How To...

05

Individually Weigh BroilerBreeders in Rear

Why individually weigh broiler breeders in rear?

Routine accurate estimates of average body weight allows:

• Correctfeedallocationtoapopulationduringrearandproduction.

• Correct control of both male and female body weights which willoptimizeperformanceateverystageoflife.

• Recordingindividualbodyweightsfrom14to21daysofageonwardsallowsCV%andgradingpopulationstobeaccuratelymanaged.

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The procedure for individually weighing broiler breeders in rearBird HandlingBirds must be handled in a calm and correct way by people who have been appropriately trained. Bird welfare must be a priority at all times.

Equipment1. Agoodsetofelectronicormanual /mechanicaldial scaleswith10g (0.02 lb) increments, an

accuracyof+/-20g(0.04lb)andhaveaminimumcapacityof5kg(11lb).

Electronicscale(left)andmechanicaldialscale(right)fortakingindividualbirdweights.

2. Apenorpencil.

3. Weightrecordingcharts.

4. Scientificcalculatorifweighingusingmanual/mechanicaldialscales.

Note-Allscalesshouldbecalibratedonaregularbasis(atthebeginningandendofeveryweighing)toensuretheyareweighingaccuratelyandcorrectbody-weightmanagementismaintained.

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How To...Individually Weigh Broiler

Breeders in Rear

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Step 1 Suspend/situatescalesinasecure,easilyaccessibleplace in thepenwhereweighingwill takeplace.Setthescalestozeroandhaveasecureshackletoholdbirdsinplacebeforeweighingbegins.

Step 2 Catch andpen up a sample of at least 2%or 50birdsperpopulation,whichever isgreater. Inrear,if the population size is greater than 1000 birds,samplesshouldbetakenfrom2differentlocationsinthepenorhouse.Samplesshouldbetakenfromtowardsthemiddleofeachpenorhouseavoidingsidewallareasandareasclosetoentrancedoors.

Step 3 Collectingonebirdatatime,placeitslegsintotheshackles,wait until the bird is calm and read theweightfromthescale(tothenearest20g[0.04lb]formechanicalscales).

Step 4 Record the weight obtained and gently release the weighedbirdbackintothemainpenpopulation.

Mechanical scales require manual data records to bekeptanddatacalculationstobemadefor:

o Totalnumberofbirdsweighed.o Averageweightperbird(Totalweightofallbirds

÷Numberofbirdsweighed).o Weightrange.o CoefficientofVariation(CV%).

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How To...Individually Weigh Broiler

Breeders in Rear

05ProcedureBirdsshouldbeweighedonthesamedayeachweekandatthesamehouroftheday;ideally4-6hoursafterfeeding.

Step 1

Entrance Door Pen Door

Catching Door

Bird sample points; should be away from side wall and entrance doors.

Step 4

Step 5 RepeattheweighingprocessuntilALLbirdsinthecatchingpenhavebeenweighedandrecorded.Thiswilleliminateselectivebias.

Step 6 CalculateaverageweightandtheCoefficientofVariation(CV%).CV%isusuallycalculatedautomatically when using digital scales. If manual scales are used, it will be necessaryto calculate the standard deviation using either a scientific calculator or a computerspreadsheet.

Step 7 AveragebodyweightandCV%shouldbeplottedonabodyweight foragechartandcomparedtotarget. Variationfromperformancetargetswillhelpdeterminefuturefeedallocations.

How To...Individually Weigh Broiler

Breeders in Rear

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1

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500 (1.1)

1000 (2.2)

1500 (3.3)

2500 (5.5)

3000 (6.6)

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22.5

20

17.5

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Body weight - Target Female

Body weight - Actual Female

Female CV%

12.5

10

7.5

5

2.5

2000 (4.4)

Body

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28

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35

5

42

6

49

7

56

8

63

9

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10

77

11

84

12

91

13

98

14

105

15

112

16

119

17

126

18

133

19

140

20

147

21

154

22

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23

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Arbor Acres Parent Stock - Rearing Program 0 - 24 WeeksFemales / House 2 / Pen 3

CV%

Example for manual calculation of CV%:

CV%=

Standard Deviation x100

Average Body Weight

Forexample:

Wherestandarddeviation=0.048kg/0.106lbandaverageweight=0.471kg/1.04lb

CV%=0.048kg/0.106lb

x100=10.2 0.471kg/1.04lb

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Individually Weigh Broiler Breeders in Rear

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WeightPounds

WeightGrams

Number of Birds

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30

0.00 0.00

0.04 0.20

0.09 0.40

0.13 0.60

0.18 0.80

0.22 100

0.25 120

0.31 140

0.35 460

0.40 180

0.44 200

0.49 220

0.53 240

0.57 260

0.62 280

0.66 300

0.71 320

0.75 340 x x x x x

0.79 360 x x x x x x x x x x x

0.84 380 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

0.88 400 x x x x x x x x x x x x

0.93 420 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

0.97 440 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

1.01 460 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

1.06 480 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

1.10 500 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

1.15 520 x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

1.19 540 x x x x x x x x x x x x

1.23 560 x x x x x x x x x x x

1.28 580 x x x x x x x

1.32 600

1.37 620

1.41 640

1.46 660

1.50 680

1.54 700

1.59 720

1.63 740

1.68 760

1.72 780

1.76 800

1.81 820

1.85 840

1.90 860

1.94 880

Farm Breed House Pen Sex Age Date

2 Female 28 Mar - 15

Number Weighed Average Weight Target Weight % Coefficient of Variation

212 464 g (1.02 lbs) 450 g (0.99 lbs) 10.3

Exampleofabodyweightrecordingchartwhenmanualscalesareusedforweighing.

