AUTOMATIC WEIGHING OF POULTRY REARED ON A LITTER FLOOR

Abstract

Four trials were conducted to test the accuracy of an automatic weighing system with broiler chickens and turkeys. Body weights were recorded manually and automatically and compared statistically. The body weights obtained automatically were similar to body weights recorded manually (P > 0.05) with broilers weighing up to 2 kg and turkeys up to 2.5 kg. A larger plate size would be required to weigh heavier birds. The number of weights recorded per day varied according to age of bird. The sex of the bird, however, did not influence the number of weights recorded (P > 0.05). The automatic weighing system was shown to record a daily mean comparable to the mean obtained manually. Key words: Poultry, weighing, automation