Exploring the Poultry Industry

Lesson B2-6

Interest Approach

• Display eggs on a safe surface to show the different colors, grades, and weight classes.

• Start a discussion asking students to think of reasons that the eggs may be different.

Student Learning Objectives

• Describe poultry as organisms and identify external parts.

• Identify poultry terminology.

• Explain production systems and marketing of poultry.

• List and describe breeds of poultry.

Terms

• Bantams

• Broilers

• Chick

• Cockerels

• Drake

• Duckling

• Gander

• Goose

• Gosling

• Hens

• Layers

• Poult

• Poultry

• Pullet Producers

• Pullets

• Roosters

• Tom

Describe poultry as organisms and identify external parts.

Objective #1

What is poultry?

• Poultry–Group name for all domesticated birds

used for meat, eggs, and feathers.

–Referred to as fowl.

–Have wings, backbones, & feathers.

–Some can swim.

What is the difference between poultry and other animals?

• Digestive System–Has a gizzard instead of teeth.

• Reproductive System–Egg laying after mating for fertile

eggs.–Artificial insemination is needed

because some birds are unable to mate naturally because of their mass of flesh.

What is the difference between poultry and other animals?

• Externally–Most birds are similar.

–Features on the head and neck help identify.

External Parts of Poultry

External Parts of Poultry

External Parts of Poultry

Identify poultry terminology.

Objective #2

What are terms associated with poultry?Chickens

• Layers– Cickens that are used to produce large

quantities of eggs.

– Eggs used for food and produce chicks.

• Broilers– Young chickens that weigh about 4

pounds, are 6 to 7 weeks old and used for meat.

What are terms associated with poultry?

Chickens

• Chick–Baby chicken of either sex.

• Cockerels–Young male chicken.

Poultry Terms

Chickens

• Roosters– Mature males

• Pullets– Young female

chickens

• Hens– Mature females

• Bantams– Miniature chickens

Turkeys

• Hens– Mature females

• Tom– Adult male

gobbler

• Poult– Young turkey of

either sex

Poultry Terms

Ducks

• Have down that grows under feathers.

• Hens– Mature female

• Drake– Mature male

• Duckling– Young duck of both

sexes.

Geese

• Goose–Female at

maturity.

• Gander–Male at maturity.

• Goslings–Young geese.

Explain production systems and marketing of poultry.

Objective #3

What are ways to market and produce poultry?

• Consumption of red meat has declined recently, the consumption of poultry meat has increased.

• Chickens are the main form of consumed poultry.

• Turkeys sell better near Thanksgiving.

• Eggs in more demand around Christmas with many people baking.

Areas of Chicken ProductionBroiler Production

• Producing as much meat as quickly as possible for maximum profit.

• Large facilities for 6 to 7 weeks before marketing.

• Nutrition & environment major consideration.

• 99% are grown under contract between farmer & processor.

• Other outlets include live broilers at auctions, to dealers, or processing plants.

Egg Production

• Produce high quality eggs for consumption.

• Provide ideal environment for the hens.• Proper housing and nutrition is needed.• Keep all eggs clean and prevent from

breaking is another factor.• Marketing eggs is under contract similar

to broilers.• Other options for eggs include local

buyers or through cooperatives.

Pullet Producers

• Production systems that raise hens for laying purposes.

• Raise day-old female chicks into replacement hens.

• Raise until they are 20 weeks old.• Delivered to laying farm to begin egg

production at 24 weeks of age.• Marketing is done between pullet

producer and the egg producer.

Breeder-bird production system

• Grows pullets and cockerels for fertile egg production.

• Eggs are hatched and the birds become broilers.

• Marketing includes selling under contract with a poultry company.

List and describe kinds and breeds of poultry.

Objective #4

Chickens

• 4 classes of chickens– Mediterranean– American– English– Asiatic

• Identification Characteristics– color of eggs, skin,

eyes, earlobes, and plumage

Andalusian

Australorp

Brahma

Cornish Game

Single-Comb White Leghorn

Barred Plymouth Rock

Turkey Breeds

Broad-Breasted Large White

• Most popular breed.• Developed from

crosses.• Males have black

beards.• All have white feet,

beaks, & shanks.

Ducks

• Breeds used for meat.–Call, Aylesbury, Swedish, Muscovy,

Rouen, Cayuga, White Pekin.

• Breeds used for eggs–Khaki Campbells

–Indian Runners

Ducks

• White Pekin–Most commonly used.

–Originated in China.

–Weigh 8 pounds.

–White feathered with yellowish skin.

–Nervous birds.

–White tinted eggs.

PekinKhaki Campbell

Geese

• Used for meat, eggs, feathers, down and weeding crops.

• Most common breeds– Toulouse– Embden– Chinese– Pilgrim– African

Embden

Review

• What is poultry?

• What are terms associated with poultry?

• What are ways to market and produce poultry?

• What are different kinds and breeds of poultry?