Exam 1 Flashcards
breeder
a bird used for breeding purposes
layer
a bird that lays eggs for production
grow-out
phase where birds are grown until processed for meat
hatchery
facility where eggs are incubated
processing
a live animal is turned into consumable product
feed mill
facility that mixes feed
broiler
meat bird
chick
baby bird
rooster
male chicken
hen
female bird
cockerel
young/immature rooster
case weight
the weight of a case of product (typically used for eggs)
average case weight of eggs
48 lbs
WOG
without giblets
giblets
heart, liver, neck, gizzard
capon
castrated male chicken
drake
male duck
duck
female duck
duckling
young duck
fowl
bird
gander
male goose
goose
female goose
gosling
young goose
hackle
collection of feathers behind the neck
hock
bend in the joint of the leg
pullet
young laying hen
strain
a genetic line specifically bred for a specific purpose
tom
male turkey
poult
young turkey
variety
multiple types of birds
wattles
a fleshy flap of skin that hangs from either side of the beak
wing web
tissue under the wing of the bird (sometimes used as a vaccination site and for blood draws)
yolk
provides nutrients to the chick in the egg
what are the three major sectors of the poultry industry?
- broilers
- layers
- turkeys
what are the top producing countries?
- United States
- China
- Brazil
- Europe Union
- Russia
- Mexico
- Thailand
- Argentina
- Turkey
- Columbia
the United States makes up about ____% of the worlds chicken
20.1 %
$_____ billion exported in 2023
$5.49 billion
in 2023, did America export more or less poultry products than in 2022?
in 2023 there was a slight decrease of exports, there was less export in 2022 compared to 2023
What are the top three countries the US exports poultry meat products to?
- Mexico
- China
- Canada
what are some reasons the egg market is one of the fastest growing markets?
- one chicken can produce multiple eggs
- multiple uses for eggs
- eggs are a superfood
what are the top three countries the US exports eggs to?
- Mexico
- Canada
- Japan
what are 2 different parts of the egg industry?
- whole eggs
- egg products
egg markets have been settling down compared to recent year. What were the challenges?
- avian influenza (trade restrictions, mortality)
- housing changes (prop 12)
- grain market
the general trend is that over time the egg market is ____________
increasing
the US poultry market is the power house of ___________, making it stand apart from all other industries in animal agriculture
integration
what is integration?
the process of combining different parts of the production process into a unified whole
what are parts of the poultry industry that are integrated?
hatching eggs, hatchery, grow out, feed mill, processing plant or egg production, egg products, egg packer, etc.
what is food security?
the ability for people to have access to enough safe and nutritious food
how can poultry contribute to food security? why are they important?
birds are generally easy to raise, they are easy to manage and work with. the inputs are often cheaper than the outputs. they produce many different outputs.
why is food security important?
the population is growing very quickly and we need to be able to feed the world
food needs to travel to the people. when it comes to distribution of foods, where do other countries struggle where the US does a good job?
other countries struggle to get their food from point A to point B, they can’t physically get to there food sources or have the opportunities to gain those sources. The US has great land resources and we have systems in place that allow us to move food all over.
biosecurity
the steps a farm and industry take to keep infectious diseases away from animals, property, and the people who interact with them
2 types of biosecurity
- physical
- operational
physical biosecurity
the use of physical barriers, sanitation, and other measures to prevent the spread of disease among animals, plants, and people (ex: isolation, traffic control, sanitation, etc)
operational biosecurity
a set of procedures and practices that are used to prevent the spread of disease in an agricultural setting (ex: ensuring people, equipments, and tools are not brought in without following protocol)
why is biosecurity important
if disease enters the flock it may cause mass death or sickness leading to depopulation and a lack of production
what is a method of bird flow that the broiler industry uses to increase biosecurity?
all in and all out
what does bird flow look like in the layer industry to maintain biosecurity?
layers are kept longer so the new birds will be kept separate in isolation and using proper sanitation in the barns
how does disease spread?
- saliva
- manure and litter
- respiratory and air
- fomites
what is better for biosecurity: cold weather or warm weather
- cold weather
- cold weather decreases the amount of bacteria that can grow within things like manure and litter
fomites
carries a disease on it
examples of fomites
- people (usually the biggest issue)
- pests
fomite vs vector
a fomite carries disease ON it. a vector is a living organism that has the diseases and can spread it.
examples of pests
wild birds, lice, rats, flies
why is it important to keep all feed enclosed?
to reduce the amount of pests that want to enter your building, also if they get into the feed they can contaminate it
why should trees be removed around poultry barns?
tress bring in wild birds which can be a biosecurity hazard
why should crops be removed around a poultry barn?
crops bring in mice which can be a biosecurity hazard
NPIP
National Poultry Improvement Plan
APHIS
animal and plant health inspection service
what are two voluntary programs, established in the 1930s, that poultry producers can join that provide educational resources and assist all levels of the poultry industry?
