husbandry of backyard poultry Flashcards
true or false poultry most common birds seen by vets
true
taxonomy of poultry
- domestic fowl
- domestic ducks
- turkeys
- geese
- guinea fowl
chick
a young chicken
pullet
young hen, usually under 6mo (sometimes a hen that hasn’t laid eggs yet)
cockerel
young rooster
hen
female that has laid eggs
rooster/ cock
male over 6 months
layer
hen over 20 weeks old that is laying eggs
point of lay
pullet that is old enough to lay, but hasn’t yet
broiler
meat chicken that has reached slaughter weight (30-60 days)
bantam
mini version of recognized breed, true bantam has no counterpart in poultry breeds
broody/ clucky
hen that is ready to lay or is sitting on eggs
candling
examining an egg, w a bright focal light in a dark room to assess fertility at 9 days
poult
young turkey, under 6 mo
frizzle
feathers that curl
hackles
feathers on neck of rooster
comb
red appendage on top of chickens head
wattles
fleshy appendages hanging on either side of lower beak in poultry
soft feathers
broad and long w dense and abundant fluff, masks body shape
hard feathers
moderately narrow, hard, firm, resilient w a minimum of fluff, reveals body shape
breeder
produces fertile eggs to be hatched in the hatchery
what are considerations in terms of poultry husbandry
- rats and mice
- bird proofing
- predator proofing
- council restrictions
stocking density depends on
- breed
- size
- age
- species
- housing type
minimum floor area
3m^2 for 6 bantams or 3 large birds
additional birds increase 0.4 m^2 for large bird and 0.3m^2 for small bird
how deep should litter be, why? how often turn
10 cm, parasite control, turn over every 1-3 month
how many nest boxes
1 every 2-3 chickens
how many / how wide perches
how far off ground
150 mm per chicken
500 mm above ground
what is a chickens preferred habitat
dirt based w low acacia scrub (not out in open w large trees and grass)
protein source and role
- animal and vegetable protein
- growth, feathering, eggs
carbs source and role
- grain
- energy
fats source and role
- grain
- energy and hormones
vitamins source and role
- vegetables, fruits, supplements
- chemical processes in body
minerals source and role
- grit and supplements
- bones, egg shells, chemical processes
the mineral calcium should be how much of the diet
4-5%
starter diet
22% protein
hatch- 6weeks
grower diet
14-16% protein
6-18 weeks (POL)
layer diet
15-18% protein
what are the different feed types
- scratch : grain mix, high is fat and carbs, low in protein, like a treat
- crumble; suitable for chicks
- pellet; suitable for adults
- mash; bit of everything, usually for layers
what is a legal requirement in terms of kitchen scraps
no animal matter or waste contaminated by animal matter is allowed to be fed to chickens
what are the types of shell grit and what is their role
- soluble: oyster shell, calcium supplement, absorbed in body
- insoluble; helps grind down food
why should one mix grit in with their food
if they gorge on grit they could get a gut blockage
around how much should you feed a hen
120-160 g/ hen/ day
varies with quality of diet, breed, environment, and status of each bird
how much water should they get
500 mls/ bird/ day
is there government regulations on the number of household layers
no, but local council restrictions
