Important Considerations in Rearing Poultry Chickens for Optimum Performance

Raising poultry chickens beyond the brooding stage requires a different level of attention and management. As chicks grow into growers, their environmental needs, feed requirements, and physical management all change.

Many farmers who do well in the brooding phase run into problems during the growing phase simply because they apply the same conditions they used for younger chicks. That approach does not work.

Understanding what growers need at each stage of development, from ventilation and temperature to feeding, lighting, and physical procedures like debeaking, gives you a real advantage in getting the best performance out of your flock. This article covers all the critical considerations in rearing poultry chickens from the grower stage through to the point of transfer for laying.

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1. Ventilation Requirements for Growers

Growers need significantly more ventilation than young chicks. As birds grow larger, they produce more body heat, more moisture, and more waste gases. If ventilation is not increased to match this, the air quality inside the house deteriorates quickly and bird performance suffers.

Maximum ventilation for growers is best achieved by using poultry houses with low side walls of 0.3 meters or less. A forced ventilation rate of 0.003 cubic meters per second is recommended to reduce ambient temperature and keep the atmosphere clean. Good ventilation serves two key purposes: it supplies birds with fresh air and removes excess moisture from the house.

2. Temperature and Humidity for Growers

Growers require lower environmental temperatures than young chicks. They do well in moderate temperatures during the day but need slightly warmer conditions at night when they are inactive and not generating as much body heat through movement.

The recommended relative humidity for growers is between 50 and 80 percent. Keeping humidity within this range prevents respiratory irritation, reduces the risk of mouldy litter, and supports comfortable, healthy growth.

3. Light Management for Growers

Light management during the growing phase is critical because getting it wrong can lead to premature sexual maturity, which carries serious production consequences.

Although chicks are photo-sensitive from as early as three weeks old, the effect of light is negligible until the bird reaches 7 weeks of age. Growers between 4 and 20 weeks of age do not require extra light. In fact, the general rule is that the photoperiod, meaning the number of hours of light the birds receive, must decrease as the birds grow older.

When birds mature earlier than normal due to inappropriate lighting, a condition known as precocious maturity, the result is a depressed rate of lay and smaller egg sizes caused by low body weight at the point of lay. Getting the lighting pattern right during the growing phase protects future egg production performance.

4. Feeding Growers

Feed is the single most important factor in producing poultry meat and eggs. For growers, the appropriate diet is growers mash, a feed specially formulated to meet the energy, protein, amino acid, mineral, and vitamin requirements needed to achieve maximum growth and production potential.

Growers mash can be compounded by the farmer if they have the right expertise, or purchased from commercial feed millers. Either way, knowing how much feed your birds consume at each stage allows you to plan purchases in advance and avoid running short.

One important caution on feed storage: do not buy or store feed for more than four weeks. Feed stored beyond this period tends to become mouldy, stale, and rancid, all of which reduce its nutritional value and can cause serious health problems in the flock.

The table below shows estimated feed consumption per bird for broilers and pullets across different age groups in a tropical environment.

A. Poultry Feed Types and Consumption Based on Type of Chicken

5. Housing System for Growers

The deep litter system is the most commonly used management system for brooding and rearing chicks and broilers. Battery cages are designed primarily for adult birds and are not the standard setup for the growing phase.

However, research has shown that chicks reared in cages tend to grow faster than those on deep litter. The reasons for this include reduced social conflicts, avoidance of direct contact with fecal droppings, and stress caused by wire floors. One downside of cage rearing for broilers is that they may develop breast blisters, which reduces the quality of the carcass and affects market value.

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6. Other Important Management Practices

A. Debeaking

Debeaking involves the partial removal of the beak to prevent harmful behaviors such as pecking, feather pulling, cannibalism, and egg eating. These behaviors are often signs of management problems including inadequate feeding and drinking space, insufficient floor space, an imbalanced diet, or general stress in the flock.

Debeaking can be done between 3 and 5 weeks of age and should be completed by 15 to 17 weeks at the latest. It should be done in the morning during hot weather to reduce bleeding. Feeding a higher level of Vitamin K before debeaking helps speed up blood clotting.