NPIP and APHIS
what is the program created by APHIS to raise awareness for poultry biosecurity?
DefendtheFlock
what is the goal of NPIP and APHIS?
improve poultry and products
what event in the early 1930s caused programs to arise to support and the poultry industry?
pillory disease (salmonella pullorum)
to be involved with NPIP and APHIS what must your farm comply with?
maintain test requirements of birds (birds are tested once a year to be involved with the program)
what is one way NPIP and APHIS support a poultry producer?
they can sent official state agents to the facilities to assist
T/F: if you work at a poultry barn you are nor permitted to have any birds at home, work with others that work with birds or hunt birds as it risks biosecurity protocols
True
People are often a problem for biosecurity. What are some places they could go that are previously contaminated sites, places that may cause a biosecurity risk to the farm?
- gas station
- processing plant
- diagnostic lab
what are some things that can be done to control access to facilities?
- vehicles cleaned
- designated parking area
- entry logbook
- perimeter buffer area (PBA)
- line of separation (LOS)
fewer people means ____ biosecurity risk
less
perimeter buffer area (PBA)
the outer area (perimeter) of the farm, only authorized personnel should enter this area
PBA
perimeter buffer area
LOS
line of separation
line of separation (LOS)
inner control boundary, typically the walls of the buildings
what is considered the “last line of defense” in a biosecurity plan?
line of separation
what is considered the “first line of defense” in a biosecurity plan?
the perimeter buffer area
items that cross the perimeter buffer area need to be _______ and ________
clean and disinfected
what parts of the perimeter buffer area should be outlined in the biosecurity protocol?
- map of PBA on biosecurity plans
- some resources on the outside of PBA with routes to get to them
- PBA access points
what are some things that should be considered when birds enter the perimeter buffer area?
- entry point
- testing (should they be)
- one-directional flow
what is the job of a biosecurity coordinator?
someone to make sure that the biosecurity protocol is being followed, ensure things are working, and deal with people who are not following protocol
danish entry
there is a clear boundary with a clean side and a dirty side (various levels of this, some including showering)
which part of the poultry industry is more likely to have very strong biosecurity protocols including showing in and out of the facility?
top tier generic facility
why do you need a plan in place before allowing birds access into the line of separation?
to ensure that biosecurity protocols will be followed
how often should you collect dead birds? what should you monitor?
all dead birds should be collected at the end of the day and counted
after collecting the dead birds at the end of the day you notice there are more deaths than normal. what should you do?
note the increased number and report the issue to it can be further investigated
SOP
standard operating procedure
in the SOP and LOS, what might it say about the manure and litter management?
how often it should be cleaned and how this may modify LOS
what does “if you see something, saw something” mean?
if you are concerned at all about anything, notify someone
the scientific name for a chicken
gallus domesticus
where is the original chicken, gallus domesticus, from? what was it meant to do?
- from Southeast Asia
- used for cockfighting
chickens are behaviorally based ______ but domestic chickens cannot really do this anymore (and it they can it is for short distances)
flyers
chickens are _____________ meaning they eat both plant and meat based feed
omnivores
what are the 4 functions of feathers?
- flight
- insulation
- sexual characteristics
- camouflage
types of feathers (primary, secondary, and more)
- quill (primary)
- contour (secondary)
- plumule
- filoplumule
what are filoplumule?
they are hair like feathers that are often found at the base of the thighs and underneath the wings (places with a lot of friction)
on average, chickens have about __________ feathers
8,000
feathers go into the ______, which does not have sweat glands but instead produce an oil to keep feathers healthy
skin
in the industry feathers are primarily _______ in color
white
what are some examples of feather patterns?
- barring (lines across)
- penciling (rainbow)
- mottling (dark color dispersed)
what colors can birds be?
red, white, black, grey
there are ____ breed varieties of chickens, so there are lots of markings and colors
529
what is feather cover affected by?
- genetics
- hormones
- environment
when do feathers start to grow in birds?
day 5 of incubation
at ____ days of age they should have 50g of feathers
40
what affect can heat stress during incubation have on a birds feather cover?
helicopter wing (feathers stick out)
what can helicopter wing indicate?
may have poor growth and health issues in the future
ZZ: male or female?
male
ZW: male or female?
female
what does estradiol do to feather growth? what can a lack of estradiol cause?
