At first light, when the brooder room smells faintly of fresh pine shavings and warm mash, you can tell how a batch will go just by how the chicks rush the feeders. Strain matters. In a tight-margin year like 2025, with feed bills rising and heat waves punishing open houses, the difference between Arbor Acres, Cobb 500, and Ross 308 can be the gap between a tidy profit and a shrug. These are not backyard “types” but commercial broiler genetic lines from two global breeding companies (Aviagen for Ross 308 and Arbor Acres; Cobb-Vantress for Cobb 500) with published performance objectives, targets you can actually plan around as long as management and nutrition hold up.
Why compare them now? Because choice of strain drives your days to market, FCR, carcass yield, and livability, and those, in turn, shape cash flow. Heat stress alone can dent intake and conversion enough to erase your margin if you picked the wrong bird for your housing and weather. A 2020 systematic review in Poultry Science lays out how high temperatures suppress growth and increase mortality in fast-growing broilers, exactly the risk profile many West African farms face in the dry season without active cooling.
In this article, we will review the broiler strains, stating their differences as revealed in the official performance manuals, recent peer-reviewed trials comparing Ross 308, Cobb 500 (and, where available, Arbor Acres), and current Nigeria chicks market prices from reputable e-commerce platforms and group updates. We’ll look at what changes in 2025, share recent prices for Ross 308 (Agrited/Sayed), Cobb 500 (Zartech and others), and Arbor Acres Plus (CHI and other various hatcheries), and then translate the data into best-use scenarios: fast 6-week turnover in open houses, cut-up programs chasing breast yield, and balanced picks when chick price is the bottleneck.
What to Pick in 2025 (and why)
If you are turning birds fast in hot, open-sided houses
When the afternoon heat rolls off the tin roof and the litter smells a little cooked, you are managing intake more than targets. On paper, all three strains post very close feed conversion goals, but Cobb 500 often feels a touch more forgiving in open housing when daily temperatures spike.
A peer-reviewed trial in Pakistan’s open houses reported slightly better cumulative FCR and lower mortality for Cobb 500 than Ross 308 through market age, which mirrors what many growers report when ventilation and diet density are not perfect. That said, the official objective tables show Cobb’s strengths differently: at 42 days Cobb 500 targets about 3.28 kg with cumulative FCR about 1.56 (as-hatched), meaning a bit heavier at the same age compared with the others, which is useful when you sell by the bird. Manage heat first, genetics second.
If feed is your choke point or you are paid on efficiency
When maize prices bite and every scoop of mash smells like money, Ross 308 gives you a small but real paper edge on efficiency at common slaughter ages. The latest Ross objectives target about 3.00 kg at day 42 with cumulative FCR about 1.53 (as-hatched). In other words, slightly leaner feed-to-gain on the spreadsheet versus Cobb 500 and Arbor Acres at the same age, provided management is dialed. Ross also publishes detailed carcass and yield tables and emphasizes temperature and humidity control (think keeping house temps under 21 degrees Celsius from day 21), which aligns with farms running tighter, semi-controlled environments or night-ventilation routines.
If you want balanced performance and broad hatchery availability
Arbor Acres Plus is a steady “do-most-things-well” option, especially where your local hatcheries can supply reliably week after week. Its 2022 objectives sit between Ross and Cobb at day 42 (about 2.98 kg, FCR about 1.55 as-hatched), and Aviagen provides the same style of carcass and yield tables you can plan debone programs around. In Nigeria, Arbor Acres is commonly listed alongside Ross 308 and Cobb 500 on reputable ag e-commerce sites and hatchery partners, which is useful when supply (not genetics) is the bottleneck in your schedule.
A note on yield and “best strain for hot climates”
Brand brochures and independent trials do not perfectly agree because diet density, ventilation, and target weight pull yields in different directions. Cobb’s supplement explicitly notes the bird “will respond with accelerated growth and breast yield using high amino acid levels,” while Ross and Arbor Acres provide live-weight-indexed yield tables that rise with weight.
