Poultry Production PDF

Poultry What is poultry? Poultry is defined as domestic fowl Examples of poultry animals Chicken Duck Turkey Geese Do any of you have experience with these birds? Poultry Terminology Other Vocab Waterfowl- Birds that swim Duckling- immature female or male duck Hen- mature female duck, chicken, goose,...

Poultry What is poultry? Poultry is defined as domestic fowl Examples of poultry animals Chicken Duck Turkey Geese Do any of you have experience with these birds? Poultry Terminology Other Vocab Waterfowl- Birds that swim Duckling- immature female or male duck Hen- mature female duck, chicken, goose, or turkey Drake- mature male duck Gosling- immature male or female goose Gander- mature male goose Pullet- immature female chicken less than 1 year old Rooster- mature male chicken at least 1 year old Tom- mature male turkey The Poultry Industry Poultry Industry has many segments All interlinked ○ Often times owned by the same company Vertical Integration What is vertical integration? Primary Breeders Main breeding farms Develop and Reproduce high quality chickens that meet standards set by companies Raise desirable characteristics like ○ ○ White meat quantity Feed Efficiency Breeder chicks are then sold to integrated farms Feed Mill Chicken companies own feed mills Produce formulas for all life stages Reduces cost of feed Feed formula is developed by nutritionists Breeders Usually ran by contract growers who raise the bird to an adult size Breeding hens and roosters are kept under tight biosecurity ○ Keeps them healthy and producing Chicks will be raised to become broilers for the market Hatchery Special facility designed to hatch fertile eggs after they get them from the breeder Fertile eggs are placed in the incubators and monitored for temperature and humidity throughout the incubation period When close to hatching the eggs are placed in hatching trays Remember our incubator?? Growout Farms New chicks are brought to grow out farms where contract farmers raise them to market weight Company provides chicks, feed, and medicines Farmer provides facilities, labor, bedding, water, electricity, and equipment What is market weight? Market Weight Chickens ○ Turkeys ○ 8-16 lbs, 15-18 weeks Ducks ○ 3-5 lbs, 6-8 weeks 3-8 lbs, 8-16 weeks Geese ○ 9-13 lbs, 8-14 weeks Harvest Animals are stunned before slaughter ○ Humane After slaughter the birds are inspected by USDA inspectors ○ Quality, saftey Carcasses are chilled to limit bacterial growth Carcasses are processed ○ ○ Cut into parts, packaged, and distributed Packaged and distributed whole Further Processing Specialized plants receive whole chicken or cut-up parts to make other products Cooking, breading, marinating ○ Chicken nuggets, patties, marinated breasts, boneless wings etc. Transportation Live birds are transported in cages Poultry products are transported in refirgerated trucks Transported to other farms, grocery stores, wholesalers, restaurants, and other customers Chicken Over 50 recognized breeds ○ ○ Broken down by classification and use Layers, meat, dual use Meat breeds grow faster, have larger breasts, efficient feed conversions, disease resistance ○ Don’t lay as many eggs Layer breeds have high egg productivity, lay white or brown eggs, small bodies ○ Not ideal for meat production Fun Facts Chickens with white earlobes lay white eggs Chickens with red earlobes lay brown eggs Chickens with blue earlobes means blue or green eggs First domesticated for rooster fights, not production Omnivores- they eat seeds, worms, nuts, and small critters There are 25 BILLION chickens in the world A female chicken will mate with many different males but if she decides, after the deed is done, that she doesn’t want a particular rooster’s offspring and can eject his sperm. This occurs most often when the male is lower in the pecking order. Turkey 8 breeds recognized by the American Poultry Association Most breeds used for the meat market aren’t recognized by the association Most production turkeys have white bodies Fun Facts Domestic turkeys can’t breed or fly Wild turkeys can run 20 mph and fly up to 55mph Ducks 3 main breeds raised for production Certain breeds can reach market weight in as little as 6 weeks Raised for meat and eggs Fun Facts: Group of ducks can be called a raft Ducklings can walk out of the nest within a few hours Hen will lead the ducklings a half mile for a good swimming spot For a month after breeding male ducks can’t fly long distances due to damaged feathers Geese Geese only lay 30-50 eggs per year They are raised for meat and feathers/down Known for rapid growth and hardiness Fun Facts: Geese were the first domesticated poultry ○ Egypt Geese can live up to 20 years Can weigh 10-30 pounds Herbivores- grasses and forage Egg Production Laying hens produce eggs for us to eat In 2009, per capita egg consumption in the US was 248 eggs/year ○ 20.6 DOZEN EGGS How do you like your eggs? Trends in Consumption Consumption lowered as people migrated towards cities Health concerns decreased consumptions mid-century Now, better use of eggs and better knowledge has increased consumption Where are eggs found? Other food containing eggs Jelly beans Crackers Cookies Pudding Pretzels Marshmallows Pie crust Cake Tartar sauce Frosting Some Candies Most battered and fried foods Where do our eggs come from? Egg Facts The top five producing states house 50% of the laying hens in the US In 2019 the US produced 99.1 billion eggs There are over 60 egg producing companies with more than 1 million laying hens and 12 with more than 5 million ○ Total of 340 million laying hens Every day, 82/100 hens lay an egg 294 eggs/year/hen 2019 egg product exports equaled 32,937 metric tons Forming Eggs It takes 23-27 hours to produce an egg Yolk- the yellow center of an egg ○ Color of the yolk can vary based on feed ○ Yolk provides food for the developing chicks Germ ○ Small white circle on the yolk ○ Beginning of embryo Albumen ○ Egg white Forming Eggs Shell ○ Has thousands of tiny pores ○ Protects the embryo Raising Laying Hens Hens are raised on the floor of a light and temperature controlled house Automatic feeding and watering system Mechanical nest for egg gathering Hens are free to roam Hens can be raised in cages Cages have roll out areas to catch eggs Automated feeding and watering Production Cycle Hens arrive at 1 day old Raised in a grow out facility until they are 18 weeks ○ No increasing day length Hens are moved to the lay house ○ Increasing day length Types of Eggs at the Store White eggs- regular Brown eggs- regular eggs brown in color Omega-3 Eggs- contains fatty acid, better health perception, more expensive Reduced cholesterol or cholesterol free eggs- viewed as heart-healthier vs, regular eggs Free range eggs- hens are required to be given some outdoor access, usually much more expensive Types of Eggs at the Store Organic Eggs- hens must be fed organic diet from hatching, more expensive Fertile Eggs- laid by a hen who has given the opportunity to mate ○ Fertile eggs must be refrigerated or the embryo will develop ○ A small black comma will form on the yolks surface if the embryo has begun development