The broiler production process is very much an industrial one. There are several distinct components of the broiler supply chain.
Primary breeding sector The "primary breeding sector" consists of companies that breed pedigree stock. Pedigree stock ("pure line") is kept on high level biosecure farms. Eggs are hatched in a special pedigree hatchery and their progeny then goes on to the great-grandparent (GGP) and grandparent (GP) generations. These eggs would then go to a special GP hatchery to produce Parent Stock (PS) which passes to the production sector. A single pedigree-level hen might have 25000 parent stock bird descendants, which in turn might produce 3 million broilers. Numerous techniques are used to assess the pedigree stock. For example, birds might be examined with ultrasound or x-rays to study the shape of muscles and bones. The blood oxygen level is measured to determine cardiovascular health. The walking ability of pedigree candidates is observed and scored. The need for high levels of Research and development spending prompted consolidation within the primary breeder industry. As of 2017, only two sizable breeding groups Due to the high levels of variation in the chicken genome, the industry has not yet reached biological limits to improved performance. The males and females are separate genetic lines or breeds, so that each line can be selected for optimal traits for productivity in either females or males, rather than a single line in which a compromise is reached between female and male optima. In Canada, the average producer houses 15,000 birds that begin laying hatching eggs at 26 weeks of age. Each female bird will lay about 150 hatching eggs for the next 34 to 36 weeks, until the birds reach around 60 weeks of age and are slaughtered for meat. This cycle is then repeated when another flock of 20 week-old birds is put into the barns to begin the process again. As a general rule, each farmer produces enough broiler hatching eggs to supply chicks for 8 chicken producers. (Other sources indicate a parent hen will lay about 180 eggs in a 40-week production period.) Generally, parent flocks are either owned by integrated broiler companies or hatcheries or are contracted to them on a long-term basis. • size, single
storey. • 11,000 bird capacity (about per bird) • Ceiling is insulated • Exterior curtain side walls. • A "minimum ventilation" system is required for the heating period to provide a certain amount of fresh air. • A separate "tunnel ventilation" system with
evaporative pad cooling is desired (minimum wind speed is 400 fpm) for hot weather in the later stage of the bird's growth. • Air inlets may be automatically adjusted. • A negative ventilation system helps keep dirt and dust out of egg storage areas. • The entire house may be heated, or individual "brooders" may be used. • The floor is flat. There are no "slats" or "pits" for manure. There are no cages, and no nests. "Litter" (shavings or straw) covers the floor. When the chicks are introduced temporary barriers are used to keep them close to the heated areas. • "Black-out" design to keep out external light, so the day-night cycle can be controlled. • An automatic timer-controlled lighting system.
Dimmers allow light intensity to be adjusted. • Automatic feeders to distribute feed. Typically this consists of an endless chain in a trough or with individual pans. A
silo or bin outside provides storage. • Automatic drinkers provide water. There are several different designs, with "nipples" or "round" drinkers being popular. • Feeders and drinkers are height adjusted as the birds grow, and can be raised on chains or wires to allow cleanout of the barn. Chicks require warm air temperatures, which is reduced as the birds mature: Chicks might be
debeaked at 7–10 days age. and transported by truck to a separate facility. Males and females are raised together at this point. Outwardly the laying house will resemble the rearing house. Inside, about one-half of the floor might consist of raised 'slats.' During the production run, manure will drop through the slats and accumulate in the pit underneath the slats. The birds are not generally caged, especially since the
roosters must mate with the hens to
fertilize the eggs. Nests are provided for laying hens. Both automatic and manual (example) nesting systems exist. Manual nests are usually stuffed with straw or shavings and eggs are hand-collected. Automatic systems usually have a plastic carpet lining, with a conveyor belt for egg collection. Overall flock production will decline as mortality reduces the size of the flock and as the birds age out of their prime. When the rooster mates with the hen, sperm enter the hen's oviduct and are stored within sperm storage glands. These glands can store more than half a million sperm, and sperm can remain viable for up to 3 weeks. However, a hen will have maximum fertility for only about 3 to 4 days after one mating. Therefore, the male-to-female ratio in a flock must be enough to ensure mating of every hen every 3 days or so.