In practice, Ross 308 often anchors cut-up or fillet programs in controlled houses; Cobb 500 is a favorite for whole-bird, fast-cycle programs in tougher environments; Arbor Acres holds the middle ground where supply consistency and predictable processing matter most. Whatever you choose, the biggest lever in 2025 is still heat control: systematic reviews show heat stress depresses feed intake, body weight gain, and worsens FCR and mortality, so plan shading, air speed, and waterline temperature first, then argue over strains.
| Metric (targets) | Arbor Acres Plus | Cobb 500 | Ross 308 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Body weight at 42 days (as-hatched) | 2,981 g | 3,278 g | 2,998 g |
| Cumulative FCR at 42 days (as-hatched) | 1.548 | 1.555 | 1.531 |
| Indicative breast yield at about 3.0 kg live weight (dry %)* | about 27.8% (male) | about 26.9% (as-hatched) | about 28.1% (male) |
| House temperature note (post-day 21) | Keep under 21 °C to help growth | — | Keep under 21 °C to help growth |
2025 Prices and Availability in Nigeria
I have put the carton price beside the per-chick equivalent so you can compare Ross 308 vs Cobb 500 vs Arbor Acres Plus in real terms. These are live product pages as of today; availability can flip to “sold out” mid-week.
| Strain & source (example listing) | Carton price | Normalized ₦/chick |
|---|---|---|
| Ross 308 (Agrited) | ₦70,500 (50 chicks) | ₦1,410 |
| Cobb 500 (Zartech) | ₦61,500 (50 chicks) | ₦1,230 |
| Arbor Acres (CASCADA/AA Plus) | ₦60,500 (50 chicks) | ₦1,210 |
| Cobb 500 (Zartech) | ₦64,500 (50 chicks) | ₦1,290 |
| Ross 308 (Agrited) | ₦30,000 (51 chicks*) | ≈₦590–₦600 |
| Ross 308 (Sayed) | ₦29,500 (50 chicks) | ₦590 |
| Per-chick catalog rates (retail) | ₦1,050–₦1,250/chick (Cobb/Ross); ₦900–₦1,200/chick (AA Plus) | — |
Read More: Current Price Of Day-Old Chicks In Nigeria (August 2025)
Performance head-to-head: growth, FCR, yield and livability
Growth and days to market (how quickly they get there)
On the farm, growth is not a smooth line. It is morning pan checks, mid-day slowdowns when the shed smells hot and sweet, and a late-evening recovery when the air finally moves. On paper, Cobb 500 is the heaviest at 42 days: the official Cobb supplement targets about 3.28 kg at day 42 (as-hatched). Ross 308 sits around 3.00 kg and Arbor Acres Plus around 2.98 kg for the same age under recommended management. That is your first real fork in the road: if you sell per bird and like a slightly heavier 6-week carcass, Cobb’s curve helps; if you sell by weight and can hold environment steady, the others are right there.
Field comparisons back up what many open-house growers feel. A Pakistani open-housing study reported Cobb 500 heavier with lower mortality than Ross 308 at market age. Weekly FCR trends favored Ross later in the cycle, but absolute end-weights and survivals leaned Cobb in that specific, hot, conventional setting. It is one study, not a verdict, but it matches barn-aisle chatter from growers running hot afternoons and just-okay ventilation.
Pick the growth curve that matches your housing and how you are paid. For quick whole-bird turns (6 weeks or less) in open houses, Cobb’s weight-at-age can cushion your margin. In more controlled houses, Ross and Arbor Acres catch up neatly by weight while opening other levers (see FCR and yield below).
Feed conversion and feed program fit
On objectives, Ross 308 posts the leanest paper FCR at 42 days: about 1.53 (as-hatched), versus about 1.55 for Cobb and about 1.55 for Arbor Acres. That few points sounds tiny until you price a ton of starter or grower feed, at 2025 bag prices, those points matter. Still, objectives are not guarantees; they assume good pellet quality, right amino-acid profile, and a house you can keep below about 21 °C after week three.
