2. Supported
by:
Statement on Intellectual Property
The materials in this lecture fall under the protection of all intellectual property,
copyright and trademark laws of the U.S. The digital materials included here come
with the legal permissions of the copyright holders. These course materials should
be used for educational purposes only; the videos should not be distributed
electronically or otherwise beyond the confines of this online course. Any usage of
the videos or course materials outside of USSEC’s SEC Digital Platform, should be
previously authorized by USSEC, Kansas State University, and the lecture’s authors.
2
4. Supported
by:
Objectives
• Know the origin of the birds of some general terms
• Know the general anatomy of birds
• Overview of birds and their different production purposes
4
7. Supported
by:
Why so Many Chickens??
• Chicken meat is:
– Affordable
– Healthy
– Delicious
– Sustainable
• Chicken meat is universally
appreciated
• Industry has been able to innovate
and take research based-decisions
10. Supported
by:
General Terminology
• Layers
– Birds reared for egg production
• Broilers
– Birds reared for meat production
• Breeders
– Chickens whose offspring are used to produce broilers
• Turkeys
– Birds reared for meat production
• Usually consumed during special occasions
10
12. Supported
by:
Poultry
Surface
• Covered by feathers, skin and scales
– Feathers
• Composed mainly of keratin
• Methionine and cystine are important amino acids
• Provide insulation in cold temperatures
• Repels rain and snow
• Help attract other birds of the same species
– Skin
• Absence of glands (except uropygial gland)
– Birds cannot sweat
• Usually pink/clear,
• Color correlated with the amount of xanthophyll in the feed
• Desired color is influenced by the final consumer
– Scales
• Mainly yellow color
12
Corn
Wheat
13. Supported
by:
Poultry
Skeleton
• Supports the body and muscular system
• The rib cage protects vital organs
• Some bones are hollow and are connected to the
respiratory system
– Remember - Birds evolved to fly
• Most bones are light, but strong
• The composition of the feed plays an important role in
bone development: calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D3,
etc.
– Medullar bone
• Formed in the marrow of the long bones of chickens
starting about 10 days before egg production begins
– Most clearly seen in the shaft of the femur
• Used for calcium homeostasis during egg production
• Most of the calcium used for egg production comes from
the feed eaten each day
13
14. Supported
by:
Poultry
Muscles
• Breast muscle has increased
through genetic selection
• Chickens contain white and red
muscle
– White meat
– Dark meat
• More fat and iron/oxygen due to more
movement
14
15. Supported
by:
Genetic Improvement
• Improvements in genetic selection have allowed broilers to:
– Grow at a steady pace
– Reach the market weight in shorter time
1957
120 days
3.1 pounds
2007
35 days
4.5 pounds
1.55 FCR
2019
33 days
4.5 pounds
1.40 FCR
Ross 708 Male Performance Objectives
2022
32 days
4.5 pounds
1.32 FCR
16. Supported
by:
Poultry
Respiratory system
• The lungs are small (compared to those of
mammals), but are supplemented by air
sacs
• The lungs expand and contract slightly and
there is no true diaphragm.
– 4 pairs of air sacs divided in cranial and caudal
• Cranial: paired cervical, unpaired clavicular, and
paired cranial air sacs
• Caudal: paired caudal and paired abdominal air sacs
– Air moves in and out of the air sacs, but the
lungs are responsible for breathing
– The lungs can serve as a cooling mechanism
when moisture is exhaled in the form of water
vapor
16
17. Supported
by:
Poultry
Digestive system:
• Birds have a short intestine and therefore must digest and absorb nutrients
quickly
Functions:
• Soften feed particles to stimulate digestion
• Collect and grind large particles
• Absorb, recycle, and excrete substances
• Produce and eliminate feces
17
19. Supported
by:
Digestive System
Crop
• Evolutionary adaptation: Birds do not
need to stay on the ground when
they collect their feed
• Function: temporarily store the feed
consumed to adjust the speed of
delivery to the digestive system
• Fermentation through the production
of short chain fatty acids - lactic acid
produced by: Lactobacilli
– Reduce pH a ± 5,5
19
20. Supported
by:
Digestive System
Proventriculus and Gizzard
• Both make up the "stomach"
• Chemical and mechanical digestion
– Proventriculus – Chemical digestion
• The true stomach or glandular stomach
• Produces and releases gastric secretions such as
pepsin and HCl
– Gizzard – Grinding and Mixing
• The mechanical stomach
• Acts as a replacement for birds' teeth: grinds feed
into small particles
• Adaptation for survival: less time on the ground
chewing the feed
• Establishes the rate of passage into the small
intestine
• The use of coarse particles increases their size
20
21. Supported
by:
Digestive System
Small intestine
• Length ~1.5 m in length in an adult bird
• The first part forms the duodenal loop
– Embedded in the loop is the pancreas, which
secretes pancreatic juice containing
digestive enzymes amylases, lipases,
proteases
• Function: Nutrient digestion and
absorption
• Divided into 3 parts:
– Duodenum
– Jejunum
– Ileum
21
22. Supported
by:
Digestive System
Duodenum
• Bicarbonate from the pancreas increases
pH to ~6 to prevent inactivation of
digestive enzymes
– Amylase, maltase
– Lipase, bile salts
– Trypsin, chymotrypsin, carboxypeptidases
• Reflux of contents into the gizzard
• Nutrient hydrolysis and absorption takes
place in the duodenum
– Example: protein hydrolysis and the
absorption of amino acids
22
23. Supported
by:
Digestive System
Pancreas
• It lies within the duodenal loop of the
small intestine
• Secretes pancreatic juices that passes to
the duodenum through pancreatic ducts
• Approximately 98% of pancreatic cells
produce digestive enzymes
• Enzymes are secreted to aid digestion of
nutrients
– Starches, fats and proteins
• Pancreatic juice also contains bicarbonate
that neutralizes the acid coming from the
proventriculus
23
24. Supported
by:
Digestive System
• Liver
• Bile secretion
– Facilitates the digestion of fats forming
emulsions or micelles
• Gallbladder
– Stores the bile produced by the liver
• Bile ducts secrete bile to the
duodenum
– Help in fat emulsification
– Improves the absorption of fats, fat
soluble vitamins, and calcium by
forming emulsions
24
25. Supported
by:
Digestive System
• Jejunum and ileum
• The small intestine is where feed
nutrients become usable nutrients and
absorb (they pass to the bloodstream)
• Intestinal villi: Similar fingers
projections
• Digestion
– Brush border enzymes
• Absorption: The portal vein carries all
the nutrients absorbed, to the liver
25
26. Supported
by:
Digestive System
• Cecum
– Located in the union of the small intestine and
the large intestine
– Function: Water absorption and short chain
fatty acid production
– High amounts of microflora
– Healthy cecum are more resistant to
colonization by Salmonella
• Colon
– Digest storage
– Main site of secretion and absorption of water
and electrolytes
– Solid waste is mixed with uric acid waste from
the kidneys and is excreted simultaneously
– The reproductive tract also comes out here
26
27. Supported
by:
Summary
• Some of the digestive organs of birds are different than mammals
– They lack teeth, but they have a gizzard as a grinding organ
– They have crop to store feed
• Birds have a short gastrointestinal tract
– Evolved to flight
• The proventriculus is the glandular stomach producer of acid (hydrochloric acid)
and enzymes (pepsin) while the gizzard is the muscular stomach and the
pacemaker of intestinal motility
– Both are fundamental for digestion and intestinal health
27
28. Supported
by:
This concludes Part 1 of Fundamentals
of Poultry Production and Management.
Please continue to Part 2.
28
Supported
by:
29. Supported
by:
Acknowledgements
The development of this lecture was made possible through the funding
from:
• U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC)
The development of this lecture was made possible through support from:
• Wilmer Pacheco, MSc., PhD. Extension Specialist and Associate Professor, Auburn University
• International Grains Program (IGP) Institute of Kansas State University
30. Supported
by:
Disclaimer
This is a lecture intended for educational use and professional development. It is not intended nor
does it necessarily represent enforceable standards, industry consensus, mandatory requirements,
nor all possible solutions or ideas to resolve your safety and health needs. This course has been
developed to share information on potential topics associated with animal nutrition and
production. In most cases, there are many solutions or combinations of solutions to problems.
Use only those sections that apply to your operation; but first evaluate each section and
suggestion based on its economic and operational feasibility and application.
Mention of trade names, commercial products or organizations does not imply or express
endorsement by Kansas State University or USSEC, its members, employees, or cooperating
companies and individuals.
32. Supported
by:
Statement on Intellectual Property
The materials in this lecture fall under the protection of all intellectual property,
copyright and trademark laws of the U.S. The digital materials included here come
with the legal permissions of the copyright holders. These course materials should
be used for educational purposes only; the videos should not be distributed
electronically or otherwise beyond the confines of this online course. Any usage of
the videos or course materials outside of USSEC’s SEC Digital Platform, should be
previously authorized by USSEC, Kansas State University, and the lecture’s authors.
