4 Broiler Chicken Characteristics Every Farmer Should Know

Broiler chickens are also called meat chickens. As the name suggests, they are raised for their meat. Broilers are crossbreeds of highly productive chickens, and they offer good meat in both quantity and quality. To keep your birds growing and developing well, you need to know how to care for and raise them properly. Knowing their characteristics is also very useful for raising them. Without understanding their nature, you will not really understand your chickens. As with any other animal, you should learn the character or traits of the animal before you raise it. Here are the broiler chicken characteristics you should know:

Also read 4 Requirements for Building a Chicken Coop to International Standards

Prone to Infection

The first characteristic is that broilers catch infections easily, because they have a weak immune system. That makes a complete vaccination program extremely important. Vaccines are a way to minimize the chance of your chickens getting sick, and disease will inevitably cost you money. It is best to vaccinate twice in each phase so the chickens' health is better protected.

Fast Growth

The next characteristic worth knowing is that broilers grow very quickly. They can put on meat in just a few weeks. Pay close attention to their feed so the birds reach their maximum weight. The parts that gain the most are the breast and the body, which become dense and plump. Compared with other types of meat chickens, broilers grow fast very easily.

Fast Nutrient Absorption

One factor behind the broiler's fast meat growth is its ability to absorb nutrients. These chickens absorb nutritious feed easily, so their bodies grow and develop quickly. Every nutrient that enters a broiler's body can be converted into meat in a short time.

Also read 4 Broiler Farming Challenges You Need to Watch

Easily Stressed

Broilers and kampung chickens (Indonesian free-range native chickens) have different characteristics. Kampung chickens adapt easily, while broilers struggle to adapt. When broilers cannot adjust quickly, they become stressed. Stressed chickens lose their appetite and get sick easily because they are not getting nutrition from their food.

Characteristics of Broiler Meat

Here are the characteristics of broiler meat you should know:

Tender Meat

The first characteristic of broiler meat is its tenderness. It is softer than other chicken. Broiler meat contains a fair amount of water, so it tends to pop and spatter when cooked, which means you need to be careful when cooking it. Compared with beef or kampung chicken, this meat is more tender and cooks faster than kampung chicken.

Up to 2 Kilograms

You should know the normal weight of a chicken that is ready for market. A plucked chicken weighs at most 2 kilograms and at least 1.5 kg. So if your chickens reach harvest time without hitting their full weight, something is wrong on your farm, such as inadequate feeding.

Also read 5 Essential Nutrients in Broiler Chicken Feed

Raising broiler chickens is not easy, so it is important to learn as much as you can about them. Knowing good farming practices is not enough; understanding broiler chicken characteristics is also essential to keeping your business running well.