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Poultry
Animal Husbandry
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| What is the wild ancestor of chickens? | Wild Jungle Fowl of SE Asia :) |
| What are the two types of chickens? What are each used for? | Commercial layers and broiler chickens Egg production and meat production |
| What are four selection characteristics of the commercial layer? | Good liveability + resistance to disease, good feathering, extended egg laying season, docile temperament + absence of broodiness, slow growth rate + light mature weight, efficient food conversion ratio |
| What are four selection characteristics of the broiler chicken? | Good liveability + disease resistance, good feathering, rapid growth rate, good leg health, good food conversion ratio, good conformation, correct flesh colouring |
| Explain the different 'levels' of chicken breeding | Nucleus/elite stock --> grandparent stock --> broiler breeders/parent stock (2 way crossbreed) --> broilers/commercial layers (4 way crossbreed. Ps you should probably be able to draw this :P |
| What is the pyramid effect of chicken farming? | Primary breeder --> Supply parent farms --> Commercial producers - meat/eggs |
| How long does it take from birth --> plate for a broiler chicken? | 6 weeks :( |
| What are the most important things a poultry vet has to deal with on farms? | Bio-security, no new animals - all in-all out, vaccination programs, monitor bird health and productivity |
| What is the system for breeders/parent stock? What is the ratio of cockerels:hens? | Floor based 1:10 |
| How are turkeys mated? | Artificial insemination - MILKED!!!!!!! |
| What is the big problem in the hatchery? | Risk of contamination |
| Automated nest box and collection systems --> eggs collected regularly --> only 'clean' eggs stored in cool room --> THE HATCHERY??? | Egg receiving area --> egg holding area --> egg cooler --> setters (incubators) --> hatcher room --> tray dumping --> chick processing area --> chick holding area --> chick loading area |
| What are the two types of setters (incubators)? | Single stage = all eggs in on day 0, all out day 18 Multi-stage = batches, older eggs 'heat up' younger eggs |
| Describe the egg shell | Calcium carbonate with pores for gas exchange |
| What temperature are incubators? | 37-38oC |
| Humidity is monitored by egg weight loss - what is the maximum weight loss? | 12% |
| What is the purpose of automated egg turning? | Stop the embryo sticking to the shell |
| How long does it take for a chick to hatch? What happens between them being taken out of the incubator (18 days) and hatching? | 21 days Put in flat trays in incubator |
| How do you check the fertility of an egg? What happens to infertile eggs? | Shine a light through the shell Infertiles are taken out otherwise they will explode in the incubator and contaminate others |
| What do chicks do before they hatch? | 'Pip' = peck into the air space in egg |
| How do you sex chicks (ie what is the difference between males and females)? | Look at feathers (fan them out) Males = primaries are the same length as coverts Females = primaries are longer than coverts |
| What happens to the parent stock to make sure they live past 6 weeks? | Their feed is restricted - they get fed one day but skip the next :O or their feed is bulked up with bran husks |
| What are the advantages of restricting the feed of broiler chickens parent stock? | Improved immunity, less skeletal problems and reduced mortality |
| What is the target weight of a broiler chicken after brooding and growing period? | 2.2 kg |
| What is the stocking density of the barn? | 15-18 birds/m2 or approx. 33 kg/m2 |
| What happens to the barn 24 hours before chicks come? | Wind-proofed and insulated, cleaned, litter must be correct depth and quality, pre-heated, feeders and drinkers arranged within easy reach |
| What are the characteristics of good litter? | Absorptive, biodegradable, low dust levels, comfortable, biosecure source, no contaminants |
| Can you use hardwood shavings as litter for broilers? | No - toxic to chickens :O |
| What should the temperature be for broiler houses? Humidity? | Initial = 32oC --> down 2-3oC a weeks --> Final = 21-23oC Humidity = 60-70% |
| What happens when the ventilation is wrong (too hot, too cold, too draughty)? What does good ventilation prevent? | Too hot - chickens around the outside Too cold - chickens huddled together in middle Too draughty - chickens huddled together in a certain place furthest away from draught Good ventilation prevents build-up of noxious gases (eg ammonia from pee) |
| What are the two types of lighting systems? | Continuous day and intermittent |
| What are the two types of waterers? | Nipple drinkers and bell drinkers |
| What are the two types of feeders? | Chain feeders and pan feeders |
| When are chickens fed and what happens to the feeders daily? | Fed ad libitum (constantly) Height adjusted daily (birds getting bigger!!) |
| What are two problems of free range systems? | Bird flu (and other diseases) from wild birds Ectoparasites and worms |
| What are the consequences of incorrect nutrition? | Fall-off in growth rate, excess abdominal fat, excess carcass fat, reduction in breast meat yield, mortality (Ascites, flip-over) |
| Do males and females grow better together or separately? | Separately |
| What vaccinations do chickens get in the hatchery? What age are they? What is the method? | Infectious bronchitis (spray) and Marek's disease (injection) - both at a day old |
| What vaccinations do chickens get on the farm? What age are they? What is the method? | Infectious bursal disease (in water), infectious bronchitis (spray) and Newcastles disease (in water) - all at 2-3 weeks old Infectious bursal disease (in water) - at 4 weeks old |
