Poultry farming

Poultry farming

Poultry farming, raising of birds domestically or commercially, primarily for meat and eggs however conjointly for feathers. Chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese area unit of primary importance, whereas domestic fowl and squabs (young pigeons) are in the main of native interest. This article treats the principles and practices of poultry farming. For a discussion of the food price and process of poultry product, see egg and poultry process.

Commercial Production

·        Feeding

Commercial poultry feeding is a highly perfected science that ensures a maximum intake of energy for growth and fat production. High-quality and well-balanced super molecule sources manufacture a most quantity of muscle, organ, skin, and feather growth. The essential minerals manufacture bones and eggs, with concerning three to four % of the live bird being composed of minerals and ten plc. of the egg. Calcium, phosphorus, sodium, chlorine, potassium, sulfur, manganese, iron, copper, cobalt, magnesium, and zinc are all required. Vitamins A, C, D, E, and K and every one of the B vitamins also are needed. Antibiotics are widely used to stimulate appetite, control harmful bacteria, and prevent disease. For chickens, modern rations produce about 0.5 kg (1 pound) of broiler on about 0.9 kg (2 pounds) of feed and a dozen eggs from 2 kg (4.5 pounds) of feed.

·        Management

A rigorously controlled setting that avoids state of affairs, chilling, heating, or frightening is almost universal in poultry farming. Cannibalism, that expresses itself as toe choosing, feather choosing, and tail choosing, is controlled by debeaking at one day of age and by other management practices. The feeding, watering, egg gathering, and improvement operations are extremely mechanized. Birds are usually housed in wire cages with two or three animals per cage, depending on the species and breed, and three or four tiers of cages superposed to save space. Cages for egg-laying birds have been found to increase production, lower mortality, reduce cannibalism, lower feeding requirements, reduce diseases and parasites, improve culling, and reduce both space and labor requirements

·        Diseases

Poultry are quite susceptible to a number of diseases; some of the more common are fowl typhoid, pullorum, fowl cholera, chronic respiratory disease, infectious sinusitis, infectious coryza, avian infectious hepatitis, infectious synovitis, blue comb, Newcastle disease, fowl pox, avian leukosis complex, coccidiosis, blackhead, infectious laryngotracheitis, infectious bronchitis, and erysipelas. Strict healthful precautions, the intelligent use of antibiotics and vaccines, and the widespread use of cages for layers and confinement rearing for broilers have made it possible to effect satisfactory disease control.

·        Types of Poultry

Ø  Chickens

Mass production of chicken meat and eggs began within the early twentieth century, but by the middle of that century meat production had outstripped egg production as a specialized industry. The marketplace for chicken meat has fully grown dramatically since then, with worldwide exports reaching nearly twelve.5 million metric tons (about 13.8 million tons) by the early 21st century.

Ø Turkeys

After World War II, turkey production became highly specialized, with larger flocks predominating. Turkeys are raised in great numbers in Canada where their ancestors still live wild, as well as in some parts of Europe, the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. A hybrid white turkey dominates business production, while the Broad Breasted Bronze, the Broad Breasted White, the White Holland, and the Beltsville Small White are common breeds for smaller farms. In breeding flocks, one tom is required per 8 or 10 hens, though the modern hybrid turkey is too large for natural breeding and must be artificially inseminated.

Ø Ducks and geese

Duck raising is practiced on a restricted scale in nearly all countries, usually as a small-farm enterprise, though some commercial plants do exist. Ducks are easily transported, can be raised in close confinement, and convert some waste products and scattered grain (e.g., by gleaning rice fields) to nutritious and very desirable eggs and meat. Khaki Campbell and Indian Runner ducks are prolific layers, each averaging 300 eggs per year. The Pekin duck, one of the most popular breeds in the United States, is used for both egg and meat production. Although the white-fleshed Eynesbury was once the favored meat duck in England, disease and market competition from the yellow-fleshed Pekin duck have led to its decline.

Ø Guinea fowl and squabs

Guinea fowl are raised as a sideline on a number of farms in several countries and are eaten up as connoisseur things. In Italy there is a fairly extensive industry. The birds are often raised in yards with open-fronted shelters, and a number of varieties and species are utilized throughout the world. Guinea fowl are marketed in England at 16–18 weeks of age and in the United States at about 10–12 weeks. The market weight is typically regarding 1–1.5 kg (2.5–3.5 pounds), however food conversion is poor.