Lecture 15: Poultry 1

Question 1

What are the major poultry types for broiler chickens?

Answer 1

-Raised for meat (there are broiler turkeys but usually chickens)
-Heavy-boned, large body, and genetically selected for fast growth and high breathing meat yield
-Main breeds in CA: Ross and Cobb

Question 2

What are the major poultry types for layer chickens?

Answer 2

-Produce table eggs
-Light weight and genetically selected for high egg production
-Main breeds in CA: Lohmann, ISA, Hyline, Shaver, Bovan, Dekalb

Question 3

What are the major poultry types for turkey?

Answer 3

-Raised for meat
-Heavy-boned, large body, and genetically selected for high breast meat yield
-Main breed in CA: Broad Breasted White
-There are only 2 commercial strains in North America supplied by two primary breeding companies: Avian Turkeys in the US and Hybrid Turkeys in ON

Question 4

What are major types of poultry breeders?

Answer 4

-Produce hatching (ie fertilized( eggs for the next generation of broilers, layer or turkey (parent stock)

Question 5

What are minor types of poultry?

Answer 5

-Ducks and geese (Fairly large in CA for export)
-Ratites (ostriches, emus, rheas)
-Pigeons (‘squab’) ie young pigeon
-Game birds (quail, partridges, pheasants)

Question 6

What are the basics relating to supply management?

Answer 6

-Government endorsed partnerships that regulates domestics production and imports of certain commodity groups, including chicken, turkey, eggs, broiler hatching eggs (and milk)
-Corresponding national marketing agency sets the quota based on domestic consumption of the product
-The quota is divided by province based on historical human populations
-Producer must purchase quota to have the right to market their product
-Cant legally raise poultry without quota (exceptions up to 50 turkeys, 99 layer chickens and 300 broiler chickens)
-Price of quota fluctuates depending on demand (but generally increases)
-Major financial investment for the producer

Question 7

What are the 3 pillars of supply management?

Answer 7

1. Production planning:
   -Supply of the product is kept steady by determining how much of the product to produce every quota period
2. Import controls:
   -Predicting imports plays a critical role in determining how much of the profit the industry needs to produce to satisfy Canada’s needs (tariff rate quotas with effective over-quota tariffs to control imports of products)
3. Producer pricing:
   -Farmers collectedly negotiate a fair price for their products based on what it costs to produce them (every source/feed of ingredient gets factored in)

Question 8

What does supply management ensure?

Answer 8

-Supply of the commodity matches the demand for it
-Prices paid to farmers are steady overtime, cover their production costs (fair), and leave them with a predictable income
-Canadian consumers have access to a consistent supply of high quality, domestically-produced products at reasonable prices..all without government subsides

Question 9

What is a brief overview of the poultry industry?

Answer 9

-Globally CA is a minor player with respect to poultry production, importing and exporting (exception: turkey genetics)
-Highest producing Provences: ON, Quebec, BC

Question 10

What is the Canadian Hatching Egg industry?

Answer 10

-Part of Broiler Breeders
-240 broiler hatching egg farmers in 8 provinces
-Produced 757 million broiler hatching eggs to meet the needs of the CA chicken industry
-Industry consists of breeder growers and hatching egg producers
-Birds are moved from the breeder grower facility to the hatching egg facility ~ 20 weeks of age
-Average flock size is 10k - 15k birds
-Begin laying fertilized eggs at ~26 w (don’t collect eggs right away wait until 26w bc want to a minimum size of egg to control size of chick coming out ie want bigger so wait a little longer)
-Each hen will lay 150-160 fertilized eggs over the course of a laying cycle that is ~34-36 w (8months) in duration (taken out of proaction around 60-62w)
-Fertilized eggs are collected daily and inspected by famers before being shipped to hatcheries (if cracked/contaminated then taken out)

Question 11

What is the broiler breeder flock?

Answer 11

-Hens and roosters are housed together at a ratio of ~10hens: 1 rooster
-Mating is natural
-Light duration and intensity
- <21w: short day length (8h); low intensity
- >21w: longer day length (11h) higher intensity (to stimulate laying/reproduction

Question 12

What happens in the broiler hatchery?

Answer 12

-Hatching eggs can be stored for at least 7 days at 16-18C and 75% humidity (cool and humid) with the small end pointed down (air bubble)
-Proper storage conditions prevent the embryo from developing while preventing moisture loss

Question 13

What is the total incubation time for broilers?

Answer 13

21d

Question 14

What is the first stage of incubation for broiler and what happens?

Answer 14

-Setter -1st stage of incubation (1-18d)
-Hatching eggs are incubated at 38C and 58-60% relative humidity
-Eggs are turned every hour (mimics what would happen in nature, keeps embryo viable and not stuck against side)

Question 15

What happens at day 18 for fertilized broiler eggs?

