Agriculture and Agribusiness

Poultry Production and Broiler Management

Broilers convert feed to meat on a schedule measured in days, which means a mistake in the first week cannot be recovered later in the cycle and shows up directly in the feed conversion ratio. This course concentrates on getting the cycle right. Delegates work through house preparation, cleaning, disinfection and the down time between batches that breaks the disease cycle. Brooding is covered in detail, including temperature, chick behaviour as the real thermometer, and the first week weight that predicts final performance. Ventilation is addressed as the control that operators most often get wrong, covering minimum ventilation, ammonia, humidity and litter condition. Feeding programmes and feed form follow, along with water quality and drinker management. Growth monitoring, uniformity and feed conversion are covered. Health management is addressed through vaccination, coccidiosis control and the common diseases of the region. Layer production is covered separately, including lighting programmes and egg quality. Catching, transport and processing losses follow. The course closes on cost per bird and on batch review.