Feed Conversion Ratio(FCR) in Poultry

Feed Conversion Ratio(FCR) in Poultry

What is Feed Conversion Ratio(FCR) in Poultry?

Feed conversion ratio (FCR) is a measure of how well a flock converts feed intake (feed usage) into live weight.The conversion ratio in poultry is defined as the relationship between the amount of feed that one chicken eats, and the amount of meat that this chicken produces.

How to calculate Feed conversion ratio (FCR)in poultry?

There is an inverse relationship between the conversion coefficient and the weight of the chicken.

??Feed conversion ratio(FCR)= amount of feed eaten ÷ weight of one chicken.

?? Both the amount of feed eaten, and the weight of the chicken in kgs are calculated.

?? The greater the weight of the chicken, the lower the conversion ratio.

??Lower FCR values indicate higher efficiency.

?? The feed conversion ratio for poultry is good if it is below 1.5

??For example, if the chicken ate 4 kg of feed, and then its weight at the end of the cycle became 2kg , this means that the conversion ratio 4 ÷ 2 = 2, but if the chicken ate 4kg of feed, and gave a weight of 2.5kg , so the conversion ratio becomes 1.6, and the conversion ratio 1.6 is better than 2.

Factors affecting the conversion ratio in poultry?

1.Genetic

2.Age

3.Feed quality

4.Management method

Feeding space, feeder height and the provision of good quality feed is important. Water management: the provision of adequate drinking space and a source of clean water is essential. A reduction in water intake will lead to a reduction in feed intake and an increase in FCR.

The most important factors that affect the conversion ratio in poultry are the following:

??The lack of the correct nutritional balance in the feed, such as an increase in the proportion of protein, or an increase in energy, and this may cause some problems in the liver and kidneys.

??The use of feed that does not contain an adequate percentage of amino acids and protein, which affects the lack of muscle growth, and leads to the lack of meat formation in poultry properly.

??The temperature is lower than the appropriate degree for raising poultry, which causes bad incubation, and thus the chickens consume a large amount of feed for heating, not for forming meat.

??Using feeds that do not contain the necessary vitamins, nutritional supplements, and minerals, such as the absence of premixes in the feed.

??Infection of the flock with clostridia, coccidiosis etc.

??Using bad feed that contains a high percentage of fiber, or bran, which may cause the herd to suffer from diarrhea.

??Using poor-quality feed that contains a high percentage of fungi, which leads to a decrease in the immunity of the herd, and they suffer from diseases of the liver, kidneys, and intestines.

??Wrong medical treatment of the herd using antibiotics, and this affects the natural flora in the stomach and causes an imbalance in it, causing intestinal diseases.

??Using unclean water for drinking, or hard water, and not changing it on a daily basis, which will cause disease in the herd.

??Not using a sufficient number of feeders, which causes the feed to not reach some poultry well, and thus leads to a loss of weight.

??Not using high-energy feed, especially in winter, causes chickens to lose weight, and that takes a lot of energy for heating, rather than building muscle.

??Use bad feed, and it contains difficult to digest materials, and thus causes intestinal problems, which leads to weight loss.

How to improve feed conversion ratio in poultry?

Improving feed efficiency is usually associated with improved profitability. Most measures to improve this useful index of productivity are by balancing the ratio between energy and amino acids, and (or) by improving nutrient digestibility by a number of different means. But, the feed efficiency rate can be improved even after the feed is mixed and delivered at the farm. Here are five tips to ensure broilers take the most out of the feed they are given on any farm.

1. Avoid hot spots in feed silos– Molds consume valuable nutrients and produce mycotoxins.
2. Use feeders that don't waste feed.
3. Lights on and off.
4. Avoid heavy body weight at market age.
5. Keep birds healthy
6. Improving feed efficiency is usually associated with improved profitability. Most measures to improve this useful index of productivity are by balancing the ratio between energy and amino acids, and (or) by improving nutrient digestibility by a number of different means. But, the feed efficiency rate can be improved even after the feed is mixed and delivered at the farm. Here are five tips to ensure broilers take the most out of the feed they are given on any farm.