The feed program you choose can tip the balance more than the logo on the chick box. Aviagen’s 2025 Ross Broiler Nutrition Supplement leans hard into Balanced Protein (SID-lysine-anchored) formulation and shows how nudging BP up for portion markets (fillet yield) pays, while a cost-per-kg liveweight program can back BP off a touch. If you are heat-limited, their guidance pushes night feeding, pellet quality, and electrolyte balance, practical moves you will recognize from any week of 34 °C afternoons. Cobb’s 2022 supplement takes a similar line: performance targets plus nutrient tables you can tune to your market weight.
One reason FCR slips in our climate: heat stress throttles intake and gain. A 2020 systematic review in Poultry Science pooled studies and confirmed heat stress reduces growth and worsens FCR and mortality, exactly what you see when pans go quiet at 2 pm. Planning diet density and feeder access around heat windows is as FCR-positive as arguing Ross vs Cobb on paper.
When maize eases but your bag price does not fall as fast, FCR sensitivity is gold. If you can actually hold temperature, Ross 308’s objective FCR helps. If not, do not chase a spreadsheet win you cannot deliver, feed losses from heat will erase it.
Carcass and yield (breast weight for cut-up vs whole-bird finish)
Processors do not buy “FCR,” they buy saleable yield. All three brands publish dry-yield tables (pre-chiller) that climb with live weight. At about 3.0 kg:
- Ross 308 male yield tables indicate high-20s percent breast with total deboned meat scaling cleanly as weight rises.
- Arbor Acres Plus shows a similar breast percentage trajectory in its male yield table; again, weight and diet density nudge the curve.
- Cobb 500 yield poster (based on 2021 internal trials) gives dry yields at about 2.73 kg and points you back to the supplement tables for other weights. In practice, Cobb’s heavier day-42 target puts useful grams into the breast for whole-bird or light cut-up specs.
Every manual warns that plant method changes yields by a couple of points, chiller method, feed withdrawal, knife vs. machine, and that amino-acid density (BP percent) shifts breast and debone outcomes. So if a buyer is waving a fillet weight spec, calibrate your diet and target weight to the yield table for your strain, not a generic number.
Livability and health (keeping more birds to payday)
Livability is where heat, water, and airflow beat genetics, yet genetics still shows up. In that open-house study, Ross 308 posted higher mortality (about 4.8 percent) than Cobb 500 (about 3.7 percent) at altitude, tilting economics toward Cobb in that environment.
Beyond single studies, broad reviews are blunt: heat stress depresses feed intake, compromises immunity, and pushes mortality up in fast-growing lines, exactly what we fight in West Africa in the late dry season. The Ross and Arbor Acres handbooks underline a simple management truth: from day 21 onward, keep ambient under 21 °C if you can, and use airspeed and cool water to protect intake.
A few recent comparison papers dig into carcass quality and health markers between Cobb and Ross (for example, pH, drip loss, fat deposition) with mixed results across setups. Some show Cobb heavier with more breast and fat, some show Ross tighter FCR, which is why I test small batches before committing a whole cycle to a spec change. The key is to pair your market weight and your house reality with the strain’s published objectives, then pressure-test in your climate.
Climate and Housing Fit
Open-sided houses (most small to medium Nigerian farms)
Open-sided sheds breathe with the weather. By 1–2 pm the air is syrupy, the litter smells a little cooked, and feeders go quiet. That is exactly the scenario Aviagen wrote a dedicated guide for: daytime peaks about 35 plus or minus 5 °C, big day–night swings, and humidity that can bounce from 20 percent to 90 percent in one season.
Their playbook is practical: tent brooding to hold heat early, curtain management, circulation fans to move air across birds, and specific sections on feeding in hot periods and cooling water. If this is your house style, assume afternoon intake will sag and build your program (and strain choice) around recovery at night.
