Livestock Research for Rural Development 13 (1) 2001

Citation of this paper

Factors affecting cost of production and net profit per broiler in the subtropics 

M Farooq,  M A Mian* and A Asghar*

Poultry Science Department, NWFP, Agricultural University,
Peshawar, Pakistan.   
E-mail: geanes@psh.paknet.com.pk
*
SRSC, Haripur, Pakistan.


Abstract 

Data from 61 broiler farms (each one comprising 6 flocks) located in Mardan Division, NWFP, Pakistan were collected during the year 1997-98 to investigate some factors affecting cost of production and net profit. Average cost of production and net profit per broiler were Rs.51.38±1.08 and Rs.7.92±0.85, respectively. Per cent mortality had a negative effect on net profit per broiler but did not affect cost of production. Market age and flock size were negatively and positively associated (b=-1.06±0.536; and b=0.734±0.127, respectively) with net profit.  Net profit was lower when the flock size was less than 1500 birds. Cost of production was reduced in optimally utilised sheds, on concrete type floors and for broilers maintained under average hygienic conditions. Net profit per broiler was higher on concrete floors, and in optimally utilised sheds and from broilers maintained under good hygienic conditions. Higher flock size, reduction in mortality and in market age, better utilisation of the available shed capacity, appropriate hygienic measures and use of concrete floors were suggested as important factors for increasing net profit for broiler production in the subtropics.

Key word: Mortality, flock size, hygiene,  market age and utilization of shed.


Introduction

Cost of production and net profit per broiler determine the fate of broiler productivity. Both are influenced by numerous factors, like market age, mortality, flock size, shed utilisation and hygienic conditions of the farm.. Higher market age and smaller flock size would narrow the margin between total gross income and net profit per broiler. Park and Joeng (1990) and Holsheimer and Veerkamp (1992) reported better overall performance of broilers marketed at the age of 6 weeks than at the age of 5th and 7th through 9th week. Mortality plays an important role in determining overall profitability of a flock. An increase in mortality from 2.5 to 10% reduced net profit per broiler (Kitsopanidis and Manos 1991). The present study was planned to study the effect of the aforementioned factors on cost of production and net profit per broiler in Mardan division.


Materials and methods

Data from 61 broiler farms (each one comprising 6 flocks) during the year 1997-98 were collected to study some factors affecting cost of production and net profit obtained from broilers produced under subtropical conditions in open-sided sheds. Information regarding flock size, shed capacity, floor type, hygienic conditions of the farm, mortality, market age, total cost of production and net profit per broiler were collected. Depreciation cost for equipment was calculated (at 20% per year over invested capital) and added to total recurring cost of production. Building rent on actual reported value for rented sheds and depreciation cost of the building for those farmers who owned the sheds was taken on the basis of the rent and added to total cost of production.

The data were analysed, using relevant statistical techniques of data analysis, namely, univariate, General Linear Model (GLM) procedures (Steel and Torrie 1981) and multiple regression models.

To study the effect of hygienic conditions of the farm, shed utilisation, flock size, market age, per cent mortality and floor type on total cost of production per broiler, the following statistical model was used;  

                                Yijklmno = µ + ai +bj +ck + dl + fm + gn + eijklmno  

Where,

                Yijklmno = the o-th observation on the total cost incurred on i-th flock marketed at j-th age, maintained under k-th hygienic conditions on l-th type of floor, utilised under m-th shed utilisation program and observing n-th mortality,

µ  = Population constant to all observations,

 ai =        the effect of i-th flock size; i= 4 groups of flock size, ie: $1000 #1500, $1500 #2000, $2000 #2500 and above 2500 birds,

bj =         the effect of j-th market age in days; j= 3 groups of market age, ie: 38-42, 43-47 and above 47 days,

ck =         the effect of k-th hygienic condition; k was categorised as poor, average, good,

 dl =        the effect of l-th type of floor; l= mud type, concrete, mud and bricks,

fm =        the effect of m-th shed utilisation program, m= over utilised, under utilised, optimally utilised,

gn =        the effect of n-th mortality in a flock; n= levels of mortality, ie: 0#3%, $3 #6%, $6 #10% and above 10%,

eijklmno =   random residual term, assumed to be Normally Identically Independently Distributed with mean zero and unit variance.

The effect of type of hygienic conditions of the farm, flock size, market age, per cent mortality, shed utilisation and floor type on net profit per broiler was also investigated using a similar model.

The association of various parameters, namely percent mortality, flock size and market age with total cost of production and net profit per broiler was investigated using the following regression model.