Two methods are commonly used:

i. Scissors: When scissors are used to cut the beak, the raw surface should be rubbed with caustic potash to reduce bleeding, which tends to be heavy with this method.

ii. Electric debeaker: This is the preferred option. The electric debeaker cuts the beak and simultaneously cauterizes the raw surface, which stops or significantly reduces bleeding right away.

B. Despurring

The spur is an extra digit found on male birds that is particularly well developed in light breeds. During mating, the spur causes wounds on the backs of breeding hens, which can lead to hens avoiding mating altogether and ultimately reducing fertility rates in the flock.

Despurring is done between 10 and 16 weeks of age when the cap is well formed. It is carried out using a sharp knife or a pair of scissors. Removing the spur at the right time protects the hens and maintains fertility levels throughout the breeding season.

C. Transfer of Birds

There are two main systems used in modern poultry operations when it comes to moving birds between housing stages.

i. Single-stage intensive system: In this system, female birds stay in the same housing from the growing phase through to the end of their productive life as layers. They are not moved to a different house at any point.

ii. Multi-stage intensive system: In this system, birds are moved from one house to another at specific stages of growth. If growers are to be transferred to a separate laying house, this should be done between 16 and 18 weeks of age, before the birds begin laying eggs.

Transfer should always be done using crates and preferably in the early morning to minimize stress on the birds. Heat and the disruption of the midday period make later transfers harder on the flock.

Summary on Important Considerations in Rearing Poultry Chickens

Frequently Asked Questions About Important Considerations in Rearing Poultry Chickens

1. How much ventilation do growers need compared to chicks?

Growers need significantly more ventilation than chicks. A forced ventilation rate of 0.003 cubic meters per second is recommended. Poultry houses with low side walls of 0.3 meters or less help maximize natural airflow and keep the environment fresh and comfortable for growing birds.

2. What temperature do grower chickens need?

Growers need moderate temperatures, lower than what young chicks require. During the day, a moderate ambient temperature is fine. At night, when birds are inactive, slightly warmer conditions are needed to keep them comfortable.

3. Do growers need extra light?

No. Growers between 4 and 20 weeks of age do not need extra light. The photoperiod should actually decrease as birds grow older. Providing too much light during this phase can cause precocious maturity, which leads to poor egg production and small egg sizes later on.

4. What is growers mash and when should it be introduced?

Growers mash is a specially formulated feed designed to meet the energy, protein, mineral, and vitamin needs of birds during the growing phase. For pullets, it is typically introduced from around week 9 as birds transition from chick mash.

5. How long can I store poultry feed?

Do not store feed for more than four weeks. Feed stored beyond this becomes mouldy, stale, and rancid. Feeding spoilt feed to your birds causes health problems and reduces production performance.

6. What is debeaking and why is it done?

Debeaking is the partial removal of the beak to prevent destructive behaviors like pecking, feather pulling, cannibalism, and egg eating. It is done between 3 and 5 weeks of age and must be completed by 15 to 17 weeks at the latest.

7. Which debeaking method is better, scissors or electric debeaker?

The electric debeaker is the preferred method because it cuts and cauterizes the beak simultaneously, significantly reducing bleeding. Scissors cause more bleeding and require the application of caustic potash to the raw surface to control it.

8. What is despurring and when should it be done?

Despurring is the removal of the spur, an extra digit on male birds that can injure hens during mating. It is done between 10 and 16 weeks of age using a sharp knife or scissors and is particularly important for breeding flocks where hen injuries can reduce fertility.

9. When should birds be transferred from the grower house to the laying house?

Transfer should happen between 16 and 18 weeks of age, before the birds begin laying eggs. Always use crates and do the transfer early in the morning to minimize stress on the birds.

10. Is the deep litter or battery cage system better for rearing growers?

Deep litter is the standard and most commonly used system for growing phase management. While cages can promote faster growth due to reduced social conflict and better hygiene, they carry the risk of breast blisters in broilers, which reduces carcass quality. Each system has its trade-offs and the right choice depends on your specific production goals.

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