The broiler industry is the process by which broiler chickens are reared and prepared for meat consumption. Worldwide, in 2005 production was 71,851,000 tonnes. From 1985 to 2005, the broiler industry grew by 158%.
A key measure of performance is the Feed conversion ratio (FCR), the ability to convert feed into edible product. In 2018 the FCR of broilers is about 1.5, or 1.5 kg of feed to produce 1 kg of meat. This compares very favorably with other sources of meat.
It is estimated that broilers produce 6 kg of greenhouse gas per 1 kg of meat, as compared to 60 kg GHG /kg for beef cattle.
In the 1980s, it was typical to produce a 2 kilograms in 70 days. In 2018, it takes just 29 days to produce a bird of the same weight.
Broiler industry structure
The broiler production process is very much an industrial one. There are several distinct components of the broiler supply chain.
Primary breeding sector
The "primary breeding sector" consists of companies that breed pedigree stock. Pedigree stock ("pure line") is kept on high level biosecure farms. Eggs are hatched in a special pedigree hatchery and their progeny then goes on to the great grandparent (GGP) and grandparent (GP) generations. These eggs would then go to a special GP hatchery to produce Parent Stock (PS) which passes to the production sector.
In 2006, out of an estimated world population of 18 billion poultry, about 3% are breeding stock. The US supplied about 1/4 of world GP stock.
Worldwide, the primary sector produced 417 million parent stock (PS) per year.
A single pedigree-level hen might have 25000 parent stock bird descendants, which in turn might produce 3 million broilers.
Numerous techniques are used to assess the pedigree stock. For example, birds might be examined with ultrasound or x-rays to study the shape of muscles and bones. The blood oxygen level is measured to determine cardiovascular health. The walking ability of pedigree candidates is observed and scored.
The need for high levels of Research and development spending prompted consolidation within the primary breeder industry. As of 2017, only two sizable breeding groups remained:
Aviagen (with the Ross, Hubbard, Arbor Acres, Indian River and Peterson brands) Cobb-Vantress (with the Cobb, Avian, Sasso and Hybro brands)
In the UK, 2 international firms supply about 90% of the parent stock.
Due to the high levels of variation in the chicken genome, the industry has not yet reached biological limits to improved performance.
The full chicken genome was published in Nature, in December 2004. Today, all primary breeding groups are investing heavily in genomics research. This research mostly focuses on understanding the function and effect of genes already present in the breeding population. Research into transgenics — removing genes or artificially moving genes from one individual or species to another — has fewer prospects of gaining favor among consumers.
Broiler breeder farms
Broiler breeder farms raise parent stock which produce fertilized eggs. A broiler hatching egg is never sold at stores and is not meant for human consumption. The males and females are separate genetic lines or breeds, so that each line can be selected for optimal traits for productivity in either females or males, rather than a single line in which a compromise is reached between female and male optima. The chicks they produce will therefore be crossbreeds or "crosses". Since the birds are bred mainly for efficient meat production, producing eggs can be a challenge. In Canada, the average producer houses 15,000 birds that begin laying hatching eggs at 26 weeks of age. Each female bird will lay about 150 hatching eggs for the next 34 to 36 weeks, until the birds reach around 60 weeks of age and are slaughtered for meat. This cycle is then repeated when another flock of 20 week-old birds is put into the barns to begin the process again. As a general rule, each farmer produces enough broiler hatching eggs to supply chicks for 8 chicken producers. (Other sources indicate a parent hen will lay about 180 eggs in a 40-week production period.)
Generally, parent flocks are either owned by integrated broiler companies or hatcheries or are contracted to them on a long-term basis.
Broiler breeder growing is typically a two-stage process. Parent stock purchased from a primary breeder is delivered as day-old. Most are first placed with on specialist rearing houses or starter farms until approximately 18 weeks of age, when they will be moved to a laying farm. The starter farm has the specialized brooding equipment to raise the chicks.