The equipment used in heavy breeder houses is an important factor in enabling the expression of the various behaviours of the birds and, therefore, in providing high welfare standards for them.
Currently, no detailed requirements are specified for equipment in heavy breeder houses, particularly regarding feeder space allowance and perch design. One of the reasons is the lack of basic biometric data on broiler breeder females.
To address this lack of information, we conducted a pilot study to measure the body weight, body width, and toe measurements of a heavy breeder flock (Cobb 500) comprising 50 females and 17 males. All these birds, housed in a commercial house equipped with nest boxes and a litter area, were weighed and digitally photographed at 22 weeks of age, and their body widths were calculated from the photographs taken.
The average weight of the females was 2,792 g and their body width 20.6 cm, while the males had an average weight of 3,616 g and a body width of 21.9 cm.
Our assessments revealed that a feeder space allowance of 21.00 cm per hen and 22.00 cm per cock must be provided to ensure that all birds have equal access to feed.
It was also observed that the mean toe length of females was 10.14 cm and that of males 12.05 cm.
Based on these findings, our recommendations for the design of round perches for heavy breeders are at least 11.3 cm in diameter for females and 13.4 cm for males.
The biometric data obtained could serve as a useful basis for establishing legal requirements for heavy breeders.
Author: Angela Gabriela Brandes
For further reading: Brandes AG, Spindler B, Giersberg MF, Kemper N. “Feed Space Allowance and Perch Design Criteria for Broiler Breeders Determined by Biometric Data“. Vet Sci. 2022 Jul 11;9(7):350. doi: 10.3390/vetsci9070350. PMID: 35878367; PMCID: PMC9321206.