SCIENTIFIC CLASSIFICATION OF POULTRY

The place of the poultry industry in U. S. agriculture - Poultry is a term that includes a wide variety of domestic birds of several species - the important commercial poultry species - the combined gross annual income - contributions of the segments to the total value are shown in Figure 18-1 - the broiler segment - turkeys are also increasing and eggs are occupying a smaller portion - poultry are responsible for nearly 11% of all U.S. farm cash receipts (Figure 18-2) and over 22% of animal agriculture’s share of all U.S. farm cash receipts (Figure 18-3)

The poultry sector is growing This is a major industry The poultry sector has both aggressively developed and incorporated technology The broiler industry especially has seized innovation Then, it has made the product convenient and good to eat In so doing, The egg industry It supplies approximately 240 eggs per capita

Purpose of the Poultry Industry in the US Inexpensive sources of protein for human consumption Meat and eggs are among the best protein buys Poultry are the most efficient converters of grain to meat Useful on a worldwide

Historical Perspective Domestication. Cockfighting is generally accepted Cockfighting has been a favored pastime

Columbus In 1607, Small flock keeping began The flock provided meat and eggs to the family The practice began fading in earnest when agriculture began restructuring In 1828, the first Single Comb White Leghorns were imported In 1873 the American Poultry Association was formed In 1874 they issued the first American Standard of Excellence In 1903 the Cornell gasoline brooder was developed

In 1895 the commercial feed industry began in Chicago Integration In 1895 the commercial feed industry began in Chicago By 1934 the USDA began reporting commercial broilers separately from other chickens The production of broiler meat by the broiler industry since 1934 can be seen in Figure 18-10 Improvements in diets, equipment, genetics, flock health, and processing In 1956. Col. Harland Sanders began franchise operations The integrated poultry industry we know today emerged From 1975 till present Combined cash receipts for poultry

Structure and location of the poultry industry The broiler industry Modern broiler production is concentrated Large farms Economies of size A typical integrated broiler company Over 90% of the commercial broilers in the U.S. Approximately 40% of the product The south and southeastern states

Egg production is done in large technologically advanced units The U.S. Egg Industry Egg production is done in large technologically advanced units Egg-producing is concentrated and integrated from hatchery to marketing Geographically, the egg industry is distributed in a pattern somewhat like the human population (Figure 18-15) Other factors are also at play Part of the reason for the dispersed pattern is that eggs require less processing than broilers Figure 18-13. Laying hens and eggs increased until the early 1970’s Since the late 1980’s There are around 900 farms

The turkey industry in the U.S. Turkeys are also produced under integreated structures A major influence on the turkey industry has been further processing It is hard to see the same patterns in the turkey producing industry as can be seen in the broiler industry (Figure 18-18) The U.S. duck, goose and other poultry industries. See Table 18-1

Genetics and breeding programs Breeding poultry is different from breeding of the larger animals It is more flexible It has been the most subjected to modern animal breeding and selection techniques Fewer people

Heterosis is very easy to demonstrate in poultry and it is relied on extensively Poultry breeding programs Inbreeding Outcrossing A variation of outcrossing called strain crossing Poultry breeding today is

Breeds, Varieties, and Strains of Poultry Generally speaking chickens are one of two types: meat type and egg type In order to identify and classify each, they are designated by class, breed, variety, and strain Only a few breeds have a place in the industry

Reproductive Management in Poultry Management for reproductive efficiency When eggs fail to hatch, it may be the breeder flock, the incubation procedures, or any step between Breeder flock management Mating systems in poultry are either Mass mating Pen mating Stud mating

Poultry feeding has changed more than the feeding of any other species Nutrition in Poultry Poultry feeding has changed more than the feeding of any other species Poultry nutrition is also more critical, complicated and thus a greater challenge to the producer, than the other farm species However Economic production Feed is the largest cost in the production of the poultry species Feeding practices across the country Rations are formulated Table 18-3 gives examples of rations

Flock Health Management Disease control is absolutely essential to the poultry industry Luckily, some of the more devastating have been eradicated Never the less, poultry farmers must stay constantly vigilant Biosecurity measures are routinely practiced. The National Poultry Improvement Plan USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service

Nutritional benefits to humans of poultry The proportions of the recommended daily dietary allowance for 25-50 year-old woman on a 2200- calorie diet for eggs and chicken are presented in Table 18-4 Both eggs and poultry meat A complete nutrient analysis is given in Table 18-5

Trends and factors in the poultry industry Turkey consumption and production - increase in production

Broiler production and consumption - There has been an unbroken string of year-over-year increases in broiler production - per capita consumption of broiler meat is steadily increasing (Figure 18-13) - total poultry meat consumption

What are the reasons for increased chicken consumption? Cost advantages The industry has produced increased amounts of chicken for sale This is a major reason that chicken has taken market share However, other factors are also at work Convenience, packaging, shelf-life and taste Fast food

Nutrition and health consciousness The beginning of the decade of the 1980’s Poultry products are good food Chicken and turkey both increased consumption at percentages that rival foods with a “health” connotation

Egg use and consumption Per capita egg consumption in the U.S. is around 240 eggs per capita Egg consumption declined because of Whether right or wrong, the cholesterol scare has hurt the egg-producing part of the poultry industry However, changing eating habits has probably been the most important factor People either skip breakfast Hand held foods Added to the problems of the egg Also, there aren’t many further processed convenient products However, we eat about ten more eggs per capita now than ten years ago

Cholesterol. Cholesterol has been a mainstream issue for over 20 years Early recommendations of some health care professionals to reduce dietary cholesterol Scientists cautioned that the link had not been established A growing body of evidence has been accumulating that dietary levels of cholesterol have very little to do with plasma levels of cholesterol

Food and Safety Concerns Eggs and Salmonella The inside of an egg The number of affected eggs is small with flocks associated with outbreaks tested to have only two or three infected eggs per 10,000 An individual thus has a likelihood of finding an infected egg of about 0.005% Even then the numbers of microorganisms in a properly handled and refrigerated egg However, to be on the safe side

Integration and consolidation All phases of poultry production are and will continue to become more specialized In addition, more integrators may opt to own

Technological innovation and standardization The poultry industry has made the most dramatic advancements in both biology and technical aspects of any of the livestock industries Since 1925, the time for broilers to reach market The amount of feed required It now takes less than two pounds of feed The number of eggs/hen has more than doubled Much of this is due to its willingness to take advantage of modernization and technological innovation Biotechnology will allow us to increase production and efficiency Mechanization

Biotechnology The products of biotechnology that will most help poultry producers In addition such tools are marker assisted selection