https://www.mtsu.edu/agriculture/JuniorBroilerProgram.php

PROGRAM OVERVIEWTHE SHOW BROILERGETTING STARTEDHOUSINGVENTILATIONLIGHTINGFEED AND WATERHEALTH CONSIDERATIONS

RESOURCEShttps://www.mtsu.edu/agriculture/JuniorBroilerProgram.php

kevin.downs@mtsu.edu

PROGRAM OVERVIEWIntroductory meeting

Pickup 15 chicks and 25 lbs starter feed (TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 12PM-4PM, HORTICULTURE CENTER, MTSU)

Mid-program meeting (TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17 @ 6PM, MTSU CAMPUS, STARK AG BUILDING 125)

Selecting and judging broilers (THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3 @ 6PM, MTSU CAMPUS, STARK AG BUILDING 125)

Show, auction, and skill-a-thon (THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 @ 6PM, CELEBRATION ARENA, SHELBYVILLE)

Awards Banquet (TUESDAY, OCTOBER 22 @ 6PM, BLUE RIBBON CIRCLE ROOM, SHELBYVILLE)

THE SHOW BROILER SHOULD…… BE HEALTHY… BE DOCILE… GROW IN A BALANCED WAY… BE HEAVY MUSCLED… BE UNIFORM WITH OTHERS IN THE FLOCK… HAVE GOOD FEET AND LEGS… BE CLEAN

GROWING THE BEST SHOW BROILER…① PROVIDE CHICKS WITH AN ENVIRONMENT CONDUCIVE

FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

② PROPERLY FEEDING A DIET WHICH SUPPLIES ALL NUTRITIONAL NEEDS

③ BE AN AWESOME MANAGER

④ SELECTING MOST HEAVILY MUSCLED AND UNIFORM BIRDS TO SHOW

TLC

From Kemin Industries

NOTES ON GETTING STARTED… PICKUP CHICKS AND GET IN BROODER IMMEDIATELY

BROODER SHOULD BE SETUP AND WARM (CORRECT TEMPERATURE) AT LEAST 2 HOURS BEFORE CHICKS GO IN

BROILERS ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM CHICKENS YOU MAY HAVE RAISED IN THE PAST

YOU ARE GETTING STRAIGHT RUN CHICKS – YOU WILL SHOW ONLY FEMALES

BROODING RULES!… KEEP THEM COMFORTABLE (PROPER TEMPERATURE, NO DRAFTS)… KEEP THEM CLEAN AND DRY… DON’T OVERCROWD… CLEAN, FRESH WATER (CHANGE OFTEN!)… TEACH THEM TO EAT (THERE WILL BE WASTE)… FRESH, HIGH QUALITY, COMPLETE FEED… WATCH THEM CLOSELY (SIGNS OF DISEASE, PASTED VENTS)… CULL SMALL, WEAK, POORLY THRIVING BIRDS... ENCOURAGE YOUR BIRDS TO EAT OFTEN

BROODING RULES!

Gro-Gel?Crumbled boiled eggs?Probiotics in water?ACV?Electrolytes?Vitamin stress pack?

Possible brooder setup

BROODING TEMPERATURESWEEK 1 95⁰F

WEEK 2 90⁰F

WEEK 3 85⁰F

Can also brood at 95◦ F for first 48 hours and then reduce brooder temperature 1◦

each day until reach around 75◦ F at around 3 weeks –depends on outside temperature

IDEAL TEMPERATURE FOR SHOW BROILERS AFTER 4 WEEKS = 60-75◦ F

NOT TOO HOT – RETARDS FEATHER GROWTH AND REDUCES FEED CONSUMPTION

HOUSING…… PROTECT FROM PREDATORS… PROMOTE GROWTH… CLEAN!… DRY!… WELL VENTILATED!… IDEAL TEMPERATURE (60-75◦F after 4 weeks)… FLOOR PENS BEST (broilers do poorly in cages)… HOUSING DOESN’T HAVE TO BE FANCY

- MANY ideas online!

HOUSING…… MAY WANT TO BROOD AND GROW IN SAME PEN AREA… GARAGE, BARN, SHED, OTHER OUT BUILDING… RAISE BROILERS SEPARATE FROM OTHER POULTRY… AT LEAST TWO SQUARE FEET OF FLOOR SPACE PER BIRD

(EXERCISE IS GOOD!)… CLEAN, DRY PINE SHAVINGS FOR BEDDING (LITTER)… RAISING IN OUTSIDE PENS??… GROW SHOW BIRDS SEPARATELY… GET RID OF (or at least separate) MALES ASAP!

