Economic Evaluation of Controlled Environmental and Conventional Contract Broiler Housing Systems in Georgia

Abstract

The primary objectives of this study were to determine physical and economic differences among contract broiler housing systems as presently operated in Georgia. Production records for 1800 flocks of broilers were obtained from 15 integrated broiler production companies. Financial and labor records of 100 contract growers were obtained by personal interview surveys. The production data and costs and returns analysis indicated that the automatic curtain house may offer the best compromise for the contractor and the contract producer of all systems studied for commercial broiler production in the Southeast. These conclusions are based on the following advantages of the automatic curtain house system: production results from the automatic curtain house showed the 1) lowest mortality rate (3.04%) of all systems and some improvement over the conventional curtain house in feed conversion (2.12 pounds), 2) best returns to land, labor, and management for the contract producers of all systems studied, 3) simplest of all systems to operate, 4) lowest risk from disaster losses due to electric power failure and sudden change in temperature, and 5) lowest cost for brooder fuel and electricity of all systems studied except the conventional curtain system.