Comparative evaluation of management practices among large-scale broiler farms of Punjab, Pakistan.

Abstract

Limited research is available on the management practices of commercial broiler chicken production in Pakistan. Notably, the rapid expansion of environmentally controlled broiler farms in Punjab in recent years remains underexplored, with scarce information on this growing enterprise. The current study compared the management practices at 100 commercial broiler farms in Punjab, Pakistan, among different regions. A questionnaire was filled by on farm veterinarians (n = 100; one veterinarian from each farm) regarding the general information, infrastructure, biosecurity practices, visitor history, and production analysis of the surveyed poultry farms. The results of the survey revealed that the majority of the farms had environmentally controlled housing systems with rearing capacity of 75,000 broiler chickens or more; mostly having Cobb 500 and Ross 308 broiler strains. The infrastructure of >60 % of farms was found to be good with best biosecurity practices. The most commonly observed average downtime was 2-3 weeks plus washing with chlorinated water and detergent after dry cleaning at farms. The water quality regarding TDS and pH level was found normal at the majority of the farms. Traffic status was observed with random results at different farms, while in the Multan region, biosecurity practices were strict with no visits. The dead birds' removal time of 3-5 days was more common. Dead bird disposal through the pit method was more prevalent in most of the broiler farms across the Punjab. Better FCR, adjusted FCR, and market age were observed in broilers in the Multan area while those in the areas of Sheikhupura and Kasur showed poor performance due to improper management practices. It was concluded that effective management practices on broiler farms in Punjab, Pakistan, contribute to improved performance and bird health. Future studies are needed to explore this area further and develop strategies to address challenges faced by poultry farmers.