Broilers are the fast money of poultry — a bird that can go from day-old chick to market weight in six to eight weeks. But that speed cuts both ways: a mistake in brooding (the first weeks of raising chicks under a heat source) or feeding shows up fast, and there's little time to recover. This guide covers the full cycle.

1. Brooding: the first two weeks decide everything

Day-old chicks can't regulate their own temperature. Provide a reliable heat source and watch the birds, not the thermometer — chicks huddled under the heat are cold; chicks scattered to the edges are too hot. Start with clean litter (bedding or floor material), warm water (with a little glucose the first day), and a starter feed.

2. The feeding programme

Use the right feed at each stage: a high-protein starter (roughly 22–24% protein) for the first 3–4 weeks, then a finisher (roughly 17–18%) to market. Feed and clean water should be available at all times — broilers grow by eating constantly. Want to cut that feed bill? See how to blend cheaper broiler feed that keeps weight on.

3. Watch feed conversion

Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is how much feed it takes to add a kilogram of weight. The better your FCR, the better your profit. Track feed consumed against weight gained; a sudden rise in FCR is an early warning that something is wrong — disease, poor feed, or heat stress.

4. Health red flags to act on fast

  • Droopy, huddled or lethargic birds
  • Sudden drop in feed or water intake
  • Bloody or watery droppings (possible coccidiosis)
  • High, unexplained deaths

Follow the hatchery's vaccination schedule (Newcastle disease and Gumboro are the common ones), keep the house clean, and isolate sick birds early. A contained problem is cheap; an outbreak is not.

5. Marketing at the right weight

Know your target weight and your buyers before the birds are ready. Selling slightly underweight to a bulk buyer can beat holding birds and paying extra feed while the price drops. Whole birds, cut-up (dressed) parts and live sales each have different buyers — match your plan to the market you can actually reach. Before you commit, work through the full cost of starting a poultry farm in Nigeria.

Key takeaways

  • Get brooding right — the first two weeks set the cycle.
  • Feed the right protein at each stage, with water always available.
  • Track FCR as your early-warning system.
  • Act on health red flags immediately.

Sources

  • Aviagen — broiler performance objectives and management standards.
  • Cobb-Vantress — breed-specific broiler growth and feed-conversion benchmarks.