Chapter 24

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Chapter 24

Poultry Breed Identification and Production Management


Veterinary Terminology

• Cockerel– male chicken under a year of age

• Pullet– young chicken raised to lay eggs

• Layer– adult female hen that lays eggs

• Spent hens– former layer egg hens who no longer produce eggs


Veterinary Terminology

• Broiler– young chick used for meat production between 6-8

weeks of age

• Fryers– tender and easy to cook meat from broilers

• Capon– castrated male chicken, over 6 lbs. and 6 months of

age

• Flock– a group of similar poultry


Biology

• Avian digestive tract

• Do not need to fly; many too large to fly

• Gizzard – muscular organ used to break down food particles

• Grit – ingested to break down hard substances

• Most producers debreak to prevent injury and make eating less difficult


Biology

• Combs – flesh like projections on top of heads

• Wattle – flesh like projection under chin

• Males tend to have larger bodies and head features

• Eyes, skin, wattle, and comb useful in determining overall health of bird


Poultry Species and Classes

• Poultry– Domesticated birds with feathers, 2 legs, 2 wings,

and a beak– Primarily raised for

• Eggs• Meat• Feathers• By-products


Chickens

• Most important and popular type of poultry

• Raised for eggs and meat

• 4 classes:– American– English– Asiatic– Mediterranean


Turkeys

• High amounts of white meat

• 300 million raised each year

• Increase in size of production farms (100,000 birds per farm)

• Raised in confinement

• Marketed after 20 weeks of age


Ducks

• Raised for meat, eggs, and feathers

• 15 million raised yearly

• Grow faster and heavier than chickens

• Swim

• Commercially raised indoors in confinement


Geese

• 1 million raised yearly

• Meat, eggs, feathers, and down

• Eat grass and weeds

• Very hardy and disease resistant


Peafowl

• Raised for feathers and as pets

• Feathers can be up to 5 times the body length


Swans

• Known for long, thin, graceful neck

• Raised for ornamental purposes


Other Poultry Species

• Guinea fowl – meat, eggs, and hunting

• Pigeons – meat and competitive purposes

• Quail – meat and eggs

• Pheasant – meat and hunting purposes


Ratites

• Large birds that DON’T fly

• Used for meat, eggs, and feathers

• Raised in large groups

• Ostrich, Rhea, and Emu are most common

• Commonly seen in wildlife preserves or zoos


Selection of Species or Breed

• Selection based on bird’s ability to produce eggs or meat as quickly as possible

• Other factors: how well bird eats and uses food, fast return on the investment, high profit compared to cost of feed, amount of space needed, and amount of labor involved


Nutrition• Automated feeders and water systems

• Young chicks may need pans or trays

• Food kept in feed bins or stored in automatic bins

• Conveyer belt system weighs feed and distributes a set amount

• Water is monitored for consumption

• Water troughs cleaned daily


Behavior• Known for adaptable behavior• Domestic fowl is shy; wary by nature• Many species are gregarious and have a

social status within flock• Maintain contact with flock by sight and

vocal communication• Can become nervous if separated from

flock• May become territorial


Basic Training

• Training and handling should begin when fowl are young

• Wings should be observed and examined

• Feet and legs should be handled

• Check appearance of feathers

• Poultry will adjust easily to humans with regular handling


Equipment and Housing Needs• Houses designed for each production

system• Broiler housing must meet needs of chicks• Day old chicks need 1/4 to 1/3 of a square

foot of space


Equipment and Housing Needs• Space requirements increase with growth• Growers commonly use portable fence to

contain chicks and remove fence when full grown

• Floor coverings must be gentle, dust free, and cleaned daily

• Proper lighting is necessary for growth


Equipment and Housing Needs

• Breeder housing must meet needs of reproductive adults

• Environmental conditions must be met– indoor– outdoor

• Controlled conditions must be met– temperature– humidity


Restraint and Handling

• Should be restrained by holding wings against birds body

• Body should be restrained securely with one arm and head held around the neck with other hand

• Never hold tightly around diaphragm

• Young chicks can be held in hand


Grooming

• Do not typically require

• Should be free of external parasites, dirt, and debris

• Feathers can be sprayed with water

• Fowl will preen and clean their wings and feathers

• Some owners will trim nails, clip wings, or dremel beaks


Basic Health Care and Maintenance

• Molting:– Process of shedding and renewing feathers– Hens stop laying eggs during this

process (or reduce number of eggs)– Hen depletes calcium and rest allows restoring of

needs– Usually in the fall, prior to winter– Occurs about 4 months until new growth of feathers



• Forced Molting:– Controversial topic– Decrease light during the length of day– Artificial lights set for longer darkness– Allow 8 hours light– After molting, allow 14-16 hours light



• Sanitation:– Disease outbreaks can kill an entire flock quickly– Good sanitation practice is required– Removal of feces, dead birds, and insects– Disinfect cages, boots, and equipment– Remove all litter and spray disinfectant between

batches– Restrict access to people and vehicles


Vaccinations

• Helps develop immunity to disease• Several common diseases in poultry• In vivo: vaccine injected into embryo

through the egg during incubation• 18th day of incubation process• Chicks hatch with immunity• Reduces stress• Ready for market 2 days sooner


Vaccinations

• Egg injection system used at high rate of speed

• Special needle punctures egg shell

• Dosage of vaccine is delivered

• Machine operated

• 20,000-30,000 eggs injected per hour


Reproduction and Breeding

• Female mates with male for eggs to be fertilized

• Eggs are incubated to hatch

• Incubation period influenced by temperature and humidity: – Chickens: 21 days– Geese: 29-31 days– Turkeys: 27-28 days– Ducks: 28-35 days


