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NEXTEKCI School

Rearing calendar · NEXTEKCI School

Coloured chickens: the week-by-week calendar

Red broilers, grey barred, naked necks and hybrids: what to do each week, from preparing the house to the sale between 8 and 14 weeks. Target weights are achieved under good conditions: in an open-sided house, in strong heat, expect 10 to 25% less.

Before arrival
Target
Know who you will sell to, at what weight and on what date; then a clean, dry house, heated 24 hours before arrival.
Temperature
Heating switched on at least 48 hours before; floor at least 32 °C in the brooding area, about 40 °C under the brooders; no more than 2 °C variation over 24 hours.
Lighting
Lighting installed and tested (about 25 lux at floor level), timer and back-up ready.
Feed
Starter crumbs in stock; 1 tray or sheet of paper per 50 chicks, about 50 to 65 g per chick on the paper.
To do this week
- ✓Choose the type of chicken and the sale age according to your buyers; for a festival, count backwards (large red broilers: chicks placed 10 to 12 weeks before).
- ✓Work out the number of chicks from the floor area: 6 to 8 birds per m², fewer for a flock kept to 12 weeks.
- ✓Clean, disinfect and respect the downtime period; dry litter (rice husks: 5 cm minimum).
- ✓Set up 14 to 16 drinkers per 1,000 chicks, filled with clean water at room temperature; 48-hour water reserve.
- ✓Plan the feed for the whole flock according to the sale age (red broiler at 70 days: about 7.7 kg per bird; hybrids: about 5.0 kg).
- ✓Contact the vet in your area for a protocol suited to the length of the flock, and say whether the birds will go out on a range.
Watch out for
- •Damp litter in the hand test.
- •Draughts at floor level; water or feed placed under the heat source.
- •Feed stock too tight for a long flock.
Read the lesson
Week 1 (days 1 to 7)
Target
Weight at 7 days is the best indicator of a good start: record it and compare it from one flock to the next.
Temperature
32 to 33 °C on day 1, 29 to 30 °C at 7 days; humidity 30 to 50%, then 40 to 60%. No draughts.
Lighting
Day 1: 24 hours a day, about 25 lux. From the 2nd night: a single dark period every 24 hours, at a fixed time.
Feed
Starter crumbs on paper or trays, topped up 3 times a day, for 7 to 10 days.
To do this week
- ✓Place the chicks without delay, in dimmed light, on the paper close to water and feed; weigh about 5% of the boxes.
- ✓Look at how the chicks are spread 2 hours after arrival; feet against your cheek at 4 to 6 hours: they should feel warm.
- ✓Feel the crops of 100 chicks at 24 hours: at least 95% full and soft.
- ✓Check every 2 hours on the first night; move weak chicks to a warm separate area.
- ✓Record mortality, feed, water drunk and min-max temperatures every day.
- ✓Weigh a sample at 7 days.
Watch out for
- •Chicks crowded under the heat (cold), spread along the edges (too hot), bunched on one side (draught).
- •Hard crop (lack of water), soft crop full of water (lack of feed), empty crop.
- •Mortality above 1% in a single day after day one: call the vet in your area.
Read the lesson
Week 2 (days 8 to 14)
Target
At 14 days: red broiler 319 g; grey barred and red naked neck 309 g; hybrids 216 g.
Temperature
27 to 28 °C at 14 days; humidity 50 to 60%. No draughts up to 14 days.
Lighting
Lighting across the whole house raised gradually to normal lighting by day 10; a single night every 24 hours, at a fixed time, of about 6 hours.
Feed
Starter; main feeders from the end of week 1. About 49 g per day at 14 days for a red broiler, 32 g for a hybrid.
To do this week
- ✓Enlarge the brooding area (from half to three quarters of the house), heating each new section 24 hours beforehand.
- ✓Raise feeders and drinkers to back height; in bell drinkers, water about 1.25 cm below the rim after 7 days.
- ✓Wash the drinkers every day; flush the lines at least 3 times a week.
- ✓On-farm vaccinations following the protocol of the vet in your area: carry them out and record each vaccine on the flock sheet.
- ✓Weigh at 14 days and compare with the table for the right type of chicken.
Watch out for
- •A weight gap already showing at 14 days: it often comes from the start.
- •Smell of ammonia at chick height.
- •Water intake that stops rising.
Read the lesson
Week 3 (days 15 to 21)
Target
At 21 days: red broiler 605 g; grey barred and red naked neck 586 g; hybrids 409 g.
Temperature
24 to 26 °C at 21 days; humidity 50 to 60%. Air over the birds: 0.5 m/s maximum.
Lighting
Continuous night of about 6 hours, at a fixed time; in an open-sided house, natural darkness does most of the work.
Feed
Starter up to about 3 weeks (about 0.89 kg eaten per red broiler by 21 days), then grower feed, changed over 3 days.
To do this week
- ✓Follow the change-over age advised by your feed manufacturer and switch to grower over 3 days.
