Layer bird Broiler bird i. Broilers are reared mainly for meat. Layers are reared solely for their eggs ii. Broilers are reared for a span of 42–56days and are then marketed as live animals or slaughtered for meat. Layers attain sexual maturity 18–22 weeks and lay eggs up to 72 weeks of age and then they are either moulted or sold as spent hens. iii. Broilers are reared commercially in deep litter system of housing, whereas it is preferred to rear layers in caged housing systems. iv. Ideally, broilers are reared in batches in an all-in/all-out system in a single rearing shed. Whereas layers are reared as per different growth stages in different sheds which are; Chicks(0-8weeks), growers (9–22 weeks) and layers (23–72 weeks ). READ ALSO... Varieties of layers feed and stages to supply How to achieve larger egg size in layers