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Animal, Plant & Soil Science
Lesson C7-10
The Poultry Industry
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Interest Approach
think of reasons the eggs may be different.
3
What are the major birds classified as poultry?
Poultry is the group name for all
domesticated birds used for meat,
eggs, or feathers.
Poultry is also referred to as birds
and fowl.
These birds have wings, backbones, and feathers; some can even swim.
A. The main group of poultry is chickens.
Chickens are the largest segment of the poultry industry.
These birds are raised for meat and eggs.
Many types and breeds of chickens exist.
Many chickens are raised in commercial settings.
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What are the major birds classified as poultry?
B. Turkeys are the next largest
division of the poultry industry.
Turkeys are raised for meat products.
The white meat from turkeys is
consumed widely in the United States.
C. The third sector of the poultry
industry is ducks.
Meat, eggs, down, and feathers are the main products.
Down is the soft, feathery covering that grows under the feathers.
In the United States, ducks and duck products are not used or consumed as much as
chickens and turkeys.
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What are the major birds classified as poultry?
D. Geese are raised for several reasons.
Meat, eggs, feathers, and down are the main products from geese.
Geese provide specialized meat/food products for special occasions.
They are also used for weeding fields.
E. Some other birds are classified as poultry but are not produced in numbers as large as
the birds mentioned previously.
These include peafowl, swans, ratites, and guinea fowl.
Several species are raised for specialized products.
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What are the proper terms used in describing poultry, and what are the external
parts of poultry?
To discuss poultry, familiarity with common terms is important.
A. Chickens are classified as layers or broilers.
Layers are chickens used to produce large quantities of eggs.
Some eggs are used for food, and other eggs are used to produce chicks.
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What are the proper terms used in describing poultry, and what are the external
parts of poultry?
Spent hens are hens that are no longer laying.
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These hens will go to the meat market and will be used for processed foods.
Soups and baked chicken commonly use meat from spent hens.
Broilers are six- to
seven-week-old
chickens weighing
about 4 pounds that
are used for meat
because they are
tender.
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What are the proper terms used in describing poultry, and what are the external
parts of poultry?
B. Chickens are grouped by sex
and age.
A baby chicken of either sex is a chick.
A young male chicken is a cockerel.
A castrated (neutered) male chicken
is a capon.
A mature male chicken is a rooster.
A young female chicken is a pullet.
A mature female chicken is a hen, as is a mature female duck, turkey, or pheasant.
A miniature chicken is a bantam.
A group of chickens is a flock.
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What are the proper terms used in describing poultry, and what are the external
parts of poultry?
C. Turkeys are grouped by sex and age.
An adult male turkey is a tom or a gobbler.
A mature female is a hen.
A young turkey of either sex is a poult.
Commonly, a young turkey is called a tom poult or a hen poult.
A group of turkeys is a flock.
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What are the proper terms used in describing poultry, and what are the external
parts of poultry?
D. Ducks have down that grows under the feathers.
A drake is a mature male duck.
A hen is a mature female duck.
A duckling is a young duck of
either sex.
E. A young goose is a gosling.
A male goose at maturity is a gander.
A female goose at maturity is a goose or a hen.
When not flying, a group of geese is a gaggle.
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What are the proper terms used in describing poultry, and what are the external
parts of poultry?
F. Externally, most birds are very
similar.
Features on the head and neck help
identify them.
Breeds of birds have different colored
shanks, and pigments
are different if the
hen has been laying eggs.
Ducks and geese live around water and can swim.
Thus, the external structures of their feet are different from those of chickens and
turkeys that cannot swim.
Male birds typically have larger head features, such as the knob in geese, the comb in
chickens, and the beard in turkeys.
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What are the proper terms used in describing poultry, and what are the external
parts of poultry?
13
What are the different classes, breeds, and varieties of chickens?
There are more than 300 breeds and varieties of chickens.
A breed is a group of animals of the same origin with similar characteristics that
differentiate them from other breeds within the same species.
A variety is a subdivision of a breed.
With poultry, a variety may have a distinguishing color, a particular comb size or type, or
a beard.
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What are the different classes, breeds, and varieties of chickens?
A strain is a population within a
variety that possesses common
traits.
Commercial poultry producers use
strains for specific purposes in
production.
A group of birds developed in the same geographic area is categorized as a particular
class.
