1. EGGCITED ABOUT POULTRY Middle School Curriculum
By: Jennie Simpson and Dr. Frank Flanders
Georgia Agricultural Education Curriculum Office
Georgia Department of Education
May 2003
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2. CONTENTS Instructions:
Click on a topic of interest below or go through the entire presentation by clicking on the arrows.
What is poultry used for, what types of poultry are there?
Breeds of Chicken.
Differences Between White and Brown Eggs.
Poultry Terms to Know.
Broiler Production.
Layer Production.
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3. What do we use poultry for? Feathers-Down pillows
Thanksgiving Turkey
Eggs- Angel Food Cake
Chicken Nuggets
Feathers-Fish lures
Feathers-Down pillows
Eggs-Medicine
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4. What types of poultry are there?
Geese
Chickens
Turkeys
Ducks
Ratites-Ostriches, Emus
Game Birds

5. Pigeons Are Also Poultry
There is a hobby called Pigeon Racing and hobbyists take it very seriously!
The pigeons are released and use their “homing” instinct, to return home to their “lofts”.
Pigeons are also known as “Thoroughbreds of the Sky”
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6. Chickens Chickens make up the largest sector of the poultry industry.
Consumption of chicken in the U.S. is rising every year.
Why?
Chicken is LOW in fat, HIGH in protein and LOW in cholesterol when compared to meats such as pork and beef.
There are several breeds of chicken used to produce different products and types of eggs.
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7. Used for egg production and produce white eggs
Breeds of Chicken
White Leghorns
Used for egg production and produce white eggs
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8. Used for meat and eggs, produce brown eggs
Breeds of Chicken
Barred Plymouth Rocks
Used for meat and eggs, produce brown eggs
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9. Used for meat and eggs, produce brown eggs
Breeds of Chicken
New Hampshire Reds
Used for meat and eggs, produce brown eggs
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10. Used for meat and eggs, produce brown eggs
Breeds of Chickens
White Plymouth Rocks
Used for meat and eggs, produce brown eggs
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11. What’s the Difference Between Brown Eggs and White Eggs?
White and brown eggs taste the same and have the same nutritive value. Brown eggs are not healthier!
The color difference is due to the breed of the hen.
You can tell what color egg a hen will lay by looking at her feathers and ear lobes.
A hen with WHITE earlobes and feathers will lay WHITE eggs.
A hen with RED feathers and matching earlobes will lay BROWN eggs.
The difference is purely cosmetic….usually, people in the North prefer brown eggs while people in the South like white eggs.
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12. CLICK PICTURES TO ENLARGE
Poultry Terms to Know
CLICK PICTURES TO ENLARGE
Broiler- used mainly for meat. A broiler is a chicken is 6 to 7 weeks of age and weighs 4 pounds when it is sent to market.
Layer-a mature female chicken that produces eggs. Most can lay 300 eggs/year.
Pullet- a young female chicken
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13. CLICK PICTURES TO ENLARGE
Poultry Terms to Know
CLICK PICTURES TO ENLARGE
Capon- a male chicken that has been neutered/castrated, usually 5 to 7 months of age and weigh about 6 pounds. By castrating these males when they are 3 weeks old, their meat is more tender and more flavorful when the bird matures.
Rooster/Cock- a mature male chicken
Cockerel- a male chicken that is less than 1 year old
Spent hen- a hen that is no longer laying
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14. Photos courtesy of USDA
Poultry Terms to Know
Photos courtesy of USDA
Vertical Integration-raising, processing, and distributing poultry is now one continuous chain. A large company is composed of smaller companies that carry out all the processes from manufacturing to distributing. For example, Con Agra is one large company, but they hire growers, hatcheries, distributors, and processors.
1. Hatchery
2. Growout
3. Processing
4. Distribution

15. Broiler Production
Broilers are raised for their meat and they make up most of the chicken products that we eat.
A Broiler’s Story:
I was born in a hatchery…then I was placed in an open chicken house where I ate and drank at free will. The chicken house is big, warm, and well ventilated. I ran around on a big open shavings floor. I was fed a diet that made me grow as efficiently as possible so that the grower wouldn’t waste money on me. My diet has yellow corn, soy, other grains, minerals, vitamins, and medicine to keep us from getting sick. My brothers,sisters, and I were all kept very healthy. When I turned six weeks old and weighed 4 pounds I was sent to market so you can enjoy chicken nuggets and other chicken products.
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16. A B C Broiler Production
Which three states in the U.S. lead in broiler production?
Georgia, Alabama, and Arkansas
Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida
Arkansas, California, and Michigan A B C
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17. What does growing on contract mean? Company (Con Agra, Perdue,etc.)
Broiler Production
Most farmers grow chickens on a contract.
What does growing on contract mean?
Grower
The Grower Supplies:
House
Utilities
Labor
Shavings
Cleaning Supplies
Company (Con Agra, Perdue,etc.)
The Company Supplies:
Chicks
Feed
Medicine
Expertise
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18. Layer Production
Eggcellent!!!!
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19. Layer Production Did you know?
A layer hen in production can lay almost 300 eggs/year and this number is rising! In 1900, hens only laid 100 eggs/year!
Are the eggs you buy in the store fertilized or unfertilized?
They are unfertilized! Hens do not need a rooster to lay eggs.
Can you name some foods that have eggs in them?
Angel food cake, mayonnaise, egg nog, bread, and noodles are just a few products with eggs!
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20. What are the parts of an egg?
Layer Production
What are the parts of an egg?
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21. Eggs can be Grade AA, A, or B
Layer Production
EGG GRADING
Eggs can be Grade AA, A, or B
And
Small, Medium, or Large
Eggs that are misshapen, cracked, or dirty are not sold to the consumer. These eggs are classified as LOSS.
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22. THE END
END

23. Broiler

24. Layer

25. Pullet

26. Capon

27. Cockerel

28. Cock/Rooster

29. Spent Hen
Photo courtesy of CAA

30. CORRECT!!!!

31. A silkie chick-10 weeks old
INCORRECT!!!!
A silkie chick-10 weeks old