Answer 15

On day 18 of incubation, eggs are transferred from the setter to the hatcher
-In-ovo vaccination for Marek’s disease occurs at this time (candling will recognize if fertilized w/ embryo and take out ones that aren’t & vaccination start with spray of alcohol and needle come in supposed to go to embryonic fluid but muscle is okay)

Question 16

What is the 2nd stage of broiler hatchery what happens and how long?

Answer 16

Hatcher - 2nd stage of incubation (days 18-21)
-Humidity is increased to at least 65%
-This helps the chick break out of the egg shell

Question 17

What happens at day one for chicks (broiler hatchery)?

Answer 17

At day one of age, chicks are processed:
-Health check (always- look for open naval, malformations, swollen hocks)
-Sexed (sometimes but mostly go into barn together)
-Spray-vaccinated against infectious bronchitis virus +/- coccidiosis (carwash, music membrane similar outcome but mass immunization technique)
-Placed into a shipping box (102 chicks per box) and transported to a commercial farm

Question 18

What is done to prepare the barn for chicks (broiler)?

Answer 18

Must:
-Remove manure and used litter (after every flock)
-Dry clean (blow down dust off fans, walls, feed lines)

Should not mandatory:
-Wet clean using water and detergent to remove organic material and decrease pathogen load (something with surfactant allows to disinfectant to work better)
-Disinfect barn surfaces and equipment to kill remaining pathogens (foam, spray, fog)
-Disinfect water lines (can be pathogen/mineral build up in water lines)

NOW CLEAN NOT STERILE BARN

Question 19

After cleaning a broiler barn before chicks come what needs to be done after?

Answer 19

-Add clean bedding: wood shavings or straw (own straw cut)
-Lower the feed and water lines IMPORTANT
-Pre-heat the barn to 32-33C IMPORTANT (Cant thermoregulate first 10d of live so important usually have heat lamps)
Should provide:
-Place chick paper, and supplemental feeders and waterers
-Turn on heat lamps

Question 20

What happens when the chicks first arrive on a broiler farm with a clean barn?

Answer 20

-Day old chicks arrive at a commercial farm from the hatchery in temperature-controlled trucks
-To ensure chicks find feed and water: place chicks on the floor in strategy positions (by feeding lines on paper bc early access feed important for GI development) and providing 23 h of light for the first 1-3d (to find feed/water)

Question 21

What are requirements for optimal growth and quality in broiler chickens?

Answer 21

Health
-growth rate, feed conversion and overall performance

Feed
-Increase protein, decrease energy, then shift as get older, AA important as well balanced

Air (ventilation)
-Respiratory health

Light

Temperature and humidity
-Body temp 35C so anything high or low will impact
-Dry= dust. wet= Co2 and ammonia
-Linked to ventilation and litter

Water supply
-Accessible, palatable

Stocking density
-Overcrowding lead to disease issues (Code of practice will tell)

Litter

*Litter, temp/humidity and air/ventilation all relate

Question 22

What are the major markets for broiler production chain?

Answer 22

-Broilers are marketed at 28-50d
-Cornish game hen
-Fryer
-Broiler
-Roaster

Question 23

What are layer breeder flocks?

Answer 23

-Egg industry also has breeder flocks
-Hens and roosters are housed together
-Mating is natural
-Hatching eggs are sent to the hatchery

Question 24

What happens at the layer hatchery?

Answer 24

Day 1 of age: chicks are processed
-Health check (always)
-Sexed (always, only F have value male chicks are humanly euth)
-Beak-trimmed (prevent damage from FP)
-Vaccinated against Marek’s infectious bronchitis virus +/- coccidiosis
-Placed into a shopping box and transported to a rearing (pullet) farm

Question 25

What happens at the pullet flocks?

Answer 25

-1 d old pullets are transferred from the hatchery to a rearing facility
-The type of housing they are reared in should be the same as the production facility they will be transferred to upon maturity (so able to jump/ walk if need to)

Question 26

What is the goal of the pullet grower? What are the key factors?

Answer 26

Goal: grow a uniform flock of healthy pullets capable of achieving their genetic potential in the layer barn

Key management factors:
-Achieve target weight for age (size eggs depend on wright going into laying so they are weighted every week)
-maintain flock uniformity (easier for producer to manage feed intake if all same weight)
-Consistent environmental temp, and air quality
-Minimize feed wastage
-Ensure good health management and vaccination programs
-Provide proper light stimulation

Question 27

What kind of diet do chicks of pullet flocks get? How strong is the vaccination program?

Answer 27

-Chicks are started on high protein feed, which is gradually stepped down
-Pre-lay diet ~2w before lay must have adequate Ca to ensure the birds have good Ca stores in their bones for shell productions
-Pullets have an intense vaccination program to ensure they have adequate immunity against a number of pathogens before they go into production

Question 28

What is so important about the photoperiod for pullet flocks?

