Poultry

How many feeders should be provided after placement and where should the feed pans be placed?

A few extra need to be provided for 2-4 days ; slightly under a heat source

What type of medicine can cause decreased egg production? When is the only time you would really need to use this medication?

Anticoccidials ; in a large plant if there was a disease outbreak

What is the name for the natural antibacterial coating on the eggs that maintains egg quality in storage

Bloom

What is generally operated by contract growers who raise the breeder chicks to adult birds?

Breeders

The offspring of breeder parents will then be raised to become _____ for the market.

Broilers

What is the most important period of time for a flock?

Brooding

Use the best bedding for ___ (____ ____)

Brooding (young birds)

What breed lays about 180-200 light brown color eggs per year. Very calm, docile and friendly.

Buff Orpington

T/F: a breed of bird includes "meat breeds"

False (not really a breed)

Use clean bedding in ___ and move the old bedding to the ___

Nests ; floor

What 4 diseases were listed that affect chickens

Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis, avian influenza, E. coli

List 5 basic requirements for a poultry house:

Rain proof, protect from direct sunlight and keep them cool, good drainage (around the house), easy to clean, strong door with secure lock

Provide a brief overview of the defining characteristics of the White Leghorn

Part of Mediterranean class, lays white eggs, basis of commercial egg industry

Provide a brief overview of the defining characteristics of the Rhode Island Red:

Part of the American Class, lay brown eggs, production-bred strains lay very well

The social rank of individuals w/in a flock

Pecking order

What should you do if your chickens are not free range (from nutritional standpoint)

Provide vitamin supplement

Immature female chicken (< 1 year old)

Pullet

What season does egg production decrease?

Fall and winter (may cease in winter)

What do growers get their bonuses based on?

$ per lb

How long will eggs store in a refrigerator? How can you store them for 2-3 months?

1 month ; at temp below 55 degrees at 75% humidity

Almost 1/3 of backyard flocks consists of fewer than ___ birds

10

How large does the enclosed run need to be per chicken?

10 sf

Hens need ___ number of hours per day for laying a large quantity of eggs

14 hours

List one way to control light exposure to increase egg production that does not require a timer / manual control?

15 watt bulb 24 hours/day

Brown egg layers range form ____- ___ eggs/ year

150-200

When do leghorns typically start laying eggs? How many eggs are laid per year on average

16 - 18 weeks ; 270-300

At what age can chickens start to lay eggs, and how long is the laying cycle?

16-18 weeks, 12 months

For the first few weeks, chicks need a good quality starter feed with _____ protein (can be fed for the duration of the grow-out) After that they can be fed a grower ration with ___ protein until birds are grown For layers a ___ protein diet should be sufficient

18-22% ; around 18% ; 16%

To maintain profit, replace hens every ___-__ years.

2-3

A (white?ig) layer's production often depends on the breed but will normally range from ____-____ eggs/year for chickens.

250-280

How many eggs to Rhode Island reds usually lay per year?

250-300 (medium brown eggs)

Some hens stop laying eggs at __ years of age, but this varies per breed

3-4 years

How deep should bedding be?

3-6 inches

An avg backyard flock consists of __#__ of birds? In the southeast? In the east?

35.1 ; 26.1 ; 49.2

Need to keep chicks confined indoors until they are __ weeks old

4

for 25-30 chicks, how many feeders & waterers do you need

4 feeders, 4 waterers

How large does each nesting coop need to be per chicken?

4 sf

How old should birds be / what should they have with them before they can be free-range chickens?

4 weeks or with their mother

List one way to control light exposure to increase egg production that requires a timer / manual control?

40-60 watt bulb turned on for 16 hours a day

Hens start laying at __-___ months of age

5-6 months

At what age to chickens reach market weight?

6 or 7 weeks (can be 5 weeks, just depends on what size the company is looking for)

After 1 year of age, egg production decreases to __%

65%

For a flock of 6 hens, how large should the nesting coop be? The run?

6x4; 6x10

When placing chicks have the floor-level temp be __-__ degrees for the first week, then slowly decrees ___ degrees each week

90-92 degrees ; 5 degrees

What temperature does the heater need to be when a chick is standing directly next to it?

94 degrees (& cooler 1 meter away)

List 5 criteria for chicken bedding:

Absorbent, lightweight, inexpensive, non-toxic (free of mold), lend to post production applications (compost, fertilizer, fuel)

What are the functions of bedding for chickens?

Absorbs moisture, provides insulation, acts as a cushion, dilutes feces to minimize contact

List 2 examples of what primary breeders aim to achieve

Abundant white meet and efficient feed conversion.

Castrated male chicken (requ sx since the repro organs are internal)

Capon

When / how often does the temperature need to be checked during the brooder stage?

Check the temperature by observing the birds, regularly use a thermometer, check more frequently in extreme weather

Young (baby) chicken

Chick

What feed should chicks be put on after placement?

Chick starter mash or crumbles

A tiny, hard projection on the beak of a newly hatched chick that was used by the chick to break through the shell to hatch (also called egg tooth)

Chick tooth

What is the best shape of a house for the brooding stage? Why?

