Technical and Structural Characteristics of the Broiler Poultry Farms in the Province of Malatya

This study was carried out with the purpose of determining the technical and structural characteristics of the broiler poultry farms in the province of Malatya in Turkey. The study material consisted of a total of 77 broiler poultry farms that were taking part in contract farming. According to the results, it was found that all the farms belonged to the owners and consisted of 1-2 poultry houses. The existing capacities of the farms were 10.000-20.000 individuals/rotation, and the rate of capacity utilization was 89%. The mean age of the producers was 46.8, and 46% were primary school graduates. The ratio of the producers with more than 6 years of experience was found as 63.2%. The sources of heating for the poultry-houses were stoves by 94.9%, and 93.2% of the establishments achieved ventilation by fans. All poultry houses used hanged round feeders and dripping nipple drinkers. The number of animals in the poultry houses per m2 was 13 individuals (69.9%) or more. At the end of the fattening period, the feed amount consumed by each animal was 4.1 kg, while the mean live weight was 2.5 kg. All farms used foreign hybrids, and the mortality in the fattening period was about 5-6%. Consequently, it was determined that the problems in producing broiler poultry in the province of Malatya were usually similar to the problems in the entire country, and the main problems were usually education, credits, feeds and diseases