Quick Review on Poultry Management

Vetnepal Review Note 2019-03-15

TERMINOLOGY

  • Antibody: A protein molecule capable of combining specifically with an antigen.
  • Antigen: A substance foreign to the host animal, commonly a disease agent or vaccine.
  • Bantam - Mini version of the larger breeds, being approximately one quarter the size.
  • Battery Hen - female bird housed in intensive egg production unit.
  • Broiler - Young (normally eight weeks old) male or female birds weighing 3 to 3.5lbs (1.36kg - 1.59kgs) especially bred in huge quantities for the meat market.
  • Broiler/Fryer: Birds up to 6-8 weeks of age of either sex kept for meat purpose
  • Broody - female bird that ceases to lay and shows willingness to sit on eggs and rear offspring.
  • Candle: to assess some internal characteristics of the egg by viewing it in a darkened room with a bright light behind the egg.
  • Cannibalism: the practice by some birds of attacking and eating other members of the same flock.
  • Capon: A neutered male chicken produced for the specialty and holiday meat markets.
  • Chalazae: a type of albumen that surrounds the yolk of the egg and extends as creamy white, twisted, ropelike structures into each end to anchor the yolk in the centre of the egg.
  • Chick: baby bird of either sex
  • Chicken: Strictly, male or female chicks up to their first birthday. Commonly used to refer to all ages.
  • Cob: Male bird kept for eating (see also equines).
  • Cock Bird: Male over 12 months of age, kept usually for breeding purposes.
  • Cockerel: A male bird older than four weeks up to sexual maturity at about five months.
  • Cockerel: a young male from day old to the end of its first year of breeding. Often used to refer to young males up to 6 months of age
  • Fowl: Domestic Cock or Hen Bird kept for eggs or meat.
  • Free range: Birds raised in conditions of complete freedom as to foraging, rest, bathing, feeding and nesting.
  • Giblets: The term used to describe the portion of poultry carcasses that consists of hearts, gizzards, and livers.
  • Heavy Breed:  any breed in which the female hen averages more than 2.48kg at maturity.
  • Hen: Female bird over one year old.
  • Layers: Female birds up to 72-80 weeks of age kept for eggs purpose
  • Light Breed - opposite to heavy breed.
  • Moult: Changes of feathers once a year, usually in the autumn, related to changes in hormones thought to be triggered by changes in light levels. Hens stop laying for eight to 12 weeks at a time. Molting may occur at other times if there is feed stress.
  • Point of Lay: Pullets which are approaching the time they will lay their first egg.
  • Pullet: Young female bird of 12 months or less (up to first moult).
  • Roaster: Heavy young chickens less than 12 weeks of age with live weights heavier than 7 pounds. Ready-to-cook roasters usually weight more than 5 pounds and are marketed at retail or are further processed.
  • Rooster: A male chicken usually kept for breeding.
  • Spent hen: a layer that has reached the end of her economic egg laying life
  • Started stock: layer replacements post brooding to point of lay
  • Warren hen/Spent hen:  hens during and after first moult (no longer used commercially).
  • Yolk: The yellow portion of the egg composed of water, protein, and glyceride. The yolk contains practically all of the known vitamins except vitamin C
  • Brooding: Rearing of day old chicks up to 4 weeks of age
  • Bubbling: process of comb cutting
  • Singeing: Process of removal of hair of poultry with out damage to skin
  • Stubbing: removal of the short stub or pin feathers after plucking
  • Caponization: Castration in poultry

Turkeys : There are two breeds, the 'American Bronzewing' and the 'White Holland'. Bred entirely for meat for human consumption

  • Stag - male bird
  • Hen - Female bird.

Geese :    Gander - male bird.      Goose - female bird.   Gosling - youngster.

Ducks :    Drake - male bird.         Duck - female bird.     Duckling - youngster.