Circular (brooder ring) ; heat and chickens can disperse evenly

What 3 things should be done during pre-placement?

Clean and warm the house, heaters running, feed and water placed

What should you do housing-wise before the chicks arrive?

Clean the house

Immature male chicken (<1 year old)

Cockerel

What are the 3 main areas that poultry breeding can be divided into?

Commercial breeding, village/ backyard breeding, Fancy/ exhibition breeding

What breed is fast growing- reaching 4-5 lbs in 6 weeks and 6-10 lbs in 8-12 weeks

Cornish cross (white cornish x white Plymouth Rock)

List 4 meat production breeds (not limited to meat production, but categorized under this). Which 2 of these are found in backyard operations?

Cornish/rock cross broilers, jersey giant, dark cornish, brahma ; dark cornish & jersey giant

Pouch where chicken digests food

Crop

What is the most important thing that chickens will get nutrients from? What else provides them with nutrients? what nutrients do they specifically need?

Daily feed / supplements ; insects, grass, leaves ; vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates

List 6 common chicken predators:

Domestic pets (dogs & cats), rats, owls, skunks, wild hogs

What are the weaknesses of meat breeds// hybrid varieties?

Dont lay as many eggs as layer breeds

List a disadvantage of vertical integration

Each segment relies on segment below to supply it with what it needs to operate, can't have an interruption in the process

What is one of the largest costs of the poultry industry?

Efficient feed conversion (?)

List 3 common behavioral issues for chickens:

Egg eating, cannibalism, feather picking

What 3 criteria must be met when transporting chicks?

Ensure they have fresh air, temperature between 70-82 degrees, block direct sunlight

Once the chicks begin the "____ ____" the temperature can be dropped rapidly. Why?

Feathered out ; chick down allows water to get into the body, feathers shed water showing they no longer need to retain as much fluid

Poultry companies own ___ ___ that convert raw materials into finished feed according to very specific formulas developed by poultry nutritionists They produce different formulas to feed all of the different nutrition stages of chickens.

Feed mills

What happens if you dont have at least 3 inches of bedding in the house?

Feet callous over and they will stop walking (it's painful for them!)

A group of birds living together

Flock

If hens are deprived of ___ and __ for several hours, it has an immediate negative effect on egg production

Food and water

Define commercial breeding

For egg/ meat production

When is the growing phase?

From the end of brooding until they're harvested/ sexually mature (around 16 weeks)

How full should the brooder feeder be for the first week after placement? After the second week?

Full ; 3/4 full

What breed is the best for first-time chicken owners, lays 250 egg per year, lays after 16 weeks, friendly and docile,

Golden comet

Describe the 4 factors that create an optimal climate of the house during the brooding stage:

Good ventilation, light and airy without drafts, free of strong smell of ammonia, lower amount of humidity

After placement, feed pans should be at __ level, as they grow, they need to be at __ height. You judge this by the _____ _____

Ground level (so they can walk in them initially) ; mid chest high ; smallest chick

What happens if chicks aren't provided with enough nutrition?

Growth will be stunted

What is a specialized facility designed to hatch fertile eggs received from breeder farms.

Hatchery

What is the name of the stage in the poultry industry where towards the end of incubation, the eggs are placed in hatching trays where the chicks hatch out by pecking their way through the large end of the egg.

Hatchery

Mature female chicken (>1 year old)

Hen

What is the biggest investment in the industry?

Housing

"Meat breeds" are actually ___

Hybrid varieties // combos of many diff breeds

Increased vitamin D3 levels causes ___ which can reduce egg production

Hypercalcemia

What is the #1 thing that can affect egg quality & quantity?

Lack of nutrition.

High humidity in the brooder house is bad because:

It is conducive to bacterial growth and leads to poor bird health

What are the 3 uses that chicken breeds are broken down into?

Layers, meat, dual purpose (find this in backyard op etc)

Common white egg layer ; common brown egg layer(s) (5 of them)

Leghorns ; Barred Rock, Rhode Island Red, Buff Orpington, Black Australorp, New Hampshire Red

What can you control to allow hens to continue to produce eggs no matter the season?

Light exposure

What breed lays about 300 large brown color eggs per yr and is also found in backyard operations?

Lohmann brown classic

Once birds have reached sexually maturity, ___ isn't as intensive, they can manage their ____ ____, and can handle cold weather as long as they are kept ___ and out of the ___

Management, body temperature, dry, wind

What 3 insects indirectly cause lack of vitamins and minerals in the body & weaken the chicken, reducing egg production

Mites, fleas, lice

Define fancy/ exhibition breeding

Non-common production of small poultry breeds for enthusiasts "fancy looking eggs, egg color, etc"

What are 3 causes of cannibalism & feather picking in chickens? What can reduce the problem?

Nutritional imbalance, boredom, injured animals ; beak trimming

Lack of ___ absorption may lead to decreased egg production because it is fully related to calcium

Phosphorus

What does yolk color change based on? What causes the yolk to be orange? Light yellow?

Pigments in the feed ; green plants & food scraps ; corn and soy

Brooding occurs from the time of ____ until ___ days of age

Placement ; 14 days

What breed lays about 6 eggs per week and is very friendly ?

