- ✓Understand why each extra week costs more feed per kilo gained
- ✓Calculate the feed eaten and the weight gained from one week to the next
- ✓Choose the selling age according to your market, your type of chicken and your current prices
Heavier, but hungrier
The FCR rises with age: for the red broiler, 2.16 at 56 days, 2.54 at 70 days, 2.93 at 84 days. But this FCR is an average over the chicken's whole life. To decide, what matters is the last week: how much feed for how many kilos gained.
The method: total feed = liveweight × FCR. Calculate the total feed at two ages, then take the difference. Do the same for the weight. You get the feed eaten and the weight gained during the period.
The calculation for the red broiler
| Period | Weight gained per chicken | Feed eaten during the period | Feed per kilo gained |
|---|---|---|---|
| 49 to 56 days | About 0.35 kg | About 1.1 kg | About 3 kg |
| 56 to 63 days | About 0.33 kg | About 1.2 kg | About 3.6 kg |
| 63 to 70 days | About 0.31 kg | About 1.3 kg | About 4.3 kg |
| 70 to 84 days (2 weeks) | About 0.58 kg | About 2.9 kg | About 5 kg |
Calculated from indicative Hubbard Premium performance.
Reading: between 49 and 56 days, each kilo gained takes about 3 kg of feed; between 70 and 84 days, about 5 kg. The chicken is still growing, but each kilo becomes more expensive to produce.
The calculation for hybrids
| Period | Weight gained per chicken | Feed eaten during the period | Feed per kilo gained |
|---|---|---|---|
| 56 to 63 days | About 0.22 kg | About 0.8 kg | About 3.5 kg |
| 63 to 70 days | About 0.21 kg | About 0.9 kg | About 4.1 kg |
| 70 to 84 days (2 weeks) | About 0.39 kg | About 1.9 kg | About 4.8 kg |
| 84 to 98 days (2 weeks) | About 0.35 kg | About 2 kg | About 5.6 kg |
Calculated from indicative Hubbard Premium performance.
The hybrid follows the same logic: it gains less weight each week than the red broiler, and each kilo also takes more and more feed with age.
The decision rule
Compare two things, using your current prices:
- What the weight gained brings in during the week: per kilo, or the difference in price per bird between a smaller chicken and a bigger one.
- What the feed eaten during that week costs.
As long as the first is well above the second, keeping the flock one more week can be worth it. When the gap narrows, it is time to sell.
Do not forget the other costs of an extra week: the house kept occupied (the next flock is waiting), labour, the risk of disease and mortality, and the heat, which weighs above all on the heaviest chickens at the end of the flock.
On the other hand, carcass yield rises with age (68.7% at 56 days, 70.5% at 70 days for the red broiler): if you sell oven-ready chicken, this gain also comes into the calculation.
Benchmarks by market
| What your market asks for | Recommended chicken | Indicative selling age |
|---|---|---|
| A 1.5 to 2 kg chicken, firm meat | Hybrids | 56 to 70 days |
| A 2 to 2.5 kg chicken | Red broiler, barred grey | 56 to 63 days |
| A large festive chicken (3 kg and over) | Red broiler | 70 to 84 days |
To compare several selling ages with your own prices, use the profitability calculator on the NEXTEKCI website.
To sell large red broilers for a festive occasion, count backwards: 70 to 84 days, that is chicks placed 10 to 12 weeks before the date. Order your chicks accordingly.
For the entrepreneur
- ›Decide on the selling age before the chicks arrive, then adjust with the weighings and current prices.
- ›Each extra week: compare what the weight gained brings in with the feed of the week.
- ›For festive seasons, count backwards: red broiler chicks placed 10 to 12 weeks before.
For the technician
- ›Report the average weight and the feed eaten every week: these are the two figures of the calculation.
- ›Watch the heaviest chickens closely at the end of the flock: they are the ones that suffer most from the heat.
- ›Prepare the sale in advance: crates, catching team, time for removing the feed.
The 3 questions to ask your technician this week
- How much feed did the flock eat this week, and how many kilos did it gain?
- At this rate, what average weight will we have in a week?
- Is the next flock planned, and on what date must the house be freed?
Key points
- •The FCR rises with age: each kilo gained takes more feed.
- •Total feed = liveweight × FCR; compare two ages to know the last week.
- •Red broiler: about 3 kg of feed per kilo gained between 49 and 56 days, about 5 kg between 70 and 84 days.
- •Right selling age: when what the weight gained brings in comfortably covers the feed of the week.
- •Large festive chicken: red broiler, 70 to 84 days.