Poultry Management Specifications
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Poultry Management Specifications

   

Poultry Management Specifications 1

H.R. Wilson, F. B. Mather, and J.P. Jacob2

These specifications are suggested based on normal, expected situations and the best available data. Although applicable to both commercial and home flocks, the variation in housing types, equipment, objectives and other factors may result in requirements that are different than those suggested herein. See Table 1 (chicken, turkey, ducks, geese) and Table 2 (pheasant, bobwhite, guinea, ostrich, emu).

Tables

Table 1.

Table 1. Poultry management specifications for chicken, turkey, ducks, and geese.
Requirement
Chicken (egg)
Chicken (meat)
Turkey (large)
Ducks
Geese
Floor Space





Hover space
4-8 in2/bird
6-10 in2/bird
12 in2/bird
12 in2/bird
14 in2/bird
0-4 wk
0.7 ft2/bird
1.0 ft2/bird
1.5 ft2/bird
0.8 ft2/bird
1.5 ft2/bird
4-8 wk
0.8 ft2/bird
1.25 ft2/bird
2.0 ft2/bird
1.5 ft2/bird
2.0 ft2/bird
8-12 wk
1.0 ft2/bird
1.5 ft2/bird
3.0 ft2/bird
2.0 ft2/bird
3.0 ft2/bird
>12 wk
1.5 ft2/bird
2.5 ft2/bird
5.0 ft2/bird
3.0 ft2/bird
5.0 ft2/bird
Adult
1.5-3.0 ft2/bird
2.5-4.0 ft2/bird
8.0 ft2/bird
5.0-6.0 ft2/bird
8.0 ft2/bird
Cage
60-100 in2/bird
200 in2/bird
400 in2/bird
- - - -
- - - -
Feeder Space





0-1 wk
1 feed lid/100
1 feed lid/100
2 feed lids/100
2.0 in/bird
2.0 in/bird
1-2 wk
1.0 in/bird
2.0 in/bird
2.5 in/bird
2.0 in/bird
2.5 in/bird
2-4 wk
1.0 in/bird
2.0 in/bird
3.0 in/bird
2.5 in/bird
3.0 in/bird
4-8 wk
1.5 in/bird
3.0 - 6.0* in/bird
4.0 in/bird
2.5 in/bird
4.0 in/bird
>8 wk
2.5 in/bird
3.5 - 6.0* in/bird
5.0 in/bird
3.0 in/bird
5.0 in/bird
Adult
4.0 in/bird
4.5 - 6.0* in/bird
6.0 in/bird
4.5 in/bird
6.0 in/bird


*Restricted feed



Waterer Space





0-1 wk
15 1-gal/ 1000 or0.6 in/bird


15 1-gal/1000or 0.7 in/bird


20 1-gal/1000 or 1.0 in/bird


15 1-gal/1000 or 0.7 in/bird


20 1-gal/1000 or 0.7 in/bird


1-4 wk
0.6 in/bird
0.7 in/bird
1.0 in/bird
0.7 in/bird
1.0 in/bird
4-8 wk
0.6 in/bird
0.8 in/bird
1.0 in/bird
0.7 in/bird
1.0 in/bird
>8 wk
0.8 in/bird
1.0 in/bird
1.2 in/bird
0.8 in/bird
1.2 in/bird
Adult
1.0 in/bird
1.5 in/bird
1.4 in/bird
1.0 in/bird
1.4 in/bird
Brooding Temp.