SOME TIPS ON POULTRY MANAGEMENT

  • Incubation Period of eggs for hatching is 21 Days
  • Floor space required for Broiler: 1 sq ft / bird
  • Floor space required for Layers: 2-2.5 sq ft / bird
  • Egg contains 65% water where as bile contains 80% water
  • Temp required up to the first week of age is 950F or 350C
  • Vaccine given on day old against Marek’s Disease
  • Restricted feeding in poultry is usually done in the age group of (20-40) wks in layers
  • Harmful stage of coccidiosis is sporozoides
  • Bloody coccidiosis in caecal coccidiosis
  • Caecal coccidiosis- E. tenella
  • Primix up to 1% and salt up to- 0.5%
  • 1 kg carbohydrate produce 1.15 cal energy
  • Average life spa of poultry is 2-5 yrs
  • Wt of egg for hatching is 58 gm
  • Poultry egg contains- 12% protein
  • Light for layng bird is (14-17) hrs/day
  • Ca:P in poultry feed is 2:1

BREEDS OF POULTRY

  • American breeds: New Hampshire, Rhode Island Red, Plymouth Rock
  • Asciaric breeds: Brasma, Cochin, Langshan
  • English breed: Australop, Sussex, Cornish
  • Mediterranean breed: Leghorn, Minorca, Ancona

BREED AND THEIR ORIGIN

  1. COMMERCIAL BROILERS = Cobb-100: America,   Cobb-500: America,   Avian-34: America, Kasila: America, Arbor Acres: America, Hybryo: Holland, Hubberd: France, Marshall: India
  2. COMMERCIAL LAYERS = Hyline: America, Red Hyline: America, Isabrown: France, Lohmann: Holland, Keystone golden: India, Tetra-SL: Hungary, Isabrown: France, Back cock: India

RATION OF BROILERS AND LAYERS

Broilers

  1. Age 0-4 Weeks - Starter (B1) - Energy ME/kg 2900 Kcal - CP% 22-24%
  2. Age 4-8 Weeks - Finisher (B2) - Energy ME/kg 3000 Kcal - CP% 19%

Layers

  1. Age 0-4 Weeks - Starter (L1) - Energy ME/kg 2700 Kcal - CP% 20-22%
  2. Age 8-20 Weeks - Grower (L2) - Energy ME/kg 2600 Kcal - CP% 16%
  3. Age 20-72 Weeks - Finisher/Layer (L3) - Energy ME/kg 2900 Kcal - CP% 18%

Minimum space requirements chickens

  • For broilers, 0.75 to 1 square foot per bird
  • For Leghorns and bantams, 1.5 to 2 square feet per bird
  • For heavy breeds, 2.5 to 3 square feet per bird
  • For turkeys, 3 to 4 square feet per bird

GROSS PARTS OF EGG OF VARIOUS POULTRY SPECIES

  • Chicken = Total egg weight 58 gm, Yolk 31%, Albumen 58%, Shell & its membrane 11%
  • Duck = Total egg weight 70 gm, Yolk 35%, Albumen 53%, Shell & its membrane 12%
  • Quail = Total egg weight 10 gm, Yolk 32%, Albumen 48%, Shell & its membrane 20%
  • Turkey= Total egg weight 85 gm, Yolk 32%, Albumen 56%, Shell & its membrane 12%

BROODING TEMPERATURE BASED ON AGE

1 week  = 950F, 2 week = 900F, 3 week = 850F, 4 week = 800F, 5 week = 750F, 6 week and onwards = 700F, 

FEED PROTEIN REQUIRED FOR CHICKEN

  • Broiler (to 6 weeks) - Protein 23 %, Calcium 0.9%
  • Broiler (to market) - Protein 10 %, Calcium 0.8%
  • Pullet (to 8 weeks) - Protein 20 %, Calcium 0.9%
  • Pullet (8 to 20 weeks) - Protein 14 %, Calcium 0.8%
  • Layers Hens - Protein 16 %, Calcium 3%

CHEMICAL COPOSITION OF EGGS OF VARIOUS POULTRY SPECIES

(per 100g edible portion, without shell and shell membranes)

