What is the difference between laying hens and broilers?

1. Different types

Chickens raised in large-scale breeding farms are mainly divided into two categories, some chickens belong to laying hens, and some chickens belong to broilers. There are many differences between the two types of chickens, and there are many differences in the way they are raised. The main difference between laying hens and broilers is that broilers mainly produce meat, while laying hens mainly lay eggs.

In general, farm-raised broilers can grow from small chicks to large chickens within a month and a half. Broiler farming is a short-term farming process with quick cost recovery. However, breeding broilers also has many risks. Due to the rapid growth, it is easy to cause epidemics if not managed properly. Relatively speaking, the management is more careful than that of laying hens.

Compared with broiler chickens, laying hens have been raised for a long time and are not as susceptible to diseases as broilers, because the feed for broilers and laying hens is different because of different breeding purposes. The feed for broilers is dedicated to making the chickens grow up and gain weight quickly, while the feed for laying hens focuses on making the chickens lay more eggs – more importantly, it must not contain too much fat like broiler feed, because fat is a Too much, and the hens will not lay eggs.

2. Feeding time

1. The breeding time of broilers is relatively short, and the slaughter weight is about 1.5-2kg.

2. Laying hens generally start to lay eggs at about 21 weeks of age, and the egg production rate decreases after 72 weeks of age, and can be considered for elimination.

3. Feed

1. Broiler feed is generally pellets, and requires high energy and protein, and needs to be properly added with vitamins, minerals and trace elements.

3. The feed for laying hens is generally powder, and in addition to the nutrients required for the growth of chickens, it is also necessary to pay attention to the addition of calcium, phosphorus, methionine and vitamins.

4. Disease resistance

Broiler chickens grow faster, have relatively poor disease resistance, and are easy to get sick, while laying hens do not grow as fast as broilers, have relatively strong disease resistance, and are not easy to get sick.