32
34. Supported
by:
Chicken breeds: An overview
• There are hundreds of chickens
breeds
– The breed refers to an established bird
group of a species that has similar
body shape and similar morphological
characteristics
• They can be divided for the
production of:
– Table eggs
– Meat
– Dual purpose
– Ornamental purpose
35. Supported
by:
Cornish
• Skin Color: Yellow
• Egg Color: Brown
• Origin: England
• Characteristics:
– Developed as the ultimate meat bird
– Excellent carcass
36. Supported
by:
White Leghorns
• Skin Color: Yellow
• Egg Color: White
• Origin: Italy
• Characteristics:
– Great foragers
– Capable of flight
– The most numerous breed
37. Supported
by:
Rhode Island Red
• Skin Color: Yellow
• Egg Color: Brown
• Origin: New England
• Characteristics:
– Dual Purpose
– Egg Production
– Meat Production
– Likely, the best egg layers of the
dual- purpose breeds
38. Supported
by:
New Hampshire
• Standard weights: 2.5 kg to 3.8 kg
• Use: meat production
• Origin: Massachusetts and New
Hampshire
• Characteristics:
– They possess a deep, broad body,
grow feathers rapidly
– The feathers color is a medium to
light red which often fades in the
sunshine
39. Supported
by:
Plymouth Rocks
• Skin Color: Yellow
• Egg Color: Brown
• Origin: America
• Characteristics:
– Docile
– Deep full breast
– Have a single comb of moderate size
– Popular birds
40. Supported
by:
White Langshan
• Skin Color: White
• Egg Color: Brown
• Origin: China
• Characteristics:
– Long tails
– Long legs
– Good mothers
41. Supported
by:
Light Brahmas
• Skin Color: Yellow
• Egg Color: Brown
• Origin: China
• Characteristics:
– Large, gentle nature
– Well feathered – can withstand cold
temps
– Fairly good mothers
42. Supported
by:
Types of breeds and hybrids
• Meat-type strains (Broilers)
– Hybrids from
• Plymouth Rock
• Cornish
• Egg-type strains (Layers)
– Hybrids
• Leghorn
• Rhode Island
• Recreational
– Mediterranean
– Asiatic
– Continental
– American
– Bantams
44. Supported
by:
Commercial layer hens
• White egg layers
– Lightweight, average weight 1.65 kg, average
annual production of 320 eggs with an average
weight of 62 grams, consume about 100 grams of
feed per day
• Brown egg layers
– These layers are 15 to 30% heavier and produce
less eggs than white egg laying chickens
• Brown eggs are more expensive
49. Supported
by:
Feather Color
• Why do chickens in poultry farms have white feathers?
• Meat-type strains:
– In the last decades white plumage color has become essential for the efficient
processing of broilers and most types of meat-type poultry
– Slaughterhouses and meat processing plants require poultry with a white or very light
down color to produce carcasses without the typical "hair", which colored chickens have
• Egg-type strains:
– Since white egg-layers are developed from White Leghorns, they have already white
feathers
52. Supported
by:
Broiler Breeders
• Modern poultry production is based on high
broiler growth performance within a limited
period of time, and at the same time obtain
as many eggs from the parent stock as
possible. These two do not seem to easily
match (paradox between reproduction and
growth).
• The modern broiler breeder are not able to
self-regulate their feed intake to meet its
energy requirements and maintain energy
balance. As a consequence, feeding must be
limited in these birds to prevent
overconsumption and excessive overfeeding
during the production cycle
53. Supported
by:
Broiler Breeder Paradox
High broiler growth
performance, feed efficiency,
breast meat yield
Obtain as many eggs from the
parent stock as possible
Both objectives don’t seem to match easily. However, adequate and precise management
of the breeder flock as well as good incubation practices can help to reach both goals
54. Supported
by:
Poultry Farm Types
• Breeder farm: Produces eggs for
hatching
– Primary breeder: Breeding birds
whose offspring are used also as
breeding birds. These include
pedigree (elite/foundation), great-
grandparent, and grandparent flocks
– Multiplier/parent: Breeding birds
whose offspring are used as
production birds.
55. Supported
by:
Poultry Farm Types
• Production farm: Produces final product for
human consumption
– Broiler farm: Produces chickens for meat
– Table-egg farm: Produces eggs for human
consumption
– Turkey-grower farm: Produces turkeys for
meat
• Brooder farm: Raises young turkeys that will be
placed on turkey-grower farms
• Pullet farm: Raises young female birds that will
be placed on laying farms (either breeder farms
or table-egg farms). A pullet farm does not
have adult breeding hens.
56. Supported
by:
Summary
• Many different breeds of chickens have been developed for different
purposes
• Strain is any bird of a particular breed developed by a breeder by introducing
certain desired traits
• Modern poultry farming is very efficient and it provides affordable and nutritious
meat and eggs for human nutrition
• Chicken is the most consumed protein in the world
• Chicken production is more sustainable than ever
58. Supported
by:
This concludes the Fundamentals of
Poultry Production lecture. You can
now take the Fundamentals of Poultry
Production and Management quiz or
continue to the next lecture.
58
Supported
by:
59. Supported
by:
Acknowlegement
The development of this lecture was made possible through the funding
from:
• U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC)
The development of this lecture was made possible through support from:
• Wilmer Pacheco, MSc., PhD. Extension Specialist and Associate Professor, Auburn University
• International Grains Program (IGP) Institute of Kansas State University
60. Supported
by:
Disclaimer
This is a lecture intended for educational use and professional development. It is not intended nor
does it necessarily represent enforceable standards, industry consensus, mandatory requirements,
nor all possible solutions or ideas to resolve your safety and health needs. This course has been
developed to share information on potential topics associated with animal nutrition and
production. In most cases, there are many solutions or combinations of solutions to problems.
Use only those sections that apply to your operation; but first evaluate each section and
suggestion based on its economic and operational feasibility and application.
Mention of trade names, commercial products or organizations does not imply or express
endorsement by Kansas State University or USSEC, its members, employees, or cooperating
companies and individuals.