Brooder, 0-1 wk
90-95¡F
85-95¡F
90-95¡F
85-90¡F
80-90¡F
Decrease/wk
5¡F
5¡F
5¡F
5¡F
5¡F
Brooder room
60-80¡F
60-80¡F
60-75¡F
60-75¡F
60-75¡F
Lights





0-2d
24h, 25w/100ft2
24h, 25w/100ft2
24h, 25w/100ft2
24h, 10w
24h, 10w
2d-2wk
23h, 25w/100ft2
23h, 25w/100ft2
23h, 25w/100ft2
23h, 10w
23h, 10w
2-10wk
Natural or <12h
Natural or <12h
Natural or <12h
Natural
Natural
10-20wk
Decreasing or 8h
Decreasing or 8h
Decreasing or 8h
Natural
Natural
Layer or breeder
15h, 1fc, or add 15min/wk


16h, 3fc, or add 15min/wk


16h, 5fc, or add 15min/wk


15h, 1fc, or add 15min/wk


15h, 1fc, or add 15min/wk


Females/male
12-15
10-12
7-10
5-6
2-5
Females/nest
4
4
5
3
5
Sexual maturity
5-6mo
5-7mo
7-8mo
7-8mo
6-9mo
Vaccinations





Marek's
Day 1
Day 1



Newcastle and inf. bronchitis1


1wk, 4wk, 16wk, then every 3mo
1wk, 4wk, 16wk, then every 3mo
4wk, housing


Fowl pox
6-9wk
6-9wk (breeders)
5-10wk, 7mo


Enceph. (AE)2
10-16wk (breeders)
10-16wk (breeders)



Inf. Bursal disease3
8-12wk (breeders)
8-12wk (breeders)



Incubation





Length
21d
21d
28d
28d or 35d
30-35d
Setting temp.
99.5¡F
99.5¡F
99.5¡F
99.1¡F
99.0¡F
Set humidity
86-87¡F wet bulb
86-87¡F wet bulb
87-88¡F wet bulb
94.0¡F wet bulb
89-90¡F wet bulb
Hatching temp.
98.5¡F
98.5¡F
98.0¡F
98.4¡F
99.0¡F
Hatch humidity
90-92¡F wet bulb
90-92¡F wet bulb
90-93¡F wet bulb
96.0¡F wet bulb
89-90¡F wet bulb
Still air inc.
102-103¡F
102-103¡F
102-103¡F
102-103¡F
101-102¡F
Fertile Egg Storage





Time
8d or less
7d or less
8d or less
7d or less
7d or less
Temperature
55-65¡F
55-65¡F
55-65¡F
55-65¡F
55-65¡F
Humidity
70-85% RH
70-85% RH
70-85% RH
75-85% RH
75-85% RH
1Infectious bronchitis, 2Avian encephalitis, 3Infectious bursal disease
w = watt, fc = foot candle, RH = relative humidity

Table 2.

Table 2. Poultry management specifications for pheasant, bobwhite, guinea, ostrich, and emu.
Requirement
Pheasant
Bobwhite
Guinea
Ostrich
Emu
Floor Space





Hover space
4-8 in2/bird
4-6 in2/bird
4-8 in2/bird
2.0 ft2/bird
1.5 ft2/bird
0-4 wk
1.0 ft2/bird
0.25 ft2/bird
0.5 ft2/bird
10 ft2/bird
8 ft2/bird
4-8 wk
2.0 ft2/bird
0.3 ft2/bird
0.8 ft2/bird
20 ft2/bird
15 ft2/bird
8-12 wk
3.0 ft2/bird
0.5 ft2/bird
1.0 ft2/bird
40 ft2/bird
30 ft2/bird
>12 wk
3.0 ft2/bird
0.5 ft2/bird
1.5 ft2/bird
80 ft2/bird
60 ft2/bird
Adult
3.0 ft2/bird
1.0-1.5 ft2/bird
1.5-3.0 ft2/bird
.25-3 acres/2-4 birds
.1-.3 acres/2-4 birds
Cage
60-100 in2/bird
50-100 in2/bird
60-100 in2/bird
----
----
Feeder Space





0-1 wk
2 feed lids/100
2 feed lids/100
1 feed lid/100
1 feed lid/5 birds
1 feed lid/6 birds
1-2 wk
1.0 in/bird
0.6 in/bird
1.0 in/bird
0.5 ft/bird
0.5 ft/bird
2-4 wk
1.5 in/bird
0.6 in/bird
1.0 in/bird
1.0 ft/bird
0.75 ft/bird
4-8 wk
2.0 in/bird
1.0 in/bird
1.5 in/bird
1.0 ft/bird
1.0 ft/bird
>8 wk
3.0 in/bird
1.0 in/bird
2.5 in/bird
1.5 ft/bird
1.5 ft/bird
Adult
3.0 in/bird
1.6 in/bird
4.0 in/bird
1.5 ft/bird
1.5 ft/bird
Waterer Space





