Rethinking male-female ratios in broiler breeder management

A lower percentage of males improves mating behaviour and feather cover, with similar reproduction results and higher profitability. This is the conclusion of an on-farm broiler breeder study performed by Wageningen Livestock Research. Under commercial circumstances, breeder farmers begin with approximately 9% well-developed and active males at 20 weeks of age, which results in around 8% first-grade males around 30 weeks of age. It is also common to replace 10-15% of older males between 40 an