Ross 308 chicks in Ghana: a six-week broiler, planned backwards from sale day

Ross 308 in one answer

Ross 308 is a fast-growing broiler strain, and it is the chick most Ghanaian farmers mean when they ask for a meat bird. Our Ross 308 chick is GH₵ 20 each, GH₵ 1,000 in a box of 50, hatchery-vaccinated, with delivery to every one of the 16 regions. Most farmers sell at around six weeks, so the whole plan runs on a short clock that is easy to get wrong.

This page is about the Ross 308 specifically: how to plan the sale date, prepare the house, run the brooding heat, manage space and heat through Ghana's hot months, and size the order for a festive batch. For the side-by-side with Cobb 500, the six-week feed plan and the full economics, read our broiler day-old chicks guide, which covers both breeds.

What the Ross 308 is bred to do, and what that asks of you

The Ross 308 is bred to put on weight quickly and to turn feed into meat efficiently. That is exactly why it pays, and also why it is unforgiving. A bird that grows fast needs fresh water, reachable feed, a steady temperature and enough floor space at every stage, because a shortfall shows up in weight and in legs long before it shows up anywhere else.

In practice, a Ross 308 flock rewards good basics and punishes shortcuts. The houses that work best are clean and dry at the start, with good ventilation as the birds grow, a planned feed programme and a weekly weight check. Farmers who try to save on heat, space or water tend to lose the margin the breed was supposed to give them.

Work backwards from your sale day

Start the plan from the day you want to sell, then count back. If you sell at about six weeks, the chicks must be on the farm six weeks before that day. That is the single most useful sum in this guide, because it tells you when to order, not just when you would like the birds to be ready.

Christmas 2026 falls on a Friday, and it is the peak for table birds in Ghana. The table below counts back six weeks from a few likely sale days. Choose your sale day, then message us for the earliest hatch date we can offer.

If your birds reach sale weight later than six weeks, bring the arrival date earlier by the same number of days. The last week before a festival carries the heaviest demand, so a week's delay can cost the top price. Our Christmas planning guide looks at the timing in more depth.

Preparing the house in the 48 hours before arrival

Have the house ready two days before the chicks arrive, not on the morning of arrival. The aim is a warm, dry, clean space with the heat, water and feed already working, so the birds can start drinking within minutes of coming out of the box.

• Clean and disinfect the house and equipment, then let it dry fully before litter goes down.
• Spread dry litter evenly, deep enough to absorb moisture and keep the chicks off a cold floor.
• Set the heat source, check it with a thermometer at chick height, and run it for a few hours to test it.
• Fill the drinkers with clean water, and lay out shallow feed trays on paper or a clean surface for the first days.
• Check the ventilation openings and the curtains, so you can open or close them quickly as the weather changes.

Our brooder setup guide walks through the same checks with pictures and a shopping list. If your house is new, test it with water and feed for a day before the chicks come.

The brooding heat, day by day

The Ross 308 needs a warm start and a gradual step down. The table gives a common brooding guide for the temperature at chick level, which is where the birds are. Treat it as a starting point, and let the chicks tell you if the heat is wrong. The breeder's guide for the line gives the detail for your house and season.

Ghana's warm climate often means less heat is needed than the table suggests, especially in the afternoon. Crowding under the heater means too cold, and birds spread far from it and panting means too hot. Adjust in small steps and wait a few hours before judging the change.

Space, density and moving to larger feeders

Ross 308 birds need room to reach feed and water and to move about without crowding. A common planning figure for a warm climate is around 10 birds per square metre at sale weight, with lower densities during the hot months. Check the figure against your local extension advice, because the right number depends on ventilation, litter and the climate in your region.

Move the birds onto larger feeders and drinkers as they grow, rather than leaving the starter equipment in place. Check that a bird can reach a drinker without climbing over others. A house that looks spacious on paper can still be crowded at the feed line, so walk the house and watch the feeding pattern.

Managing heat through Ghana's hot months

Heat is the most common stress on a Ross 308 flock in Ghana, and it grows as the birds get heavier. Fast-growing birds produce more body heat, so a house that suited the birds at two weeks may be too hot at five weeks. Plan the ventilation and the water supply before the hot spell, not during it.

Give the birds cool, clean water at all times, and check the drinkers at midday when the house is hottest. Feed in the cooler hours, early morning and evening, so the birds are eating when they are most comfortable. Keep the litter dry, because wet litter raises humidity and makes the house feel hotter.

• Open the sides and curtains early in the morning, and close them only when the wind or the rain demands it.
• Reduce the number of birds per square metre during the hottest weeks, if your house allows it.
• Watch for birds that stand with wings held out and mouths open. Act on that sign the same hour.
• Avoid handling or moving birds in the middle of the day.

Leg health and an even flock

Fast growth brings a risk of leg problems. Birds that carry weight faster than their legs and frame can support may walk badly, sit down more and spend less time at the feeder. Good management reduces that risk. It means steady feed access, clean and dry litter, sensible stocking density and a lighting plan that lets the birds rest.

Look at the flock daily. Count the birds that are sitting or lame and note whether they are the same birds each day. A few lame birds can have a simple cause, such as a bruise or a wet patch, but a rising number needs a call to your vet. Remove any bird that cannot reach feed and water, and treat it humanely according to your vet's advice.

Uniformity matters too. A flock that varies widely in size will sell less evenly, so watch the spread of weights as well as the average.

Weighing each week and reading the result

Weigh a sample each week, at the same time of day, and record the average and the spread. Compare the figures with the breeder's guide for the line, and then act on the difference rather than waiting for the sale day to find out. A flock that lags for a week can often be brought back on track, but a flock that lags for three weeks usually cannot.

If the weights fall behind, check three things first: feed access and feed quality, water supply and the temperature in the house. Only after those should you look at disease, and that is the point to call your vet. Keep a simple log with the feed batch, the weather and any change in the house, so the cause is easier to find.

Choosing the day to sell

Sell when the flock is at the weight your buyer wants and the market is strong, not on the day you first feel ready. Ross 308 birds at about six weeks are usually at the weight most buyers expect, but the right weight depends on whether you sell live birds, dressed birds or whole birds to a particular trade. Ask your buyer before the flock is ready, so you know which weight to hit.

Plan the sale days carefully. Sell earlier in the week when you can, to give yourself room if a bird is slow, and keep the last few days before a festival free for the best prices. The timing also affects what you pay for feed, because every extra day in the house is a day of feed and labour.

Sizing a festive order: a worked example

Suppose you want about 1,000 birds ready for the Christmas market and you expect about 95 out of every 100 chicks to reach sale. Treat that survival rate as a planning guess to check against your own record, since it is not a published figure.

An order of 1,100 chicks is over our 1,000-chick threshold, so we quote it individually. Treat GH₵ 22,000 as the arithmetic at the published price, and wait for the written quote before you pay. Ask us early if your sale plan may change, because the bigger the order, the more notice the hatch needs.

How to order Ross 308 chicks from Halaal Farms

Use WhatsApp on +233 24 915 1503 to share the count, your town and the sale day you are aiming for. Our reply names the nearest hatch date we can manage, plus price and delivery, all on paper. Approve the quote, pay by whichever channel you prefer, and expect the batch details before the birds leave.

Fifty is the smallest order, and the starting figure sits on our price list. If the quantity is settled, the order form is quicker. Birds ship on hatch day in vented boxes to your town's station, and pick-up at our Opeikuma farm is possible too.

Browse the regional pages for the route to your town, read the delivery page for box handling, and check the frequently asked questions for quick answers. You can ask for advice before the birds ship and again once they are growing.

Questions farmers ask