Plymouth Rock

List 9 factors that can affect egg quality and numbers:

Poor quality feed, endoparasites, management mistakes (water, food, light), disease outbreak, external parasites, anticoccidials, toxicosis, lack of nutrition, age of the bird

Define village/ backyard production

Poultry bred for both eggs and meat on a small scale

What are the 6 basics of brooding?

Pre-placement (preparation for the flock like clean house etc), temperature management (heat), feed management, water management, light management, air quality/ ventilation

Why do chickens need perches?

Prevents birds from sitting on waterers and feeders, keeps feces out of food and water, helps improve bone strength

Which level of the poultry industry has responsibility to develop and reproduce strains of chicken that meet the requirements of chicken producer/processing companies. Produce seed stock used by vertical integration sys

Primary breeders

What are the 8 levels in the poultry industry?

Primary breeders, feed mill, breeders, hatchery, grow out farms, processing plants, further processing, transportation and marketing

What is the name of the section of the industry that harvests birds & are inspected by USDA. Carcasses are chilled and packaged for distribution // cut into parts. Specialized operations that receive whole chicken / parts and further process the meat. Steps can include cooking, breading, marinating

Processing plants

Poultry breeds with ___ colored ear lobes lay brown eggs

Red

Increased salt levels can ___ egg production

Reduce

If chicks spend more than a day traveling to the farm, provide water for a couple of hours prior to introducing feed - This allows the chicks to ____

Rehydrate

What breed is part of the American Class, lays brown eggs, production-bred strains lay well

Rhode Island Red

Which endoparasites infect chickens & what are the side effects of these parasites?

Roundworms and tapeworms ; decrease in appetite, diarrhea, death

What are 3 good candidates for bedding?

Sawdust, wood shavings, straw, rice and peanut hulls

Why is it bad to let birds run out of feed?

Slows growth ; need more feed to grow (costs more)

Do layer breeds tend to be small or larger bodied?

Small bodied (so they are undesirable for meat production)

Why do layer breeds have the body type that they have?

So they are undesirable for meat production

It is best to use an abrasive cleaning pad without ___ to clean the eggs

Soap

List the advantages of vertical integration

Style of business that allows for max control of the products produced, hierarchy of needs are met in one company, allows to develop product efficiently and produce high quality product, more cost effective production process and more affordable

Why is brooding a very important period of time for a flock?

Survival depends on how quickly chicks adjust to the farm, mistakes made during brooding may be irreversible and negatively impact performance for the life of the flock

What 3 factors are carefully monitored throughout the egg incubation period?

Temperature, humidity, air quality

Why is free range better for the chicken from a nutritional standpoint?

They have access to external vitamin sources (leaves, bugs, grass). Without this, they are limited to external vitamin sources

Why do chicks pant? What can this lead to?

They pant to evaporate water from their lungs and air sacs ; dehydration

How will chicks congregate if the brooder climate is optimal?

They will be evenly spaced

What is the stage of the industry where chicken products are transported in refrigerated trucks from the processing and further processing plants, and then to the grocery stores, restaurants and other customers.

Transportation & marketing

True or false: if you only have hens, you will see cannibalism occur

True

Opening through which hens lay eggs

Vent

The interlinking of the segments of the poultry industry. Many times, these segments are owned by the same company. This type of ownership is called:

Vertical integration

What 3 things should be prepared in the chicken house before the chicks arrive?

Warm and dry litter (around 91 degrees), water, easy access feed

A large % of a chick is made of ___

Water

Never let chicks run out of ___

Water

What muscle suffers in chickens as a result of rapid growth? What can this lead to?

Weak heart, can lead to heart attacks if they are startled in the latter 1/3 of confinement

When do some roosters feather pick?

While mounting

Poultry breeds with __ colored earlobes lay white eggs

White

What breed is a member of the American class, tends to be docile and dual-purpose. One of the only dual purpose meat breeds

White Plymouth Rock

What breed is a member of the English class & has a broad meaty body

White cornish

What is the most seen cross in poultry production?

White cornish x Plymouth cross

What breed is the basis of commercial egg industry, part of the Mediterranean class, great layer of white eggs

White leghorns

What effect can poor quality feed have on chickens? What is a method of feeding you should use to combat this?

Will cause poor egg production quantity and quality ; always use the first week Pre- starter then give Starter until 21-25 days age and finally Finisher.

It's not necessary to clean out & replace litter until ____ : even if you start with laying-type chicks and keep pallets until they are ___ months or older

You start another flock of chicks ; 18

Hen that sits to lay egg or cover chick, the action of caring for the chick

brood

Who drives the market?

consumers

What is the name of the stage of the poultry industry where newly hatched chicks are transported to growout farms where independent farmers raise them to market weight under contract with the company. company provides the chicks, feed, & any necessary pharmaceuticals. farmer provides the grow out barns, water, bedding, electricity & management skill

grow out farms

Natural process of shedding feathers

molt

IF a chick is uncomfortable during the transportation process it will:

pant with an open beak, make noise, and increase movement

Male chicken (>1 year old)

rooster