0-1 wk
15 1-gal /1000 or 0.3 in/bird


2 1-qt/100 or 0.2 in/bird


2 1-gal /100 or 0.5 in/bird


1 5-gal pan/10
1 5-gal pan/20
1-4 wk
0.5 in/bird
0.25 in/bird
0.5 in/bird
"
"
4-8 wk
0.6 in/bird
0.3 in/bird
0.5 in/bird
"
"
>8 wk
1.0 in/bird
0.3 in/bird
0.8 in/bird
"
"
Adult
1.0 in/bird
0.3 in/bird
1.0 in/bird
"
"
Brooding Temp.





Brooder, 0-1 wk
95¡F
95-100¡F
95-100¡F
85-90¡F
90-95¡F
Decrease/wk
5¡F
5¡F
5¡F
5-8¡F
3-5¡F
Brooder room
60-85¡F
60-85¡F
60-80¡F
60-75¡F
60-75¡F
Lights





0-2d
24h, 10w/100ft2
24h, 10w/100ft2
24h, 25w/100ft2
24h, 10w/100ft2
24h, 10w/100ft2
2d-2wk
Natural or <12h
Natural or <12h
Natural or <12h
Natural
Natural
2-10wk
Natural or decreasing
Natural or decreasing
Natural or decreasing
Natural
Natural
10-20wk
Natural or decreasing
Natural or decreasing
Natural or decreasing
Natural
Natural
Layer or breeder
17h, 5fc, oradd 30min/wk


17h, 5fc, or add 30min/wk


16h, 5fc, oradd 15min/wk


Natural or 16h, 5fc


Natural
Females/male
6-8
1-4
4-8
1-4
1-2
Females/nest
5-6
3-5
3-5
1-4
1-2
Sexual maturity
4-5mo
5-6mo
5-6mo
20-36mo
20-36mo
Vaccinations





Marek's





Newcastle and inf. bronchitis1







Fowl pox





Enceph. (AE)2
5-10wk
6-10wk



Inf. Bursal disease3





Incubation





Length
24d
24d
28d
42d
52-56d
Setting temp.
99.5¡F
100.0¡F
99.5¡F
97.4¡F
97.5-98.0¡F
Set humidity
89-90¡F wet bulb
85-86¡F wet bulb
85-86¡F wet bulb
68¡F wet bulb, 20%
75¡F wet bulb, 34%
Hatching temp.
99.0¡F
99.0¡F
98¡F
96.5¡F
97.0¡F
Hatch humidity
82-85¡F wet bulb
88-92¡F wet bulb
85-86¡F wet bulb


77¡F wet bulb, 40%
81¡F wet bulb, 50%
Still air inc.
102-103¡F
102-103¡F
102-103¡F
99.5¡F
99.5¡F
Fertile Egg Storage





Time
8d or less
14d or less
8d or less
7d or less
7d or less
Temperature
55-65¡F
55-65¡F
55-65¡F
55-65¡F
55-65¡F
Humidity
70-85% RH
70-85% RH
70-85% RH
60-75% RH
60-75% RH
1 Infectious bronchitis, 2 Avian encephalitis, 3 Infectious bursal disease
w = watt, fc = foot candle, RH = relative humidity


Footnotes

1. This document is SSPSE806, one of a series of the Animal Science Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Original publication date 1984. Reviewed June 2003. Visit the EDIS Web Site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2. H.R. Wilson, professor of the Dairy and Poultry Sciences Department, F. B. Mather, associate professor of the Dairy and Poultry Sciences Department, and J.P. Jacob, poultry extension coordinator of the Dairy and poultry Sciences Department, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611.


The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Larry Arrington, Dean.



Copyright Information

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