1. Avoid hot spots in feed silos–

Molds consume valuable nutrients and produce mycotoxins. Moldy feed is not only unpalatable, but also toxic as well. Quite often, feed is delivered into silos that are never cleaned. In humid and warm climates, mold growth is easy to occur, and even in apparently empty silos, there are hot spots (patches of old moldy feed adhering to the inside surfaces of silos) that can serve as the leaven for the next batch of fresh feed. Adding a mycotoxin binder and a mold inhibitor is not enough. Silos must be periodically inspected and cleaned thoroughly. Usual dosage rates recommended for mycotoxins in feed do not take into account this issue, which can be quite serious under unfavorable conditions.

A factor that greatly enhances feed efficiency is the correct placement of drinkers close to the feeders, but not so close as to cause feed spoilage.

2. Use feeders that don’t waste feed

It might appear obvious to buy feeders that minimize feed wastage, but low-cost is always an alluring factor that quite often makes us buy something less efficient in the long-run. Feeders should also be managed (cleaning, placement, distances, number of birds per feeder, etc.) so that feed consumption is neither an opportunity to beat boredom nor a hurried fight to eat. Quite often a factor that greatly enhances feed efficiency is the correct placement of drinkers close to the feeders, but not so close as to cause feed spoilage.

3. Lights on and off

It has been suggested that a constant lighting program (such as 23 hours light and 1 hour darkness) might not be the best in terms of feed digestibility. Under constant lighting, birds tend to overconsume feed, which tends to increase feed rate passage. Given that birds are fed at or near maximum genetic potential levels, this extra feed they consume has limited time to interact with digestive enzymes, resulting in reduced feed digestibility. In contrast, a lights-on, lights-off program (for example, 1 hour light, 1 hour darkness, and so on) allows birds to fully digest their feed while resting (which also improves feed efficiency as birds do not walk aimlessly all day), and gives them enough time to “refill” during light hours. The only problem with this system is that there should be enough feeding spaces for all birds to eat simultaneously, something that requires careful pre-placement feeder management.

4. Avoid heavy body weight at market age

If you need to attain a certain market age or market weight, then you should probably follow the guidelines of your contracting partner. But, if you sell on the open market, it pays to keep in mind that feed efficiency becomes a bit worse with each day the birds age. This is mostly due to the fact that birds have a greater body mass to maintain each day — and maintenance requires both energy and amino acids. So, finding the minimum weight per bird that is acceptable will also minimize feed efficiency. Of course, this does not necessarily mean maximal profitability, and to this end, other parameters should be consulted: cost per weight gain, or weight gain per given floor surface, etc.

5. Keep birds healthy

One more obvious observation, but it is always worth repeating: sick birds do not grow, and if they do not grow, feed efficiency is never ideal. Sick or subclinical affected birds don’t eat as much as healthy birds, and what they eat usually goes to fighting off the disease. In addition, they might even break down muscle proteins, which reduces their body weight, making feed efficiency the worst possible. In contrast, healthy birds, especially those with a very healthy digestive system, will utilize nutrients in the feed at maximal efficiency. Perhaps subclinical diseases are the worst “robbers” of feed efficiency points, if only because they go unnoticed, whereas we investigate anything else that might have caused this drop in performance.

Conclusion

Feed conversion ratio (FCR) measures the feed intake per unit output (eggs, meat, milk). The lower the FCR the lesser the feed cost. Animals with low FCR are efficient in converting feed to output. If you want to reduce your cost of production, always think of ways you can reduce the FCR.

Obviously, not all of the above pointers are applicable in every single farm. But, even if one point is taken into consideration and feed efficiency improves by a bit, it means increased profitability, especially since all of the above are routine management measures.