- estradiol (female) causes faster feather growth
- lack of estradiol (male) causes longer feathers
the male will use his ________ to show off to females
hackle (feathers on the neck)
T/F: molting a natural process
True, but it can also be induced
when does molting occur in chicks?
4-5 weeks, feathers will grow back in 8 weeks
When does molting occur in adults?
first at 18 months and then yearly after that
what is molting?
the natural process of shedding and regrowing feathers, resets feather growth and their reproductive tract
how to induce molting
- light stimulation
- high fiber diet
the bird will lose ___% of their body weight and then they will molt
25%
the _______ is larger in males than in females and will get larger with more androgens present, it can be used for heat dissipation
wattle
the beak can be used for _____ AND ______
eating AND defense
what do ears look like on birds?
a tube covered with the feathers with some skin below (earlobe - correlates with color of bird)
spurs
pointed part on feet, can use for defense
the shank/foot is covered in scales meaning that it can help with ______ _____________.
heat dissipation
saddle
feathers on the back
what is important about bird eyes?
birds have really good eyes and can recognize other birds within their flock
what is the birds most acute sense?
sight
why would the shank change color?
primarily based off of what they are fed (chickens are mostly fed corn so they are yellow)
if the legs of a bird are pale in color, what can this mean?
they are not absorbing nutrients properly
birds have ______ toes that help the animal balance and move
4-5
turkey: the snood
a fleshy appendage that hangs down from the top of its beak
turkey: the caruncle
a small, fleshy bump on a turkey’s head or neck
turkey: the beard
a tuft of dark feathers that grows from a turkey’s chest (mostly males, sometimes females have them)
what parts of the turkey do hunters often collect?
the spurs and beards
external anatomy alterations
- beak trimming
- dubbing
- clipping
beak trimming
taking off the top part (avascular) of the beak
what is the purpose of beak trimming?
protects people and the other birds in the flock
dubbing
trimming the comb
when should dubbing be done?
day 1 of age or earlier
what is the purpose of dubbing?
protects the comb during mating because roosters will hold onto the comb
clipping
clipping the toes, removal of the last metatarsal
in what bird is clipping mostly done in and why?
turkeys because they will spar and scratch, clipping prevents them from getting hurt
chicken skin is _____ giving that crispy texture when cooked
thin
uropygial gland
Located at the hind end, secretes oil, collects on the beak and when they preen it will be spread on the feathers to keep them conditioned and healthy
preening
a maintenance behavior in birds that involves using the beak to position feathers
what effects the color of the skin? what color is the skin typically?
- feed
- often a yellow color due to corn consumption
why are many of the bones fused?
to create a larger and stronger bone, needs to be strong from a flying standpoint
what are the 2 types of bones?
- pneumatic
- medullary
pneumatic bone
for flight, hollow, support air flow and reduce density
examples of pneumatic bones
skull, humerus, sternum, clavicle
medullary bone
egg laying, a soft center that allows them to store additional minerals for egg production
examples of medullary bones
ribs, femur, tibia, pelvic bone
the ______ bone facilitates and supports wings for flight
coracoid
laying hens need a lot of ________ from the diet and from bone storage to produce egg shells
calcium
what does it mean if the meat is darker in color (more red) vs a whiter meat?
meat that is darker in color contains more myoglobin because it has to work more in an aerobic environment
what birds would you expect to have darker meat, what are birds you’d expect to have whiter meat?
goose and duck are darker while chicken and turkey are lighter in color
wild birds have more read meat because they have more ___________, they use their muscles more for flight
myoglobin
how many air sacs do bird have?
9
should birds pant?
NO
the lungs in birds do not expand so they need ____ _____ to exchange oxygen
air sacs
GI tract of the bird
- beak
- esophagus
- crop
- proventriculus
- gizzard
- small intestine
- pancreas
- liver
- gall bladder
- merkels diverticulum
- ceca
- large intestine
- cloaca
crop
where feed is held, stored and softened
proventriculus
true stomach
gizzard
grinds the feed
merkels diverticulum
what is left after yolk absorption, looks like a skin tag
what is the longest part of the gi tract where more digestion occurs?
small intestine
ceca
2 cecum, some fermentation occurs to digest fibers
cloaca
merger point of urinary, digestive and reproduction system
know the bird anatomy!!
what is the function of the circulatory system?
get oxygen and nutrients to the body and rid of waste
what is a common death that can occur is birds (especially turkeys) that involves their heart?
pressure on the aorta can cause an aortic rupture
the birds heart can get up to _____ bpm
300
T/F: bird’s red blood cells are nucleated
True
why is it difficult to collect blood on a bird?
their blood clots very quickly
where do you collect blood on a bird?
in their wing web
blood can help with thermal regulation by moving deep into the body when cold and to the extremities when hot. What can we provide the birds with to help them cool down in the warmer months?
cool perches to stand on
what is the function of the nervous system
take in and respond to stimuli
birds have a ______ cerebral cortex, making them not very intelligent animals
small
what are euthanasia methods for birds?
