5 Characteristics of Quality Broiler Chicken Seeds and Types
The selection of broiler chicks is one of the factors that influence the success of broiler farming. With good genetic quality, chicken seeds can grow well and produce optimal products. The genetic quality of these seeds plays an important role in the productivity and robustness of chickens.
 |
| 5 Characteristics of Quality Broiler Chicken Seeds and Types |
Chicken seeds or also called Day Old Chicken (“DOC”) are chickens that have just hatched and are one day old. To be able to produce quality seeds, expertise, accuracy, and experience are needed. In fact, you also need to think about the genetics of the parent so that the DOC produced is of high quality.
Usually, eggs for DOC must weigh 52 grams to be able to grow perfectly. Not only from eggs but the performance of the parent must also be considered, whether during his life he has suffered from certain diseases or not. High-quality DOC is produced from broodstock that has never been sick and produces eggs continuously until 64 weeks of age.
After knowing the factors above, do not be surprised if the price of quality DOC is quite expensive because of the complicated manufacturing process. However, how do choose quality broiler chicken seeds? Check out the following explanation.
5 Characteristics of Quality Broiler Chicken Seeds
There are five important characteristics that you must ensure when choosing chicken seeds. The following are the five characteristics that you can pay attention to when selecting chicken seeds:
1. Healthy Without Flaws
Healthy here means that the seeds are not infected with dangerous poultry diseases that come from bacteria, viruses, and even worms. This is because if from the beginning the chicken has suffered from the disease, the quality of life is usually not good and the lifespan is shorter.
In addition, you can also pay attention to the physiological side. Make sure that the seedlings have no defects. Pay attention to whether the condition of the legs, wings, and neck is in perfect condition or not.
2. Bright Eyes
Healthy chickens always have bright-looking eyes. This indicates the absence of worms or visual disturbances. If the eyes are cloudy then the bird is most likely blind. If you have a physical disability like this, then the bird will have a short life span.
3. Heat Resistant Body
It should also be noted that later good chicken seeds will have resistance to hot temperatures. This is because the productivity of chickens in producing meat will decrease at hot temperatures. If your chicken is not heated tolerant, a lot of energy will be wasted and as a result, meat growth will not be optimal.
4. Sounds Loud
A loud sound not only indicates that the chicken has a healthy body. However, this also indicates that there are no abnormalities in the respiratory organs that can interfere with the growth process of chickens.
5. Lively
Healthy chickens have a strong posture and are agile when walking. This means that all of his body organs function optimally and there is no potential for infection from worms in them.
By understanding these five characteristics, of course, you can find excellent quality DOC. In addition to choosing chickens with the above characteristics, you also need to choose the type of broiler chicken breed that suits your needs.
Types of Broiler Chicken Seeds Based on Grade
Chicken seeds can be categorized into three grades. Each grade has its own standard, which of course can be used as a benchmark to assess the quality of seeds. The following is an explanation of the categorization by grade:
1. Grade 1
This is a super quality from DOC with a perfect physical condition. There are no defects and indications of disease in poultry so they have good life potential and can produce meat optimally. The bodyweight of grade 1 is more than 40 grams so it is most likely to grow into a large broiler.
2. Grade 2
This category is the result of sorting from grade 1, where there are several physical deficiencies, namely body weight. Grade 2 usually only weighs 40 grams so the maintenance process needs special attention. Usually, the physical defects in grade 2 are not too significant and have no effect on the productivity of the meat. The most common drawback of grade 2 is the level of agility that is less when compared to grade 1.
3. Grade 3
This is the lowest level, where DOC weighs under 40 grams and has physical disabilities. Because it has many shortcomings, it is not surprising that the price is also the cheapest. However, with proper care, these seeds can also give good results.