Brooders
Learn how to read your birds!
Below is a diagram for troubleshooting brooder setups. It shows the proper placement of waterers and feed. For feed dishes we recommend using pie tins and for a brooder guards we recommend using a kids pool. Brooder guards should be round with no corners to prevent crowding of the chicks. The brooder should be placed about fifteen inches from the ground and you should use an infrared (red tinted) lamp. Avoid using bright white lamps; doing so could cause chicks to become stressed, which can lead to many problems including pecking!
How Much will my Turkeys Weigh?
This chart represents the production goals of multiple national turkey flock managements for broad breasted white turkeys. The abstract is based on turkeys raised in confinements that are environmentally controlled barns with strict biosecurity and nutritional monitoring. Again, these are production goals. The backyard and free range turkeys here in Maine are challenged by many variables, such as weather, different species on the farm, sanitation, and limited feed choices. We have found that our range fed turkey production usually is within two weeks of these goals, but are susceptible to the same variables as every other flock in Maine.
| Week # | M Live Weight | M Dress Weight | LBS of Feed | F Live Weight | F Dress Weight | LBS of Feed |
| 10 | 17.75 | 12.43 | 29.53 | 13.71 | 9.6 | 24.2 |
| 11 | 21.04 | 14.73 | 36.43 | 15.9 | 11.13 | 34.66 |
| 12 | 24.32 | 17.02 | 43.9 | 17.98 | 12.59 | 34.66 |
| 13 | 27.61 | 19.33 | 52.08 | 19.97 | 13.98 | 40.16 |
| 14 | 30.9 | 21.63 | 60.68 | 21.86 | 15.3 | 45.78 |
| 15 | 34.09 | 23.86 | 69.58 | 23.86 | 16.7 | 51.51 |
| 16 | 37.26 | 26.08 | 78.94 | 25.12 | 17.58 | 57.31 |
| 17 | 40.34 | 28.24 | 88.72 | 26.48 | 18.54 | 63.22 |
| 18 | 43.33 | 30.33 | 99.02 | 27.7 | 19.39 | 69.27 |
| 19 | 46.18 | 32.33 | 109.6 | 28.8 | 20.16 | 75.49 |
| 20 | 48.88 | 34.22 | 120.4 | 29.76 | 20.83 | 81.88 |
| 21 | 51.46 | 36.02 | 131.43 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| 22 | 53.96 | 37.77 | 142.67 | N/A | N/A | N/A |
The hen weights in red signify when the feed to growth conversion becomes inefficient. The feed conversion (the amount of feed it takes to gain one pound of body weight) will be influenced by age, feed quality, flock health, environmental factors, and breed/breeding.
SOURCE: National Poultry Management and Business Analysis Manual.
How Much will my Broilers Weigh?
Below is the production goals for barred rock Cornish cross meat type broiler chickens. The chart is broken up into 7 weeks, the average growing time. Each week is symbolized by an alternating color. Remember, if your birds do not match the growing chart, it is okay. There are a lot of factors that influence the growth rate (including heat, feed quality, housing, and husbandry skill set). Remember: Each flock is a new flock. They do not always grow the same way.
|
DAY
|
BODY WEIGHT (lb)
|
|
0
|
0.091
|
|
1
|
0.12
|
|
2
|
0.135
|
|
3
|
0.17
|
|
4
|
0.195
|
|
5
|
0.24
|
|
6
|
0.27
|
|
7
|
0.32
|
|
8
|
0.36
|
|
9
|
0.43
|
|
10
|
0.495
|
|
11
|
0.56
|
|
12
|
0.64
|
|
13
|
0.71
|
|
14
|
0.82
|
|
15
|
0.95
|
|
16
|
1.02
|
|
17
|
1.13
|
|
18
|
1.24
|
|
19
|
1.37
|
|
20
|
1.48
|
|
21
|
1.61
|
|
22
|
1.78
|
|
23
|
1.9
|
|
24
|
2.04
|
|
25
|
2.19
|
|
26
|
2.35
|
|
27
|
2.53
|
|
28
|
2.69
|
|
29
|
2.85
|
|
30
|
3.02
|
|
31
|
3.20
|
|
32
|
3.36
|
|
33
|
3.51
|
|
34
|
3.70
|
|
35
|
3.87
|
|
36
|
4.04
|
|
37
|
4.20
|
|
38
|
4.37
|
|
39
|
4.55
|
|
40
|
4.69
|
|
41
|
4.87
|
|
42
|
5.02
|
|
43
|
5.16
|
|
44
|
5.34
|
|
45
|
5.50
|
|
46
|
5.64
|
|
47
|
5.78
|
|
48
|
5.92
|
|
49
|
6.06
|
|
50
|
6.22
|
|
51
|
6.34
|
|
52
|
6.46
|
|
53
|
6.57
|
|
54
|
6.75
|
|
55
|
6.82
|
|
56
|
6.94
|
|
57
|
7.05
|
|
58
|
7.15
|
|
59
|
7.28
|
|
60
|
7.35
|
|
61
|
7.46
|
|
62
|
7.55
|
|
63
|
7.65
|
|
64
|
7.73
|
|
65
|
7.82
|
|
66
|
7.90
|
|
67
|
7.99
|
|
68
|
8.05
|
|
69
|
8.13
|
|
70
|
8.20
|
To get an estimate of dressed weight from live weight, you can subtract 30% of the live weight. So if a bird weighs 8 pounds live, 8 X 0.3 is 2.4 pounds, and 8-2.4 is 5.6 pounds.