- gas them with CO2
- cervical dislocation
the older the bird the more __________ cervical dislocation is
difficult
how do you perform a cervical dislocation?
hold the feet and push down in a quick twisting motion, this will snap the spinal cord internally decapitating the bird
what does the ACUC reccomend for the method of euthanasia in birds?
CO2 and then cervical dislocation
function of the excretory system
to rid of waste
what is the function of the bladder?
balance salts and fluid in the body
what is uric acid? how is it excreted?
- a chemical compound (mostly nitrogen) produced in the body as a byproduct of purine metabolism
- excreted in urine
excreta
urine and feces mix in the cloaca making excreta, this exits out the vent
endocrine system function
getting hormones around the body, hormone regulation
hypothalamus function
- reproduction
- maintain food and water intake (signal from crop)
pituitary function
- reproduction
- aggression and sexual behavior
pineal function
light receptivity and response
birds are _____________ animals, meaning that they will cycle based on light
photosensitive
because birds are photosensitive animals, birds will produce ______ eggs in the summer vs the winter
MORE
thymus function
disease defense, antibodies
thyroid function
what is it related to specific to the bird?
- produce thyroid hormones
- related to feather growth
signals such as decreased feed and light are sent to the ________ gland inducing molting
thyroid
parathyroid function
Ca and P balance
birds only have _____ ovary develop (usually the left)
one
bursa of fabricius
- creates B cells
- immune response
adrenals function
stress response
Of the top 20 US egg producers ranking for 2025, how many are located in Missouri?
4 (1. Cal-Maine Foods, 2. Rose Acre Farms, 8. Opal Foods, and 19. Vital Farms)
of the 4 farms in Missouri that are some of the topUS egg procures, how many have been hit by avian influenza?
3 (1. Cal-Maine Foods, 2. Rose Acre Farms, 8. Opal Foods)
what is most likely the cause of increased egg prices?
avian influenza is killing a lot of our laying hens, increasing the price of eggs due to a shortage of supply
what are common trends that we have seen between 2015 and 2022 regarding HPAI?
January of 2015 and January of 2022 has the same magnitude of HPAI outbreaks
what group of birds is getting mostly impacted by HPAI? Why?
layers because they are in a dense concentration
what are the top 3 commercial poultry industries (in order of most impacted to least impacted) being impacted by HPAI?
- layers
- broilers
- turkeys
what is indemnity?
the government will pay back some of the bird loss when you lose birds in your population
steps to creating a nutritional program?
- selection of ingredients and additives
- set of specifications for production
- oversee ingredients quality
- optimizing the pricing and ingredients to match specs
- feed manufacturing
- data analysis
.
when creating a nutritional program what are some considerations you need to take into account?
- production type
- species
- system
why is it important to monitor what is available and at what cost when formulating a nutritional program?
you need to understand the challenges and the upcoming challenges so that the diet can be adjusted accordingly so that the producer can continue to afford the feed
what did the speaker refer to as “magic dust” in nutrition?
there are additives many companies try to sell you that have enzymes and probiotics, they tend to throw data at you
what are the most expensive nutrients? Often the nutritionist is spending 90% of their time managing the cost of these three nutrients.
- energy
- protein
- phosphorus
what are the least expensive nutrients?
- calcium
- sodium
why do we need to avoid too much sodium in the diet?
it will cause flushing
flushing
when birds have diarrhea
what is a breaker?
raising eggs for liquid use
what is a breeder?
genetic stocks. raising chicks
why is it important to maximize bone development in breeders?
they need calcium to produce an egg shell
a layers diet is ____% calcium, because she put ___g of calcium in the egg everyday
4, 2
goals of nutrition for layers and breeders
- slow-moderate growth, minimal muscle development
- set proper bone and structural development
- maintain body weight and support egg production
- supporting level of production with age
what is happening during this dip?
molting
what is the difference between how they used to molt birds and how we molt birds today?
they used to take feed away for 3 days but you cannot do this anymore. So now we use high fiber diets and high salt (they are full and won’t want to eat)
what is phase feeding?
matching the birds needs as they grow
what are some things to keep in mind when formulating a broiler diet?
