Working With POULTRY

1. Working With POULTRY

2. World Egg Consumers • Netherlands 43 lbs • Japan 42 lbs. • Malta 37 lbs • Elina 35 lbs. • Mexico 34 • (US = 32lbs.) World average consumption = 18 pounds per person

3. US Poultry Inventory

4. The Egg • 65% water, 12 % protein (10% RDA) • 11% fat, 70 cal. • Natures “most perfect food”

5. How are eggs used? ` 250eggs annual per capita!

6. Top Egg States • 1. Iowa – 50,795 2. Ohio – 29,039 3. Indiana – 24,303 4. Pennsylvania – 21,719 5. California – 18,8816. Texas – 14,160 7. Nebraska – 11,752 8. Florida – 10,959 9. Minnesota – 10,899 10. Georgia – 9,785 ~ 50 % of US production

7. What makes a good egg? • Size • Internal Quality • External Quality

8. “candling an egg”

9. Internal Quality • Inclusions • Blood • Double yolk • Chalaza (?) • Checks • Air Cell Size!!

10. Examples: Grade A and B

11. External Quality • Leakers • Stains • Shape

12. LAYER LIFE CYCLE • Layer chicks are processed similarly to broilers. • Grower unit until 17-18 weeks old; transferred laying barn • Layers start laying at 18 weeks of age

13. Layers cont. • 90% laying eggs at least once a day before 30 weeks- peak production • slows to once every 26 hours. • When at 50% production producers might induce molt by manipulating the photoperiod. • corn, soybean,calcium diets

14. The “Molt” • Natural processes in birds • Shorter days = loss of feathers and stop laying • Producers limit feed, gradually reduce light to induce molt. • This process restarts the egg laying cycle

15. Physical Signs of the Layer • The hen in production: • pubic bones separate to facilitate lay. • Space can be two fingers width or more at peak • Loses color pigment in her body • When out of production, regains color in order: • 1) vent, 2) eye ring, 3) earlobe, 4) beak and 5) feet and shanks. • Comb becomes small, shriveled, scaly.

16. Incredible Egg-Making Machine

17. World Meat Consumers • Antigua 124 lbs. • Bahamas 112 lbs. • USA 105 • Israel 105 • St. Lucia 95 World average consumption = 24 pounds per person

18. US Poultry Inventory

20. The Broiler Industry • The most explosive meat industry • The first 6 months ALONE of 2005 broiler exports were up 25% and turkey exports were up 56% than the whole of 2004 even though a stiff rise in prices. • In 2003 the U. S. Consumed poultry about once a day and beef a little more than once every other day. • Why such growth?

21. Chickens = Efficiency

22. Broilers Georgia Arkansas Alabama Turkey North Carolina Minnesota Arkansas Where do you find poultry?

23. Highly Integrated Industry

25. BROILER LIFE CYCLE • It takes 21 days for a fertile egg to hatch a chick -- Incubation • After hatching, baby birds are processed by vaccinating, debeaking, comb clipping, and wing banding

26. Incubation Period • Chicken 21 days • Turkey 28 days • Duck 28 days • Goose 28 – 34 days

27. Critical Issues of Incubation • Temperature (99.5 to 100o F) • Lower in Hatery Unit (3 days before hatch) • Humidity (60 to 65%) • Position/Turning of eggs • Air cell up/ 5 or > times per day • Oxygen, Carbon Dioxide Content • Sanitation between sets

28. Hatchery • 90 % or better hatch is expected

29. Broilers • Harvested at 7-9 weeks • Females take a little longer than Males to finish • Market Weight = 3-5 pounds • Specialty meats • Harvesting at 5 weeks makes a Cornish Game Hen • Harvesting at 12 weeks makes a large Roaster • Males can be caponized at 3-4 weeks and finishing to 18 weeks to Capon.

30. Broilers • housed in confinement for protection, disease control, efficiency of labor, land. • Most lit dimly to reduce cannibalism and encourage growth • raised on Litter Floor: Brooder units to full barn • fed a corn and soybean ration to finish weight.

31. The typical farm . . . • 160 acres • 3 to 4 houses • 64 to 70, 000 birds per barn (1 sq. ft per bird) • 6.5 per year turnover per house • Total production per annum = 400,000 to 450, 000 birds

32. Breeds • Not so commercially significant (composites are used: • Classified by class, breed and variety • Four major classes: • American, Asiatic, English and Mediterranean • Note ear lobe, comb type, feather type and color, production purpose

33. Plymouth Rock Varieties

34. Ear Lobe,Body Type

35. Comb Type • The basics

36. Value Added – the extra labor or processing to increase the value or price of the item Vertically Integrated- a person or company that owns the whole life cycle of the industry (e.g. Tyson owns the birds that breed boiler, the boiler houses, and the harvest facilities) Hen- mature female chicken Cock- mature intact male chicken Cockerel- immature intact male Pullet- immature female Capon- castrated male Bantam- miniature breed Molt- the process of losing feathers Vocab

37. Parts • Don’t forget:chicken parts • Note genderdistinctions • http://www.ansi.okstate.edu/poultrypage/

38. TURKEY • Turkeys are the only meat animal to be domesticated in America (N or Central) • Turkeys are grown in confinements or on ranges • They are fed high protein ration until hens are 14-16 weeks old (up to about 20 pounds) and toms are 19-20 weeks old (up to around 30 pounds).

39. TURKEY Breeds • White is derived from native wild turkey species. Most common for meat production • Bronze is also from the native species. Becoming less common

40. Biosecurity • Bird Flu has been on the news recently • Keep facilities clean and separate • Don’t let the outside world inside