What is the difference between broiler and layer in their management?

Answer 1

Broilers are only about six to eight weeks to market, but they are feed intensive. Layers do not produce an egg for six months, but they eat less. You need to replace a layer flock every year.

Answer 2

Broilers need enough space and adequate lightning.They must be fed with vitamins and minerals.They also need low morality.Layers must be fed with protein rich food and they need conditions to grow fast.

Answer 3

Any 'broiler' is usually a chicken that has reached the end of its productive egg-laying life and is next ready to be used for food production. Commercial layers - especially "battery" hens may often be required to produce more than 7 eggs per week and if production drops too far below the required level of egg production, the bird is converted to meat or fertilizer products (components used in "blood and bone").

This meat is commonly processed to the consumer in one of three ways:

1. As ready-to-cook or ready-to-heat or pre-prepared portions. Often, schnitzels, curry's, marinated (ready to cook) wings &/or thigh pieces, eg Buffalo Wings or Honey Soy Wings, and some grades of chicken-mince or cooked chicken-loaf
2. Fully processed meat products such as soups, nuggets and oven-cook ready-type Chicken Kiev, Cordon bleu or other types of stuffed Chicken Parcel.
3. Pet Foods, fishing baits and organic " Blood and Bone" fertilizer

The bird is processed in this way due to the bird being much larger and older (sometimes 4 - 5 years of age) than the chickens raised for meat production and therefore the meat is tougher and the cuts much larger.

This, for example, makes a breast portion that would easily serve 1-2 people and presents nicely for restaurant or home cooking, become something twice the size, likely to be tough and dry, and therefore not the best way for the meat to be used.

A 'Broiler' may be more than twice the size of the Chicken that you would take home to roast. Broiler's may weigh 4-6 kg or more (approx 9 - 13 lbs) making the size of breast and leg portions too large for "conventional" 'personal or home' cooking use even if the meat was not likely to be tough and dry.

However, the exception to this "rule" is the wings, Maryland cuts (the thigh, hip and drumstick in one large piece) and occasionally you may find "Jumbo Drumsticks". These three cuts all designed for oven baking or broiling - great for smothering in a sauce or marinating. These are economical cuts available from your grocer and flavourful ways of using this meat.

These birds are not usually referred to as an Egg Broiler but simply a "Broiler". Historically, the chickens raised by many in backyards and small holdings for hundreds of years into the past would reach the stage where the bird just stops laying and would be dispatched and turned into a rich stew or soup to stretch the meat as far as possible. This 'broiling' is how the term arrived. Basically today it means "a big old bird at near the end of its days" and far better eaten than allowed to die and be wasted.

An "Egg Layer" is just that. A young bird - usually from 6 months of age that is at the prime stage for egg laying production. Some breeds do not develop full maturity until 18 months, other breeds have neared the end of their peak production by this same age. There are too many breeds and variables (are the birds for home use or commercial production) but as a rule 6mths - 3 or 31/2 years a bird is a good layer and after that the life of the bird depends on what the bird is used for. As long as sufficient eggs are produced for the birds owner, the bird can be considered "A Layer", not a 'Broiler".

Note: Chickens can be used for organic pest control in the home garden and they also produce a wonderful manure - just give it 6 months to break down to dry and near odourless powder or the strength of fresh manure will likely harm any plant through burning the roots and leaves.

Answer 4

A commercial layer is a bird bred for and raised to be an egg laying machine. Generally her eggs are white, though there are a few brown egg distributors.

These hens do not produce fertile eggs and thus they do not have offspring.

A commercial broiler is a bird bred and raised to be used as meat. They are sent to market between 6 and 14 weeks of age.

There are home flock equivalents of these birds which do a good job providing eggs and meat for the home.

Answer 5

Layers are produced to lay eggs then moved to the broiler part of the farm where they are kept to fatten up to end up in the grocery stores!