What Does Feed Conversion in Broilers include, and how can it be Improved?
Dr. Rambabu.D, Associate Professor
Dept. of Poultry Science, College of Veterinary Science, Korutla
PV Narsimha Rao Telangana Veterinary University
Jagtial dist – 505 326. Telangana State.
e-mail: ram_vetdoc@rediffmail.com
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One of the foundational elements of the poultry industry, feed conversion in chicken broilers requires measures to make it effective.
The foundations for the expansion of the poultry industry
One of the most significant global production sectors and a key player in the livestock industry is the poultry business. Its manufacturing systems have improved dramatically over the past few decades as a result of advancements from various methodologies.
On the one hand, genetic advancements have significantly impacted the effectiveness of broiler production. These improvements involved breeding animals with better genes for resilience to the musculoskeletal system, weight gain, and carcass yield.
Recent years have seen a dramatic improvement in poultry management. Technical advancements and improvements in feed and water delivery, litter and flock management, disease prevention, and the effectiveness of immunization and disease prevention methods are all tied to this area of production. In this way, management significantly affects lowering production costs and improving the efficacy of chicken production.
In terms of intestinal wellbeing, nutrition, and feed conversion, the chicken business is a sector that has made significant advancements. These factors are fundamental to broiler production because they affect how rapidly chickens gain weight, lower feed and illness expenses, and improve the quality of the meat.
Highly effective broiler genetic lines have been found to contain these advancements in the poultry business. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how feed conversion affects these birds and what measures are taken to enhance it.
Feed conversion is crucial for broilers
About 70% of the costs of production on farms are related to feeding broilers. The price of raw materials like corn, wheat, or soybeans, as well as other commodities, currently determines the cost of the feed given to chickens. High feed prices have been promoted by the existing global raw material, transportation, and stock market dynamics. Therefore, increasing the effectiveness of broiler feed consumption and maximizing feed conversion are of utmost importance to the poultry sector.
The amount of feed converted (in grammes) to live weight is referred to as feed conversion (in grams). In this sense, it can be thought of as an index that indicates how much feed is being delivered and converted into live weight per bird. The amount of nourishment a bird needs to develop and grow to the point where it is profitable has been decreased over time.
At 42 days old, a broiler weighed roughly 0.5 kg in the 1950s. The broiler of the same age eventually achieved a weight of about 1.5 kg in the 1970s. This broiler might weigh up to 3 kg by the mid-2000s. The improvements in feed conversion and genetics allowed for this amazing surge in weight gain in a matter of days.
Factors affecting the consumption of feed
A few elements of management and diet have a close relationship with feed conversion. One thing that affects feed consumption is the qualities of the given feed. The feed’s quality is influenced by the components used in its production, as well as by its size, shape, and flavor-enhancing nutrients. As a result, the feed used to feed the poultry must have the greatest nutritional quality indexes, be the right size for each age, and be stored under ideal circumstances to promote feed conversion and boost feed consumption.
To optimize feed conversion and feed consumption, however, feed management is equally crucial. The quality, placement, and kind of feeders used on the farm have a big impact on how much feed the chickens consume. The environment’s environmental contaminants, such as mould, water, fungi, insects, rodents, and pollution, must also be kept out of this feed. The height of the feeders, the type of feeder, and the cleanliness of these utensils are important considerations in this feed management; these aspects should be changed in accordance with the age of the broiler chickens as they age.
It is also acknowledged that environmental elements like temperature and humidity play a significant role in how much poultry feed is consumed. The poultry’s feed is digested to produce heat in freezing circumstances, which reduces production efficiency. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that poultry feed intake is decreased by extreme heat. To achieve the ideal farm temperature, the required controls must be implemented because these factors may affect feed conversion.
In connection with the previous point, ventilation is important for both feed intake and feed conversion. A number of air contaminants, including ammonia, carbon monoxide, and carbon dioxide, have an impact on the respiratory, digestive, and metabolic systems of chickens. Therefore, insufficient ventilation can have an impact on feed conversion.
The health of the chickens also has a significant impact on feed conversion. The health of the poultry’s digestive system guarantees that nutrients can be assimilated and used for development and weight gain. Additionally, because they all affect feed conversion, infections that affect the zone must be prevented. Energy is required by disease processes, which also result in nutrient losses (proteins, minerals, and electrolytes) and raise treatment costs and mortality.
Improvement techniques for feed conversion
Through a variety of improvement measures, feed conversion can be enhanced (the index is decreased and typically is 1). These tactics have to do with the type of feed provided, farm management, the surrounding environment, the use of additives to increase feed consumption, and the overall health of the poultry farm. As a result of these tactics, production costs are decreased because less feed is used and weight gain is either maintained or increased.
- Use feed that is highly digestible and nutrient-dense in accordance with each stage of production. It also needs to be tasty and have the right particle size for easy digestion.
- Implement a stringent feeding regimen depending on the poultry’s dietary and management requirements.
- Improve the farm’s ventilation systems to maintain the optimal levels of temperature, humidity, and airflow.
- Appropriate feed management techniques involving feeder usage (height and type), feeding schedules, waste minimization, and feed quality. Additionally, increasing feed intake requires drinking more water.
- Because diseases can have a major impact on feed conversion, consider comprehensive health programmes that include immunization, deworming, and vector control methods.
Feeding efficiency and intestinal wellbeing are related
In order to meet all of the nutritional needs of each stage of broiler growth, the diet is provided to the animals. For a comprehensive and balanced diet, the feed contains the maximum number of nutrients and necessary ingredients.
A good feed conversion rate cannot be achieved only through this diet, though. So, together with the nutrients provided and the intestinal microbiota, intestinal welfare in broilers plays a crucial role. In order to alleviate these diseases, additives should be used in the diet.
The broiler is in an intestinally healthy state when it can benefit from and absorb the most nutrients from the diet while minimizing the quantity expelled. This entails maintaining the ideal balance of bacteria in the poultry’s digestive tract and using nutritional supplements to enhance digestive physiology.
Broiler digestive physiology can be improved by using intestinal conditioner pronutrients. Enterocytes are activated by this substance, which enhances their performance and intestinal health. Pronutrients activate genes that promote enterocyte function, nutrient absorption, and cell regeneration. This impact improves feed conversion, boosts nutrient absorption, and lowers the need for antibiotics by strengthening the tight junctions of the digestive system.
Conclusion
To improve the productivity of the broiler production process, the poultry sector has made outstanding strides. In order to meet the rising demand for animal protein, this goal aimed to expand the supply of meat while simultaneously attempting to cut production costs. The management of poultry, genetics, feed, and feed conversion have all made significant strides in this direction.
Therefore, one of the crucial aspects of raising chickens is feed conversion. The amount of feed the chickens consume to enhance their live weight is determined by this index. As a result, it has been aimed for them to eat less feed and put on greater weight. This upgrade lowers production costs, has a smaller negative impact on the environment, and helps the chicken farm grow.
Feed conversion and feed consumption go hand in hand. This concentrate feed must have great physical qualities to ensure its consumption and exceptional palatability, as well as high nutritional value and digestibility.
Finally, there are management and nutrition techniques to enhance feed conversion by maximizing feed intake. These enhancements concern intestinal health, the use of digestive physiology-enhancing supplements, feed quality, indoor environment, flock health, and disease prevention.