In the United States, chickens are commonly grouped into four main classes.
The classes are Mediterranean, American, English, and Asiatic.
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What are the different classes, breeds, and varieties of chickens?
A. Common Mediterranean breeds:
1. Leghorns are a common
breed used for egg laying.
Leghorns prefer to wander
around and are good foragers.
They are known for their ability to take flight.
Leghorns produce white eggs.
They express yellow skin, yellow shanks, white earlobes, and reddish-bay eyes.
Leghorns are the most popular breed, with 12 common varieties and the highest
production numbers in the United States.
The White Leghorn is a popular variety.
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What are the different classes, breeds, and varieties of chickens?
2. Minorcas are the largest of the Mediterranean breeds.
They have long tails and large, wide
feathers.
Minorcas also have a large comb.
The Black Minorca is a popular variety.
Minorcas produce white eggs.
They express white skin, dark slate shanks, white earlobes, and brown eyes.
Because of their narrow bodies, they are typically not raised for their meat.
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What are the different classes, breeds, and varieties of chickens?
3. Andalusians have a distinctive blue color produced by the breeding of a black
Andalusian and a white Andalusian.
Birds of this breed are small in frame, are active, and are rarely seen in large numbers.
They produce white eggs.
They express white skin; dark, slaty blue shanks; white earlobes; and reddish-bay eyes.
Blue Andalusian birds are typically raised for their beauty and for ornamental purposes.
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What are the different classes, breeds, and varieties of chickens?
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B. Common American breeds:
1. Plymouth Rocks are used
for meat and egg production.
They have broad backs and
deep, full breasts.
Other external characteristics are yellow skin, yellow shanks, red earlobes, and reddishbay eyes.
Females are primarily used as commercial broilers.
Popular varieties are Barred Plymouth Rocks and White Plymouth Rocks.
The breed lays brown eggs.
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What are the different classes, breeds, and varieties of chickens?
2. New Hampshires are known as medium-sized meat chickens.
They are average egg layers.
chickens and make good
New Hampshires are aggressive
mothers.
Their color is a medium to light red.
They lay brown eggs.
Hampshires have yellow skin, yellow shanks, red earlobes, and reddish-bay eyes.
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What are the different classes, breeds, and varieties of chickens?
3. Rhode Island Reds have two varieties: single and rose comb.
They are known for being hardy,
with the ability to produce
eggs, despite a poor diet and
poor housing.
The Rhode Island Red is a dual-purpose breed, raised for meat and eggs.
The breed is dark red and lays brown eggs.
Rhode Island Reds have yellow skin, yellow shanks, red earlobes, and reddish-bay eyes.
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What are the different classes, breeds, and varieties of chickens?
C. Common English breeds:
1. Cornish chickens are known as the ultimate meat birds.
The arrangement and development of muscles give the carcass excellent shape.
There are four common varieties of Cornish chickens: Dark, White, White Laced Red,
and Buff.
Cornish chickens have broad bodies and widely spaced legs.
They do not perform well in the cold and do need protection.
Cornish chickens like to move around and need space to exercise and develop their
muscles.
They lay brown eggs.
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What are the different classes, breeds, and varieties of chickens?
2. Australorp chickens are good layers and are considered one of the best dual-purpose
birds.
They are black with dark eyes.
The breed lays tinted eggs.
Australorp chickens are
used in the production
of crossbreeds.
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What are the different classes, breeds, and varieties of chickens?
D. Common Asiatic breeds:
1. Brahmas are commonly used for meat production and crossbreeding purposes.
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Brahmas lay brown eggs.
There are three varieties of Brahmas: Light, Dark, and Buff. They have a large structure
and yet are gentle.
They possess an intricate color pattern.
2. The Cochin is another Asiatic breed.
There are four varieties: Black, Buff, Partridge, and White.
Cochins have yellow skin and lay brown eggs.
They are known for their excellent mothering ability and are typically used as
ornamental birds.
In appearance, they are described as big, fluffy balls of feathers.
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What are different breeds of turkeys, ducks, and geese?
important when deciding
Knowing breeds of poultry is
what types of birds to raise on
a farm.
A. There are several varieties of
turkeys.
These varieties are Bronze, Narragansett, Black, Slate, Bourbon Red, Royal Palm, and
White.
Most turkeys raised for meat are of the White variety.