FLOORING/LITTER MANAGEMENT… About 4 inches of clean pine shavings litter to start… Keep DRY… Wet litter is BAD = disease, bad feet, breast blisters, ammonia… Remove caked litter daily… Stir litter at least once per day… Add fresh litter/change litter frequently… Proper ventilation helps with litter management

Good litter management = healthy, clean show birds!

VENTILATIONProper ventilation = low ammonia, dry litter, comfortable birds

Using an air conditioned building- Can work great to reduce humidity and keep birds comfortable- Growth rate and feathering rate high- Careful of ammonia buildup

Using fans- Box fans (cheap) blowing air over birds can help cool birds

Using evaporative cooling- Misting water mixed with moving air- Can cause wet litter/excess ammonia if not managed correctly

LIGHTING… 24 hours for first week

... Approximately 23:1 after that (1 hour dark to prevent piling if power outage)

… Avoid super bright lighting

… Watch for leg issues/ascites/heart attacks

… May have to adjust amount of light down to reduce growth disorders

FEED AND WATER

WATER – CLEAN, CLEAN, CLEAN!! FRESH, FRESH, FRESH!!-will consume twice the weight of water than feed

PLENTY OF FEEDER AND DRINKER SPACE

FRESH, BALANCED FEED-eat to meet energy requirements

FEED CONVERSION SHOULD BE AROUND 2-approximately 2 lbs of feed consumed for 1 lb of body weight gain

FEED AND WATER

EATING + DRINKING = GROWING

Reduced feed intake can be caused by: -heat-disease-inadequate water intake-old feed (stale or rancid)-moldy feed

FEEDING PROGRAMSTypical broiler feeding program:

STARTER-minimum 20% protein (but that’s low)-gamebird starter or gamebird starter/chick starter mix-first 7 to 10 days

GROWER-through week 3-4-lower protein, higher energy than starter

FINISHER-last two weeks-increase fleshing (fat cover)

FEEDING PROGRAMSExample show broiler program

WEEK CRUDE PROTEIN (%)

1 30

2 28

3 26

4 25

5 23

6 22

-This is one of MANY examples-Few complete commercially available show broiler rations (hard to get in our region)-May want to build your own feeding program-Check with local feed supplier

FEEDING PROCEDURES

• LIMIT FEED AFTER FIRST WEEK (RECOMMENDED) – APPROXIMATELY 8 HOURS/DAY

• REMOVE FEEDERS AT NIGHT, RETURN IN THE MORNING – FEEDERS ALWAYS FULL

• SHAKE FEEDERS OFTEN/STIMULATE EATING – WILL START TO MEAL FEED

• AFTER FIRST WEEK - ADJUST FEEDER AND DRINKER HEIGHTS AS BIRDS GROW – REDUCE WASTE

FEED AND WATER ADDITIVES

• PROBIOTICS

• ANTIBIOTICS

• APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

• COCCIDIOSTAT (medicated feeds)

SUPPLEMENTS (usually for last two weeks)WET FEEDING (WATER OR OIL)-can encourage fat deposition-must change feed often

HOMEMADE SUPPLEMENTS-flaxseed oil, corn oil-ground corn, ground sunflower seed kernels-only during end of growout to raise energy level

COMMERCIAL SUPPLEMENTS-can be hard to get in middle Tennessee

HEALTH CONSIDERATIONS

BIOSECURITY, BIOSECURITY, BIOSECURITY!!!

KEEP BROILERS AWAY FROM OTHER POULTRY

ACCESS TO ANTIBIOTICS IS GOING TO BE LIMITED

KEEP THINGS CLEAN, DRY, WELL VENTILATED

WHAT’S NEXT?… BRING SMALL BOX FOR CHICK PICKUP… WILL YOU BE USING THE TYSON STARTER FEED?… WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO BROOD YOUR CHICKS?… WHERE ARE YOU GOING TO HOUSE YOUR BROILER PEN?… RECRUIT AUCTION BUYERS!… WHAT TO DO WITH BIRDS NOT BROUGHT TO SHOW?