Poultry International - September 2017 - 22
22 ❙ PoultryInternational 7 HABITS OF SUCCESSFUL BROILER PRODUCERS the value of nutrition (60 to 70 percent of total cost) will trust this sensitive aspect of business to the hands of a qualified nutritionist. These broiler producers tend to work with nutritionists who think conservatively when it comes to setting up a farm-wide nutrition program, but at the same time insist on being given the ability to test certain ideas (additives, nutrient levels, feeding schemes, etc.) on a smaller (test) population of one of the buildings or farms. Challenging nutrition principles is one of the characteristics of any successful nutritionist. 3 Speaking of professionals, we must also address the issue of health/diseases, and for that we need veterinarian. Seeking the advice of a local veterinary clinic or shop might be a good starting point, and an inexpensive one if you also buy some medicines from there, but this is not what top producers do. They usually work with a specialized professional or clinic that works habitually with simi- larly sized producers. This helps them to know and expect problems so that they focus more on prevention rather than treatment. Top producers pay more to vet services, but less on treatments, hence their total health bill is low. Plus, healthy birds grow faster and super efficiently! Seeking the advice of a local veterinary clinic might be a good starting point, but this is not what top producers do. 4 As broilers require the simplest in terms of facilities, compared to other farmed animals, buying the least expensive or the most durable is something seen equally among top producers. What I can say is that those buying on the low tend to factor in the fact that such facilities and equipment will last less. In my opinion, this separates them from unsuccessful producers who tend to overuse low-cost facilities and equipment, spending at the end more money, energy and time in repairs and, of course, lost productivity and profitability. 5 In terms of personal time, top producers don't focus on everyday routine items, not even in solving crises that happen every day that become routine. Effective producers tend to look at the forest, not at the tree - they review annual performance data, make long- www.WATTAgNet.com ❙ September 2017