Both Ross 308 and Arbor Acres performance documents add one simple, high-leverage line: “Keeping ambient temperatures under 21 °C from 21 days onwards may improve growth rates.” In a naturally ventilated house you will not always hit that number, but it is the right mental target for night management (airspeed plus cool water) so birds catch up after the hot spell.
Tunnel or controlled houses (pads, fans, tighter specs)
If you run pads and tunnel fans, your biggest friend and enemy is humidity. Cobb’s management guide spells out the rules that actually keep birds comfortable: get all tunnel fans on before pads, avoid running pads below 28–29 °C or when outside RH above 75 percent, and, because pads add moisture, watch that house RH stays 85–90 percent or lower. Many farms in the Southwest learn this the sticky way; running pads into the evening increases heat stress because you lose evaporative cooling as RH climbs.
When RH stays high no matter what, Cobb’s guideline is blunt: if you cannot reduce RH below about 70 percent, push airspeed to at least 3.0 m/s (about 600 fpm) to restore the birds’ ability to dump heat. On sultry nights, that one setting can save your FCR and your temper.
Stocking density, space and bird climate
Open houses often perform better when you treat “stocking density” as kg of bird per square meter in hot weeks, not a fixed birds per square meter forever. The Aviagen open-sided guide explicitly sets out a Stocking Density section and ties it to heat load, bird weight and ventilation capacity. Practically, that means backing off density in the hottest months or marketing a few days earlier to keep effective density in check. Pair that with migration fences and floor expansion to keep birds spread; clumping ruins airflow at bird level even when your fans look fine on paper.
Water
Warm birds drink more, but only if the water is inviting. Ross’s pocket guide gives you two numbers to tape near the medicator: ideal water temperature 18–21 °C and a healthy water-to-feed ratio of 1.6–1.8 at around 21 °C house temperature. In a Lagos dry-season afternoon, that ratio naturally climbs. Aim to pull it back on night shift with cool water and airflow so feed intake rebounds.
Feed form, night feeding, and pellet quality
Hot houses punish birds for the “work” of eating. The Aviagen open-sided playbook and ventilation guide both push the same priorities: pellet or crumb quality to lower eating effort, use night feeding to claw back intake, and manage effective temperature (what the bird actually feels) by pairing airspeed with RH control. When RH is high, birds feel hotter at the same dry-bulb temperature. That is why a modest bump in airspeed often beats throwing more pad water at the problem.
Heat-management facts that cut through the noise
A large 2020 systematic review and several follow-ups all land on the same bottom line: heat stress reduces feed intake and body-weight gain and worsens FCR and mortality. You smell this in the shed long before you see it in the ledger, baking-sweet litter, quiet pans, panting birds. Every strain suffers if you miss the climate, so fix climate first.
So which strain fits which house?
Open-sided, hot afternoons, limited cooling: pick the bird whose weight-at-age cushions you when afternoon intake dips and you sell whole birds fast. Cobb 500 is often the easier curve here, provided you still chase the night-recovery basics above. Keep density realistic for the season.
Tunnel or controlled, buyers pay for efficiency and fillet yield: when you can actually hold temperature and RH within plan, the Ross 308 and Arbor Acres objective curves (slightly leaner paper FCR at common market ages, detailed yield tables) are easier to fully monetize. Use pad rules and airspeed targets religiously.
Read more: Three (3) Simple Poultry House Designs With Pictures
Best Uses and Buying Decisions
Choose Cobb 500 when your market loves whole birds and your house runs hot
If your afternoons feel thick, the air syrupy, pans quiet by 2 p.m., birds spreading to breathe, you are managing intake more than theory. In that reality, I lean Cobb 500 for fast, whole-bird turns (6 weeks or less) in open-sided housing. Two things push me there.
