Per capita consumption of chicken meat is currently more than 75 pounds and has steadily increased since the 1950s. Today's broiler industry is a rapidly changing and highly technical agricultural industry. Integrators generally own breeder flocks, hatcheries, feed mills, and processing plants. The integrators provide the chicks, feed, medication, part of the fuel for brooding, and technical advisers to supervise farm production. These representatives will visit the farms once a week normally and more frequently when problems arise.
Integration reduces costs by coordinating each stage of production.
All stages of production are controlled to utilize resources and facilities with maximum efficiencies. Integration practices not only improve cost efficiency but also permit the production of more uniform birds. The integrator is also responsible for all processing and marketing activities. In today's competitive marketplace, these activities are crucial to the success of poultry production and require a professional approach. Approximately 50 poultry companies are currently in operation in the United States.