Poultry Industry Flashcards
What are the two important products of the poultry industry?
Meat and Eggs
What are the main species of the poultry industry?
chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese much smaller
When are broilers slaughtered?
31-60 days (42 avg)
Broilers: Meat Chicken
average live weight is 3.8-9lbs (5lbs avg), feed:gain-1.5-1.7, size varies to meet product purpose: fast food, whole birds, cut-up, or deboned
US broiler industry
increasing pounds per bird each year, 18% global chickens, 47% global turkey
Distribution of broilers
southeast, Virginia ranks 11th
US turkey industry
pounds produced has remained constant, but turkey numbers have decreased, since 1990 pounds produced have remained the same
Distribution of turkeys
east coast, corn belt, Virginia ranks 6th, production expected to increase
Laying hens - egg production
Lays first egg at 20-22 weeks (21 avg), can produce 270 eggs/year, eggs can go to be table eggs, liquid eggs, dry eggs, or processed products
US egg industry
391 million laying hens, 109 billion eggs, $11 billion in revenue, small increase in number of hens in last 20 years
Distribution of layer
most layers located in cornbelt, Iowa #1, near corn production, close to major population centers, Virginia ranked 26th
History of Poultry production (1960-70)
becoming a business, genetic selection for specialized breeds, automation, standardization of production and processing, increased consumption, quality and price
History of poultry production (1980)
further processing and value added products, rise of fast-food and food service sector influence, emphasis minimize costs, improving efficiency, increased consumption, low cost, healthy image
poultry production
transition to food companies, consumer preferences (home meal replacement), rapid growth of export market, emphasis on: yield improvement, food safety, animal welfare
chick
Pullet
young baby
young female
cockerel
hen
young male
adult female
rooster
capon
intact male
castrated male
poult
jenny
young baby
young female
jake
hen
young male
adult female
Tom
intact male
laying
hatching
act of making an egg
chick emerging from egg
flock
broiler
group of animals
chicken bred for meat
layer
chicken bred for egg production
White Leghorn
white body and white eggs, Italy, egg production, small size, most common breed in US
Cornish
white body and brown eggs, England, wide breast, muscular legs, fast growth, lay few, small eggs, father of most commercial broilers
White Plymouth Rock
white body and brown eggs, America, High quality meat, mother of most commercial broilers
Broad Breasted White
All white, best growth and muscle yield, can’t fly or reproduce on own, most widely used commercial turkey
poultry
confined indoors - poultry houses, all industry facets, controlled lighting, temperature
poultry system
Breeders to Hatchery to Grow Out to Processing Plant. Feed Mill to breeders and grow out.
Breeders
genetics, producer fertilized eggs
Broiler Breeders
Aviagen
Cobb-Vantress
Layer Breeders
Hi-Line
Hendrix
Turkey Breeders
Hendrix
Aviagen
Hatchery
Incubator controls environment-100f, rotates egg. Incubation length- chicken 21 days, Turkeys 28 days
Automated incubation
in ovo vaccination, transfers of eggs occur approximately 2-3 days before hatch, move from racks that turn to hatching trays
Grow Out
contract growers, receive day old chicks, restricted to a small area of the barn at first, receive feed, paid on weight produced
Grow Out houses
variations in design and size, longer than they are wide, curtain sided to fully enclosed and environmentally controlled, All-in / All-out
Hatchery and grow housing
floor covered in shavings or straw (litter), when young-heat lamps, typically lights are always on
Broiler breeder housing
similar to grow out, nesting boxes, 10 hens per rooster
What do each part of the system produce?
Breeders - eggs
Hatchery - day old chicks
Grow Out - chicken
Where do spent hens go?
the processing plant
Layer Production
No rooster = eggs all unfertilized, feeding - ad libitum access to feed and water, diet high in calcium
Layer housing - cage systems
3-9 birds/cage, controlled environment/reduces “natural behavior”
Layer housing - colony cages
50-150 birds/cage, controlled environment/allows some “natural behavior”
Layer housing - cage-free
all birds in a house row, open environment/allows “natural behavior” dusty, more injury due to other birds and environment, litter (manure access)
Turkeys
-used to be more seasonal, whole turkey are seasonal
-12-14 weeks for hens, 14-17lb carcass, eat about 35lbs of feed
-16-19 weeks for toms, 26-32lb carcass, eat about 90lb of feed
-split sex feeding
-70% further processed
Broiler life cycle
-incubate egg for 21 days
-hatch- brooding
-starts laying at 24 weeks, lay for 40 weeks, will produce 180 eggs
-hatch at 0.1lb
-slaughter at 42 days and 5lbs
Layer life cycle
-incubate egg for 21 days
-start laying at 21 weeks, lay for 60 weeks, 3.3lbs
-molt for 2 weeks, no egg laying
-270 eggs per year
-decreased number of eggs, but increased egg size and quality
Turkey life cycle
-egg incubate for 28 days
-start laying at 30 weeks, lay for 25 weeks, 90 eggs
-hatch at 0.15lbs
-Hens: slaughtered at 12-14 weeks, 14-17lb carcass
-Toms: slaughtered at 16-19 weeks, 26-32lb carcass
Foodborne illness
-major concern in poultry industry
-Zoonotic disease
Zoonotic disease
-infectious diseases that can be transmitted from animals to humans or humans to animals
-salmonella serovars-shed through feces, feather dust, and eye or nose secretion
-E. coli- found in intestine of birds. Harmless to birds if kept in check by other bacteria
Health Concerns in Poultry
-avian influenza
-Exotic Newcastle disease
Avian Influenza
-respiratory pathogen that can infect a variety of poultry
-low pathogenic or highly pathogenic strains
-clinical signs: appetite loss, swelling around head, reduced egg production, purple discoloration, nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing
-spread through respiratory secretions and feces
Exotic Newcastle Disease
-fatal viral disease, one of most highly infectious diseases
-signs: gasping for air, depression, tremors, paralysis
-vaccine available
Other issues in the poultry industry
-antibiotic resistance: human and animal health concern
-Animal welfare: genetic selection for efficiency, animal housing mandated space requirements
-beak trimming
-induction of molt
-Ammonia: bird, worker, and environment concern
