C HAPTER 9 MEANING AND PURPOSE OF POULTRY RAISING Poultry Farming is the raising of domesticated birds such as chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese, for the purpose of farming meat or eggs for food. Poultry are farmed in great numbers with chickens being the most numerous.

T YPES OF POULTRY RAISING 1.Intensive and alternative poultry farming. According to the Worldwatch Institute, 74 percent of the worlds poultry meat, and 68 percent of eggs are produced in ways that are described as intensive. One alternative to intensive poultry farming is free-range farming, however, this method of husbandry also uses large flock sixes in hign stocking densities.

2. FREE - RANGE LAYING HENS Free- range poultry farming allows the birds to roam freely for a period of the day, although they are usually confined in sheds at night to protect them from predators or kept indoors if they weather is particularly bad. Free-range farming has come under criticism concerning animal welfare.

3. EGG - LAYING CHICKENS Commercial hens usually begin laying eggs at weeks of age, although production gradually declines soon after from approximately 25 weeks of age. This means that in many countries, by approximately 72 weeks of age, flocks are considered economically unviable and are slaughtered after 12 months. Environmental conditions are often automatically controlled in egg-laying systems.

4. B REEDER HEN FARM This poultry operation is primarily involved in hatching egg production. Generally, a farm will receive pullets(young hens) when the pullets are approximately 20 to 22 weeks old. These hens will remain on the farm and in egg production for approximately 43 to 46 continuous weeks, at the end of which, they will be picked up and taken to slaughter.

M EAT PRODUCING CHICKEN INDOORS BROILERS Meat chickens commonly called broilers, are floor raised on litter such as wood shavings or rice hulls, indoors in climate-controlled housing. Under modern farming methods, meat chickens reared indoors reach slaughter weight at 5 to 6 weeks of age. Broilers are not raised in cages. They are raised in large, open structure known as growout houses.

B ROILER FARM Broiler farm is a farm that is involved in the production of poultry for meat. Baby chickens are delivered to the farm at one day of age and are generally kept 5 to 9 weeks. After this time the broilers are removed from the farm to harvest for meat. Pay on broilers is on pound of meat-produced basis and has many variances for the pay formula.

P ULLET FARM This poultry operation produces young hens for the breeder hen operation. A farm will receive baby female chickens. These chickens are raised continuously for approximately 20 to 22 weeks until then they are picked up and taken to a breeder hen farm. The farm will typically have “out-time” of 10 to 14 days of maintenance or cleanout.

T HE CHICKEN : CLASSES, BREEDS AND VARIETIES The chicken is the most exploited species of poultry, which is utilized for food production in the whole world. Scientific researchers have been done on this species for past centuries and it is still the focus of the present and future experimentation. In the Philippines chickens rank first, while ducks rank second in economic importance as source of meat and eggs.

B REED OF CHICKEN CAN BE CLASSIFIED BY ITS UTILITY :

E GG CLASS The breed belonging to this class is characterized by their comparatively small size. They lay large white shelled eggs, very active and nervous in temparament. They are non- sitters. The earlier selection of genetics for this class showed record of early maturity that may not necessarily be true with the modern breeds under this class.

M EAT CLASS This class belong the breeds that are large, slow movement, quiet and gentle in disposition. Genetics of the past described them as relatively slow maturing which may not hold true anymore with the present meat breeds. They are generally poorer egg layers and generally lay brown shelled eggs.

G ENERAL PURPOSE CLASS Breeds of chicken in this class are medium sized good layers and the young are fast growers. They are not as nervous as the egg class but much more active than the meat class. The general purpose breeds had its popularity period when the idea of the poultry breeder was to hit both products of eggs and meat in one kind of breed.

F ANCY CLASS The breeds under this class may be characterized as possessing decided beauty of plumage or form of having a rare unusual appearance. Most of them are raised chiefly as ornamentals or pets by hobbyists, regardless of their value as source of food.

F IGHTING CLASS Since this sport is now legalized in the Philippines it should revolutionalize our original vision that fighting cock breeds has no place for our study. There are groups of this kind of chickens now developed by national and international aficionados in this game.

C LASSIFICATION OF POULTRY

1. DUCKS Ducks are outdoor birds that do well with a simple shelter. You don’t have need a pond. They require protection from predators bur a basic shelter where they escape the worst ot the weather is adequate.

2. GEESE Geese are generally hardy and easy to manage. They are usually gregarious and prefer to live in flocks. Simple structures are adequate to protect them from the weather. As long as they well fed, their natural insulation protects them. In a winter storm, they may be out looking around while other fowl are sheltered indoors.

3. SWANS Swans like geese, are primarily grazers. They prefer to have water around for swimming. Supplement waterfowl diet with alfalfa pellets and grain or commercial waterfowl formulations.

4. TURKEY Turkey normally like to roam around the shelter.

5. PEAFOWL Peafowl more commonly peacocks (?males) and peahens (females) are the largest of the pheasant family. Males weigh up to 15 pounds, tails extended longer than 6 feet, and wingspan measures 4 feet. They are excellent flyers and will roost high up.

6. PHEASANTS Pheasants, quail, partridge, and chukars can be incubated from eggs or purchased as chicks. Pheasants are originally from Asia and chukars are the national bird of Pakistan, but they manage well in North America. Breeders offer raise them for release as game birds.

Submitted by: RIANO, EDISON BSE-TLE III SUBMITTED TO: MR. RYAN ANGELES PROFESSOR