day egg production).

65
...How to measure egg production
a)

b)

66
 ...How to measure egg production

• Example 1: there are 1000 hens alive on a

certain day and they produce 750 eggs that
day.
 Their hen-day egg production is 75%.

• Example 2: 1200 hens were housed at the

beginning of the laying year. Today they laid
750 eggs.
 Their hen-housed egg production is 62.5%.

67
 Undesirable characteristics noticed
amongst layers
• Some undesirable characteristics noticed amongst
layers are as follows (together with the means of
preventing them):
 Broodiness
• Broodiness is a maternal behaviour of birds in
which there is a desire to sit on eggs for
incubation and care for the young.
• This behaviour has been deceased in commercial
strains by genetic selection.
68
...Undesirable characteristics noticed amongst layers

...Broodiness
• To avoid broodiness the following is
recommended:
 Preventing floor laying (floor laying leads to
broodiness)
 Closing nests in the evening, about 4 hours
before lights out (as soon as all eggs are
produced)

69
...Undesirable characteristics noticed amongst layers

...Broodiness
 Frequent egg collection
 Avoiding leaving broody hens to brood on the
floor, to reduce the spread of the behavior
 Avoiding very high population densities which
also effect the feeder and drinker space per
bird

70
...Undesirable characteristics noticed amongst layers

 Egg eating
• Sometimes eggs laid on the floor of the layers
house are pecked by birds, which soon acquire
the habit of eating any egg they see.
• The egg eating habit may be prevented by
providing darkened nests which the birds enter
from the rear.

71
...Undesirable characteristics noticed amongst layers

 Prolapse
• When this occurs, after laying eggs, the egg
tube hangs out.
• Other birds may peck at it and cause injury
and death.

72
...Undesirable characteristics noticed amongst layers

...Prolapse
• Follow the proper lighting schedule during the
growing period.
• Segregate the affected birds and restrict their
feed.
• Ensure adequate floor space and reduce any
dustiness of feed.

73
...Undesirable characteristics noticed amongst layers

 Cannibalism
• An indication of this is when birds peck at
each other’s backs.
• Ensure proper density and adequate fibre in
the diet.
• Proper debeaking and light intensity will
reduce cannibalism.

74
...Undesirable characteristics noticed amongst layers

 Recycling layers
• Usually, layers are kept for egg production for
one year and sold at 18 or 20 months of age
for meat production i.e. after one year in lay
• By this time, egg production rates are
commonly around 60% and egg interior and
shell quality becomes very marginal.

75
...Undesirable characteristics noticed amongst layers

• This practices of selling a flock after one cycle

of egg production is economically justified
during high egg price periods, when
replacement pullet costs are low and mature
hen price are high.
• Many producers have found it more
economical to recycle their flock into a second
cycle of lay.

76
...Undesirable characteristics noticed amongst layers

• Induced (forced) molting has been widely

used in commercial layer management to
extend their production cycle.
• Induced molting can result in increased egg
production and egg quality.
• There are several types of induced molting
methods that are currently used in today’s
commercial egg industry.

77
...Undesirable characteristics noticed amongst layers

• These include using photoperiod, feed

withdrawal, and mineral supplementation.
• Laying hens that have completed their laying
cycle(s) and used for meat production are
called spent layers

78
 Laying house and equipment
 Feeders
• Feeders are devices used to hold the feed.
• They may be conventional, semi-automatic or
fully automatic.
• They can be linear or circular, and made of
metal or plastic.
• Sufficient feeding space per bird has to be
provided, depending on their age.
79
 ...Laying house and equipment
• Either trough or tube feeders can be used for
layers.
• The number of feeders should be such that the
distance to the nearest feeder does not exceed
2 m from any point in the house.
• A trough should be not too wide, easy to clean
and designed to prevent the hens from leaving
their droppings in it.

80
...Laying house and equipment
...Feeders

81
 ...Laying house and equipment
There are many types of automatic feeders that can
be used for layers

Figure. Different types of

feeders

82
 ...Laying house and equipment
 Drinkers
• Drinkers are used to provide clean, wholesome
water to the birds.
• They are also available in different sizes and
capacities.
• They may be troughs or basins kept on the
floor in the conventional manner, or hanging
drinkers in an automatic system

83
 ...Laying house and equipment
• Sufficient space for these drinkers should also be
provided for so that each bird can drink water
easily.
• Automatic drinking nipples may be used for
layers in cages.
• There should be at least one nipple for every two
hens. It is desirable for every hen to have access
to two nipples, as clogging of a nipple is not
always easily detected.
84
...Laying house and equipment

Figure. Different types of drinkers

85
 ...Laying house and equipment
 Nests
• Layers and breeders, except those managed in
cage systems, should have access to nest
boxes in which they can lay their eggs.
• Four types of laying nest are commonly used.

