The Poultry Industry

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The Poultry Industry

• One of the fastest growing segments of the animal
  industry

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Consumption

• Worldwide consumption of poultry is increasing
• Per capita consumption of broilers is 90 pounds

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Poultry

• generally accepted in most cultures

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Largest Producers

• China
• the countries of the former Soviet Union
• United States

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The Broiler Industry

• Today, almost all of the poultry is raised in
  large operations
• the term broiler refers to chickens which are
  about 7-8 weeks of age and are raised for meat

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The Broiler Industry

• concentrated in the South East
• leading states are Arkansas, Georgia, and Alabama
• majority of broilers raised in this country are
  raised on contract

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Broiler Houses

• raised in large houses where the birds spend most
  of their lives
• designed to provide the ultimate in environmental
  conditions for the comfort of the birds. NOT!!!

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Broiler Houses

• generally lighted 24 hours a day
• helps cut down on cannibalism

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Cannibalism

• according to research, fitting birds with red
  contact lenses helps to decrease cannibalism
• not a common practice because of the cost.

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Broiler Production

• process begins with the production of eggs that
  will be hatched into chicks.
• Parents are selected from breeds that are large
  and muscular

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Broiler Production

• different in appearance from those chickens used
  to produce eggs for consumption
• Layers are selected on their ability to lay eggs

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Broiler Production

• most are white
• colored birds have pigmentation spots in their
  skin which is undesirable to the consumer

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Egg Production

• eggs are expelled from the hens body and the
  embryo develops outside the mothers body.
• Eggs are encased in a hard shell and can weigh
  several ounces

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Egg Production

• the shell is formed in the uterus
• in 18-20 hours the shell is completed and moves
  out of the hens body.

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Egg Production

• hens prefer nesting boxes that are enclosed
• gives the chickens a feeling of security

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Egg Production

• some facilities collect eggs with the use of a
  conveyor belt
• the egg rolls out of the nest box and onto the
  belt

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Egg Production

• eggs must be kept clean and free from
  contamination
• if the egg becomes soiled it will not be used for
  hatching

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Egg Production

• dirt may be easily scrubbed off the egg
• this process can press dirt into the shell and
  removes the protective coating on the egg

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Egg hatching

• eggs are stored at 70-80 degrees until being
  placed in the hatchery
• within 48 hours after incubation begins the
  embryo has developed a circulatory system

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Egg hatching

• circulatory system sustains life by carrying
  nourishment from the yolk to the embryo
• eggs are turned at least two times per day

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Egg hatching

• turning eggs keeps the embryo from sticking to
  the inside of the shell
• by the end of the first week, embryos are
  recognizable as chickens

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Egg hatching

• after two weeks, the chicks are covered with down
• incubation takes about 21 days.

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Egg hatching

• After hatching, chicks are removed from the
  incubator, dried off, cleaned, and placed in a
  warm dry environment.
• The chicks are separated into groups (girl/boy)

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Egg hatching

• At one day of age chicks are vaccinated and the
  beaks are trimmed to prevent canabalism.
• Chicks are then placed in ventilated cardboard
  boxes to be shipped to the broiler house.

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Egg hatching

• Before the chicks arrive at the broiler house it
  must be cleaned and disinfected.
• Fresh bedding is placed in the house.
• Heaters, called brooders are suspended from the
  ceiling to keep the birds warm.

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Egg hatching

• Chicks are usually kept in the broiler house for
  seven to eight weeks.
• At that time they weigh about 4 1/2 pounds and
  are ready for market.

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Egg hatching

• When the broilers are transported to the
  processing plant, the house is again cleaned.
• The bedding is very high in Nitrogen and is used
  for fertilizer, it may also be used as a source
  of protein in cattle rations.

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Layer Industry

• Per capita egg consumption in the U.S. has
  drastically decreased over the past thirty years.
  
• Even with the decrease in demand, the layer
  industry is quite strong.

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Layer Industry

• Over 90 of eggs produced are by layers in cages.
• The most common grouping is four hens per cage.
• Some layers produce brown eggs and some produce
  white eggs.

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Layer Industry

• Most eggs sold in the U.S. are white.

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Layer Industry

• They produce eggs naturally when the days are
  longer than the nights.
• Most operations allow 14 - 15 hours of light per
  day.

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Layer Industry

• As eggs are laid they roll onto a conveyor belt
  where they go to a work room where they are
  cleaned if necessary and refrigerated.

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Layer Industry

• Eggs are coated with a thin coat of mineral oil
  to prevent carbon dioxide from escaping from
  within the egg.
• Eggs are graded according to size and checked for
  cracks and interior spots by candling.

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The turkey industry

• The sale of turkey is second to chicken in the
  overall sale of poultry meat.
• Between 1980 and 1990 turkey consumption
  increased 92 in the U.S.

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The turkey industry

• Turkey represents a high quality, low cost,
  nutritious source of food protein.
• One third of all turkey sales occur during the
  weeks around Thanksgiving and Christmas.

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The turkey industry

• The modern white turkey is a descendant of the
  wild turkey and is result of a mutation which
  left the gene out for feather and skin
  pigmentation.
• Heavy muscled, broad breasted birds have been
  developed.

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The turkey industry

• These highly developed birds are not efficient
  breeders.
• Their legs cant support them when they reach a
  certain size and the weight of their chests makes
  them tip over.

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The turkey industry

• Turkeys are grown in confinement houses and on
  ranges.

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Other poultry

• In some parts of the world ducks and geese make
  up a major portion of the poultry raised and
  consumed.
• This is true in China and Southeast Asia.

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Other poultry

• In some areas quail and pheasant are grown for
  the gourmet food and restaurant market and for
  release in the wild to stock the population for
  hunters.

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The Egg
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Chick Inside the Egg
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21 Day Chick Lifecycle
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Still Growing
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9
10
15
14
16
13
45
Were Almost There
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20
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Day 21 Happy Birthday