| What are coccidistat drugs for? | Coccidiosis |
| What are the two main human diseases we can catch off of chickens? | Salmonella and campylobacter |
| What are the two major metabolic diseases of broilers? | Sudden death syndrome (or flip-over) and Ascites |
| How are chickens killed? | Electrically stunned the heads cut off (hot water to get rid of the feathers) |
| What is the European Efficiency Factor? | EEF = Liveability (%) x Liveweight (kg) divided by Age (days) x FCR all multiplied by 100 (to determine how the flock is doing) |
| What is the hatchability of fertile eggs (commercial layers)? | 85% |
| What happens to the male chicks after sexing of the commercial layers? | Culled (only females can produce eggs!!) |
| During the brooding/rearing period (DO - 18 weeks) - what type of production is the floor/cage system suitable for? | Floor system - any type of production Cage system - suitable for layers going into cage production |
| What is the stocking density of a) floor system and b) cage system? | Floor system - week 1 = 40 chicks/m2, week 2 = 30 birds/m2, week 3 = 20 birds/m2, week 4+ = 6-8 birds/m2 Cage system - weeks 1-4 = 50 birds/m2, weeks 4+ = 20 birds/m2 |
| What are the 'feeding systems' of commercial layers? | Chick feed --> grower feed --> pre-lay feed VERY DIFFERENT FROM BROILERS!!! |
| Why are lighting programmes very important for commercial layers? | Controls sexual maturity, encourage growth, achieve recommended weight at onset of lay, produces more eggs as 'always daytime' |
| DON'T increase or decrease number of hours/intensity of lighting during...? | Rearing |
| What are the disease which affect layers? | Mareks disease, Newcastles disease, infectious bronchitis, infectious bursal disease, epidemic tremor (AEV), avian influenza - get vaccinations from DO |
| When is the light reduced to 9 hours a day to stimulate the birds to come into lay? | 18 weeks |
| What is the purpose of beak trimming? | Chickens try to peck spider mites off each other but end up pecking out feathers - if there is blood, they get excited and cannibalise each other :O |
| What are the two methods of beak trimming? What age is it performed at? | Hot blade or infra-red laser (cauterisation) 4-6 days |
| What are the five main parts of the egg? | Shell, membranes, albumen, yolk and air space |
| What happens at the magnum (chickens fallopian tube)? | The embryo receives the albumen |
| What happens at the shell gland (chickens fallopian tube)? | The embryo receives the shell |
| What are a couple of advantages of cages? | Easily controlled environmental conditions, reduced outbreaks of vices due to small colony sizes, good disease control, separation of eggs from faeces, no threat from predators |
| What are a couple of the disadvantages of cages? | Lack of space prevents expression of normal behaviour, confinement leads to weak and broken bones (osteoporosis), feather and foot problems |
| What do enriched cages have that battery cages don't? | Nest - lay eggs in privacy, litter - dust bath, perch space |
| What are the other types of housing for commercial layers (other than cages)? | Barn - deep litter, perchery/aviary, barn and free range |
| From the graph about production targets for commercial layers : what does point of lay, % hen housed and % hen day mean? | Point of lay - 50% of birds have laid their eggs % hen housed - use number of birds in the house to work it out (some will have died) % hen day - ignores mortality |
| What does force-moult mean? | In USA, they remove feed/water and turn lights down to encourage the birds to lose their feathers (in other situations it is a natural process) so that they produce better quality eggs - BAD!!! |
| What are some of the factors affecting performance of commercial layers? | Nutritional programme, temperature and ventilation, lighting programme, housing system, bird health and welfare status |
| What are the three main breeds of turkeys? What one is the most popular commercial breed? | Black Norfolk/Black Spanish, Broad breasted bronze, Broad breasted white (this one is the most popular commercial breed!) |
| What is the production system for turkeys? | Turkey breeders --> hatchery (28 days to hatch) --> DO poults to Grower farms --> after 14-22 weeks Culled and Processed |
| What are the three main selection characteristics of a turkey? | Improved food conversion ratio, increased breast meat yield and meatier thighs, broad-breasted whites |
| What are the three main types of housing for turkeys? | Controlled environment, Pole barn (open sided with fixed windows), Free range (same as pole barn only with access to pasture land) |
| How are hens (female turkeys) artificially inseminated? | Toms/Stags (male turkeys) are milked once a week, the sperm is put into the sperm host glands (junction between vagina and shell gland), sperm remains viable for 2-3 weeks but hens usually inseminated every week |
| What is the stocking density of turkeys? | <38 kg/m2 |
| Did you know that... | ...every year, the President pardons one commercial turkey and it gets to live the rest of it's life in a nice garden!!!! |
| What is the snood (turkeys)? | Fleshy growth on male's nose - usually they are de-snooded at <3 weeks |
| Do turkeys need to be coaxed to feed? | Yes :O |
| What age and weight are turkeys killed at (male and female)? | Male - 20 weeks = 16 kg Female - 14 weeks = 7.5 kg |
| What are the two main welfare issues in laying hens? | Feather pecking and cannibalism, bone fracture |
| What are the two main welfare issues in broilers? | Food restriction and leg problems |
| Remember... | ...Freedom Foods!!! (RSPCA) |
Created by:
Eilidh
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