Frequently Asked Questions About Raising Broilers

General

What is the difference between broilers and layers?

Broilers are chickens bred specifically for fast meat production. Under good management they reach market weight in 5–8 weeks. Layers are bred for egg production; they take months to mature (laying usually starts around 18–22 weeks) and then lay for a year or more. See our full Broilers vs Layers guide for a detailed comparison.

How do I get day-old chicks?

Buy day-old chicks from reputable hatcheries or their authorized agents and distributors. Agents are useful when the hatchery is far away or does not sell directly to small-scale farmers; many also stock vaccines, feed, and equipment. Always verify that the source is reliable—healthy, high-quality chicks are one of the biggest factors in a successful batch.

Is broiler farming as a business profitable?

It can be, but profit varies a lot with the season, feed prices, mortality, and how well you market your birds. Demand and prices are usually stronger around festive periods and weaker off-season, and a batch can make little or even lose money if feed costs are high, birds die, or you have no buyers when they are ready.

Rather than relying on someone else’s margin figures, work out your own: calculate your production cost per bird, add the profit you want, and compare the result with what buyers in your area are actually paying. Volume helps too, because total profit is profit per bird multiplied by the number of birds sold, but only if you already have buyers, housing, feed, and working capital to support the larger flock. Our Broiler Marketing guide shows how to calculate cost per bird and find buyers.

What stocking density should I use?

Aim for roughly 10–14 birds per square metre depending on final target weight and climate (use a lower density in hot weather or where ventilation is poor). A practical target is 30–35 kg live weight per m² at market age. Overcrowding quickly raises mortality, worsens feed conversion, and increases disease risk. See our Housing guide for more on pen design and ventilation.

Brooding & Chicks

What temperature should the brooding house be?

The recommended temperature of a broiler’s brooding house is 32–35°C for week 1 and 29–32°C for week 2. Always watch the chicks’ behaviour as the final guide. See our Brooding guide for more.

How long should broilers spend in the brooding house?

Broilers are normally brooded for the first 2 weeks, then moved to the rearing pen (or the brooding house is opened up and converted into one). Layers need longer, about 5 weeks, because they feather more slowly. If your chicks are still huddling under the heat source after two weeks, for example during a cold spell, let their behaviour guide how long you keep supplying heat.

How do I know if my chicks are too cold or too hot?

If chicks crowd tightly together under the heat source, they are too cold. Chicks that spread far from the heat source, pant, or avoid each other are too hot. Well-brooded chicks spread evenly and move about calmly.

Feeding

What kinds of feed do broilers eat?

Broilers are fed in stages: super starter, then (for some brands) starter, then finisher. Some brands recommend 2 weeks of super starter followed by 2 weeks of starter, while for others, super starter can be used for the whole first 4 weeks. Finisher is introduced gradually from day 26 and birds are on 100% finisher from day 29. See our Feeding guide for crude protein levels, feed forms, and the 5–6 week and 8–10 week feeding programmes.

Why is my broiler not eating well?

Common causes include illness, a sudden feed change, heat stress, and poor water quality. Treat any suspected illness promptly, keep water clean and available at all times, and make sure ventilation is adequate to reduce heat stress.

Feed transitions, like moving from starter (or super starter) to finisher, should also be done gradually rather than all at once, since sudden changes can put birds off their feed. In practice: on day 26, mix 75% starter (or super starter) with 25% finisher; on day 27, go 50/50; and on day 28, shift to 25% starter (or super starter) with 75% finisher, with birds fully on finisher from day 29.

Health & Disease

Do I need to vaccinate broilers?

Yes. Even on a short 5–8 week cycle, broilers need early protection against two devastating viral diseases: Gumboro (Infectious Bursal Disease/IBD) and Newcastle disease. The common programme is Gumboro vaccine on days 7 and 21 and Lasota (Newcastle) vaccine on days 14 and 28, given in the drinking water. Marek’s vaccine is normally given at the hatchery. See our full Vaccination Schedule Guide for exact timing and administration methods.

Why are my broilers dying suddenly?

Sudden death is a critical red flag. Possible causes include Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS, a cardiac arrest seen in fast-growing broilers), ascites (“water belly,” linked to poor ventilation and oxygen supply), heat stress, and infectious diseases such as Newcastle disease, Gumboro, and avian influenza. If healthy-looking birds are flipping over or gasping, check your ventilation, temperature, water, and biosecurity immediately, because sudden losses can be the start of a much larger flock collapse.

If many birds die within a short time, or you see swollen heads, dark combs, a twisted neck, or whitish droppings, do not sell, move, or slaughter any birds. Limit access to the pen, avoid handling sick or dead birds with bare hands (avian influenza can infect people), and contact a veterinarian or your state veterinary officer straight away. See our Broiler Diseases guide for the signs of each disease.

Selling & Marketing

What’s the best age or weight to sell broilers?

There is no single best age. It depends on the weight your buyers want, your feed cost, and how well your birds are converting feed. On a 5–6 week cycle, well-managed birds can reach roughly 2.2–2.7 kg by week 5 and 2.8–3.0 kg or more by week 6 (see our Feeding guide).

Birds eat more feed for every extra kilogram they gain as they get older, so each extra day on the farm costs you more. Once birds reach the weight your buyers want, selling promptly usually protects your margin, while holding them without a buyer just adds feed, medication, and labour costs. Keeping birds longer, such as on an 8–10 week cycle, only makes sense if your buyers want bigger birds or a festive-season price covers the extra feed. Use our Feed Planning guide to estimate that feed cost first.

Most importantly, line up your buyers before the chicks arrive, not when the birds are ready. See our Broiler Marketing guide for the types of buyers to approach, and how to price your birds.