Nutritional strategies to boost broiler breeder fertility

Proper nutrition and balanced diets rich in vitamins and trace minerals and adequate water intake are crucial to optimizing broiler breeder fertility, egg production and hatchability, as well as the quality and quantity of chicks produced.

Prioritizing fertility

When fertility declines, fewer chicks are produced, potentially impacting supply and demand. This has been an ongoing downward trend across the industry for the last several years, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) numbers.

Chance Bryant Courtesy Cobb-Vantress“Hatchability has declined across the industry year over year and is being commented on by executives and investor analysts in earnings calls, emphasizing its importance. Utilizing the right choice in genetics with best management practices can improve hatch,” said Chance Bryant, director, Technical Services, North America, and Jim Jones, technical advisor, Western Region, both at Cobb-Vantress.

There are several management factors that can negatively impact broiler breeder fertility, including housing, management, nutrition and more. Broiler breeder infertility is often attributed to the rooster, although the hen can also play a role. Stress caused by disease, the environment, diet or other factors are common causes ofJim Jones Courtesy Cobb-Vantress infertile eggs.

Uniformity in feed management

Each precision feeding station collects big data that monitors poultry bodyweight to control and measure feed intake. Martin ZuidhofBroiler breeders are focused on two things: feed consumption and reproduction. Unequal feed distribution can cause stress in the birds, which can lead to feather picking and other detrimental behaviors that ultimately result in decreased performance.

In addition, “keeping every male at the right weight really helps to increase the number of completed mating, which increases fertility,” explained Martin Zuidhof, Ph.D., professor, Poultry Systems Modeling and Precision Feeding, Faculty of Agricultural, Life and Environmental Sci-Ag, Food & Nutri Sci Dept, University of Alberta.

Zuidhof created a new precision feeding station system that could help optimize size uniformity among broiler breeders. Each station collects big data using sensors that monitor poultry bodyweight to control and measure feed intake.

Each bird receives a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) tagMartin ZuidhofCourtesy University of Alberta that allows it to enter the feeding station where it is automatically weighed before given access to feed. This can be used to monitor entry into and exit from nest boxes, nesting behavior, egg laying patterns, egg weight and the time of lay in individual free-run birds.

When the hen lays an egg, the egg weight, time of lay and the hen’s RFID number is automatically recorded, providing comprehensive data on each bird.

Research involving the feeding station system has enhanced broiler breeder fertility by 4-6%, which adds up quickly in large flocks, and a larger door size on newer station models means it can work with both hens and roosters, Zuidhof said.

The feeding station system was originally developed for use in research where it is used to remove confounding body weight variations to standardize studies on the physiological and metabolic mechanisms behind reproductive health.

However, it offers several advantages to commercial producers as well, including the control and monitoring of feed intake and data on nesting and laying behavior in broiler breeders.

Trace mineral considerations

Besides optimizing feed intake, ingredient quality is another critical factor in broiler breeder diets. Whether that ingredient is protein, fat, amino acids, performance trace minerals or vitamins, ingredients should provide consistent nutritional analysis and premium quality.

Austin Jasek Courtesy Zinpro“When we think about the ingredients that nutritionists are selecting for their diets, it’s also important to understand any negative factors such as oxidation that may be associated with these ingredients,” noted Austin Jasek, poultry account manager, Zinpro Corporation, explaining that he has seen a strong correlation between high levels of oxidation and negative responses in fertility.

For producers concerned about feeding oxidized ingredients, they can supplement with feed additives that contain an antioxidant component to combat any negative impacts associated with oxidation and elevated levels of reactive oxygen species. Feed suppliers or company nutritionists can help identify any potentially oxidized sources, he added.Breeanna KellnCourtesy O&T Farms

When it comes to differences in dietary needs for hens and roosters, Jasek identified calcium as an important component in hen nutrition for egg formation. In addition to calcium, trace minerals including zinc, manganese and copper play crucial roles in eggshell development in hens and sperm quality in roosters.

Bioavailability is an important factor to consider when it comes to selecting trace minerals and ingredients in broiler breeder diets. Selecting performance trace minerals with better bioavailability increases absorption by the animal, leading to improvements in feed efficiency, production and immunity to maximize profitability.