6 Ways Your Environment Can Affect Your Broilers’ Behaviour and Performance

Whether you’re running a large-scale broiler operation or a family-owned farm, you already know that growing healthy, high-performing birds isn’t just about feed and genetics.

The environment your broilers live in plays a massive role in how they behave and how well they grow.

So, let’s talk about the six key ways your environment might be impacting your birds for better or worse. And don’t worry; we’ll keep it practical and simple, no fluff.

1. High Temperature in Your Environment Can Affect Your Broilers’ Behaviour and Performance

Let’s start with the big one, temperature. Broilers are super sensitive to temperature changes, especially during their early life stages.

Too cold: They’ll huddle together, burn energy trying to stay warm, and won’t grow well.

Too hot: They’ll pant, reduce feed intake, and their growth rate takes a hit.

Signs your temperature’s off:

• Chicks are crowding together (too cold)
• Wings spread out, panting (too hot)
• Uneven distribution in the house (hot/cold spots)

What you can do:

• Use brooder guards and heaters to keep day-olds comfortable  (32-35°C at the start)
• Gradually reduce the temperature weekly as they grow
• Invest in proper thermometers or climate control systems to monitor different zones

Note that when you have Consistent temperature, you will have comfortable birds with better feed conversion, which leads to better profits.

Recommended for you:

Reducing Antibiotic Use in Broilers: Natural Ways to Keep Your Birds Healthy.

Discover the Secrets to Sustainable Broiler Farming Success!

6 Reasons Why Broiler Chicken Meat Is the Most Preferred Meat, during Festive Christmas Period Compared to other Species of Birds.  

2. Poor Ventilation Can Affect Your Broilers’ Behaviour and Performance

Broilers need Fresh Air, Not Just a Breeze

We all know air is essential, but how it moves through your broiler house makes a huge difference.

Poor ventilation leads to high ammonia levels, wet litter, and respiratory stress.

Good airflow guarantees a healthy lung, dry bedding, and better growth.

Benefits of good ventilation:

• Removes excess moisture and ammonia
• Brings in fresh oxygen
• Maintains consistent temperature and humidity

Tips for better ventilation:

• Adjust side curtains or fans depending on the weather
• Use inlet flaps to direct airflow over the birds
• Watch for signs like wet litter or sneezing/chirping, they’re red flags!

Think of it this way: If you wouldn’t want to breathe the air in your chicken house, your birds probably don’t either.

Recommended for you:

5 ways you can use to stop your broiler chickens from dying at 4 weeks

5 Secrets of Making Broilers Grow Fast With Reduced Mortality

8 Ways You Can Easily Get Rich Through Broiler Farming

Poor lighting system can affect broilers performance

3. Inadequate Lighting in the Environment Can Affect Your Broilers’ Behaviour and Performance

Believe it or not, the lighting schedule and intensity in your broiler house can affect how your birds eat, sleep, and grow.

Too much light leads to overstimulation, stress

Too little leads to poor feeding and uneven growth

Lighting matters for:

• Encouraging feed intake (especially in the early days)
• Regulating sleep and rest cycles
• Reducing aggression and piling

Lighting tips:

• Use a 24-hour light schedule for the first few days, then gradually reduce to 16 hours light / 8 hours dark
• Keep brightness consistent across the house (5–20 lux is a good range)
• Avoid sudden changes that can startle the birds

A good lighting program = calm birds + steady growth.

Recommended for you:

8 Ways You Can Easily Sale Your Broilers during the Christmas Festive Period

Paralysis, Lameness in Broiler Chickens, Causes, Prevention and Treatment

Diary of Two Broiler Chicken Farmers in My Neighborhood

4. Poor Litter Quality has a great impact on Your Broilers’ behaviour and Performance

Litter is more than just flooring, it’s the bed, bathroom, and playground for your birds. If it’s wet, dirty, or caked, you’re inviting disease, stress, and poor performance.

Why litter matters:

• Wet litter = footpad dermatitis, hock burns, and increased ammonia
• Dirty litter = more bacteria and higher disease risk
• Poor litter = lower feed intake and unhappy birds

Tips for healthy litter:

• Use absorbent material like wood shavings or rice hulls
• Keep it dry and fluffy — moisture content should be under 25%
• Regularly check and stir to avoid caking, especially near drinkers

Healthy litter produces healthier birds and lower mortality.

Recommended for you:

A Beginner’s Guide to Cowpea Farming: From Seed to Harvest in Tropical Regions

6 Amazing Facts you should know About Chicken Comb

Turkey: The Benefit and Beauty of Adding This Wonderful Bird to Your Homestead Flock.

5. High Noise and Human Activity in the Environment Can Affect Your Broilers’ Behaviour and Performance

Broilers are easily startled. Loud machinery, frequent shouting, or even aggressive handling can stress them out. And stress leads to poor feed conversion, reduced immunity, and erratic behavior.

Signs of stress:

• Birds pile up in corners
• Reduced feeding or drinking
• Aggression or feather pecking

How to fix this problem:

• Train your staff to move calmly and quietly
• Schedule routine tasks at the same time to reduce surprise
• Minimise sudden noise (e.g., banging doors, loud radios)

A calm environment produces calmer birds with smoother operations.

Recommended for you:

Why I’m Excited about My Next Batch of Poultry birds

How to Feed Your Noiler Chickens For Maximum Profits

7 Key Benefits of Charcoal to Poultry Farming

6. High Stocking Density Can Affect Your Broilers’ Behaviour and Performance

This one’s huge. How many birds you pack into your house will directly impact performance. Too crowded? They’ll compete for food and water, get stressed, and start pecking each other.

Problems with overcrowding:

• Poor access to feeders and drinkers
• Faster litter degradation
• More heat and ammonia buildup
• Higher risk of disease

Rule of thumb:

• Start with 30-35 kg per square meter, depending on your ventilation and climate
• Always ensure even distribution and monitor traffic at feeders

Giving your birds enough space leads to fewer fights, better growth, and fewer headaches for you.

In Conclusion

To give your broilers the best shot at top performance, your environment needs to be spot on.

You should consider the following important points

– Temperature: Keep it warm enough, but not too hot
– Ventilation: Airflow keeps your birds breathing easily
– Lighting: Manage schedules and intensity for better behaviour
– Litter: Dry and clean floors make for healthier birds
– Reduce or eliminate Noise: A Calm environment leads to less stress
– Stocking density: Don’t crowd your poultry pen with more than it can carry.

Here’s the deal: You can have the best feed and top genetics, but if the environment isn’t ideal, your birds won’t perform at their peak.

That’s just the reality of modern broiler farming.

But the good news is that most environmental improvements don’t require a total overhaul. Sometimes it’s just a matter of:

• Adjusting your ventilation settings
• Improving litter management routines
• Being more mindful about how you and your team interact with the flock

Small changes can bring big results. So, take a look around your broiler house today. What’s one thing you can change to make life better for your birds?

Got questions or want to share what’s working for you? Drop a comment or shoot us a message, we love hearing from fellow broiler farmers on the ground.

like you. Until next time, keep your birds comfortable and see your numbers climbing!