First, Cobb’s day-42 objective is heavier than its peers, so you sell a fuller carcass at the same age, useful when the buyer pays per bird. Second, in at least one open-house comparison (Pakistan; altitude, conventional ventilation), Cobb 500 finished heavier with lower mortality than Ross 308, which mirrors barn-aisle chatter when heat and airflow are not perfect. None of that excuses sloppy brooding or feed form; it is just genetics that rides better when days are brutal and nights are only “okay.” For planning, build your spreadsheet off the Cobb 500 Broiler Performance and Nutrition Supplement and stress-test it with your hottest month’s notes.
Heavier weight-at-age spreads fixed costs, and if you sell whole birds, you are not chasing every last FCR point. Pair Cobb with open-house basics, curtains that actually move, night feeding, cool water, and you will usually like what the scale says on day 42. Aviagen’s open-sided guide is not brand-specific, but its practical tips (air speed, water temperature, stocking tweaks) are exactly what make “Cobb in heat” work.
Choose Ross 308 when you can control climate and you are paid on efficiency or fillet yield
When the shed feels orderly, good pellet, steady airspeed, humidity under control, Ross 308 lets you monetize discipline. On paper, Ross publishes a slightly leaner 42-day cumulative FCR than its competitors at similar weights, and Aviagen gives unusually detailed yield tables you can match to a fillet or debone spec.
I have had the most success with Ross in semi-controlled or tunnel houses where I can actually hold temperature and RH in the envelope the handbooks recommend; that is when the spreadsheet edge shows up as feed saved and breast grams banked. Start with the Ross 308 Broiler Performance Objectives and the Ross Broiler Nutrition Specifications so your diet density and SID amino acid ratios mirror the program they are designed for.
If your buyer pays per kilogram or for breast yield, a tidy objective FCR plus predictable yield guidance is money. Just remember the fine print printed right in the Ross booklet, objectives assume good management and environment, and local realities can pull results up or down. If your afternoons regularly blow past comfort and RH will not drop, fix climate first; otherwise you will never touch the numbers on the glossy page.
Choose Arbor Acres Plus when you need balance, predictable processing, and steady chick supply
AA Plus is my best pick when the bottleneck is consistent DOC supply at a fair price and the plant wants reliable, not extreme, carcasses.
The Arbor Acres Broiler Performance Objectives (2022) sit right between Cobb and Ross on day-42 weight and FCR, and Aviagen positions Plus as combining good broiler performance with solid processing yield, which I have found true when we are doing light cut-up or mixed programs rather than chasing absolute fillet output. If your region’s hatcheries carry AA week-in, week-out, the predictability is worth as much as a paper FCR point.
When chick price swings or one hatchery’s delivery slips, AA Plus keeps your schedule intact without putting you on the wrong side of weight-at-age. Pair it with the same open-house management (air, water, density) and it tracks close to Ross for weight with comparable processing notes.
FAQs: Arbor Acres vs Cobb 500 vs Ross 308
1. Which strain is best for hot, open-sided houses?
If your houses are curtain-sided and you are brooding through West African heat, all three will grow, but results tilt with management. Field trials from Pakistan and Bhutan found Cobb birds edging Ross on final weight in open houses, while Ross sometimes held a slight FCR advantage. Differences were modest and management (air speed, pad cooling, density) made the bigger swing. Pair that with hot-weather basics: cool drinking water, earlier ventilation, and realistic density.
2. What is a realistic target weight and FCR at 6 weeks?
Under good feed, water, and temperature control, the official objectives put modern broilers near about 2.7–3.0 kg at 42 days with FCR around about 1.50–1.55 “as-hatched.” Ross 308 publishes about 3.0 kg at day 42 with FCR around 1.53; Cobb 500’s 2022 supplement targets very similar numbers; Arbor Acres Plus publishes comparable objectives. Your climate and feed quality can shift those by a few points.