Y  =  b0 + b1X1 + ai                                                                

Where, "Y" was response variable, "bi" the partial regression coefficients, "Xi" the independent variable, and "ai" was the residual term. Partial correlation of the independent variable with the predicted variable one by one was calculated as follows;

ri = [bi / SEi] / [(bi  / SEi)˛ + (n-k-1)]˝

Where, "ri" was the partial correlation coefficient of the independent variable "i" with the response variable; "bi" was the estimate of partial regression coefficient; "SEi" the respective standard error of bi; "n" the number of observations and "k" the number of independent variables in the model. The coefficient of multiple determination "R2" was computed as follows,
                                
                               
R2 = (ry^y)2                                                     
Where R2 was the coefficient of multiple determination and ry^y was the correlation between predicted and actual values. R2 was adjusted using the following definition:
                               
R2 (adjusted) = [(n-1)R2 - k] / [n-k-1]                                                    

 Where "n" was the number of observations and "k" the number of independent variables in the model (Wonnacott and Wonnacott 1985).


Results and discussion

Mean total cost of production per broiler was Rs.51.38±1.08, whereas net profit per broiler was Rs7.25±0.85 (Table 2). Net profit per broiler in the present study was higher than that reported by Zahiruddin et al (1998: Rs.1.97) in district Swat and lower than that reported by Mishra et al in India (1988: Rs.12.06). The present findings suggested a reasonably good level of net profit per broiler in Mardan.

Per cent mortality had a negative effect (P<0.01) on net profit and no effect on cost of production per broiler (Table 1).

Flock size had no effect on total cost of production and a positive effect (P<0.01) on net profit per broiler. Market age had a negative effect (P<0.01) on net profit per broiler but no effect on cost of production. Neither market age nor flock size influenced cost of production but were significantly associated with net profit per broiler (Table 1).

Table 1.  Prediction of cost of production and net profit per  broiler in Mardan division from market age, per cent mortality and flock size.

Response variable (X0) for model 1 = Cost of production per broiler
Response variable (X0) for model 2 = Net profit per broiler

Independent variables:
            X1 = Per cent mortality,   
            X2 = Market age,     
            X3 = Flock size, 

Model 1 with R2 (adjusted) of 64.8%

Model 2 with R2 (adjusted) of 66.93%

Estimates

Parameter Estimate±SE

P

r (partial)

Parameter Estimate±SE

P

r (partial)

b0

-1.76±3.0

0.06

-

0.69±0.186

0.0002

-

b1

1.042±0.2

0.512

0.64

-1.056±0.536

0.001

0.25

b2

0.03±0.3

0.068

0.862

-0.95±0.55

0.001

0.23

b3

1.038±0.1

0.001

0.084

0.734±0.127

0.003

0.39

Cost of production per broiler was at a minimum when mortality rate was less than 3% and increased when mortality rate increased from 6% to10% and above (Table 2). Net profit per broiler was higher (P<0.05) when mortality was less than 3% compared with 10% and above.  Kitsopanidis and Manos (1991) also reported lower profits when per cent mortality increased from 2.5 to 10%. 

Table 2.  Mean comparison* of cost of production and net profit per broiler in Mardan division

Particulars

Cost of production

Net profit

Mean±SE (Rs.)

CV (%)

Mean±SE (Rs.)

CV (%)

a) Per cent mortality

   Up to 3%

50.06a±2.84

35.5

13.12a±0.06

11.4

   Up to 6%

51.12a±3.92

58.1

11.08a±0.09

34.7

   Up to 10%

52.02a±3.49

51.5

4.95b±0.10

23.0

   Above 10%

52.23a±2.34

49.5

2.54c±0.11

16.0

b) Flock Size (birds )

    1000-1500

55.19a±2.84

39.6

1.89d±0.06

18.9

    1500-2000

53.95a±3.92

23.5

5.25c±0.09

45.4

    2000-2500

49.73b±2.34

41.6

9.26b±0.10

37.3

    Above 2500

47.08c±3.49

57.9

12.84a±0.11

56.9

c) Market age (days)

    38-42 

50.18a±1.34

25.6

12.13a±0.06

53.3

    43-47

51.33a±3.92

34.6

6.94b±0.10

38.3

    Above 47

52.62a±3.49

45.7

2.67c±0.11

18.4

d) Shed utilization

  Over utilised

52.92a±2.50

18.4

6.64a±2.23

13.2

  Optimally utilised

49.90a±1.63

25.8

10.01a±0.05

22.3

  Under utilised

51.34a±1.18

12.9

7.12a±0.10

36.5

e) Hygiene

 

