1st week mortality

Western Meeting of Poultry

Clinicians and Pathologists

First Week Broiler Mortality – Influence on production

R.G. Goodhope

Broiler production trends in Saskatchewan since 1984 were summarized. Average market age has decreased by four days, while average market weight has increased by 150 grams and mortality and processing condemnations have steadily increased. Growers were increasingly concerned with chick quality and their perception that a chick quality problem affected the flock throughout growout and resulted in poor production. To determine the validity of this perception using first week mortality as a measure of chick quality, the flock mortality sheets were requested. 355 flocks grown during 1988, ’89 and ’90 submitted data.

Results

Table 1

Summary of 355 flocks

Saskatchewan Broiler Mortality Survey

1988 – 1990

	Average	Minimum	Maximum
Number Placed	11415	5100	22644
1^st wk mortality %	1.3	0.3	7.8
Post 1^st wk mortality %	4.4	1	12.2
Total mortality %	5.7	2.3	15.3
Market age (days)	42.8	38	50
42 day avg wt (kg)	1.85	1.36	2.47

Table 2.

Shows the association in post first week mortality and standardized average 42 day weight by increasing half percent intervals of first week mortality.

Saskatchewan Broiler Mortality Survey

1988 – 1990

% 1^st wk mortality	% Post wk1 mortality	Avg 42 day wt (kg)
<0.5	3.0	1.83
0.5-1.0	4.1	1.87
1.0-1.5	4.4	1.82
1.5-2.0	4.8	1.85
2.0-2.5	5.3	1.82
2.5-3.0	4.9	1.68
>3.0	5.5	1.71

Conclusions

Survey flocks’ post first week mortality was positively correlated to first week mortality (chick quality).
Survey flocks’ average weight was best when first week mortality was less than two percent.
Survey flocks’ average weight was significantly reduced when first week mortality was greater than two percent.
Although not shown in tables, survey flocks’ average total condemnations increased with increasing first week mortality.

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Last modified: 5/28/2009