Broiler chickens are bred for rapid growth and efficient meat production, requiring daily care and attention to ensure optimal health, weight gain, and minimal losses. A well-structured daily routine in broiler farming helps maintain high productivity and profitability.
This guide covers every crucial aspect of broiler chicken daily services, including feeding, watering, disease prevention, temperature control, waste management, and vaccination schedules.
By following these best practices, farmers can:
✔️ Improve feed conversion ratios (FCR)
✔️ Reduce mortality rates
✔️ Prevent diseases and infections
✔️ Enhance overall broiler growth and quality
Let’s dive into the essential daily tasks required for successful broiler chicken farming!
1. Early Morning Health Check & Flock Observation
The first activity of the day is flock inspection, ensuring all birds are healthy and active. Identifying issues early helps prevent disease outbreaks and production losses.
Morning Health Check Routine:
🔹 Observe bird activity: Healthy broilers should be active, alert, and moving. Lethargic birds may indicate illness.
🔹 Check for mortality: Remove any dead birds immediately to prevent disease spread.
🔹 Inspect body condition: Look for weight loss, dehydration, or injuries.
🔹 Watch for disease symptoms:
- Sneezing, coughing → Possible respiratory infections.
- Diarrhea → Could indicate coccidiosis or salmonella.
- Swollen joints, limping → Signs of viral arthritis.
🔹 Assess bedding conditions: Wet litter can lead to ammonia buildup and infections.
💡 Tip: Keeping daily farm records helps detect trends and potential health issues before they escalate.
2. Feeding and Nutrition Management
Broilers grow very fast, meaning they need high-quality, energy-dense feed for optimal growth. Proper feeding strategies can significantly impact the final meat yield.
Daily Feeding Routine:
🍗 Ensure fresh feed is available at all times.
🍗 Adjust feed formulation according to age:
- Starter Feed (1-10 days): 21-24% protein for rapid growth.
- Grower Feed (11-24 days): 18-20% protein for muscle development.
- Finisher Feed (25-42 days): 16-18% protein for final weight gain.
🍗 Monitor feed consumption: A sudden drop may indicate illness or poor-quality feed.
🍗 Use automatic or well-adjusted feeders to prevent spillage and feed wastage.
🚨 Signs of Poor Nutrition:
❌ Stunted growth or poor weight gain
❌ High mortality rates
❌ Weak legs or bone deformities (calcium deficiency)
💡 Pro Tip: Adding probiotics and digestive enzymes to feed can improve digestion and nutrient absorption.
3. Watering System and Hydration Management
Water is even more important than feed in broiler farming. Birds need at least 2-3 times more water than feed daily.
Daily Watering Routine:
💧 Provide fresh and clean drinking water at all times.
💧 Use nipples or automatic drinkers to maintain hygiene.
💧 Prevent water spillage to avoid wet litter and bacterial growth.
💧 Monitor water intake – A sudden drop may signal disease or heat stress.
🚨 Signs of Dehydration:
- Sunken eyes
- Weakness and lethargy
- Reduced feed intake
💡 Tip: Adding electrolytes and vitamins to drinking water during hot weather helps prevent heat stress.
4. Temperature Control and Ventilation
Broiler chickens are highly sensitive to temperature fluctuations. Keeping optimal brooding temperatures is critical for good health and weight gain.
Ideal Temperature Chart:
🔥 Day 1-3: 32-34°C
🔥 Day 4-7: 30-32°C
🔥 Week 2: 27-30°C
🔥 Week 3: 24-27°C
🔥 Week 4+: 21-24°C
Daily Ventilation Management:
✅ Ensure proper airflow to prevent respiratory diseases.
✅ Reduce ammonia levels (should stay below 10 ppm).
✅ Use exhaust fans or curtain ventilation to control humidity.
✅ Observe bird behavior:
- Huddling together → Too cold
- Panting and spreading wings → Too hot
🚨 Effects of Poor Ventilation:
❌ Wet litter and ammonia buildup
❌ Increased respiratory diseases
❌ Reduced feed intake and weight gain
💡 Pro Tip: Use automatic climate control systems for better temperature regulation.
5. Litter and Waste Management
Unclean litter can lead to serious infections and high mortality rates. Daily litter management is essential for maintaining hygiene and farm efficiency.
Daily Litter Management Steps:
🧹 Remove wet and soiled litter to reduce bacterial growth.
🧹 Use high-quality bedding materials (wood shavings, rice husk, sawdust).
🧹 Regularly turn the bedding to maintain dryness and aeration.
🧹 Apply disinfectants in high-traffic areas.
🚨 Effects of Poor Litter Management:
❌ High ammonia levels leading to respiratory issues
❌ Increased disease outbreaks
❌ Leg and footpad infections
💡 Tip: Adding zeolite or lime powder helps control ammonia levels.
6. Biosecurity Measures and Disease Prevention
Biosecurity is crucial to prevent deadly poultry diseases like Newcastle disease, Avian Influenza, and Coccidiosis.
Daily Biosecurity Routine:
🚷 Restrict farm visitors – Only allow essential staff.
🧴 Disinfect equipment and footwear before entering poultry houses.
🚰 Use footbaths at farm entry points to prevent disease spread.
🐦 Prevent wild bird contact to reduce infection risks.
🚨 Common Broiler Diseases and Symptoms:
❌ Newcastle Disease: Coughing, paralysis, green diarrhea.
❌ Coccidiosis: Blood in droppings, weight loss.
❌ Infectious Bronchitis: Sneezing, nasal discharge, poor growth.
💡 Tip: Isolate sick birds immediately and consult a veterinarian.
7. Broiler Vaccination and Medication Schedule
Vaccination is mandatory to prevent major poultry diseases.
Essential Broiler Vaccination Schedule:
💉 Day 1: Marek’s Disease, Newcastle Disease
💉 Day 7: Gumboro Disease (Infectious Bursal Disease)
💉 Day 14: Infectious Bronchitis, Fowl Pox
💉 Day 21: Avian Influenza, Salmonella
🚨 Effects of Poor Vaccination:
❌ High mortality rates
❌ Increased disease outbreaks
❌ Poor weight gain
Conclusion: The Importance of Daily Broiler Care
By following a structured daily management plan, broiler farmers can ensure:
✔️ Higher survival rates
✔️ Better weight gain and feed efficiency
✔️ Reduced disease risks
✔️ Improved farm profitability
By applying proper feeding, hydration, health checks, ventilation, and biosecurity, farmers can raise healthy and profitable broiler chickens.