86
 ...Laying house and equipment
1. Individual nest: Single nests commonly have
the dimensions 30 -35 cm wide, 30-38 cm deep
and 30- 35 cm high.
• They have a 10 cm litter-retaining board across
the bottom of the opening and a perch 15-20
cm in front of the entrance.
• One nest should be supplied for every five birds
in the flock. The bottom row of nests should be
45 -60 cm from the floor.
87
...Laying house and equipment

88
 ...Laying house and equipment
2. Community nest: these are non portioned
boxes about 0.6m wide and 2.4m long with an
opening at each end through which the birds
enter and leave.

89
...Laying house and equipment

Community nest

90
 ...Laying house and equipment
3. Roll away nest: it is a wire or plastic floor,
sloped so that eggs will roll to the back or
front side.
4. Trap nest: This type of nest has a trap door
that close when a hen enters. The hen must
be liberated by hand. Trap nests are used for
recording the actual number of eggs produced
by each individual hen.

91
 BROILER MANAGEMENT

• Broilers are meat - type chicken that have been

specially bred for marketing at an early age.
• The strains of birds are very different from the type
used for egg production.
• The success of a broiler flock management starts
from the selection of birds to rear.
• The most common types of broilers include, Hybro
Ross , Cobb, and Hubbard.

92
...BROILER MANAGEMENT

93
 ...BROILER MANAGEMENT

• Most popular method of raising broilers is to raise

them on the floor (deep litter system).
• In modern commercial broiler production birds spent
their entire life in one house.
• The main guiding principle of broiler rearing is the all-
in-all out principle so that only birds of the same age
are kept on the same site.
• Broilers are reared in a similar way to immature layers
except that the system is almost always on litter.

94
 ...BROILER MANAGEMENT

• The birds are kept at high densities (up to 20

birds/m2) from day old to market weight.
• Broilers require higher level of certain nutrients
like energy, protein and amino acids than pullet
chicks.
• It is also important that adequate trough space is
provided.
• Broilers are usually fed three types of rations.

95
 ...BROILER MANAGEMENT

Types of Ration CP ME Time

Starter ration 22 3000 0 – 3 weeks

Grower ration 20 3050 3– 6 weeks

6 weeks up to
Finisher ration 18 3100 market

Table. Broilers ration

96
 ...BROILER MANAGEMENT
Debeaking
• Debeaking is not practiced in temperate areas
for broilers.
• But broilers in hot climates where feather
pecking may be frequent producers may use
beak trimming as a means of reducing bird’s
loss.
Vaccination
• Broilers should be vaccinated against the
following diseases
97
 ...BROILER MANAGEMENT
...Vaccination
Mareks disease at day one
New castle disease at 4-6 days
Infectious bronchitis 21-28 days
The second new castle disease vaccination
at day 40 days
The feed should contain Coccidiostat which
should be removed four days before the
birds are killed (slaughtered).
98
 7.5. BREEDERS (PARENT STOCK) MANAGEMENT
• Breeders are sexually matured bird used for
breeding purposes to produce eggs for hatching.
• Breeders that produce hatching eggs for commercial
broiler production are called broiler breeder whereas
those which produce hatching eggs for the
production of pullet chick are called layer parent
stocks.
• The management of these birds is similar to that of
egg laying birds except that cockerels must be kept
with the hens in the laying period. In this type of
birds the following factors needs consideration:
99
 ...BREEDERS (PARENT STOCK)
MANAGEMENT
Rearing period (growing program)
• A similar system is used as in the rearing of laying bird
chicks.
• Chicks of poor quality should be culled at 6 weeks age.
Around 3-5% of the hatch should be culled at his stage.
• The main problem with immature broiler breeder is
that they tend to eat too much, grow too quickly and
becomes obese. Various techniques have been devised
to prevent this.

100
 ...BREEDERS (PARENT STOCK)
MANAGEMENT
• There are two methods of restricting growth
rate in broiler breeders:
Qualitative restriction: this utilizes reduced
level of nutrients in the feed.
Quantitative restriction: this utilizes
reduced feed allowance, two methods
– Birds can be fed restricted amounts daily
– Birds can be fed on a skip-a-day program
101
 ...BREEDERS (PARENT STOCK)
MANAGEMENT
 Energy requirement of the breeder hen is
considered by most nutritionists as the most
limiting nutrient

Lighting pattern
• The lighting pattern should be similar to that
for laying birds.

102
 ...BREEDERS (PARENT STOCK)
MANAGEMENT
Breeders in lay
• Both pullets and cockerels should be moved
to the laying house at 21 weeks of age.
• The lighting should be as for laying birds.
• Care must be taken with respect to heat
stress in the tropics because broiler breeders
are more susceptible to heat stress than birds
of laying strain.

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 ...BREEDERS (PARENT STOCK)
MANAGEMENT
• Ratio of male to female
• Too many males in the breeding pens reduce
fertility, as do too few.
• The correct ratio of females to males depends
on the type and size of the birds involved, and
is defined on the basis of cocks per 100 layers.

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 ...BREEDERS (PARENT STOCK)
MANAGEMENT
 The recommended ratios between males and
females in the flock are:
• 1 male to 12 females – for light birds
• 1 male to 10 females – for medium-sized birds
• 1 male to 8 females – for meat-type birds
• As birds progresses through the laying cycle
there is a natural reduction in the fertility.

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