The poultry industry has pushed for large, white turkeys for meat production.
Broad-Breasted Large Whites are the most commonly grown birds in the United States.
They were developed from crosses.
The males have black beards, and all birds have white feet, beaks, and shanks.
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What are different breeds of turkeys, ducks, and geese?
B. Some duck breeds are used for
meat and others are used for eggs.
1. Duck breeds used for meat
include the Call, Swedish, Rouen,
White Pekin, Aylesbury, Muscovy,
and Cayuga.
White Pekins are the most commonly used birds for meat production in the United
States.
White Pekins originated in China and weigh 8 pounds at maturity.
They produce excellent carcasses and have yellow skin with white feathers.
They are nervous birds that produce white-tinted eggs.
2. Egg-laying breeds include the Khaki Campbell and the Indian Runner.
The Khaki Campbell is used in some countries for commercial egg production.
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What are different breeds of turkeys, ducks, and geese?
C. Geese raised in the United States are used for meat, eggs, feathers, down, and
the weeding of crops.
The five most common breeds of
geese are the
Toulouse, Embden,
White Chinese, Pilgrim, and African.
The Toulouse, Embden, White Chinese,
and Pilgrim are good for
meat production purposes.
Toulouse geese are gray in color and are the largest in size.
Embden and White Chinese geese are considered the best of the medium-sized
carcasses, have rapid growth rates, and have heavy coats of white or nearly white
feathers.
Pilgrim males are creamy white, whereas the females are olive-gray.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of poultry production?
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Poultry production has several
advantages and disadvantages.
A. The advantages of raising
poultry are:
1. Capital investment is usually
low compared to other
livestock operations.
In controlled environment operations, because of the birds’ size, little land or building
space is required.
2. Caged birds decrease labor for the producer.
3. Current genetics in all breeds have improved over the years, allowing for better meat
and egg production.
4. The opportunity exists to contract with a large company.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of poultry production?
5. Producers provide wholesome
poultry products to the consumer.
6. Jobs are provided throughout
the poultry industry.
7. Small flocks are still present, just not as many as 50 years ago.
These operations serve as hobby farms.
They have opportunities in niche markets for free-range birds.
8. Poultry provides opportunities for FFA and 4-H projects.
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What are the advantages and disadvantages of poultry production?
B. The disadvantages of raising poultry are:
1. Because of vertical integration, large operations have taken control of production in
many segments of the poultry industry.
2. Large operations require housing and equipment.
Capital investment increases.
3. Disease outbreaks can destroy an entire flock.
4. Nutritional diseases and deficiencies are common in poultry. Good nutrition
management is critical in poultry production.
5. A small operation’s labor is higher than in other livestock ventures because of the cost
of gathering eggs.
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What are the leading states and nations in poultry production, and what are the
major export and import markets for the United States?
Statistics show the leading states and nations in poultry production and the major export
and import markets for the United States.
A. The leading states,
based on poultry/egg cash
receipts for 2009, are the
following: (1) Georgia,
(2) Arkansas, (3) Alabama, (4) North Carolina, (5) Mississippi, (6) Texas, (7) Delaware, (8)
Missouri, (9) South Carolina, (10) Virginia.
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What are the leading states and nations in poultry production, and what are the
major export and import markets for the United States?
The top 10 egg producing states (2009) are the following: (1) Iowa, (2) Ohio, (3) Indiana,
(4) Pennsylvania, (5) California, (6) Texas, (7) Florida, (8) Nebraska, (9) Minnesota, (10)
Georgia.
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What are the leading states and nations in poultry production, and what are the
major export and import markets for the United States?
B. The top 10 states in production of young meat chickens for harvest (2009) are the
following: (1) Georgia, (2) Arkansas, (3) Alabama, (4) North Carolina, (5) Mississippi, (6)
Texas, (7) Delaware, (8) Missouri, (9) South Carolina, (10) Virginia.
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The top 10 turkey producing states (2009) are the following: (1) Minnesota, (2) North
Carolina, (3) Arkansas, (4) Virginia, (5) Missouri, (6) California, (7) Indiana, (8)
Pennsylvania, (9) South Carolina, (10) Iowa.
California is the leader in organic poultry production, and New York is second.
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What are the leading states and nations in poultry production, and what are the
major export and import markets for the United States?