  • Chicken:- Water 73.7g, Protein 12.9g, Fat 11.5g, Carbohydrate 0.9g, Ash 1.0g, Energy 163Kcal
  • Duck:- Water 71.0g, Protein 13.0g, Fat 14.5g, Carbohydrate 0.5g, Ash 1.0g, Energy 189Kcal
  • Quail:- Water 74.2g, Protein 13.1g, Fat 11.0g, Carbohydrate 1.0g, Ash 1.1g, Energy 161Kcal
  • Turkey:- Water 72.6g, Protein 13.1g, Fat 11.8g, Carbohydrate 1.7g, Ash 0.8g, Energy 170Kcal

HATCHARY MANAGEMENT – FACTORS INFLUENCING THE HATCHARY RESULT

  • @ Nutrients of breeding stock
  • @ Diseases free stock
  • @ Age of parents
  • @ Egg production in breeding stock
  • @ Seasonal condition
  • @ Sex ratio
  • @ Physical condition of breeding stock
  • @ Storage condition before incubation
  • @ External condition of hatching eggs (Same as selection of hatching eggs)

Selection of eggs for hatching

  • Size of eggs: 50-55gm
  • Shape of eggs; Oval
  • Shall colour: Brown
  • Shell quality: Clean, thick shell, fine from tints
  • Interior quality of eggs; Albumin: Yolk=2:1 usually hatch better than eggs having wider or narrow ratio
  • Age of eggs: Should not more than 6 days in hot whether & 7-10 days in winter
  • Turning: If holding time is more than 7 days, eggs should be turned to prevent sticking

Care and handling of hatching eggs

  1. Collection of eggs: Collection is as frequently as possible (7, 9, 11, 1, & 5 O’clock in a day)
  2. Storing: In (18-21)0C, the eggs should be stored below physiological zero temp. At which there is almost no embryogenic development which is approx. 21.10C. The ideal temp for holding hatching eggs is near 100C. Hatching start declining rapidly when eggs are stored below 00C. The Humidity of 80-85% during storage appears to be the best. The eggs should be stored in well ventilated room before setting in to the incubator
  3. Fumigation:
  4. Handling of eggs: In eggs storage rack or trolley
  5. Length of storage: Hatchability starts declining & reaches to zero by 4th weeks
  6. Cleanliness of shells: Dry cleaning of soiled eggs with rough clothes or sand paper
  7. Transportation of hatching eggs: Eggs which has been shaken in transit should be allowed to settle for 24 hrs before setting in incubator.
  8. Care of hatching eggs during incubation: It is necessary to inspect the eggs every day to see that they are all right. When the weather is hot and dry, it may be necessary to sprinkle warm water of 1020C over the eggs in order to maintain proper moisture of the eggs.

Factors affecting the hatchery results

  • Temp: 99.50C
  • Humidity: 85% RH
  • Ventilation: 21% 02, Co2 concentration=0.5% (Tolerant) and embryo die if > 5%
  • Position of eggs and turning
  • Candling: Check for fertility and embryo motility by using white bulb or 75W blue bulb with suitable equipments – 18th days
  • Setters and hatchers: separate
  • Incubation time: Chickens=21 days, Pigeon=16 Days, Turkey=28 days, Goose=25-32 days, Japanese quail=18 days

Incubator operator

  • Temp: 99.50C
  • Humidity: 85-87% RH
  • Ventilation: 21% 02, Co2 concentration=less than 5%
  • Position of eggs and turning: Large end up & 3-4 turning/day
  • Candling: 1st day-for egg shell are broken or not, 7th & 18th days.

Factors affecting the production of chicks

  • Fertility
  • Sex ratio
  • Rate of lay: High rate: High rate of fertility & hatchability
  • Age: 6-8 months old male are more fertile (3-10 months)
  • Laying patterns: Both fertility and hatchability is higher in 1st year laying and higher in first 12-15 weeks of laying
  • Length of lay
  • Weather: Decline in sever hot and cold condition
  • Inheritance: Poorly heritable
  • Nutrition: inclusion of 550ug biotin/kg of feed

DIFFERENT STEPS IN DRESSING OF CHICKEN

  • Procurement, transport and handling of live birds
  • Antemortem examination
  • Pre-slaughter fasting
  • Stunning
  • Bleeding
  • Scalding
  • Defeathering
  • Singeing
  • Neck slitting and removal of feet
  • Evisceration and washing
  • Chilling, packing and storage