- ✓Use the whole house; adjust the curtains with the time of day (in the morning, the downwind side first).
- ✓Weigh about 100 birds in 3 places, same day, same time; work out uniformity.
- ✓Keep a sample of every feed delivery until the sale; store bags dry, on pallets.
- ✓Remove wet patches of litter around the drinkers every day.
Watch out for
- •Weight below 75% of target: look for the cause straight away.
- •Birds going off their feed after the feed change.
- •Wet litter under the drinkers.
Read the lesson
Week 4 (days 22 to 28)
Target
At 28 days: red broiler 0.94 kg; grey barred and red naked neck 0.91 kg; hybrids 0.63 kg.
Temperature
21 to 23 °C recommended at 28 days; in Côte d’Ivoire it is often hotter. Air over the birds: about 0.9 m/s.
Lighting
Same programme: continuous night of about 6 hours.
Feed
Grower; about 99 g per day at 28 days for a red broiler, 65 g for a hybrid.
To do this week
- ✓Weigh and work out the percentage of target: measured weight ÷ target weight × 100 (75 to 90% is normal in an open-sided house).
- ✓Compare the feed eaten each day with the consumption table.
- ✓Install the circulation fans and check the curtains for the rest of the flock.
- ✓If a range is planned: fence, shelter, shade and water points ready before the birds go out.
Watch out for
- •Compare with the table for the right type of chicken: a hybrid is not compared with a red broiler.
- •A flock eating less than expected (heat, water, health) or eating as much without gaining (waste, rats, disease).
- •Uneven flock: fewer than 70% of birds within ± 10% of the average weight.
Read the lesson
Week 5 (days 29 to 35)
Target
At 35 days: red broiler 1.29 kg; grey barred and red naked neck 1.25 kg; hybrids 0.87 kg.
Temperature
19 to 21 °C recommended, or as cool as possible. Air over the birds: 1.75 to 2.5 m/s.
Lighting
Continuous night of about 6 hours; on a range, the birds come in and are shut in every evening.
Feed
Grower; feeders never empty, never filled to the brim.
To do this week
- ✓Range access possible from 4 to 5 weeks if the farm is fenced and protected: shelter open day and night, shade, water, fence checked.
- ✓Bring the birds in, count them and shut them in every evening; record any missing.
- ✓Keep the ration in the house: the range adds to the feed, it does not replace it.
- ✓In strong heat, lift the feeders about 6 hours before the hottest time of day.
- ✓Weigh every week, same day, same time.
Watch out for
- •Predators: birds of prey by day, snakes, rats, dogs, cats and thieves at night.
- •Puddles on the range where birds drink dirty water.
- •Panting during the hot hours.
Read the lesson
Week 6 (days 36 to 42)
Target
At 42 days: red broiler 1.66 kg; grey barred and red naked neck 1.61 kg; hybrids 1.12 kg.
Temperature
As cool as possible; air over the birds: 1.75 to 2.5 m/s. Misting from 28 °C, never above 70% humidity.
Lighting
Same programme: continuous night of about 6 hours.
Feed
Grower; about 127 g per day at 42 days for a red broiler, 83 g for a hybrid.
To do this week
- ✓Open the curtains low and on both sides during the hot hours; fans blowing with the wind.
- ✓Keep cool water available at all times (red broiler: about 216 ml per day at 42 days, much more in strong heat).
- ✓Weigh, work out the percentage of target and uniformity.
- ✓On rainy days, watch the litter near the curtains and drinkers; close the exposed side without cutting off the air.
Watch out for
- •A gap from target that widens week after week.
- •Water intake falling without a drop in temperature: check the water supply, then call the vet in your area.
- •Stocking density: at 8 birds per m², 3 kg red broilers already make 24 kg per m² (30 kg maximum).
Read the lesson
Week 7 (days 43 to 49)
Target
At 49 days: red broiler 2.03 kg; grey barred and red naked neck 1.96 kg; hybrids 1.37 kg.
Temperature
As cool as possible; air over the birds: 1.75 to 2.5 m/s.
Lighting
Same programme: continuous night of about 6 hours.
Feed
Grower; switch to finisher between 8 and 10 weeks, as advised by your feed manufacturer.
To do this week
- ✓Weigh and diagnose any delay: since when, and what do water, feed, mortality and uniformity say?
- ✓Order the finisher feed and prepare the 3-day changeover.
- ✓Prepare the sale: list of buyers, weights wanted and dates.
- ✓Count the bags in stock every week.
Watch out for
- •A sudden drop in growth with falling water intake: check the water supply, then call the vet in your area.
- •Uneven flock: feeder and drinker space, a hotter area, stocking density, sick birds.
- •A misleading weighing: before looking for a disease, check the weighing.
Read the lesson
Week 8 (days 50 to 56)
Target
At 56 days: red broiler 2.38 kg; grey barred and red naked neck 2.30 kg; hybrids 1.61 kg.
Temperature
As cool as possible; the heaviest birds suffer most from the heat.
Lighting