- growing conditions
- meat marketing objectives
a whole bird (chicken) is grown to ____ lbs
5-6.5
turkey toms are ____ lbs in 20 weeks and typically used for deli meats
40
light hens get to ____ lbs, while heavy hens get up to ____ lbs and are typically used for the whole bird market
14-16; 20-22
broiler growth responds to ____ ______, while turkey growth responses to ___________
amino acids; energy
ducks have a higher ________ requirement because they do not produce it as well as other species
niacin
what do you need to keep in mind when making a nutritional program for geese?
- maintain body weight
- multiple years production
game birds have flight needs and very nervous behavior, what are somethings you need to keep in mind when formulating their diet?
- the birds need to fly so you cannot make them weigh too much
- you can add calming stuff to the feed
ingredients used in poultry diets
- cereal grains
- cereal by-products
- fats
- plant protein sources
- vitamins and mineral supplements
- crystalline amino acids
- feed additives
energy sources in the poultry diet
- carbohydrates
- fats and oils
- excess protein
- fiber
why should you not have excess protein in the diet?
protein is expensive so you have excess cost and it is problematic for nitrogen excess
what effect does too much soluble fiber have on the bird?
will increase mucus production and decrease gut health because the mucus makes a gel over the brush border membrane in the intestine decreasing glucose absorption and lowering efficiency
what is the issue with overfeeding non-soluble fibers?
they do not dissolve well
energy in the diet affects _______, because it is the rate limiting nutrient
intake
types of energy feed
- wheat
- sorgum
- corn
- soya
- soybean meal
- barley
3 important monosaccharides
- glucose
- fructose
- galactose
3 important disaccharides
- lactose (galactose + glucose)
- sucrose (glucose + fructose)
- maltose (glucose + glucose)
What are common polysaccharides?
- starch -> (glycogen)
- cellulose
- hemicellulose
non-starch polysaccharide (NSP)
- cellulose (non-digestible)
- hemicellulose (fermentable)
glucose is ___ times higher in the blood plasma in a chick compared to other livestock species
4
example of oligosaccharides
- raffinose
- stachylose (SBM)
raffinose
extension of glucose, helps plants maintain moisture
why do we want to avoid too much fermentation in the bird?
causes gas and flushing
saturated vs unsaturated fat
- unsaturated has double bonds while saturated does not
- saturated is solid at room temperature while unsaturated is liquid at room temperature
______________ fat is easier to digest in younger birds, older birds can digest either
unsaturated
what is the fat DHA used for?
brain development
what does fat digestion depend on?
- age of the bird
- saturation of fat
- no lacteals
what are lacteals? since birds do not have lacteals, how does this affect their fat absorption?
lacteals help other species absorb the fat in the diet, without lacteals fat will go directly into the bloodstream which can cause issues
what are essential fatty acids for birds?
linoleum and arachidonic acid
what will happen if the bird does not have its essential fatty acids?
poor growth, decrease in egg size, fatty liver
all steroids are derived from ____________
cholesterol
what compounds are derived from lipids?
- hormone synthesis
- vitamin D precursor
- cell membranes
glucose is stored as __________ in the body
glycogen
do fats slow down or speed up digestion?
slow down
what organ processes fat?
liver
fatty liver syndrome
if too much fat enters the bloodstream and the liver has to process it it can cause a fatty liver and kill the bird
what are proteins in the diet used for in the body?
growth, development, maintenance
what is the second most expensive nutrient?
protein
there are ____ essential AA in the bird
13
T/F: there is no storage of amino acids in the body
True, so we supplement AA into the diet
what are the top 3 limiting AA in the bird?
methionine and lysine, also it can be threonine
when formulating a birds diet we often use the amino acid ________ to base the diet on
lysine
functions of proteins
tissue repair/growth, energy storage, structural, enzymes, hormones, signaling
where is the digestion of amino acids taking place?
pepsin begins to break it up in the proventriculus and gizzard, most of digestion in the duodenum
where does most of absorption of amino acids take place?
jejunum and ileum
you should feed protein to younger chicks, by day ____ of age they maximize their ability to digest proteins
10
vitamins are ________ compounds that promote normal development and functioning
organic
what are fat soluble vitamins?
- A, D, E, K
- directly transported in the bloodstream and can be stored
what are water soluble vitamins?
