Poultry

• Incubation and hatching requires

  Heat+ humidity+ rotation
• Categories within poultry 


  Landfowl (Galliformes) and waterfowl ( Anseriformes)

  Landfowl- chickens,turkeys, quail

  Waterfowl-ducks, geese
• Ways of hatching eggs

  Hen hatching, incubators- small and large scale
• chicken incubation days


  21
• turkey incubation days


  28
• rearing of chicks 


  precocious - self sufficient from birth
• important features of chick rearing

  heat source

  nutrition
• nutrition

  omnivores by nature - formulated diets for target species, age and purpose

  growers mash- high in protein

  layers pellets- high in calcium

  whole grains not nutritionally balanced - mixed corn

  grit - soluble - calcium and insoluble- used for physical digestion

  water
• housing of chicks

  five welfare needs

  perch and nest boxes
• housing of chicks waterfowl 


  just need a deep nest/ bed
• socialisation of poultry

  social flock animals, no optimum group size depends on available resources

  • very hierarchical - the pecking order
  • multiple males- fighting and competition
• natural behaviours- dust bathing 


  maintains plumage via -

  • absorbing excess oils and moisture
  • controls parasites
  • social activity?
• natural behaviour scratching (poultry) 


  innate behaviour

  • foraging
  • preparing dust bath
  • preparing nest
  • present from birth
  • if absent can lead to scratching others and aggression
• natural behaviours waterfowl- open water - ( poultry)

  • maintenance of plumage
  • Cleaning nostrils eyes etc
  • minimun is being able to submerge head - but no legal requirement in uk
• sectors of poultry

  chickens

  • layers
  • broilers
  • pet

  turkey

  ducks
• commercial layers 


  10 million birds hatched in uk one month= 190 eggs per person per year

  • slower growing
  • lighter - 1.8kg at 1 year
  • niche - efficient at laying eggs - 310 a year
• commercial broilers 


  123 million birds hatched in the uk in 1 month,

  • faster growing, heavy - 2.5 kg at 8 weeks
  • niche- efficient at growing muscle
• commercial lifespans of chickens 


  layers- start laying at 18 weeks and slaughtered at end of first laying cycle 72 weeks

  broilers - 6 weeks
• laying systems - poultry


  • free range - 65%
  • barn - 7% - aviary multitier system
  • caged -28%
• comply caged system - poultry 


  have perches and scratch mats - kept in slightly larger groups - slowly phased in - newer units
• free range system - poultry


  • express social behaviours
  • natural behaviours - scratching and dust baths
• broiler chickens systems - poultry 


  free range - 10%

  barn - 90%
• broiler chicken - poultry

  natural behaviours - perches , given enrichment - minimal - things hanging from ropes for them to peck at. No nest boxes

  socialisation - large numbers

  housing - 44,000- large numbers

  corn and wheat fed- poorer quality feed?

  has to be kept warm constantly
• pet chickens sector- poultry


  plastic coops - easier to clean and remove parasites or wooden

  • various species or retired laying hens
• turkeys and ducks -poultry

  5th and 6th produced meat
• turkey - poultry

  within landfowl family

  but seasonal differences- the Christmas effect - large increase of turkeys before Christmas
• sub sectors or turkey production - poultry

  non seasonal - focus on size, bigger and speed

  white breeds

  sold to make - minced, burgers, steaks

  generally all barn reared

  seasonal - size smaller - fit in oven and flavour

  heritage- bronze or black breeds

  sold as carcass, crowns for roasting

  mix of barn reared and free range
• ducks - poultry

  uk is a small producer of duck meat - 0.5% of global pop

  enormous producer of duck genetic material - 60% of global production - uk sells breeding ducks
• the cherry valley duck - poultry

  dual purpose - produce 300 eggs/ cycle (50w)

  meat- 3.5kg in 6 weeks
• duck systems- poultry

  • free range 5%
  • Barn- 95%
• ducks barn system - poultry.

  • socialisation- kept in large numbers
  • natural behaviours-caged water so cannot submerge whole head - open water can be source of disease - due to them defecting in it and drinking it
• significance to environmental sustainability and ecological health

  cows produce high CO2 emissions unlike chickens so may lead to inc in poultry use