Common Diseases

• Poultry have 33 pathogenic diseases and there are 10 parasites of concern

• Viruses, bacteria, or infection

• Common nutritional diseases


Common Diseases

• Costly to treat

• Many become less efficient and can’t produce or are not usable for human consumption

• Many die; loss of profit


Marek’s Disease

• Known as “range paralysis”

• Caused by a herpes virus

• Signs: diarrhea, leg or wing paralysis, weight loss, and death

• No treatment available

• Prevention by vaccine

• Genetic resistance has been noted


Newcastle Disease

• Caused by a virus

• Signs: gasping for breath, wheezing, twist necks around due to respiratory stress, possible paralysis, lay soft-shelled eggs, and may stop producing eggs

• No treatment available

• Prevention by vaccine


Infectious Bronchitis

• Affects ONLY CHICKENS (no other poultry species)

• Caused by a virus, primarily in young birds

• Signs: wheezing, gasping for air, and nasal discharge


Infectious Bronchitis

• Older hens stop laying eggs

• Prevention through sanitation and isolation methods

• Vaccine available


Fowl Cholera

• Affects all species

• Caused by BACTERIA

• Signs: fever, purple colored heads, yellow droppings, and sudden death

• Possible to treat with antibiotics called sulfonamides

• Prevention by vaccination


Avian Pox

• Slow spreading disease

• Several strains that are species specific

• Caused by virus spread by mosquitoes

• Signs: wart-like growths on skin and mouth and respiratory distress

• No treatment

• Difficult to control through sanitation

• Prevention through vaccine


Avian Influenza

• Commonly called bird flu

• Affects all species of avians

• Caused by virus, occurring naturally in the intestines

• Transmitted directly and through body excretes


Avian Influenza

• Zoonotic to humans but no human to human transmission

• Fatal strain not seen in U.S.

• Isolation

• Human vaccine available

• Current research ongoing


Common Parasites

• Internal and external parasites are common

• Isolated cages and specialized production systems reduce the amount of parasites in poultry

• Proper sanitation practices

• Control of insects and wild birds

• All species affected


Coccidiosis

• Internal protozoan parasite• Transmitted by droppings of affected

birds• Seen commonly in wild birds


Coccidiosis

• Droppings can get in food and water sources

• Affect companion animals and people• Signs: bloody droppings, lethargic

appearance, (sleepy, little activity), and pale skin

• Treatments by mouth or placed in water or feed


Large Round Worms

• Worms may reach 3 inches in length

• Occur in the intestinal tract

• Signs: emaciated appearance, diarrhea, and droopy wings

• Prevention through sanitation, dewormers, and rotating range and yards


Tapeworms• Internal parasites• Hosts include snails, earthworms, beetles,

and flies• Ingested by poultry• Signs: pale head color, pale leg color, and

poor body flesh appearance• Dewormers• Prevention is through dietary control and

confinement


Mites

• External parasites include: Mites, Lice, Chiggers, and Ticks

• Signs: visible parasite, pale color, listless, and droopy wings

• Use approved insecticides to treat infestations

• Prevention and control by limiting access to wild birds


Poultry Production

• Began over 5,000 years ago in Asia

• Arrived in America in the 1600s

• Aztec Indians domesticated the wild turkey

• Became a large commercial industry in the 1950s

• Raised by confinement method

• Largest producer of eggs is California


Poultry Production

• Poultry Science – the study of poultry that includes breeding, incubation, raising, housing, nutrition, sanitation, and marketing

• Goal is to produce quality at a reasonable price

• Developed over last 50 years to improve production rates


Poultry Production Systems

• 3 main systems, mostly relating to chickens

• Used in raising poultry, eggs, meat, feathers, and other products for human use


Broiler Production

• Goal: produce the most meat as quickly as possible

• Chicks must be healthy and continue growth

• Keep mortality to a minimum (death) – less than 5 percent


Broiler Production

• Raised in large poultry houses

• 6 week raising time to reach market size (4 to 4.5 lbs)

• Grow fast in an efficient time to reduce cost


Egg Production System

• Goal: produce high-quality eggs for human consumption

• One egg per day from each hen• Not fertile, not hatched or incubated• Graded due to quality and size - small,

medium, large, jumbo• Placed in cartons with small end down• Large end up to protect quality of egg and

air cell


Egg Anatomy

• Yolk – oocyte cell produced by hen’s ovary

• Albumin – egg white

• Eggshell – calcium layer

• Air cell – empty space at large end of egg where oxygen is stored

• Chalaza – anchors yolk in the egg white


Egg Anatomy

• Germinal disc – white spot in egg where sperm enters egg to allow fertilization

• Inner Shell Membrane – thin area outside of albumin

• Outer Shell Membrane – thin area inside of shell


Egg Quality

• Quality determined by external appearance and internal condition

• Size, shape, color, cracks, blemishes, or dirt

• Shell is primarily calcium-protection

• 95% of market shells are white

• Demand for brown eggs is increasing


Pullet Production

• Hens raised for egg production

• Specially bred birds

• Selected from day old chicks

• Raised similar to broilers

• Only females are raised

• Bred for maximum egg production

• Known as “replacement hens”


Broiler Egg Production System

• Pullets and cockerels raised together specifically to produce broilers

• Females should have large numbers of quality eggs

• Males should be large in size

• Chicks are selected for system

Chapter 24

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