- vitamin b complexes
- vitamin C
- can be synthesized in the birds body
when we formulate a birds diet we assume there is ______ vitamin content in the feed, so we add vitamin premixes to all poultry diets
no
roles of vitamins
- catalytic functions
- oxidative protection
choline
a common vitamin this is needed to increase efficient in birds and help protect cell membranes
what are pseudo or quasi vitamins?
man made vitamins that can be given in feed, water, SQ or IV
what causes oxidative stress in the body?
free radicals
minerals are ____________ compounds used for growth and reproduction
inorganic
macro minerals functions
- structural type function
- electrolyte balance
- metabolic regulators
what are the essential macro minerals that help with osmotic balance, nerve conduction, and muscle conduction
sodium, chloride, potassium
examples of macro minerals
Ca, P, Na, Cl, K, Mg, S
micro or trace minerals function
co factors, help to maintain health
examples of micro or trace minerals
iron, copper, manganese, zinc, selenium, molybdenum, fluroine
bioavailability
the extent to which nutrients are absorbed by the intestine
chelation
bound electrically to other compounds to increase absorption rate
what can decrease bioavailability?
physic acid (in plants), Ca, Fe, Zn
nutraceuticals
provide health benefits, often vitamins and minerals and herbal supplements
what are the most common enzymes added to bird feed?
- phytases (break down phosphorus)
- xylonases (corn and SBM breakdown)
what is in additives?
- nutraceuticals
- enzymes
what are important aspects about the feed mill?
- feed integrity
- accuracy
- keeping things clean and dry
- biosecurity
what are considered high-risk ingredients?
getting ingredients from high risk areas, areas that could have diseases and things different from ours, may go through a holding procedure and be cleaned and disinfected using organic acids and UV light
why is it important for a feed mill to have good records?
- know here supplies have been
- having traceability (what is coming in and out)
when we formulate a diet we use ______ cost diet formulation
least
when formulating a diet _____ level is the starting point, then confirm all other nutrient requirements are met after
energy
you must have a different diet for each ________ and _______
species and purpose
B-glucan
in hulls and hulled barley and oats, important as it can improve the birds gut health and increase amino sites
is Missouri, what are the most common cereal grain used?
corn followed by wheat
protein sources - legumes
- peas
- lentils
- fava beans
what is a concern when feeding fava beans?
they can have a high amount of tannins which can decrease efficiency and growth laying hens had decreased performance and increased blood spots
when feeding legumes as a protein source what amino acid do we need to be concerned about and ensuring we are still meeting the requirements of?
methionine
protein makes up about __% of the diet
30
diet forms
- mash
- crumble
- pellets
- whole grains
out of the diet forms, which is the least efficient ?
whole grains
what does the veterinary feed directive control in feed?
medications
_________ is a common feed additive that is not under the veterinary feed directive but protects them against coccidiosis
coccidiostats
what is coccidiosis?
- kills the birth through death of the gi tissue
- signs include: decrease eating and drinking, off on their own, off color or bloody droppings, paleness, standing hunched
list the most to least cost of the diet and percent inclusion in the diet
- energy (65%)
- protein (30%)
- minerals (2.5%)
- vitamins (1.5%)
- additives (1%)
various poultry diets
- starter diets
- broiler diets
- turkey diets
- growing and developing diets in layers
- laying diets
brooding
warm environment, an environment for chicks to thrive
chicks are functional ______________, which means that they are bad at regulating body temperature
poikilotherms
spot brooding
local heat source near the floor (often a heat lamp)
for spot brooding, it should be ___ degrees at the edge of the brooding spot
86
whole house brooding
common in a commercial setting, utilize the entire barn or a large portion of the barn using heaters to keep the barn warm
other brooding strategies
- under-floor heating system
- heat exchangers
- hatching within broiler houses
- hatch-brooding systems
goal of brooding
feed intake and activity
brooding set up should be done at least ____ hours before the chicks come in so you have proper feed, water, heat, and humidity when they arrive
24
the humidity in a brooding barn should be _____%, which is less than it would be in a hatchery
60-70
the floor of the brooding barn should be between _____ degrees and should not be below ____ degrees. It can also not be too hot as it can burn shavings.
78-82; 78
in a brooding barn, feeders should be placed on the _____, so they can easily find their feed source
floor
we do not want to blast birds with air so we want to have less than ____ feet per minute of air flowing in the barn
30
there should be an _______ light distribution in the brooding barn so that the chicks will eat
even
after the chicks are dropped off the need to be monitored after the first couple of _______ to make sure they are still eating and drinking
hours
the chick should not have to walk any further than ____ feet to get to a feed source in the brooding barn
3.3
why is paper cover used in brooding barns?
helps prevent feed waste and keep the bedding dry
the ___-drinker can be removed when the birds are older
mini
be able to label this image
brooder barn
in whole house brooding, as the chicks get older the temperature in the house (decreases or increases)?
decreases
for spot brooding, you will mange 2 temperatures the first 12 days of life. what are the two temperatures?
