Chicken Snippets

The value of data analysis is sound direction. And this begins with accurate data collection. “There’s no point reading, if what you’re reading is misleading.” [Read more…] about Accuracy: the bedrock of meaningful poultry farm analysis

Feed conversion is indeed the aim of the game (i.e. turning livestock feed into household food) – but let’s remember it’s a metric. And metrics are only as good as their underlying processes.

Feed conversion is an average. It’s an indicator of the entire picture, based on a randomly assorted cohort of representatives. A way of saying, “…if these 100 chicks meet this mark – then chances are that overall we must be there, or thereabouts.”

And then, you have the distribution. By admission, there is variation in any organic collective. Even as tightly engineered as birds can get…Cobb 500 included…you can’t take away from nature’s individuality.

Some birds will be stronger, weaker, bigger, small etc. than their peers. Every bird is different.We’ll never change that.

Nor is the aim of the game to change that. But rather to encourage as many as conceivably possible to fall within ‘goal’. And this comes within standardising and monitoring. Without the later, we have no confidence that the former is achieved.

Our baseline for results in farming is 1st having that “…auditing kinda mentality”. Write down what you do and do what you write down to prove it.

In the case of broiler farming and layer farming alike, performance uniformity is inextricably linked to body weight.

Typically, if you can control body weight, you will control the outcome of poultry farming. Ok, not quite so simplistic an equation, but bodyweight sure is the driving force and most predictive indicator of your poultry successes.

So, nail the process and perfect the outcome. It’s really as simple as that.

You’ll know by day 7 if your broilers are on target, or not.

It’s not the entire race, mind you. The finish line is most surely processing day (circa 42-49 days)…

,,,that said, the first 7 days is like the first 25 meters of a 100m dash.

All the momentum for the race ahead lies within the foundation work laid down between the blocks and getting fully upright.

The rest is switching through the gears, keeping form and staying focused.

How good are your first 7 out of the blocks?

Are you 5 times day-one bodyweight? You should be.

Are you even weighing for uniformity?

Let’s talk…

Staying on top of biosecurity is key to materialising poultry profits. But what matters most for keeping a healthy flock? What should you prioritise?

Contrary to popular opinion, it’s neither medical intervention nor chemicals. But rather, controlling the parameters.

Confinement. Movement. Timings. Environmental conditions.

These are the keys to keeping disease threats at bay, whilst rearing poultry flocks.

Pathogens readily punish poultry operators for making sloppy plays.

Cutting corners on disciplined routines introduces scope for attack from the silent and invisible enemy.

Biosecurity is a constant warfare.

And the way to win is to subdue.

Keep them down.

• Control entry points: gates, doors, windows…
• Control carriers: people, pests, vehicles…
• Control duration: downtime, contact time, drying time…
• Control conditions: humidity, dampness, heat…

By doing this, pathogens are subdued.

They’ll still exist.

Just not a threat.

Every flock of broilers or layers holds potential. Genetic potential to be exact. But achieving an optimal performance is entirely dependent upon who’s driving.

F1 driving is one of the most extreme performance-led physical feedback loops.

Performed at such high speeds, the timeframes that drivers have to adjust their steer and speed are a fraction of fractional.

Stakes are high and damage severity, equally so.

Great driving leads to near-flawless run, exhibiting the best the car can deliver.

Poor driving produces a slew of mistakes, that results in a gross waste of engineering potential.

The same can be said of poultry farming.

In the example case of Cobb 500 broilers the ability of the birds to x5 their body weight in the 1st 7 days of life is akin to a modern F1 race car achieving 0-60mph in 1.6 seconds.

A fast and indeed furious rate.

However, if handled anything but professionally, the tailspin that awaits is a complete loss of business and being knocked off your financial course.

The key success factors in both cases are:

1. Reading: knowing how each variable affects the outcome e.g. ventilation, feed composition etc.
2. Strategy: planning your best route to success e.g. poultry project report
3. Decision making: real-time judgments and action that lead to optimal outcomes e.g. adjusting heat, lighting, space, feed, sanitation.
4. Practice: repetitive runs that sharpen the senses and exposure to mistakes that teach improvements e.g. rearing cycles.
5. Reflexes: an instinctive handle for what to do and when to do it with minimal thought

Master the above and your chances of getting the best out of your apparatus and achieving potential are good.

If you’re in the poultry farming game – I’ve got news for you: you’re actually in the feed conversion game.

Fundamentally speaking, that’s what a poultry farming business owner is…

A professional feed converter.

In other words, you specialise in taking poultry feed (namely corn, soya, wheat, sorghum etc.) and converting it into chicken meat or eggs to feed people, at a profit.

The more economically and agriculturally efficient your ability to convert:

1. The more chicken and eggs are produced, and sold at higher prices.
2. The less poultry feed is consumed, and bought at lower cost.
3. The more people are fed and the more profit is made.

Therefore, as a poultry farmer (…or, professional feed converter), your #1 business metric and marker for success is the FCR or feed conversion ratio of your farm:

“The feed conversion ratio is a measure of the amount of feed required (in kilogrammes) to produce one kilogramme of poultrymeat (dressed carcase weight).” – Gov.UK

Now, for the takeaway:

1. Identify the feed conversion ratio of your chosen layer or broiler breed.
2. Learn how to measure FCR, feed conversion ratio, on your farm.

This way, you can benchmark your farm’s performance against the genetic potential of your birds.

• Anything less than target FCR indicates suboptimal operational performance & therefore room for improvement.
• On target, you’ve hit the ceiling. Top marks – keep it up.

Do you know the FCR your breed?

Do you know how to measure FCR?

Look out for future posts to help you discover these key metrics for your poultry successes.