EGGCITED ABOUT POULTRY Georgia Department of Education Poultry

EGG-CITED ABOUT POULTRY Georgia Department of Education

Poultry • domestic fowl, such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese.

CONTENTS Instructions: Click on a topic of interest below or go through the entire presentation by clicking on the arrows. 1. What is poultry used for, what types of poultry are there? 2. Breeds of Chicken. 3. Differences Between White and Brown Eggs. 4. Poultry Terms to Know. 5. Broiler Production. 6. Layer Production. PREVIOUS NEXT

Bird Flu • Killer Flu of 1918 in the US • Similar to the Bubonic Plaque in Europe • Last Big Outbreak: Mexico

What do we use poultry for? Thanksgiving Turkey Chicken Nuggets Feathers-Down pillows Eggs- Angel Food Cake Feathers-Fish lures Eggs-Medicine PREVIOUS NEXT

What types of poultry are there? Geese Ratites-Ostriches, Emus Chickens Ducks Turkeys Game Birds

Pigeons Are Also Poultry There is a hobby called Pigeon Racing and hobbyists take it very seriously! The pigeons are released and use their “homing” instinct, to return home to their “lofts”. Pigeons are also known as “Thoroughbreds of the Sky” PREVIOUS NEXT

Chickens • Chickens make up the largest sector of the poultry industry. • Consumption of chicken in the U. S. is rising every year. Why? • Chicken is LOW in fat, HIGH in protein and LOW in cholesterol when compared to meats such as pork and beef. • There are several breeds of chicken used to produce different products and types of eggs. PREVIOUS NEXT

Breeds of Chicken White Leghorns Used for egg production and produce white eggs PREVIOUS NEXT

Breeds of Chicken Barred Plymouth Rocks Used for meat and eggs, produce brown eggs PREVIOUS NEXT

Breeds of Chicken New Hampshire Reds Used for meat and eggs, produce brown eggs PREVIOUS NEXT

Breeds of Chickens White Plymouth Rocks Used for meat and eggs, produce brown eggs PREVIOUS NEXT

What’s the Difference Between Brown Eggs and White Eggs? • White and brown eggs taste the same and have the same nutritive value. Brown eggs are not healthier! • The color difference is due to the breed of the hen. • You can tell what color egg a hen will lay by looking at her feathers and ear lobes. • A hen with WHITE earlobes and feathers will lay WHITE eggs. • A hen with RED feathers and matching earlobes will lay BROWN eggs. • The difference is purely cosmetic…. usually, people in the North prefer brown eggs while people in the South like white eggs. PREVIOUS NEXT

Poultry Terms to Know CLICK PICTURES TO ENLARGE Broiler- used mainly for meat. A broiler is a chicken is 6 to 7 weeks of age and weighs 4 pounds when it is sent to market. Layer-a mature female chicken that produces eggs. Most can lay 300 eggs/year. Pullet- a young female chicken PREVIOUS NEXT

Poultry Terms to Know CLICK PICTURES TO ENLARGE Capon- a male chicken that has been Rooster- a mature neutered/castrated, usually 5 to 7 male chicken months of age and weigh about 6 pounds. By castrating these males when they are 3 weeks old, their meat is more tender and more flavorful when the bird matures. Cockerel- a male chicken that is less than 1 year old Spent hen- a hen that is no longer laying PREVIOUS NEXT

Poultry Terms to Know Photos courtesy of USDA Vertical Integration-raising, processing, and distributing poultry is now one continuous chain. A large company is composed of smaller companies that carry out all the processes from manufacturing to distributing. For example, Con Agra is one large company, but they hire growers, hatcheries, distributors, and processors. 1. Hatchery 2. Growout 3. Processing 4. Distribution

Broiler Production Broilers are raised for their meat and they make up most of the chicken products that we eat. A Broiler’s Story: I was born in a hatchery…then I was placed in an open chicken house where I ate and drank at free will. The chicken house is big, warm, and well ventilated. I ran around on a big open shavings floor. I was fed a diet that made me grow as efficiently as possible so that the grower wouldn’t waste money on me. My diet has yellow corn, soy, other grains, minerals, vitamins, and medicine to keep us from getting sick. My brothers, sisters, and I were all kept very healthy. When I turned six weeks old and weighed 4 pounds I was sent to market so you can enjoy chicken nuggets and other chicken products. PREVIOUS NEXT

Broiler Production Which three states in the U. S. lead in broiler production? A. Georgia, Alabama, and Arkansas B. Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida C. Arkansas, California, and Michigan A B C PREVIOUS NEXT

Broiler Production Most farmers grow chickens on a contract. What does growing on contract mean? Grower The Grower Supplies: Company (Con Agra, Perdue, etc. ) House The Company Supplies: Utilities Chicks Labor Feed Shavings Medicine Cleaning Supplies Expertise PREVIOUS NEXT

Layer Production Eggcellent!!!! PREVIOUS NEXT

Layer Production Did you know? A layer hen in production can lay almost 300 eggs/year and this number is rising! In 1900, hens only laid 100 eggs/year! Are the eggs you buy in the store fertilized or unfertilized? They are unfertilized! Hens do not need a rooster to lay eggs. Can you name some foods that have eggs in them? Angel food cake, mayonnaise, egg nog, bread, and noodles are just a few products with eggs! PREVIOUS NEXT

Layer Production What are the parts of an egg? NEXT PREVIOUS

Layer Production EGG GRADING Eggs can be Grade AA, A, or B And Small, Medium, or Large Eggs that are misshapen, cracked, or dirty are not sold to the consumer. These eggs are sold to the food industry. PREVIOUS NEXT

COMMON CHICKEN DISEASES AND TREATMENTS -Serious illness is unlikely in a backyard flock, especially if you vaccinate the chickens. - Chickens in large scale productions can spread disease quickly. -Diseases can spread from wild birds and pests to chickens

Avian Pox/Fowl Pox: Symptoms: White spots on skin; combs turn into scabby sores; white membrane and ulcers in mouth. laying stops; all ages affected. How contracted: Viral disease; mosquitoes, other chickens with pox Treatment: warm dry quarters, soft food; many birds with good care will survive. Vaccine available: Yes; recovered birds are immune and do not carry the disease.

Botulism: Symptoms: Tremors quickly progressing to paralysis of body, including breathing; feathers pull out easily; death in a few hours. How contracted: Caused by a bacterial byproduct and by eating or drinking botulism-infected food or water Treatment: Antitoxin available from vet but expensive. If found early try 1 teaspoon Epsom salts dissolved in 1 ounce warm water dripped into mouth Vaccine available: None; locate and remove source, usually decaying carcass, meat near water, or insects that fed on the meat or the water the carcass is in.

Chicken Anatomy