Poultry Slaughter

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the term poultry pertains to:

• turkeys

• ducks/geese/swans

• pigeons

• guinea fowl

• pheasants

• quail

• ratites (emus and ostriches)

globally, poultry production provides:

high-quality, affordable animal protein, a high chance for investment, job opportunities, and a source of income for smallholders worldwide

what makes birds so different?

• feathers

• they don’t have teeth

• they lay eggs

• float on water and fly

• waste excreted from only one orifice

birds have pneumatic bones. what are these?

bones that are hollow and hold air

label the fowl digestive tract

what makes chicken so popular as a food?

• high-quality proteins/amino acids

• low fat

• less expensive than other meats

• easy to prepare

• they also lay eggs

chickens dressing percentage

70%

why are most eggs and poultry produced in the southeast of the US?

due to temperature and availability of grain

some top producing states: georgia, arkansas, alabama, texas, mississippi

what age are broilers slaughtered?

6-8 weeks old

broilers are inspected twice around the time of slaughter:

• antemortem (live)

• postmortem (dead)

what is the name of the item that is used in smaller operations which restrains the bird and allows for easy access to the neck?

poultry killing cone

fill in the blank

Marek’s disease

a highly contagious viral disease of poultry, especially chickens.

Known to cause tumors which can lead to paralysis and death

TX: none

prevention: vaccinations

typically a disease of young chickens

avian influenza

• a federally regulated virus that causes nasal discharge, a swollen head, and discoloration of the comb and waddle

• high mortality rate

• no treatment - flock must be killed

• zoonotic disease

Newcastle disease (vND)

• one of the most significant diseases of poultry in the world

• milder strains are somewhat common in north america

salmonella

• a species of bacteria that lives in the gut and can cause GI problems

• food poisoning from Salmonella can be associated with all kinds of different foods

• poultry is the most commonly linked food associated with it

mycoplasmosis (CRD) aka Air Sac Disease

• only way to eliminate is by:

  • culling

  • testing and culling of breeding hens

• considered somewhat ubiquitous in backyard flocks

coccidiosis

• aka “avian intestinal coccidiosis”

• the overgrowth of any species of the protozoal gastrointestinal parasite, coccidia

• single-celled organisms live in guts, causing diarrhea, anemia, suboptimal growth, and even death

• typically affects younger chicks, can affect adults