 

 

 

  Poor

52.23a±1.58

23.8

5.49b±0.06

30.6

  Average

50.62a±1.92

13.2

7.98b±0.07

13.2

  Good

51.31a±1.73

21.2

10.29a±0.05

17.2

f) Floor Type

  Mud only

51.68a±1.43

18.2

7.41b±0.05

26.7

  Bricks and mud

53.03a±1.66

21.4

5.61c±0.15

25.3

  Concrete made

49.43b±1.61

20.7

10.80a±0.07

22.6

  Total:

 

51.38±1.08

22.2

7.25±0.85

89.0

* Means with different subscripts within the columns in each row are different at P = 0.05 for each category in the table.

The reduced net profit per broiler at increased market age could be due to poorer feed conversion ratio and extra cost of management due to prolonged period of rearing. Thus, it appears to be more profitable to market broilers at an age earlier than 47 days.

Another study was conducted on optimal age of broilers at the time of marketing keeping in view cost of production, returns and meat quality and dry matter content of the carcass (unpublished data). Under conditions in Pakistan, 35.6 days and 1400 g liveweight were found to be the best options for marketing broilers.

In Pakistan the market infrastructure is poor. Marketing of broilers is usually practiced under two categories on a weight basis: birds weighing 1200-1400 g are sold and offered with a higher price per kg liveweight than birds of higher weights.  This makes a big difference in marketing of broilers as the farmers are always trying to sell the broilers before they attain a weight of 1400 or 1500 g.

The decreasing trend in cost of production and increasing trend in net profit per broiler with increased flock size could be attributed to the reduced overheads (miscellaneous, electricity charges, rent of the shed and labour) per bird.

The relatively higher cost of production and smaller net profit in over-utilised sheds could be attributed to poor hygienic conditions and over-crowding of the broilers resulting in an unhealthy environment and stressful conditions leading to poorer performance. The poor results in the under-utilised shed could be due to the higher proportion of the overhead cost attributed to the relatively smaller number of broilers kept in the under-utilised shed. 

The high cost of production per broiler maintained in poor hygienic conditions could probably be due to increased mortality and diseases as a result of an unsatisfactory environment. The slightly  higher cost of production per broiler in sheds maintained under good hygienic conditions as compared to the average hygienic condition could be attributed to the extra cost of management and hygienic measures. Medicinal cost has three components: disinfecting, prevention and therapeutic cost. The relatively higher cost of production under good hygienic conditions as compared to the average hygienic conditions may be due to the extra cost involved for maintaining good hygiene. However, the benefit of good hygiene is reflected in the numerically higher gross income and net profit in response to the good hygienic conditions as compared to the other two categories.

The relatively better performance of broilers on the concrete floors could probably be due to increased management efficiency, better sanitation and a more favourable environment resulting in the better performance and lower rate of mortality, because well-finished floors are more easy to clean, maintain and disinfect than poor or roughly finished floors. A floor having more cracks and crevices would not ensure proper hygienic conditions and proper cleanliness of the debris after the flock is being removed than a smooth or well finished concrete floor which could be washed, disinfected and fumigated easily and effectively.


References

Holsheimer J P and Veerkamp C H 1992 Effect of dietary energy, protein and lysine content on performance and yields of two strains of male broiler chicks. Poultry Science 71(5) 872-879.

Kitsopanidis G and Manos H 1991 Evaluation of the degree of variation in profitability of poultry meat production according to certain factors. Epitheorese Zootenhnikes Epistemes. (14) 59-71.

Mishra  M, Pattanaik G and Mohanty S N 1988  Economic efficiency of poultry broiler farms of different sizes under hot, humid conditions. Indian Journal of Animal Production Management. 4 (2) 87-91.

Park H K and  Joeng E  S 1990 Studies on the meat productivity by the broiler breeds. Korean Journal of Animal Science 32(8) 504-513.

Steel R  G  D and Torrie J H 1981 Principles and procedures of statistics; A biometrical approach. 2nd. Ed. McGraw-Hill, Singapore.

Wonnacott R J and  Wonnacott  I H 1985 Introductory statistics. 4th Ed. John Wiley & sons, New York. pp. 450.

Zahiruddin, Durrani F R and Farooq M 1998 Current Status of broiler production in Swat. Unpublished M.Sc. Thesis. Poultry Science Department, NWFP, Agricultural University Peshawar. Pakistan. pp. 24

Received 9 October 2000

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