- ✓Read a targets table: liveweight, feed conversion ratio, carcass yield
- ✓Know the benchmarks of the four groups of coloured chickens
- ✓Compare your weighings with the targets and react in time
Three figures to understand
- Average liveweight: the average weight of a live chicken at a given age.
- Feed conversion ratio (FCR): the kilos of feed eaten to make 1 kg of liveweight. An FCR of 2.16 means 2.16 kg of feed per kilo of chicken. The lower it is, the better.
- Carcass yield: the share of the liveweight found again as oven-ready chicken. It rises with age.
Example: a 56-day-old red broiler weighs about 2.38 kg with an FCR of 2.16. So it has eaten about 5.1 kg of feed since its first day (2.38 × 2.16). With a yield of 68.7%, it gives about 1.6 kg of oven-ready chicken.
Red broiler (Redbro)
| Age | Average liveweight | FCR | Carcass yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 days | 0.94 kg | 1.64 | — |
| 35 days | 1.29 kg | 1.77 | 64.8% |
| 42 days | 1.66 kg | 1.89 | 66.2% |
| 49 days | 2.03 kg | 2.01 | 67.5% |
| 56 days | 2.38 kg | 2.16 | 68.7% |
| 63 days | 2.71 kg | 2.34 | 69.7% |
| 70 days | 3.02 kg | 2.54 | 70.5% |
| 84 days | 3.60 kg | 2.93 | 71.5% |
Indicative Hubbard Premium performance. Our red broiler chicks follow the same benchmarks.
Barred grey and naked-neck red broiler
These two chickens have the same target weight at each age. Yet the table shows a difference: the naked neck eats a little more feed per kilo (higher FCR), but it has a slightly higher carcass yield.
| Age | Average liveweight | FCR barred grey | FCR naked-neck red broiler | Yield barred grey | Yield naked neck |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 days | 0.91 kg | 1.58 | 1.66 | — | — |
| 35 days | 1.25 kg | 1.71 | 1.79 | 64.0% | 64.7% |
| 42 days | 1.61 kg | 1.82 | 1.91 | 65.4% | 66.1% |
| 49 days | 1.96 kg | 1.94 | 2.03 | 66.8% | 67.4% |
| 56 days | 2.30 kg | 2.09 | 2.19 | 67.9% | 68.6% |
| 63 days | 2.62 kg | 2.26 | 2.37 | 68.9% | 69.6% |
| 70 days | 2.92 kg | 2.45 | 2.56 | 69.7% | 70.4% |
| 84 days | 3.48 kg | 2.83 | 2.96 | 70.6% | 71.4% |
Indicative Hubbard Premium performance.
Hybrids (white-skinned red, naked-neck red, naked-neck black)
| Age | Average liveweight | FCR | Carcass yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28 days | 0.63 kg | 1.58 | — |
| 35 days | 0.87 kg | 1.71 | 62.7% |
| 42 days | 1.12 kg | 1.82 | 64.0% |
| 49 days | 1.37 kg | 1.94 | 65.3% |
| 56 days | 1.61 kg | 2.09 | 66.5% |
| 63 days | 1.83 kg | 2.26 | 67.4% |
| 70 days | 2.04 kg | 2.45 | 68.2% |
| 84 days | 2.43 kg | 2.83 | 69.1% |
| 98 days | 2.79 kg | 3.18 | 69.6% |
Indicative Hubbard Premium performance. The white-skinned red hybrid eats a little less: FCR of 2.02 at 56 days.
In an open-sided house: the reality on the ground
These weights are obtained in good conditions, with a standard crumbled feed. In an open-sided house, in strong heat, often allow 10 to 25% less. For a red broiler at 56 days, that means about 1.8 to 2.1 kg instead of 2.38 kg.
What matters is that your flock's curve follows the shape of the target curve. A gap that widens week after week signals a problem: water, feed, space, heat or health.
Each week, calculate: measured average weight ÷ target weight × 100. Above 90%, you are at the top of the range. Between 75 and 90%, you are in the normal range for an open-sided house. Below 75%, look for the cause without waiting.
Weighing to compare
Weigh at least once a week, always on the same day and at the same time, about 100 chickens in 3 places in the house. Always compare with the table for the right type of chicken: a hybrid is not compared with a red broiler.
Also look at uniformity: the share of chickens whose weight is within plus or minus 10% of the average weight. A uniform flock sells better and is easier to manage.
| Chickens within ± 10% of the average weight | Assessment |
|---|---|
| 80% and over | Uniform flock |
| 70% | Average |
| 60% or less | Poor: look for the cause (water, feed, space, heat, health) |
Source: Cobb.
For the entrepreneur
- ›Require the flock's average weight every week, compared with the target for the right type of chicken.
- ›In an open-sided house, aim for 75 to 90% of the targets; below that, ask for an explanation.
- ›Use the FCR to estimate the total feed for the flock.
For the technician
- ›Weigh about 100 chickens in 3 places, on the same day and at the same time each week.
- ›Use the table for the right type of chicken: red broiler, barred grey, naked neck or hybrid.
- ›Calculate uniformity: the share of chickens within ± 10% of the average weight.
The 3 questions to ask your technician this week
- What is this week's average weight, and what percentage of the target does it represent?
- How many chickens are within plus or minus 10% of the average weight?
- Has the gap with the target been widening or narrowing over the last three weeks?
Key points
- •Red broiler: about 2.38 kg at 56 days and 3.02 kg at 70 days.
- •Barred grey and naked-neck red broiler: about 2.30 kg at 56 days.
- •Hybrids: about 1.61 kg at 56 days and 2.04 kg at 70 days.
- •FCR and carcass yield rise with age.
- •In an open-sided house in strong heat: often 10 to 25% below the targets.