Hatcheries Hatcheries take the fertilized eggs,
incubate them, and produce day-old broiler chicks. Incubation takes about 21 days, and is often a two-step process. Initial incubation is done in
machines known as
setters. A modern setter is the size of a large room, with a central corridor and racks on either side. Eggs are held relatively tightly (large end up) in trays, which are stored in the racks. Inside the setter, temperature and humidity are closely maintained. Blowers or fans circulate air to ensure uniform temperature, and heating or cooling is applied as needed by automated controls. The racks pivot or tilt from side to side, usually on an hourly basis. As an example, one commercial machine can hold up to 124,416 eggs and measures about 4.7 metres wide by 7.2 metres deep. Setters often hold more than one hatch, on a staggered hatch-day basis, and operate continuously. The setter phase lasts about 18 days. On or about day 18, the eggs are removed from the setters and transferred to
hatchers. These machines are similar to setters, but have larger flat-bottom trays, so the eggs can rest on their sides, and newly hatched chicks can walk. Having a separate machine helps keep hatching debris out of the setter. The environmental conditions in the hatcher are optimized to help the chicks hatch. As a commercial example, a large hatcher has capacity for 15,840 eggs, and measures about 3.3 metres by 1.8 metres. Some incubators are single-stage (combining setter and hatcher functions), and entire trolleys of eggs can be rolled in at one time. One advantage of single-stage machines is that they are thoroughly cleaned after each hatch, whereas a setter is rarely shutdown for cleaning. The single-stage environment can be adjusted for eggs from different producing flocks, and for each step of the hatch cycle. The setter environment is often a compromise as different egg batches are in the machine at one time. On hatch day (day 21), the trays are removed ("pulled") from the hatchers, and then the chicks are removed from the trays. Chicks are inspected, with the sickly ones being disposed of. Chicks may be by
vaccinated, sorted by sex, counted, and placed in chick boxes. Stacks of chick boxes are loaded into trucks for transport, and arrive at the broiler farm on the same day. Specialized climate-controlled trucks are typically used, depending on climate and transport distance.
Chick sexing is optionally done to improve uniformity – since males grow faster, the weights are more uniform if males and females are raised separately. The birds are bred so that males and females have unique feather patterns or color differences. Unlike egg-laying poultry, males are not
culled. Typical hatchability rate in Canada in 2011 was 82.2%. (i.e. 82.2% of eggs set for incubation produced a saleable chick). A UK source estimates 90% hatchability.
Broiler farms The chicks are delivered to the actual broiler
Grow-Out farms. In the US, houses may be up to 60' x 600' (36000 sq.ft.). One 2006 magazine survey reported a desired 67-foot wide house, with the average 'standard' new house being 45' x 493', with largest being 60' x 504'. One farm complex may have several houses. In Mississippi, typical farms now have four to six houses with 25,000 birds per house. One full-time worker might manage three houses. On average, a new broiler house is about 500 feet long by 44 feet wide and costs about $200,000 equipped. When the birds are full-grown, they are caught (perhaps with a
chicken harvester) placed in crates, and transported by truck to a processing plant. Because of their efficient meat conversion, broiler chickens are also popular in small
family farms in rural communities, where a family will raise a small flock of broilers.
Processing plants When the birds are large enough, they are shipped to processing plants for slaughter. When chickens arrive at the processor they go through the following sequence: • Removed from transport cages • Hung by the legs on a shackle, mounted on a conveyor chain. •
Stunned using an electrically charged water bath •
Killed by cutting the blood vessels in the neck • Bled so that most blood has left the carcass •
Scalded to soften the attachment of the feathers •
Plucked to remove the feathers • Head removed • Hock cutting to remove the feet • Rehung in the evisceration room • Gutted or eviscerated to remove the internal organs • Washed to remove blood and soiling from the carcass • Chilled to prevent bacterial spoiling (They go through a chiller which takes approximately 2 hours to go through. The chiller generally holds thousands of gallons of water kept below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.) • Drained to allow excess water to drip off the carcass • Weighing • Cut selection to divide the carcass into desired portion (breast, drumsticks etc.) • Packed (for example in plastic bags) to protect carcasses or cuts • Chilled or frozen for preservation Further Processing plants carry out operations such as cutting and deboning. Previously the conveyor belts carrying live chickens generally ran at a maximum of 140 chickens per minute, but the maximum speed has been increased to 175 birds/minute. Once the dead birds arrive in the evisceration room (usually dropped down a chute after the feet are removed), they are hung again on shackles much the same way as they were when they were alive.
Feed mills Integrators Today, in the U.S. an individual company called an "integrator" performs all or most production aspects. Integrators generally own breeder flocks, hatcheries, feed mills, and processing plants. The integrators provide the chicks, feed, medication, part of the fuel for brooding, and technical advisers to supervise farm production. Integration reduces costs by coordinating each stage of production. ==U.S. industry history==