C. The leading chicken producing nations (2009) are the following: (1) United States, (2)
Brazil, (3) Mexico, (4) India, (5) United Kingdom, (6) Spain, (7) Indonesia, (8) Japan, (9)
France, (10) Russia.
The leading nations in hen egg production (2009) are the following: (1) China, (2) United
States, (3) India, (4) Japan, (5) Russia, (6) Mexico, (7) Brazil, (8) France, (9) Indonesia,
(10) Turkey.
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What are the leading states and nations in poultry production, and what are the
major export and import markets for the United States?
D. The leading nations in turkey meat production (2009) are the following: (1) United
States, (2) France, (3) Germany, (4) Italy, (5) United Kingdom.
The leading nations in duck meat production (2009) are the following: (1) France, (2)
Malaysia, (3) Vietnam, (4) Thailand, (5) India.
The leading nations in goose meat production (2009) are the following: (1) Hungary, (2)
Egypt, (3) Taiwan, (4) Poland, (5) Madagascar.
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What are the leading states and nations in poultry production, and what are the
major export and import markets for the United States?
E. The leading U.S. broiler export markets (2009) are the following: (1) Russia, (2) Hong
Kong, (3) Latvia, (4) Mexico, (5) Japan, (6) Canada, (7) Lithuania, (8) Cuba, (9) Ukraine,
(10) Taiwan.
The leading U.S. turkey export markets (2009) are the following: (1) Mexico, (2) China, (3)
Russia, (4) Canada, (5) Hong Kong, (6) Taiwan, (7) Panama, (8) Greece, (9) Korea, (10)
Haiti.
Japan is the largest market for egg product exports.
Canada and Mexico are also markets for egg product exports. U.S. poultry imports are
only a very small percentage compared with exports.
The major supplier is Canada.
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How does the poultry industry affect the economy?
gone through major
The poultry industry has
changes in the past several
years.
Vertical integration has
allowed the poultry industry to increase largesized farms and to produce more poultry products by reducing labor and by improving
overall efficiency.
The poultry industry has gained acceptance from health-conscious people who eat more
chicken because of its leanness and nutritional value.
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How does the poultry industry affect the economy?
A. Approximately 99 percent of all broilers are produced under contract.
Company-owned farms have
allowed U.S. poultry
producers to reduce costs and
improve efficiency through
scientific advancements,
improved technology, and greater
management/health control of birds.
All stages are controlled to utilize resources and facilities with maximum efficiency in the
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production of more uniform birds.
Controlled environmental buildings have allowed improved feed conversions and better
livability.
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How does the poultry industry affect the economy?
a huge impact on the
B. Avian influenza has had
poultry industry and will
continue to do so.
Poultry industry groups continue to educate the public and media to ensure the safety
and quality of U.S. poultry meat and egg products.
Poultry imports to the United States are minimal, with Canada being our main supplier.
As global markets continue to rebound from 2004 Avian influenza and disease
outbreaks, the United States continues to be a huge exporter of quality, healthy poultry
products.
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How does the poultry industry affect the economy?
C. Poultry niche markets are becoming popular in urban areas.
The demand for free-range,
antibiotic-free, and/or organic
birds/eggs is increasing.
Organic consumers want more
poultry products.
Specialized farms are growing in numbers to meet the demand.
Efficiency factors are critical in specialized production, which challenges the industry and
the producer.
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How does the poultry industry affect the economy?
D. Currently, we
consume about 81
pounds of chicken per
person per year, making
poultry a popular selection
for the dinner table.
The United States produces about 75 billion eggs per year.
That is about 10 percent of the world egg supply.
The poultry industry is important to the U.S. economy.
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How does the poultry industry affect the economy?
As the poultry industry
continues to provide highquality meat and egg
products, demands for
poultry will remain strong,
and exports will rise.
Poultry industry groups, such as the National Chicken Council and the American Egg
Board, will have to meet the challenges of continuing education for consumers and
producers.
42
Review
What are the major birds classified as poultry?
What are the proper terms used in describing poultry, and what are the external parts of
poultry?
What are the different classes, breeds, and varieties of chickens?
43
Review
What are different breeds of turkeys, ducks, and geese?
What are the advantages and disadvantages of poultry production?
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44
Review
What are the leading states and nations in poultry production, and what are the major
export and import markets for the United States?
How does the poultry industry affect the economy?
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