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How To...Individually Weigh Broiler

Breeders in Rear

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CURRRRRENENTT DAD TATTTTTTT METE RICTOOOTATT L WEWEIGII HEHHHHED:D 79AVERAGAGA E WEW IGIIIIIII HTT: 0.471DEVIATION: 000.048888C.V. (%):: 10.2

Band llimits sssssssss Total0.0 320 to 0.3. 39 10.340 to 0.3.33359 10.000000 3636363636636363633666600000000000 tototototottooooo 000000000000.33333333379797797979777797779777997997 22222222222222220.380 to 0.3999 20.400 to 0.4191 40.420 to 0.4393 7770...44440 to 0.44599 120.0 460 to 0.47999 1150.480 to 00.4999 114440.50500 ttototot 000.5. 19 1000.000 5200 toto 0.539 60.545455 0 totoo 0.555595 30.58800000 too 0.59999 2

CUURRRRRRRENT DAD TATATATTTT IMPERIALTOTATTTTTAL WEEIGIII HEHHHH D: 79AVERAGGE WEW IGIII HT: 1.1 0337DEVIATTION: 00.110505C.V. (%): 10.2

Band limits ssssssss Total0.00 705 to 0.747 10.750 to 0.7..7791 10.000000 79797979797979779799944444444444 tototototttoooooooo 000000000000.88888888836363633663636333633333333666 22222222222222220.838 to 0.8800 20.8882 to 00.9. 242 440.926 to 0.96886 770..97970 totoo 1.00122 11121.014 to 1.005666 151.058 totoo 11.1000 1114441.1..101 2 tot 111.1.. 44 101.1 1466 tototo 1.188 61.19191190 too 1.2.2.2323 31.2799999 tooo 1.32121 2

Exampleofprintoutsfromautomaticweighingequipment–CV%,numberofbirdsweighed,averageweight,andstandarddeviationareallcalculatedautomaticallywhenusingelectronicscales.

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How To...Individually Weigh Broiler

Breeders in Rear

05Interpreting resultsA deviation from expected body weight may be due to an inaccurate weighing. If aninconsistentbodyweightisrecorded,checkthatthescalesareworkingcorrectlyandthenweighasecondsampleofbirdsimmediatelyasacheckbeforemakinganychangestofeedlevels.

Days 14 to 21Adeviationfromstandardbodyweightbetween14and21daysgenerallyindicates:

• Aneedtorevisemanagementoffeedertransition(timingandproceduresusedtochangefromfloorfeedingtomechanicalfeeders).

• Aneedtorevisefeedlevels;feedlevelsshouldbealteredaccordinglyifbodyweightsareaboveorbelowtarget.

Day 28 onward

WeightsandCV%atday28shouldbeusedtogradethepopulationinto2or3sub-groupsofdifferentaverageweight.Eachgroupcanthenbemanagedaccordingtoweighttominimizeflockuniformityatpointoflay.

1. Under target weight birds (dark blue line on graphs below).

• Wheretheaveragebodyweightforapopulation/penisbelowtargetbodyweightbymorethan100g(0.2lb)graduallybringbirdsbacktotargetby63days.

• Appropriateincreasesinfeedshouldbegivenbasedonthedeviationfromtargetbodyweight.

• Ifbirdsremainundertargetbody-weightafter63daystheyshouldbegraduallybroughtbacktotargetprofileby105daysofage.

• Ifbirdsstillremainbelowtargetbody-weight(by100g[0.2lb])at105daysthentheyshouldbegraduallybroughtbacktotargetweightbythetimeoffirstlightstimulation.

2. Over target weight birds (dark green line on graphs below).

• Thesearebirdsthataregreaterthan100g(0.2lb)overthetargetbodyweight.

• Re-drawthebodyweightcurve tobringbirdsgraduallybackon to targetby63daysofage.Never reduce feed levels; reduce the next feed increment or delay the next feed increase in order toachievetherevisedbody-weighttarget.

• If birds remain over targetweight from 63 days onward, then the target should beredrawn parallel to the profile. Do not attempt to bring these birds back to the profile.Birdsshouldbefedtheleveloffeedtomaintainthisprofile.

Re-drawingoffuturebody-weighttargetsupto63daysofage(ontheleft)andre-drawingoffuturebody-weightprofileswhenaveragebodyweightisbelow,onorabovetargetat63daysofage(ontheright).

Age (days)42

Flock Grading

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Age (days)

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Flock Grading

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