Poultry

Question 1

What is a broiler?

Answer 1

A young chicken of either sex, raised for meat, usually up to 8 weeks of age.

Question 2

What is a brooder?

Answer 2

A device designed to give young chickens the right environment for growth.

Question 3

What is a chicken?

Answer 3

A young bird from hatching to 4 months of age.

Question 4

What is a cockerel?

Answer 4

A male bird under 12 months of age.

Question 5

What is culling?

Answer 5

The removal of sick or unreproductive birds.

Question 6

What is a hen?

Answer 6

A female bird over 12 months of age.

Question 7

What is an incubator?

Answer 7

A heated structure for hatching eggs.

Question 8

What is a pullet?

Answer 8

A female bird under 12 months of age.

Question 9

What is a rooster?

Answer 9

A male bird over 12 months of age.

Question 10

What is a meat chicken?

Answer 10

A chicken bred for its meat.

Question 11

What is a layer?

Answer 11

A chicken bred for the function of laying eggs.

Question 12

What form is chicken feed usually in?

Answer 12

Pellets, crumbles or mash.

Question 13

What are the main nutrients that poultry animals need?

Answer 13

Protein, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, vitamins, water.

Question 14

What is Chronic Respiratory Disease?

Answer 14

It is caused by bacteria and causes watery eyes, coughing and blocked nostrils. It makes birds inefficient producers and is treatable using antibiotics.

Question 15

What is Coccidiosis?

Answer 15

It is caused by a parasite which enters through the chicken feeding. It multiplies in the intestine and burrows into the wall of the intestine. It can be controlled by using a drug in their feed.

Question 16

What is lice?

Answer 16

Lice are active at night. They can be controlled by spraying, dusting or dripping them with insecticide. Affected birds may scratch, pick at their feathers, refuse to eat and stop laying.

Question 17

What is Newcastle Disease?

Answer 17

It is a viral disease in poultry, very contagious. Symptoms range from nothing to respiratory distress, nervous tremors and paralysis of legs and wings. Birds with this disease must be immediately destroyed. The result of this disease is usually fatal.

Question 18

What does POCTAA stand for?

Answer 18

the Prevention Of Cruelty To Animals Act

Question 19

What does POCTAA do?

Answer 19

It protects animals from being hurt, neglected, tortured, poisoned etc.

Question 20

What are Free-range Chickens?

Answer 20

Hens that are kept in a shed with a deep litter floor and are allowed outside access. They have nest boxes to lay eggs and have at least 800cm2 per hen. Their eggs are typically hand collected.

Question 21

Outline the main advantages and disadvantages of the free-range system:

Answer 21

The free-range system allows chickens to exhibit natural behaviours and gain better access to vitamins due to their varied diet and ready access to sunlight which in turn create better quality eggs. This also makes the system much more expensive, increase the chickens exposure to parasites and predators.

Question 22

What are deep litter chickens?

Answer 22

These chickens are kept in sheds with a deep litter floor, they are provided with nest boxes to lay in, allowed 800cm2 per hen and their eggs are typically collected by hand.

Question 23

Outline the main advantages and disadvantages of the deep litter system.

Answer 23

It allows hens to move around freely and exhibit natural behaviours, the food and water is automated which allows for lower labour costs. On the downside, it is essential to carefully measure the amount of deep litter lest in injures anyone/thing and over feeding may result in too much waste leading to poor sanitary conditions.

Question 24

What is commercial caging?

Answer 24

Also known as battery caging, hens are placed in small in in cages in sheds. They have a minimum 550cm2 per hen and egg collection is typically automated.

Question 25

Outline the main advantages and disadvantages of the commercial caging system.

Answer 25

THere is increased hygiene and ease of management which lowers the cost. However, hens lack physical and psychological space and there’s in a increase of metabolic disorders due to lack of exercise. It also increases the chance of foot lesions.

Question 26

What are the five basic needs of poultry?

Answer 26

1. food
2. water
3. shelter
4. love
5. attention