- ✓Know the feed and water consumption of a coloured chicken according to its age
- ✓Plan the feed for the whole flock according to the target selling age
- ✓Calculate the actual FCR of your flock and spot what pushes it up
Three feeds, in the right order
The coloured chicken receives three successive feeds: crumbled starter, then grower, then finisher. The growth targets in this track are achieved with a standard crumbled feed: crumbs and pellets give better results than mash.
- Follow the changeover ages recommended by your feed manufacturer for your type of chicken and your selling age.
- Change feed gradually, never all at once.
- Keep a sample of each delivery until the sale: if there is a problem, you can have it analysed.
- Store the bags in a dry place, on pallets, out of reach of rats, and use the oldest ones first.
Source: Cobb.
How much does a coloured chicken eat each day?
| Age | Red broiler: feed per day | Red broiler: water per day | Hybrids: feed per day | Hybrids: water per day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 days | 49 g | 83 ml | 32 g | 54 ml |
| 28 days | 99 g | 169 ml | 65 g | 110 ml |
| 42 days | 127 g | 216 ml | 83 g | 141 ml |
| 56 days | 162 g | 275 ml | 106 g | 179 ml |
| 70 days | 193 g | 329 ml | 126 g | 215 ml |
| 84 days | 214 g | 364 ml | 140 g | 238 ml |
Indicative Hubbard Premium performance, per chicken. Water is given for good conditions: in strong heat, the chicken drinks much more (at 37 °C, about 5 litres of water per 1 kg of feed).
Use this table to check your flock every day. Example: 500 red broilers aged 42 days eat about 127 g × 500 = 63.5 kg of feed per day.
The flock eats clearly less than expected: look at heat, water and health. It eats as much or more, but does not put on weight: look for wastage, rats or a disease that is starting.
Planning the feed for the whole flock
The total feed depends above all on the selling age you are aiming for:
| Selling age | Red broiler | Barred grey | Naked-neck red broiler | Hybrids |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 days | 5.1 kg | 4.8 kg | 5.0 kg | 3.4 kg |
| 63 days | 6.3 kg | 5.9 kg | 6.2 kg | 4.1 kg |
| 70 days | 7.7 kg | 7.2 kg | 7.5 kg | 5.0 kg |
| 84 days | 10.5 kg | 9.9 kg | 10.3 kg | 6.9 kg |
| 98 days | — | — | — | 8.9 kg |
Total feed eaten per chicken since day one. Indicative Hubbard Premium performance. The white-skinned red hybrid eats a little less than the other hybrids.
Example: 500 red broilers sold at 70 days eat about 7.7 kg × 500 = 3,850 kg, that is 77 bags of 50 kg. The same 500 chickens as hybrids at 70 days: about 5.0 kg × 500 = 2,500 kg, that is 50 bags. Keep a small reserve: running out of feed always costs more than one bag too many.
To know how much of each feed to order, take the total eaten at the changeover age. For example, if starter is given up to 21 days, each red broiler eats about 0.89 kg of it: for 500 chickens, about 445 kg, that is 9 bags of 50 kg.
Pushing back the selling age quickly swells the stock: a red broiler kept from 70 to 84 days still eats about 2.9 kg (lesson 3 of this track).
Calculating the FCR of your flock
The feed conversion ratio (FCR) of your flock is: feed consumed ÷ total liveweight sold.
- Feed consumed = feed delivered − feed left in stock at the end of the flock.
- Total liveweight sold = number of chickens sold × average weight at sale.
Example: 500 red broilers placed, 480 sold at 70 days with an average weight of 2.6 kg, that is 480 × 2.6 = 1,248 kg of liveweight. Feed delivered: 3,700 kg, left in stock: 100 kg, so 3,600 kg consumed. FCR: 3,600 ÷ 1,248 = 2.88.
The red broiler’s target at 70 days is 2.54, achieved in good conditions. Your FCR will often be a little higher in an open-sided house; what matters is to follow it flock after flock and understand the gaps.
Watch out: dead chickens have eaten without being sold. The more deaths, the higher the flock’s FCR.
What pushes the FCR up
| Cause | What you see | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Wastage | Feed on the litter around the feeders | Feeder lip at the height of the birds’ backs, feeders never filled to the brim |
| Rats and wild birds | Droppings, torn bags, consumption rising without growth | Rat control, closed house, feed stored safely |
| Badly stored feed | Damp bags, mouldy or lumpy feed | Dry storage, on pallets, oldest first |
| Heat | Chickens panting, eating little at the hottest times | Air over the birds, cool water, feeders raised at the hottest times |
| Disease | Water drunk falling, dull birds, deaths | Call your area’s veterinarian |
| Flock kept too long | Weight rising little from one week to the next | Review the selling age (lesson 3 of this track) |
A chicken that drinks badly eats badly: clean, cool water at all times remains the first rule.
An empty feeder loses growth; a feeder that is too full or too low drops feed into the litter. Set the level so that feed is always available with as little loss as possible.
Source: Cobb.
For the entrepreneur
- ›Before the flock, calculate the number of bags according to the type of chicken and the target selling age, and plan the stock and cash flow.
- ›At the end of each flock, calculate the FCR and compare it with previous flocks.
- ›Insist on clean, dry storage: lost feed is an expense with no chicken at the end of it.
For the technician
- ›Record the feed given every day and compare it with the consumption table.
- ›Adjust the height and level of the feeders as the flock grows.
- ›Keep a sample of each delivery and record the feed left at the end of the flock.
The 3 questions to ask your technician this week
- How much feed did the flock eat yesterday, and is it close to the table for its age?
- Can we see wasted feed on the litter or signs of rats near the stock?
- How many bags are left, and until what day will that last?
Key points
- •Three feeds: crumbled starter, grower, finisher; gradual changeovers.
- •Red broiler: about 162 g of feed per day at 56 days; hybrids: about 106 g.
- •Total feed per chicken: about 7.7 kg for a red broiler at 70 days, 5.0 kg for a hybrid.
- •Flock FCR = feed consumed ÷ total liveweight sold.
- •Wastage, rats, heat, disease, mortality and an overlong flock push the FCR up.