Brooding Best Practices
Ensuring the best start for Broilers
Mohamed El-Gazzar, DVM, MAM, PhD, Dipl. ACPV
Assistant ProfessorISU Poultry Extension Vet
Most Attention
The relationship between brooding and kill age
Ross Tech Notes April 2008
This lecture
•What is the goal for brooding?• Factors impact the goal • Best practices
The Goal
The Goal
7 days body weight of 0.425 lb. (190 grams)
4 - 5 times during the first 7 days
The Goal
• 1g at 7 days correspond to 6g at 37 days of age
Dr. Annsofie Wahlstrom, nutritionist Cobb-Europe Ltd
The Goal
Dr. Annsofie Wahlstrom, nutritionist Cobb-Europe Ltd
The Goal
Dr. Annsofie Wahlstrom, nutritionist Cobb-Europe Ltd
The Goal
Ross Tech Notes April 2008
Why 7 Days?
Halevy et al. in American Society for Nutritional Sciences 2000• Fed or starved for 48 hours • Adult myoblast population (Satellite Cells) (SC)• Enabling increased muscle protein synthesis• Maximally active in this role during first wk
post-hatch• Starvation negatively impacts SC
Why 7 Days?
Why 7 days?Iji et al. in 2001 British Poultry Science• Proliferation• Hypertrophy • Increased rate of migration• Peaked at 7 days
The Goal
7 days body weight of 0.425 lb. (190 grams)
4 - 5 times during the first 7 days
Factors impact the goal
Factors impact the goal
• Factors out of your control• Factors under your control
Factors impact the goal
• Out of your control– Genetics– Breeder Age– Hatch window– Chick Quality– Transportation
Genetics
• Breeds intended for early kill age/low kill weight
• Slow feathering
• Easier to achieve 7 days Wight goal
Out of your control
• Breeder Age– hatching egg and chick size (3 weeks)
• Hatch window– 24 hours (dehydration)
– Early hatchers vs late hatchers
– Uniformity
• Chick quality– Physical quality (dehydration)
–Microbiological quality
• Transportation
Factors impact the goal
• Under your control– Temperature, ambient vs litter– Ventilation– Light– Feeder and drinker space– Crop Fill– Chick paper
Temperature: ambient vs litter
Temperature: ambient vs litter
Temperature: ambient vs litter
Temperature: ambient vs litter
Temperature: ambient vs litter
Ventilation
• Low pressurehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=gbqWmUeIYCw
• Proper Ventilation https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=BCj8lIusWCw
•
www.poultryventilation.com
Light
• Duration à 23 hours• Activity à “driver that ensures adequate feed and water consumption
http://www.cobb-vantress.com/academy/articles/article/academy/2015/04/04/brooding---light-management
Cobb Academy 2015
• Intensity à 25 – 40 lux (2.5 – 4 foot candles)
Feeder and drinker space
• Review the numbers
• Drinkers are as important
• Feeding trays
• Extra drinkers
Crop Fill• First meal
• Full and soft
Chick paper
• Cover 25% - 100% of brooding area with paper. • Strong to last 5 days• Topped a few times a day• Get the birds firs meal
Summary• Goal is 0.425 lb. at 7 days• Muscle and intestinal development • Better weight, FCR, mortality and uniformity• Under your control– Brooding temperature – Litter temperature– Proper ventilation– Light intensity– Feeder Space– Crop fill– Chick paper