It is always the desire of each broiler farmer to have faster and uniform growth. If this is not achieved, the broiler farmer ends up in losses.
The slow growth can be due to poor genetic makeup of the broiler chicken. This may occur when some events occur during embryonic development that can mask the manifestation of the gene for faster growth in broilers. This condition is untreatable hence ensure that you obtain your chicks from a reputable hatchery.
Other inhibiting factors
Over crowding. This exposes the chick to many vices and diseases which affects the growth of the bird negatively eg over crowding can cause cannibalism which leads to shying away of the weak birds from eating affecting their growth in turn. This can be managed by providing enough ventilation, feeders and drinkers to the birds.
Poor brooding methods. The first 7 days during brooding are very critical in the life of a chick. Maximize these first days for optimal growth because any mistake made in terms of feed, vaccination, temperature will not only affect its growth but also its entire life.
Lack of adequate feeders and drinkers. To minimize the number of small sized chicken, provide adequate feeders and drinkers. The feeders should be close to the drinkers and easily accessible.
Lack of quality feed. A feed formulated with low quality ingredients gives poor result.
Presence of parasites. These can be internal or external. These cause stress on the chicken shifting the birds‘ energy from growth to survival.
Disease. The presence of disease in a broiler flock will cause slow growth because sick birds do not eat and drink. Prevent diseases by vaccination against major diseases like Newcastle and maintain high bio security.
