Poultry production comprises two major categories, meat production and egg production. Most poultry produced in North America is grown under close control on highly specialized farms. The evolution from small flocks to large commercial units after World War II was facilitated by rapid advances in the knowledge of nutrition, breeding, housing, disease control, and processing of poultry and eggs, and by improvements in transportation and refrigeration which made possible distant marketing of fresh products.
Incubation
Artificial incubation was a major advance in poultry production because it became possible to hatch large numbers of chicks of the same age for farmers to raise for meat or egg production. Modern incubators are constructed of materials that can be effectively cleaned and disinfected and that provide good insulation of the chamber. Eggs are set in specially designed plastic flats which fit into channels in egg racks that move on wheels. The egg racks are equipped with mechanical systems to tilt the eggs 45°; turning is usually done hourly. Eggs are transferred from the setting trays into hatching trays 3 days before expected hatch. After the hatch is completed, the chicks are transferred to a conveyer belt for processing or directly into plastic boxes with absorbent paper pads or into disposable paper boxes with wood fiber pads. Chick servicing often involves sexing, vaccination, and beak trimming. Usually, chicks are held at the hatchery prior to shipment to farms, starting early on the day after hatching. Specially designed delivery trucks or buses are used to provide adequate ventilation for chicks during shipment.
Breeding
The genetic stock used for modern poultry production is produced by highly specialized breeding companies. Meat poultry is selected for good meat type, fast growth, disease resistance, and efficient conversion of feed to meat. Different strains of chickens are used for table egg production. These are selected for high egg production, large egg size, and small body weight for better conversion of feed to eggs and good livability. The body weights of meat and egg production strains are dramatically different. See also Breeding (animal).
Brooding and rearing
Day-old chicks require an ambient temperature of 85–87°F (29–30°C) for normal growth and health during the first week of life. As the chicks grow and feather, they can tolerate lower temperatures. Brooding heat is often provided by a radiant gas brooder stove. Most chicks are started on floors that are covered with 2–4 in. (5–10 cm) of a litter material such as pine shavings, rice hulls, or peanut hulls. Feeding is usually done is small troughs or on plastic trays until the chicks learn to eat and drink. Chicks are quickly trained to eat from mechanical feeders and drink from closed water delivery systems to reduce labor.
Feeding and nutrition
Poultry diets consist of common grains and protein sources with mineral and vitamin supplements. Animal or vegetable fats may be added to increase energy and reduce dustiness. Corn, grain sorghum, wheat, oats, and barley are often used for poultry feeding in the United States. Soybean meal is widely used as a protein supplement. Other important protein supplements are meat meal, fish meal, safflower meal, feather meal, and canola meal.
Housing
The purpose of a poultry house is to confine the birds; to protect them from predators and environmental extremes which would cause mortality or reduce growth, feed efficiency, immunocompetence, fertility or egg production; to facilitate light control; and to facilitate bird management. Poultry houses can be constructed from locally available building materials. Smooth interior surfaces are preferred for effective sanitation. Houses are usually a maximum of 40 ft (12 m) wide to facilitate more uniform ventilation. House length is approximately 500 ft (152 m); most houses are constructed with a gable roof.
Production systems
Chickens for table egg production are often housed in cages to provide cleaner eggs and protect the birds from disease agents which are recycled to birds from the manure. Meat chickens and turkeys are usually grown in litter-floor houses because heavier poultry experience more lameness, breast blisters, and weaker bones and joints when grown in cages.
Ducks and geese
With some modification of husbandry, ducks and geese can be successfully raised in confinement. They do not require water for swimming and can be grown in litter-floor houses similar to meat chickens or turkeys.
Health maintenance
The production of commercial poultry in large flocks requires well-designed disease-control programs. The first requirement is for maintenance of biosecurity in production units. This means that entrance of contaminated workers and visitors, birds, feed, and equipment must be prevented. Some poultry diseases are more effectively or economically controlled by vaccination. Examples are Marek's disease, Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis, avian pox, infectious bursal disease, and often several others, depending on the disease history of the farm and the area where the poultry are raised. See also Newcastle disease.
Processing and marketing
Shell eggs are often processed in plants located on the farm. A mechanical system can detect and separate cracked eggs. Egg processing machines can process up to 300 cases of eggs (360 eggs per case) per hour. Machines are also available to separate the yolk and albumen from the egg shell. Poultry are usually processed at large central plants under inspection by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The meat birds are loaded on trucks at farms during the night, and processing typically begins at midnight, and is followed by extensive cleaning and disinfection of the plant. Poultry are removed from transport racks or coops and hung on shackles. After stunning, bleeding, scalding, and feather removal, the carcasses must be transferred to a second line or table in a different room for evisceration, chilling, cutting, and packaging. Many poultry processing plants cut up poultry before packaging, and they may also separate meat from bone or skin. See also Egg (fowl).
