ANFS 421 Poultry Production Exam 1

What are the three major poultry industries in the US?

Broilers, Egg-Layers, and Turkeys (largest to smallest)

What region of the US produces the majority of broilers?

South East (Alabama, Georgia)

Why are so many broilers produced in the South East?

the weather is warmer (appropriate for baby chicks)

Where are the majority of turkey produced?

Minnesota, North, and South Carolina

Why are the majority of chickens raised in Minnesota, N. and S. Carolina?

turkeys take longer to grow than chickens (12-20 weeks)

Where are the majority of eggs produced in the US?

Iowa, Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania

Why do specific states have higher egg production than others?

these states have higher production of corn and soy to feed chickens; eggs are difficult to transport, need to be all over US

What is vertical integration?

companies have all of their own things for production (breeders, layers, broilers, feed, staff, etc.)

Why is vertical integration popular?

cuts down costs for producers (don't have to pay a premium for goods)

What is a heritage line? Why does it need to be replaced every so often?

a breeding flock that a company uses repeatedly (same lineage), line will become insufficient and will be sold to be replaced with better quality chickens

What is the structure of the broiler industry?

primary breeder farms->multiplier farms->hatcheries->broiler farms->processing

What is the structure of the turkey industry?

primary breeder farms->multiplier farms->hatcheries->brooder farms or turkey grower farms->processing

How old are turkeys in brooder farms?

one day to 5 weeks old

What is structure of the Egg-layer industry?

primary breeder farms->multiplier farms->hatcheries->pullet farms or egg production farms->processing

How old are egg-layers in pullet farms?

day old to 16 weeks

What is the composition of a poultry farm (largest to smallest number of birds)

broilers, turkey, breeders, table egg

Most of all poultry production is ___________ (owned).

contract

Almost half of table-egg producers are __________ owned.

company

What is the number one county producer of poultry in the US?

Sussex county

Most of all _________ and ___________ grown in Delaware goes to feed chickens.

corn and soy

Why did the wholesale value of chicken decrease?

inflation; people could not afford chicken, but feed was still expensive

What company is the number one poultry producer in the US?

Tyson Foods

What does S/R mean?

straight run (not sexed)

What are Cornish chickens?

female chickens (or S/R), about 4 weeks old, and 4-5lbs

How many flocks of cornish hens can be grown a year?

up to 9

What is the stocking density for cornish hens?

0.5 sq. ft. per bird

What are broilers?

S/R, 6-7 weeks old, 6.5-7.5lbs

How many broiler flocks can be grown a year?

5.5-6.5 flocks/year

What is the stocking density for broilers?

0.75 sq. ft. per bird

What are roasters?

male chickens, 7-9 weeks old, 8-9lbs

How many roaster flocks can be grown a year?

4-4.5 flocks per year

What is the stocking density for roasters?

1.2 sq. ft. per bird

There are not many __________ or _____________ on Delmarva.

layer houses or breeders

What are capons?

neutered male chickens, less than 4 months, weigh about 12-14 pounds, and have more tenderness/juiciness compared to broilers/fryers

What is down time?

about three weeks without chickens in order to prepare for new chicks

What affects the length of down time?

the seasons (longer in winter, shorter in summer, heat dries out litter faster)

Why is over-crowding harmful?

creates competition and decreases the quality of the birds; need appropriate stocking density

What is feed efficiency?

bird's ability to convert feed into live body weight (higher feed efficiency is better)

What is a feed conversion ratio?

pounds of feed/pounds of live weight; lower ratio is better

What chickens have the best feed conversion ratio?

males: they grow faster than females and convert food to meat more efficiently

When is feed efficiency best?

during the first week of growth

As age and weight __________, feed efficiency _____________.

increases; decreases

Why is stocking density so critical to maximize without exceeding?

the less floor space per bird, the higher the weight of the birds produced and the higher the money earned (but not enough space is harmful)

____________, ___________________, and ______________ all decrease food efficiency.

exercise, cannibalism, and cold/hot temperatures

Reducing floor space will decrease what three things?

feed consumption, growth rate, feed efficiency

Reducing floor space will increase what 6 things?

feed conversion, mortality, cannibalism, condemnations at processing, house ventilation requirements, and lbs of broilers raised in house

Why is feed conversion so important?

1 point in the feed conversion ratio is equal to almost 2 million dollars

What is the most important factor in broiler houses? Why?

temperature; if not appropriate temperature, chickens will have to use energy to keep themselves regulated

What temperature do day old chicks need to be kept at?

88-92 degrees F; have no feathers, need insulation

How much do you decrease the temperature of the broiler house each week?

5 degrees per week

What is the zone of thermoneutrality?

point/range where the bird uses minimal energy to keep body temperature regulated

Where does air moisture come from in a chicken house?

fecal water, spillage, respired air, and incoming air

What is the appropriate moisture range for chicken houses? Why should it not just be zero?

