Economic Efficiency of Producing Meat Products of Male Layer-Type Chickens Raised in Bulgaria

Abstract

ABSTRACT The research aimed to investigate the economic aspects of rearing male layer-type chickens to produce meat, so as to determine the production cost and propose a selling price for the products obtained. The experiment was conducted at the Institute of Animal Science - Kostinbrod, Bulgaria, using Lohmann Brown Classic cockerels. A total of 800 chickens were initially involved. The birds were slaughtered at 5 and 9 weeks of age. The costs incurred for the rearing were classified as fixed and variable, and calculated cumulatively for each week of the experiment (Option 1). Subsequently, we tested the second option of the experiment - rearing all the cockerels until 9 weeks of age (Option 2). In this scenario, the chickens were slaughtered at a random moment after 5 weeks and up to 9 weeks of age. Mathematical modelling was applied to compare the economic indicators of Option 1 and Option 2. The economic efficiency was determined for both rearing options, and was higher in the second one. The optimum age of slaughter in terms of profitability was found to be 9 weeks of age. Thus, based on the economic analysis, we propose an alternative to the currently applied practice of culling the 1 day-old layer cockerels. Furthermore, a minimum selling price of 9.85 EUR/kg has been suggested for the sale of the derived meat product.

Keywords

• Male layer-type chickens
• meat
• Age
• economic efficiency
• price