 Terms
 Structure
of the Industry
 Production Factors
 Egg production and facts
 Young
Female= Chick or Pullet
 Mature Female= Hen
 Young Intact Male= Chick or Cockeral
 Mature Intact Male= Rooster
 Young Castrated Male= Capon
 Newborns=
chicks
 Act of giving birth= no live birth!
 Meat chicken= broiler
 Egg
Production
 Broiler Production
 Raising Replacement Pullets
 Laying
Hens
 Confined in cages or floor pen system
 Cleaning, grading, and packaging eggs
occurs on farm
 After production cycle, hens are sold
for meat
 Floor
system- gather 3 times a day
 Caged system- automatic egg gatherer
 Rhode Island Red, Leghorns
 5-7
eggs per week
 Keep
hens up to 5 yrs.
 Best production in first 2 years
 Increase light duration and intensity
for onset of egg laying
 Wash
eggs
 Must be clean!
 Dry Cleaning vs. Egg Washing
Machine
 Maintain quality by
 Keep cool
 Keep humid
 65 Degrees F
 Store separately
 They absorb odors!
 Do
you need a rooster for a hen to lay
eggs?
 Nope!!! Chicks are fertilized eggs
 How
are eggs fertilized?
 Internally before they are laid
 Takes 7-10 days for sperm to travel to
ovary
 Lay fertile eggs for about 6-10 days
 How
many eggs does the average
American consume per year????
 256 eggs/year
 1945 average of 403 eggs/year…Why?
 Cholesterol
 Eating Habits-Breakfast anyone????
 Convenience Food
 Two
Eggs Supply
 7% of Calories (75 calories per egg)
 28% Protein
 22% Phosphorus
 10% Iron
 39% Riboflavin
 50% Vitamin B12
 79% Vitamin A
 213 mg of Cholesterol
 Raising
chickens for meat
 High quality rations fed to secure rapid
efficienty gains
 Weight Gain
 Feed Conversion
 Breast Meat Yield
 Carcass Conformation
 Chick Viability
 Disease Resistance
 Grow
in 7-9 weeks
 Slaughtered at 4 lbs.
 Feed Conversion 1.5:1
 Require 1 square foot

Raising chicks for egg production or broiler production
 High
feed efficiency
 Fast return on investment
 Low land requirements
 Mechanized operation
 Disease
and parasites
 Initial capital investment is high
 Limitations of zoning
 Death losses from predators and
stampede
 Waste disposal and odor
#
of farms with laying hens decreased
#
of chickens raised per farm  increased
 Eggs-
Slight decline in popularity
Cholesterol concerns
 Chicken

Meat– Major increase in popularity
Perceived to have less cholesterol than beef/pork
Leading States
Laying Hens & Egg Production
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zbkkkn_P
xE&feature=related

Chick Production
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJ7rrHYmF
iQ

Broiler Production
Trims peak
Machine with
foot pedal
Feeding dish for baby
chicks
Feeding dish for older chicks
Weighs and classifies eggs
Identification tool
Circular, numbered
bands
Watering dish
Watering device
Minimizes waste
Layered chicken cages