Broilers can grow slowly for several reasons. These are, first of all, poor living conditions, vitamin deficiency, infectious diseases and poor quality nutrition.
With proper care, broiler chickens grow very quickly and at the age of two months gain up to one and a half kilograms of live weight. The most active growth is observed in the first four weeks of life of chickens, therefore, close attention is paid to their feeding and maintenance during this period.
Why broilers grow slowly
There are several reasons for stunting in chickens. First of all, this is non-observance of light and temperature conditions when keeping broilers. The temperature in the room where the poultry is reared must be at least 30 degrees Celsius. When babies are two weeks old, it can be reduced to 24 degrees. If the ambient temperature is too low, the chicks will become crowded, sore, and slowly gain weight. Weak broilers often die from hypothermia. To increase the air temperature to acceptable values, household appliances are used: reflectors and air heaters. At the same time, one should not forget about ventilation, but it must be organized correctly so that there are no drafts.
Lighting has a great influence on the growth and development of chicks. Babies under the age of two weeks grow especially actively and therefore need a long day of light - up to 24 hours. In the future, you need to ensure that broilers are in natural, but not very bright light 17 hours a day. Too much light is dangerous for birds as it can cause pecking.
The reason for the slow growth of broilers can be a lack of vitamins and infectious diseases. In the first two weeks, chickens must be given antibiotics and vitamins - this will protect them from diseases and prevent vitamin deficiency. The prophylactic course is repeated after three weeks.
What to do when broilers are growing slowly
For good growth and development, chicks must receive quality feed that is appropriate for their age. It is recommended to first feed the starter compound feed, then the juvenile feed, and then feed the adult bird. It is important to observe the feeding regimen: in the first week of life, meat chickens are fed 8 times a day, in the second - at least 6 times, in the third - four times. During the second rearing period, grass and other succulent feeds can be added to the poultry diet, and the amount of high protein feeds can be slightly reduced.
To gain weight, broilers need to constantly drink, so they should always have clean and slightly warm water in the drinker.
