8 Common Mistakes Farmers Make When Feeding Broilers (And How to Fix Them)
Feeding broilers might sound simple—pour the feed and let them eat, right? But if you're aiming for fast growth and solid profits, there's more to it. I’ve seen a lot of farmers (including myself in the early days) make these common mistakes, and trust me—they can cost you birds, time, and money.
Let’s break it down together.
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1. Guessing Feed Quantities Instead of Calculating
Back then, I used to pour feed based on “what looked enough.” Big mistake. Broilers need specific amounts at different stages. Guesswork leads to either underfeeding (which slows growth) or overfeeding (which wastes feed and money).
Need help figuring it out? I wrote this guide:
How many 50kg bags of feed for 100 broilers?
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2. Using the Same Feed Formula Throughout
Another mistake is giving the same feed from day one till sale. Broilers need starter, grower, and finisher feeds—each tailored for a stage. If you skip this, your birds won’t bulk up the way they should.
I even did a full post on how to
make broiler feed at home. Let me know if you want the full formula.
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3. Ignoring Feed Quality and Storage
If you’re storing feed in sacks on bare floors or in humid corners, stop. Moldy or low-quality feed will kill your profits. Always store your feed on wooden pallets, in a dry, cool place.
Question for everyone:
How do you store your feed—any hacks for keeping it fresh?
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4. Feeding Without Clean Water
You can give them the best feed in the world, but if water is dirty or not flowing, they’ll stop eating. Broilers drink nearly twice as much as they eat. Make sure drinkers are always clean.
Here’s a trick I use: I add a few drops of apple cider vinegar once a week. Helps keep their gut clean.
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5. Overcrowded Feeders = Stunted Growth
If all your birds can’t eat at once, some will grow faster while others lag behind. I learned the hard way. Make sure feeder space is enough for your flock size—especially if you’re raising 1000 birds or more.
Thinking of expanding? Check out:
Poultry farming design for 1000–10,000 birds
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6. Skipping Monitoring and Adjustments
Don't just feed and walk away. Check their growth, weight gain, and feed conversion ratio (FCR). If they’re not adding weight as expected, something’s off—either the feed or your management.
Tip: Weigh at least 10 random birds weekly to track growth.
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7. Not Asking Questions or Learning From Others
Farming is a journey. No shame in asking. The worst mistake is struggling alone. That’s one reason I created
Agricbusiness.com.ng—so we can all grow together.
Got a unique way of mixing feed or saving costs? Drop your trick below—let’s learn from each other!
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8. Not Knowing How Many Birds to Feed in the First Place
If you’re not sure how many eggs 1000 layers should lay—or how much feed 500 broilers should eat—you’ll likely overspend or underproduce.
Read these next:
How many crates of eggs can 1000 layers produce?
How many eggs can 500 layers lay in a day?
Your Turn: What Mistake Have You Made—and What Did You Learn From It?
No judgment here. Let’s hear your experience feeding broilers.
Have you made any of these mistakes—or spotted one I missed? Drop your reply and let’s talk.
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