Over the last days before the sale, shorten the night by one hour a day.
Feed
Grower or finisher as advised by your manufacturer; about 162 g per day at 56 days for a red broiler, 106 g for a hybrid.
To do this week
- ✓The sale window opens: red broilers and grey barred at 2 to 2.5 kg at around 56 to 63 days; hybrids at around 56 to 70 days.
- ✓Decide on the sale with your own figures: red broiler, about 3 kg of feed per kilo gained between 49 and 56 days.
- ✓Tell your customers 2 to 3 weeks before the sale and take bookings in writing.
- ✓Weigh and sort into weight batches before each sale.
Watch out for
- •An uneven flock, which sells poorly by the bird.
- •Heat stroke among the heaviest birds.
- •Withdrawal periods of any treatment to check before every sale.
Read the lesson
Week 9 (days 57 to 63)
Target
At 63 days: red broiler 2.71 kg; grey barred and red naked neck 2.62 kg; hybrids 1.83 kg.
Temperature
As cool as possible; air over the birds: 1.75 to 2.5 m/s.
Lighting
Shorten the night by one hour a day over the last days before the sale.
Feed
Finisher (or grower, as advised by your manufacturer); total feed per bird at 63 days: red broiler 6.3 kg, grey barred 5.9 kg, red naked neck 6.2 kg, hybrids 4.1 kg.
To do this week
- ✓Each week, compare what the weight gained brings in with the cost of that week’s feed: red broiler, about 3.6 kg of feed per kilo gained between 56 and 63 days; hybrids, about 3.5 kg.
- ✓Sell in several batches if needed: the heaviest first, the rest a few days later.
- ✓Prepare crates, scales and catching team the day before each sale.
- ✓Record for each sale the customer, the number of birds and the weight sold.
Watch out for
- •A flock that stalls at the end in strong heat: cool the birds and consider selling.
- •Birds injured or bruised during catching.
Read the lesson
Week 10 (days 64 to 70)
Target
At 70 days: red broiler 3.02 kg; grey barred and red naked neck 2.92 kg; hybrids 2.04 kg.
Temperature
As cool as possible; air over the birds: 1.75 to 2.5 m/s.
Lighting
Shorten the night by one hour a day over the last days before the sale.
Feed
Finisher; about 193 g per day at 70 days for a red broiler, 126 g for a hybrid. Total feed at 70 days: red broiler 7.7 kg, hybrids 5.0 kg.
To do this week
- ✓Remove feed 8 to 12 hours before slaughter; leave water until catching starts.
- ✓Catch at night or early in the morning, in dim light, calmly; fewer birds per crate in the hot season.
- ✓Oven-ready sales: allow for carcass yield (red broiler at 70 days: about 70.5%).
- ✓Cost of the past week: red broiler, about 4.3 kg of feed per kilo gained between 63 and 70 days; hybrids, about 4.1 kg.
Watch out for
- •Each kilo gained costs more and more feed: do not let the end of the flock drag on.
- •Rising mortality or listless birds: call the vet in your area.
Read the lesson
Week 11 (days 71 to 77)
Target
No published target at 77 days: the flock sits between its 70-day and 84-day benchmarks.
Temperature
As cool as possible; air over the birds: 1.75 to 2.5 m/s.
Lighting
Shorten the night by one hour a day over the last days before the sale.
Feed
Finisher; any feed change always made gradually.
To do this week
- ✓Keep the flock on only for a specific need (large festival red broilers of 3 kg and over, sold at around 70 to 84 days).
- ✓Compare what the weight gained brings in with the feed: red broiler, about 5 kg of feed per kilo gained between 70 and 84 days; hybrids, about 4.8 kg.
- ✓For a festival, sell a few days before the date: families rarely buy on the day itself.
- ✓Apply the heat plan every day: curtains, fans, cool water, feeders lifted during the hot hours.
Watch out for
- •Stocking density at actual weight: 30 kg of bird per m² maximum.
- •Heat stroke among the heaviest birds.
Read the lesson
Week 12 (days 78 to 84)
Target
At 84 days: red broiler 3.60 kg; grey barred and red naked neck 3.48 kg; hybrids 2.43 kg.
Temperature
As cool as possible; air over the birds: 1.75 to 2.5 m/s.
Lighting
Shorten the night by one hour a day over the last days before the sale.
Feed
Finisher; about 214 g per day at 84 days for a red broiler, 140 g for a hybrid. Total feed at 84 days: red broiler 10.5 kg, hybrids 6.9 kg.
To do this week
- ✓Remove feed 8 to 12 hours before slaughter, leave water, catch at night and calmly.
- ✓Work out the flock’s feed conversion ratio: feed consumed ÷ total live weight sold (dead birds ate without being sold).
- ✓Compare with previous flocks and note what will change for the next one.
- ✓After the sale: empty the house, clean, disinfect and leave it empty and dry (downtime).
- ✓Do not place new chicks next to a flock still on the farm: a single age group per farm.
Watch out for
- •Bruises and fractures during catching.
- •The cost of each extra week at the end of the flock.
Read the lesson

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