Broiler Performance Milestones & Metrics

I recently reviewed the timeless and very addictive (for all the right reasons) broiler brooder management video tutorial by Dr. Scott Gillingham, Poultry Veterinarian with Aviagen.

Now, if you’ve got any lean toward broiler farming at all, there is one statement Dr. Scott makes, that I’m sure will arrest your attention:

“…5-times body weight…yes, that’s 5-times body weight…at day 7.“

Astonishing.

Within a single week, your broiler chicks are expected to multiply their body weight by 5-times.

But more than what he says here…

…it’s the way he inserts this fact so emphatically into his presentation that leaves a long-lasting impression.

How should we read this enthusiasm?

Is it brand-partisan boast?

Professional brag?

Or, done for our benefit?

Well, assuredly, as you’ll discover by taking the time to listen to Doc. Scott teach,

You’ll get the gist that everything he does is related to his passion and not pride for poultry farming.

He uses devices such as emphasis and mnemonics as methods of indelibly branding your consciousness with keynotes for success.

So, with this milestone of 5x body weight as day 7 in mind…

…I decided to examine the Cobb 500 Broiler Performance Nutrition Supplement for further detail.

And there it is, clear as day:

(and not that I doubted Doc. Scott for a single minute)

A 42g day old chick day-old Cobb 500 broiler chick is expected to weigh in at 202g by day 7.

That’s 4.8x – 5x day-old body weight.

[Certified] FACT.

(And a ferocious one at that. What a growth rate! Almost unbelievable, if it weren’t for the fact that it was written down.)

Week 1

But looking a little deeper, it’s not a feat so surprising given the cumulative feed intake figure at day 7 of 180g. Phenomenal feed conversion of 0.891 (or 1g of weight gain for every 0.891g of feed).

Week 2

A week later, the bird’s weight increases from 240g, 2.3x to 570g. It achieves this by putting away a cumulative feed intake of 588g.

Week 3

Over the next 7-day period the bird accrues weight gain to comfortably cross a kilo by day 21 (1,116g) from 639g (1.75x weight). All of that fuelled by a cumulative feed intake of 1,320g.

Week 4

Between days 22 – 28, the bird increases size almost 1.5x (1.48x to be exact) and cumulatively consumes 2,359g of feed to achieve this. That’s now a cumulative feed conversion rate of 1.322g of feed for every 1g of weight gain.

Week 5

The penultimate week sees the bird increase weight by 1.3x, crossing over 2.5kg by day 35. Eating a total of 3,635g of feed cumulatively, and scoring a feed conversion of 1.44.

Week 6

The final week of rearing sees the broiler go from 2,629g to 3,278g – that’s 1.25x the body weight. Cumulatively, the bird consumed 5,100g to reach target weight and finally closed off with a feed conversion of 1.55 over 6 weeks.

Conclusion

So here’s how things stand out when we scan broiler growth:

Growth rate

• Week 1 = 5x growth
• Week 2 = 2x growth
• Week 3 = 1.75x growth
• Week 4 = 1.5x growth
• Week 5 = 1.33x growth
• Week 6 = 1.25x growth

Feed

• 5 kilos, cumulatively over 6 weeks, with a conversion rate of 1.55 (i.e. 1.55 grams of feed for every 1g weight gain).

Weight

• Day 1 – 42g
• wk1 – 200g
• wk2 – 500g
• wk3 – 1kg
• wk4 – 1.8kg
• wk5 – 2.5kg
• wk6 – 3.2kg

Keep these milestones in mind as you run your broiler sprints. Use them as an index to guide for tolerance and indication of weekly performance.

Now, over to you…

Are you new to broiler performance?

Do you have a history of variable results?

Either way, I’d be interested to hear from you.

Leave a comment below…or respond by email.