25-60%; if too dry, litter becomes dusty (leaves dust in air)

What is important to maintain proper air quality in a chicken house?

supply oxygen, remove carbon dioxide and ammonia

Why is it so important to remove all ammonia?

irritates the respiratory tract and causes blindness in chicks

How much light does a baby chick need its first 48 hours?

24 hours (for two days) in order to get used to their new environment

Days 3-14 chicks should have __________ hours of light, then add ______ minutes of darkness every 4 hours until you have one hour of light to three hours of dark.

23; 15 minutes

What are radiant/infrared heaters?

most common type of heater: special burner under a tile refractory produces infrared rays when heated

Why are hanging gas heaters not used in chicken houses very often?

too expensive/uses too much gas to fuel

Why are Hover type gas brooders not common?

need 20-30 per 500 ft. of house: need too many for large house

What are the three main feeding systems for broilers?

trough and chain (need a long trough for many chicks)

tube and pan (tube drops food in pan)

bulk feed bins (feeds the most broilers)

What are the four watering systems for broilers? (list from most drinking to least drinking at once)

trough

dome

cups

nipple

Why is the cup system not commonly used as a drinking method?

cannot have many birds drinking at once, cups trap dirt and manure, and are hard to clean

What birds are nipple drinkers most commonly used for?

chicks; has very low as well as adjustable water pressure as they grow

What is biosecurity?

a defensive health plan to keep poultry free of disease

What are some safety measures taken to ensure biosecurity?

clean, wash, and disinfect housing and equipment at least once per year

safely dispose of dead birds

have an effective pest control program

require use of foot bath or disposable boots, coveralls, and hair nets

restrict access to the farm and keep a visitor log book

What is a homeotherm?

body temperature is relatively constant

Chickens maintain homeostasis. What does this mean?

maintain a relative constant internal temperature (core temp.)

Because chickens are homeothermic, they have higher __________ and _____________ requirements.

water and energy

What internal temperature do day old chicks need to be kept at? Why?

103.5; because they do not have many feathers for insulation until around three weeks of age

What is the internal body temperature adult chickens need to be kept at?

105-107 degrees Fahrenheit

The temperature of _________ is higher than ___________ breeds, and __________ have a higher metabolic rate/more muscle use.

smaller, larger breeds; males

Increased _____________= increased temperature

activity

Do chickens sweat? How do they cool down?

no, perspire through mouth (pant); also extend wings to increase surface area (allow for more heat loss)

What generates heat in a chicken's body?

metabolism (food digestion)

What are some examples of sensible heat loss?

conduction, convection, radiation

What is latent heat loss?

heat loss involving moisture (respiratory and skin evaporation)

What are two other ways heat is excreted from the body? (not panting, natural processes)

fecal excretion and production of eggs

Why is energy flow so important to balance?

need to keep feed costs low while still utilizing all of the energy (so as not to waste food)

What is radiant heat loss?

heat transfer that occurs between two surfaces at different temperatures

What triggers radiant heat loss? How long does it continue?

a surface emits electromagnetic waves that produce energy; until the air temperature equals the body temperature

What is conductive heat loss?

the transport of heat in a medium due to a temperature gradient (from high to low)

What are some examples of conductive heat loss?

heat loss from the body surface to another cold surface such as litter, walls, cages, water pipes, etc.

What is convective heat loss?

heat transfer that occurs between a surface and a moving fluid when they are at different temperatures

How does convection occur?

as cool air contacts bird's surface, air temp. increases, the air expands and rises, and carries heat away; air speed increases (fans) the amount of heat loss increases

What is evaporative heat loss?

latent heat loss (condensation occurs); vaporization of water from mouth/resp. tract

Increasing the respiratory rate will ___________ heat loss.

accelerate

What are physiological responses to thermal challenges?

respiration rate, body temperature, heart rate (increase with heat)

What are nutritional responses to thermal changes?

when hot, decreased feed intake, increased water intake

What are behavioral responses to thermal change?

huddling, fluffing feathers, panting, extending wings

What is vasoconstriction?

as air temp decreases, surface blood vessels contract to reduce blood flow and heat loss

What is vasodilation?

as air temp increases, surface blood vessels dilate to increase blood flow and heat loss

How does fluffing feathers help keep a bird warm?

increases insulation and reduces heat loss

How does huddling help keep birds warm?

reduces heat loss with a smaller surface area

How does extending wings help keep birds cool?

increases surface area, allows for more heat loss through convection

How does panting keep a bird cool?

uses evaporative cooling; starts around 85F; have evolved with a higher body temp.

What is the thermoneutral zone?

temperature which body is at a constant for temp. regulation

As the air temperature ______________, respiratory rate _______________ (and vice versa).

increases, increases

What is heat exhaustion?

concurrent high temperature and high humidity can increase to where the bird is unable to decrease body temp; leads to prostration and death

How does air temperature affect feed consumption? What does this lead to?

as air temp increases, feed consumption decreases; leads to decrease in growth and poorer feed conversion; lower temp, food intake and activity increases