Broiler Chicken House Care for Healthy, Quality Meat
Broiler chicken house care starts at the DOC stage: the right coop type, good airflow, sensible stocking density and regular cleaning with disinfectant.
If you have a fairly large yard, you can put it to work raising chickens. Whether you raise kampung chickens (Indonesia's free-range native chickens) or meat chickens, both can turn a profit if you understand how to raise them well. The type most in demand on the market is the meat-type, or broiler, chicken. Broilers are raised for their meat, which is cooked into everyday home dishes or served on restaurant menus. With restaurants and eateries growing as they are today, demand for broiler chickens tends to be rising and steady. That is why broiler farming can be a promising business when it is run well.
When raising broilers, their ability to produce meat depends on breeding stock, feed and management, which usually covers equipment care and broiler chicken house management. Although broilers can be harvested quickly, within 4–5 weeks, all three factors need attention because they play a major role in the birds' development. Getting them right helps the broilers produce quality meat at harvest. That is why meat quality control should not start only at harvest time but from the moment the birds arrive as chicks. When quality control starts at the chick stage, the birds keep their quality all the way to harvest.
Also read How Successful Broiler Farmers Produce Top-Quality Meat
The broiler house should be ready before the birds arrive as day-old chicks (DOC). This matters because chicks are still vulnerable to changes in weather and their surroundings. The chick house must be set up to support healthy development. Broiler chicks that are well cared for grow into healthy birds, so the meat they produce at harvest is good quality. Broiler houses come in many forms, from raised, stilt-type houses to standard houses with a litter-covered floor. Air circulation inside the house must also be maintained so the birds can move freely and get fresh air.
Broiler feeding must also match the birds' age. Broiler feed is usually formulated to help build meat. To make sure every bird gets enough feed, a broiler house must not be overcrowded. If the house is too crowded, some birds may not get their share of feed at each meal. Feeding should also follow a regular schedule so the birds are not stressed and get enough feed every day. Feed can come as crumbles or pellets, depending on the growth phase. Besides feed, the birds need enough drinking water, and their water needs usually increase as they get older.
The care of feeders and drinkers and the cleanliness of the broiler house also need special attention. Farm equipment, feeders, drinkers and the house itself should be cleaned regularly with disinfectant to keep them free of the bacteria and viruses that cause chicken diseases. This matters because the birds spend most of their time inside the house. So the equipment, feeders, drinkers and house must be kept truly clean and sanitary. Wash the house and equipment with clean water, and soak feeders and drinkers in disinfectant if needed, so they stay clean and sanitary and bacteria and viruses do not enter the birds' bodies along with their feed.