- brooder edge
- 2 m from brooder edge
what is kept warmer, the brooder edge or the 2 m from brooder edge?
brooder edge
as the chicks get older the spot brooding temperature will (increase or decrease)?
decrease
chick placement during brooding
birds are dumped into the pens and put near the feed and water sources
what is the importance of ventilation in a brooding barn?
- need an exchange of gases because we worry about CO2, CO, and ammonia
- use fans or air flow
what is normal chick behavior?
clean, moving around, making noises
when checking the crop, what are you feeling for?
want a smooth round crop, make sure they are eating
if a chicks crop feels like there are chunks, what may the chick need?
it may need to increase water consumption
average chick temperature from the vent
103-105
as the chicks grow the waterers need to be adjusted to the levels of the chicks _____
back
our goal of chicks is to gave less than ___% of mortality
1
weight of a chick at day 7 should be ____ times as much than day 1
4
after a week, the light in the brooding barn should be decreased _____ to keep the birds calm and quiet
1/3
after 48 hours our target for chicks with full crop is _______%
100%
ABF
antibiotic free
what does antibiotic free mean?
the birds are not provided antibiotics during the grow out phase
NAE
no antibiotics ever
cut up
the carcass being cut up into smaller pieces for further processing, often done in larger birds
FCR
feed conversion ratio
ADG
average daily gain
the _____ the FCR the more efficient the bird is
LOWER
FCR equation
total feed consumed / total live weight
10 birds has total live weight of 31,480 g and they have consumed a
total feed amount of 36,807 g. What is the average feed conversion?
1.17
A group of 15 broiler chickens has a total live weight of 45,250 g. They consumed a total of 52,300 g of feed. What is the average feed conversion ratio (FCR)?
1.16
A farmer raised 20 turkeys that reached a total live weight of 96,000 g. The total feed consumption was 112,500 g. Calculate the FCR.
1.17
A farmer raises 12 broiler chickens with a total live weight of 75 lbs. Over their growth period, they consumed a total of 90 lbs of feed. What is their average feed conversion ratio (FCR)?
1.2
Flock A has an FCR or 1.75 and Flock B has an FCR of 1.17. Which flock is more efficient?
Flock B (they have a lower number meaning they are more efficient)
adjusted FCR
want to measure how a flock is performing against a common target weight
adjusted FCR equation
Actual FCR + (target body weight - actual body weight / 10 lbs)
PEF
production efficiency factor
a ________ value of PEF the better the technical performance
higher
PEF equation
(livalibily x live weight (kg)) / (age in days x FCR) x 100
A farmer raises 1,000 broiler chickens to an average live weight of 2.5 kg at 42 days of age. The flock has a 96% livability rate and an average feed conversion ratio (FCR) of 1.6. What is the Production Efficiency Factor (PEF)?
357
A poultry farm raises 2,000 broiler chickens to an average live weight of 2.8 kg at 40 days of age. The flock has a 95% livability rate, and the average feed conversion ratio (FCR) is 1.7. What is the Production Efficiency Factor (PEF)?
391
an average PEF is ______, but ______ is considered excellent
300; 400
Flock A has a PEF of 357 and Flock B has a PEF of 391, which flock has the better technical performance?
Flock B
why is bird uniformity important?
we want our flock to be very uniform because the entire group is going out as the same product. If they are not uniform it is harder on the processor
coefficient of variation (CV) equation
standard deviation / average
the ________ the percentage of coefficient of variation the more uniform the flock
smaller
we aim to have a value of _____% variation to mark the birds as a uniform flock
10-12%
bird sizes:
- small birds (<____lbs)
- medium birds (________ lbs)
- average birds (________ lbs)
- big birds (>_______lbs)
- small birds (<4.25lbs)
- medium birds (4.26-6.25 lbs)
- average birds (6.26-7.75 lbs)
- big birds (>7.76 lbs)
what are average birds typically used for?
cuts of the bird (thighs, breast, ect.)
what are the big birds used for?
further processing (found up, chicken nuggests, other shapes, etc)
what are medium sized birds used for?
the whole bird (rotisserie)
what is a conventional system?
indoors, controlled lights, feed and water are continuously available
what is a specialty-free range or organic system look like?
the birds have access to the outdoors at least 51% of its life, this means that have access to sunshine and fresh air (does not mean they have access to the ground)
to be considered specialty-free range the bird must have access to the outdoors at least _____% of its life
51
broiler production goals
- meet increased demands for high-quality product
- comply with animal welfare guidelines
- minimize variability in flocks and product
- utilize genetic potential
- avoid disease
- maximize salable carcass
.
during grow out ________ are 6-7 weeks and 6.5 pounds
broilers
during growout ________ are 10-11 weeks and 9 pounds
roasters
during growout birds are on the floor of a ___ x ____ barn with a 25,000-27,000 bird capacity
40’ x 500’
what is a straight run?
both sexes are housed together
why is it okay to house broilers of different sexes together?
they never reach sexual maturity
contract growers
a farm has a contract with a company that has incentives and removes some risks
tournament system
in a contract, you have a base pay but you you do better than you can get incentives (reduced mortality, uniform flock, FCR, feed costs)
what does the chicken company often provide in a contract?
