Hatcheries
Poultry as a commodity is inclusive of any bird that is produced for its meat, feathers, eggs, or even companionship. The highest occurrence is meat and egg production which is regulated by the FDA and USDA veterinarians, as are other ag production systems. This is not to say the average homeowner can't have their own backyard flock. Anyone can raise, house, or butcher their own chickens, so long as it is legal per their location and they are not commercially selling any products derived from their flocks for human consumption.
Poultry farming typically entails indoor housing of flocks (turkeys, ducks, chickens being the most common) all existing together in great numbers, some facilities have inventories in the upper thousands. This is considered "intensive" farming, while "free range" farming is considered an alternative. Free range farming practices are detailed as the name implies and birds are usually housed outdoors, with access to natural light, air, and environments as opposed to tightly spaced indoor settings. Figure 1 portrays free range farming, while figure 2 portrays intensive farming environments. In a side by side comparison, it is easy to differentiate between the two and obvious health hazards that might arise.
Poultry farming typically entails indoor housing of flocks (turkeys, ducks, chickens being the most common) all existing together in great numbers, some facilities have inventories in the upper thousands. This is considered "intensive" farming, while "free range" farming is considered an alternative. Free range farming practices are detailed as the name implies and birds are usually housed outdoors, with access to natural light, air, and environments as opposed to tightly spaced indoor settings. Figure 1 portrays free range farming, while figure 2 portrays intensive farming environments. In a side by side comparison, it is easy to differentiate between the two and obvious health hazards that might arise.
In intensive programs, it is not infrequent that chickens and other poultry, are continuously fed antibiotics to deter certain diseases. The negative side effect to this is the surfacing of drug-resistant strains of diseases and chicken flocks tend to thrive better when they have adequate space, which is not always available in every factory. The positive side of intensive feeding situations, meat birds finish out faster than they do in free range operations due to utilization of feed concentrates and vigorous feed programs. Free range poultry are generally allowed to "finish out" on their own time. Disease has a greater potential to spread rapidly in an intensive setting as opposed to free range due to close quarters of indoor flocks, and birds are often physically altered by means of debeaking to prevent mutilation of other birds, as well as wing clipping to prevent flight. Free range operations allow for more natural behaviors such as pecking, scratching, foraging, flight, outdoor exercise, and are required as labelled "free range poultry" to have access to open air for at least half of the daytime hours, but are generally housed indoors at night for protectional purposes.
Laying hens are conventionally housed in cage banks lined with what are known as battery cages (recently deemed illegal in european countries) in which anywhere from 3-8 hens are housed together in a metal lined cage, with a nipple system overhead for watering purposes and a trough system at the front of the cage for feed delivery. Most operations have chains that are set to deliver fresh food at specified intervals. Some laying sheds may contain thousands upon thousands of laying hens within a single operation. "Furnished" cages are on the rise due to the discovery of abnormal, aggressive behavior in some hens that are housed in battery cages. Furnished cages are simply cages with a form of enrichment (such as perching capabilities, grit for scratching, room to extend their wings, etc.) that is added in order to enhance a hen's production life.
Laying hens are conventionally housed in cage banks lined with what are known as battery cages (recently deemed illegal in european countries) in which anywhere from 3-8 hens are housed together in a metal lined cage, with a nipple system overhead for watering purposes and a trough system at the front of the cage for feed delivery. Most operations have chains that are set to deliver fresh food at specified intervals. Some laying sheds may contain thousands upon thousands of laying hens within a single operation. "Furnished" cages are on the rise due to the discovery of abnormal, aggressive behavior in some hens that are housed in battery cages. Furnished cages are simply cages with a form of enrichment (such as perching capabilities, grit for scratching, room to extend their wings, etc.) that is added in order to enhance a hen's production life.
Meat Production
While some foul breeds are dual purpose birds, that is that they are grown for both their meat purposes and egg laying capabilities, some breeds were established essentially for their meat potential. With regard to Broiler chickens and most breeds of turkeys, these are commercially grown for their meat.
While adding weight to poultry flocks may seem like a cake walk, it must be done with ease much like feeding any other market animal. With these heavyweight birds, they are genetically engineered to gain mass quickly and care must be taken to ensure they have ample time to allow their skeletal system to catch up or it will fail them and keel-ridden birds are the result. Their legs will buckle under their weight and their bone structures will not hold up if raised too quickly. Proper dietary knowledge and feeding techniques are vital in a successful poultry operation.
Poultry Feeds
Though all birds are internally designed the same with respect to digestive systems, laying hens and meat birds have different nutritional requirements that cannot be communally shared.
"Starter rations,” usually for laying-breed chicks should be 20 percent protein. From the time they start eating, meat chicks need a high protein feed of about 22 to 24 percent protein for the first six weeks. This ration is typically called “meat bird starter” or “broiler starter.” Commonly, starter feeds are medicated and should no longer be fed after 18 weeks for layers and about 2 weeks before meat birds are set to be butchered due to withdrawal times of the feed within the body.
Meat birds should have a protein level of about 20 percent until they are butchered, which is too high for layers. High protein diets tend to hurry bird development and if pushed too hard, birds will not have adequate bone density to support heavy weight and you will end up with a "grounded" bird. Once these birds reach this state, they are no longer suitable for consumption. Hence why it is important to know when to switch birds intended for laying to lower protein feeds and yet to keep meat birds on higher protein contents. Meat birds, especially broilers, are typically butchered after they reach 6 weeks of age, dependent on their rate of gain, but are still switched to "finisher" feeds ranging from protein levels of 16-20%.
Feeds basically come in three forms; mash, pellets, or crumbles. Layer feeds, finisher rations, and some adult rations come in the crumbled form as research has shown chickens prefer this style of feed. The next preferred feed choice are the pelleted feeds which come as adult rations and are rarely found as starter rations. The least preferred style are the mash rations, but texture palatability is sometimes improved when a little bit of moisture can be added to the mix.
"Starter rations,” usually for laying-breed chicks should be 20 percent protein. From the time they start eating, meat chicks need a high protein feed of about 22 to 24 percent protein for the first six weeks. This ration is typically called “meat bird starter” or “broiler starter.” Commonly, starter feeds are medicated and should no longer be fed after 18 weeks for layers and about 2 weeks before meat birds are set to be butchered due to withdrawal times of the feed within the body.
Meat birds should have a protein level of about 20 percent until they are butchered, which is too high for layers. High protein diets tend to hurry bird development and if pushed too hard, birds will not have adequate bone density to support heavy weight and you will end up with a "grounded" bird. Once these birds reach this state, they are no longer suitable for consumption. Hence why it is important to know when to switch birds intended for laying to lower protein feeds and yet to keep meat birds on higher protein contents. Meat birds, especially broilers, are typically butchered after they reach 6 weeks of age, dependent on their rate of gain, but are still switched to "finisher" feeds ranging from protein levels of 16-20%.
Feeds basically come in three forms; mash, pellets, or crumbles. Layer feeds, finisher rations, and some adult rations come in the crumbled form as research has shown chickens prefer this style of feed. The next preferred feed choice are the pelleted feeds which come as adult rations and are rarely found as starter rations. The least preferred style are the mash rations, but texture palatability is sometimes improved when a little bit of moisture can be added to the mix.