3. Which strain is better for breast-fillet markets vs whole-bird or live-bird sales?
Several carcass studies report Cobb lines trending higher on breast yield and live weight at the same age, while Ross lines can show competitive overall uniformity and leg meat share. Plants and diets matter. If you sell trimmed breast fillets, Cobb’s yield targets are attractive. If you sell whole birds into live markets, any of the three will do, choose the line your local hatchery supports best and that you can manage consistently.
4. Can I mix Ross, Cobb, and Arbor Acres in the same house?
Avoid it. Mixing strains and breeder ages adds variation in appetite, growth, and behavior, which complicates brooding temperatures, feeder heights, cull decisions, and processing weights. Handbooks recommend one donor flock age per house and minimizing mixed sources. All-in/all-out remains best practice.
5. Is Arbor Acres the same as Ross? Who owns what?
Arbor Acres and Ross are separate broiler brands owned by Aviagen. Cobb 500 is from Cobb-Vantress. They are different genetic lines with their own management guides and performance objectives, even though they are grown similarly on farm.
6. I see “Ross 308 AP.” Is that different from regular Ross 308?
Yes. Ross 308 AP is a Ross variant selected for Asia-Pacific and warmer markets. Aviagen publishes separate performance objectives for 308 AP and standard 308/308 FF (fast-feather). Your hatchery will specify which they supply. Management is similar, but targets differ slightly.
7. Where can I buy each strain locally?
Common channels include Agrited for Ross 308, Zartech or Olam for Cobb 500, and CHI, Farm Support or Vertex for Arbor Acres Plus, often resold through online platforms like Afrimash that show current stock and market-day pricing. Always confirm the breed on the invoice.
8. Do these breeds taste different?
Flavor differences are subtle and largely driven by diet, age, and processing. Peer-reviewed work comparing standard-yield strains (Cobb 500 vs Ross 308) shows processing characteristics and some quality traits differ (for example, breast yield, shear force), but not in a way most consumers can separate blind. If you want a “firmer bite,” slaughter a bit older or adjust chilling. Strain alone will not transform flavor.
9. Which one handles higher stocking densities better?
Neither strain is a magic bullet. Performance and welfare drop as kg/m² climb. Recent work on related commercial strains (Ross 708, Cobb 700) shows welfare risks rising at about 44 kg/m² and better outcomes at about 27–32 kg/m². In hot seasons, stay conservative on density regardless of strain.
10. Can I push birds to 8 weeks (56 days) for heavy weights?
You can, but manage legs, litter, and space. Ross objectives show about 4.3 kg potential at 56 days under ideal conditions. Heavier birds mean more heat load and higher risk of leg issues if flooring, minerals, and ramped ventilation are not dialed in. A 2021 field study reported locomotion problems higher in Cobb than Ross at heavy weights—another reason to watch footing and speed of gain.
11. Can I tell by looking whether my chicks are Ross 308, Cobb 500, or Arbor Acres?
Not reliably. At DOC, commercial broilers look alike. Identification is by hatchery paperwork and wing band or box labels. Some Ross lines are “sexable” (slow-feather male/fast-feather female) while others are all fast-feathering. That is a hatchery trait for sexing, not a farmer-side breed check. Always keep your delivery note and vaccine sheet.
12. Which strain is most profitable in 2025?
Profit follows your inputs and market, not just the badge. Comparative trials in South Asia found Cobb topping final weight and breast weight, with Ross sometimes ahead on FCR and immune titers. Local feed prices and climate can flip the winner. In Nigeria, weigh chick cost (check Monday/Thursday updates), feed program, expected liveweight or age, and your buyer’s cut specs.
Conclusion
All three strains can make you money in 2025 if you match the bird to your building and your buyer. So choose by use-case: I lean Cobb 500 for fast, whole-bird turns in hotter, open sheds; Ross 308 when I can truly hold environment and I am paid on efficiency or fillet yield; and Arbor Acres Plus when balanced performance and steady DOC supply keep the schedule moving.