GROWTH and FEED STANDARDS for BROILERS-1973 



By D. A. Whittaker, J. E. Holmes and W. C. Skoglund* 



The commercial broiler grower is interested in comparing his flock against a 

 recognized standard for growth, feed consumption and feed conversion at 

 different age levels. 



The Depariment of Animal Sciences at the University of New Hampshire 

 previously has published standards in 195 3, 1959 and 1963. Ten years has 

 elapsed since the last standards were published and it seems worthwhile to bring 

 them up to date using the present day strains of broilers and the currently 

 available poultry feeds. 



Data were obtained from three commercially available broiler crosses during 

 spring and fall of 1973. The birds were assigned randomly by strain to pens of 

 100 birds each at the rate of one bird per square foot. Six replicates for each 

 strain were used in each trial, or a total of 3600 birds in the two trials. Two 

 replicates of each sex and two replicates of combined sexes were reared. Body 

 weights for each strain were an average of all six replicates while the feed 

 consumption figures were obtained in the sex separated pens. The data for each 

 strain were averaged for each trial and final tables are an average of the two 

 trials. The chicks were brooded by a central hot water heating system using fin 

 type radiation. One hanging waterer and two hanging feeders were used in each 

 pen. A commercial broiler feed in crumble form was fed the first three weeks 

 and pellets were fed for the remainder of the trial. 



Table I presents the average weekly weights and gains for the males, females 

 and mixed sexes. 



Table II presents the weekly and cumulative feed consumption for each sex 

 and for mixed sexes. 



Table III indicates the weekly and cumulative feed conversion for each sex 

 and mixed sexes. 



Table IV shows the comparative broiler weight, feed consumption and 

 conversion for 1953, 1959, 1963 and 1973. 



• Mr. Whittaker is UNH Poultry Farm Superintendent. Mr. Holmes is an Undergraduate 

 in Animal Science. Mr. Skoglund is Professor of Animal Sciences, New Hampshire 

 Agricultural Experiment Station. 



