MANAGEMENT
Best practice in broiler house management
How the right technology and proactive management can ensure best practice in housing on broiler farms In partnership with Cobb, this article examines best practice in broiler production, focusing specifically on housing. How can producers create an environment for their birds that consistently fosters excellent performance and robust animal health? and incorrect temperatures can all compromise the birds’ immune system. As a result, even a mild inconsistency when creating the right climate can leave the birds susceptible to viral and bacterial infections, thus leading to losses. Although this is the worstcase scenario, smaller and less noticeable losses are also possible, including reduced daily weight gains and a reduction in feed efficiency. “In the development of the Cobb500, we emphasized selection of key broiler performance traits such as improved growth rate, feed conversion efficiency and robustness, however, providing a comfortable environment at all stages of life is crucial in allowing growers to unlock the full genetic potential of our broiler,” says Brendan Graaf, Broiler Specialist at Cobb Europe. “Housing is a crucial cornerstone of healthy broiler development,” says Heinz Südkamp, Climate Product Manager at Big Dutchman. “Creating the right environment sets chicks up to achieve higher weight gains and overall results. More than that, it helps set a baseline for best practice that will do nothing but benefit your overall operation.”
A comfortable climate Broiler wellbeing is significantly affected by house climate. Draughts, harmful gasses
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The ideal climatic situation is influenced by the correct relationship between three key elements of the air: • temperature • humidity • movement. Systems that are exclusively controlled based on temperature (and do not take humidity and air speed into account) will find that their broilers either chill very quickly or, conversely, can overheat, both of which will negatively impact performance. Instead, a system should be implemented along enthalpy lines – a holistic approach that al-