- chicks
- shipping
- veterinary care
- processing
- feed
what does the farmer often provide in a contract?
- day to day care
- gout houses
- utilities
- housing maintenance
what is one of the largest expenses when raising a flock?
feed (about 65% of the cost)
removed risk in contract growing
- feed
- consumers/buyers
- product demand
- market volatility
growout concerns
- skeletal concerns
- ascites
- sudden death or flip over disease
skeletal concerns for growout birds
getting less common, we were pushing birds to grow so quickly their skeletons could not hold the weight
ascites growout concerns
fluid in the body cavity, heart failure from pulmonary hypertension
sudden death or flip over disease
metabolic disorder that makes chickens more susceptible to cardiac arrhythmia
woody breast disease and spaghetti meat
poor meat quality, making the meat tough, have white striping, and stringy meat
at the end of growout, feed should be removed ____ hours before processing but they still have access to water
8
why is feed removed before processing?
so the gi tract is not full during processing, this can cause a contamination risk
when does a team ususally come in to remove birds to prepare them for processing?
a night or in the dark
poultry liter is a ______ fertilizer option
cheaper
what is the number one expense in poultry production (after buying the barn)?
nutrition / feed
6 basic classes of nutrients
energy, protein, vitamins and minerals, water, non-nutritive feed additives
non-nutritive feed additives
utilized a lot in the poultry industry (especially antibiotic free), contains probiotics, prebiotics, oils
In a graph of animal response and total nutrient intake from feed we want to be in the optimal range. Where exactly where do we want to feed in the optional range and why?
feed the entire flock to potential but keep costs down
______% loss in body water is fatal within days
10-20%
animals consume ___ parts water and ___ part feed
2; 1
functions of water
- solvent in the body
- carries nutrients and waste
- chemical reactions
- lubricant and shock absorption
- body temperature and regulation
- blood volume
the blood in birds is ____% water
90%
chicks can easily dehydrate because they are ___% water, so we need to ensure we give the chick and started to ensure they have proper water absorption
80%
what chemical should not be used to clean a contaminated well and why?
chlorine, it can kill live vaccines and be highly corrosive to metal and oxidize ribber
often we will use _______ to clean the lines between birds
chlorine
what percent of pathogens are ideal to have in the water?
0%!! there should not be pathogens in the water source
ideally water should be at a pH of ____
7
pH of water should ideally be 7, however if the pH of water is under _____ there is corrosion, pH under ____ and the birds will react to the water, pH less than ____ and they will stop drinking it
6.5; 6.3; 4
why is nitrogen in the water source bad for birds?
nitrate will turn to nitrite in the body which will decrease hemoglobin performance
hardness and mineral content in the water lines can occur gunking it up. calcium can make ______, magnesium and copper give a ________ _________, iron causes ________, excess Na causes _________, and zinc can be _________.
calcium can make stains, magnesium and copper five a bitter taste, iron causes rust, excess Na causes flushing, and zinc can be toxic.
zinc greater than ______ mg/ml will be toxic
1.5
turbidity
the clearness of the water
birds like their water temperature between ___ and ____ degrees, but they will drink water up to _____ degrees and will stop drinking at ______ degrees
50-55 degrees; 90 degrees; 112 degrees
what affects water intake
- body size
- temperature
- what the animal is doing
if you notice that water consumption is down, what could be the cause?
- birds are sick
- water lines are not functioning
- something is wrong with the water
caged birds will drink ____ water
more
the _____ the water source the more they drink, the ______ the water pressure the more they will drink
higher; higher
what is an acceptable amount of pathogens in the water?
we want 0%, however, up to 100 CFU (colony forming units) is acceptable
energy is measured in ________
calories (kcals, Mcals)
a birds metabolism is slower at _______ than during the _______
night, day
calorie
heat required to increase temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree Celsius
energy partitioning
what can affect water consumption?
- temperature
- dietary proteins (more N, more water consumption)
- dietary minerals (more Na, drink more)
- feed form
- ingredients
- housing
- bacteria