Answer 28

-Birds are receptive to photoperiod and reproductive tract development accelerates in response to increasing day length
-Day length is strictly controlled during rearing (day length influences release of hormones from the pituitary gland in the brain that controls the development and maturity of the ovary)
-A few w before entering the laying barn the lightning duration is incrementally increased, if the pullets have reached their target weight (lighting up flock to synchronize flock)

Question 29

How old are pullets when they are transferred to the production barn?

Answer 29

-19 weeks of age

Question 30

What is the most common type of housing for layer flocks today?

Answer 30

Conventional cages
-4-8 tiers high
-7-9birds/cage
-manure belts (separate birds from feces, lower coccidiosis and prevents parasites

-Easiest in terms of management
-in 2021 57% of production was conventional housing (goal to have phased out by 2036

Question 31

What is the second most common type of housing for layer flocks?

Answer 31

Enriched colony housing
-4 tiers high
-30-80 birds/cage
-Manure belts
-Have features to express natural behaviour such as nesting box, perch, and scratch areas

-2021 27% of proaction was enriched colony housing

Question 32

What is the 3rd type of housing for layer flocks?

Answer 32

Non-cages (free-run, aviaries, free-range)
-Free-run barn is similar to a breeder barn
-Aviaries may/may not have manure belts

-Free-range: access to outdoors weather dependant
-Multi-tieared (aviaries)

Question 33

What happens upon arrival at the production facility for layer flocks?

Answer 33

-lighting is gradually increased to 14-16 hours/day
-It takes ~24 hours to form an egg
-Rate of lay is ~320-340 eggs/hen/year (broiler was 150-160)
-Ca and Vit D supplementation is critical to repent cage layer fatigue (osteopenia) also broiler who producing eggs
-Laying hens are in production for ~12 months (average age at end of production is 17 months)
-Layer production facilities are highly automatic and efficient

Question 34

How are eggs collected and managed at the layer barn?

Answer 34

-Collected and cooled slowly, stored (10-13C) and ship twice weekly to the grading station

Question 35

What are the major markets for layer production?

Answer 35

Table market
-70% are sold in the shell
-Table market eggs are shell eggs
-They are used at home, and in restaurants and some bakeries

Industrial product market
-30% are sold as liquid/processed or powdered eggs
-Industrial production eggs are processed into variety of forms, pasteurized frozen, refrigerated liquid, dried eggs, pickled, hard cooked, special blends, and extracts

Question 36

TRUE OR FALSE: Canada is a major exporter of turkey genetics?

Answer 36

TRUE
-Fertilized eggs are shipped

Question 37

Whats some general info about the turkey breeder flocks?

Answer 37

-Turkey industry also has breeder flocks
-Hens and toms are housed separately
-Breeding is by AI (bc selection too big)
-Hatching eggs are sent to the hatchery

Question 38

How long are fertilized turkey eggs incubated for at the hatchery?

Answer 38

-Incubation: 28d (21 for chickens) so 25d in setter and 3d in hatcher

Question 39

What happens right at day 1 when the poults are born?

Answer 39

Processed (similar to pullets)
-Health check
-Sexed (always) go to different production facilities marketed older so size difference is way larger
-Beak trimmed, toe-trimmed, de-snooted (grade A perfect birds so no scratches so toe-trimmed)
-Spray vaccinated against coccidiosis (sometimes)

-Placed into shipping box and transported to commercial farm

Question 40

What happens at the commercial turkey flocks for brooding?

Answer 40

-1st 5-6w
-Closed floor barn
-Bedding: wood shavings
-Brooder rings
-Supplemental heat
-Supplemental feed/water (1st w)
-Prevent piling

Question 41

What is the growth cycle for Turkey flocks? Where are they housed?

Answer 41

-Growing cycle: until 11-17w
-Single level, closed or open-sided (curtained) floor barns (often not the same barn used for brooding)
-Bedding: straw or wood shavings, litter Is often re-used
(in brooder the litter is changed bc they have a lower immune system where as grower the litter is kept bc they have a higher immune system)

Question 42

What are the major markets for the turkey production chain?

Answer 42

-Turkeys are marketed at 10-17w
-Broilers: up to 6.2kg (avg: 5.4)
-Hens: 6.2-10.8kg (avg: 7.7) typically grown for the whole bird market
-Toms: 10.8kg and up (avg: 14.9) further processed market through some are sold as whole birds

*TOMS: 1kg per week of age ie 18kg= 18w

Question 43

What is the infection cycle?

Answer 43

-Shed in droppings, dander, aerosols
-Direct: transmission through shared environmental feed, water
-Indirect (mechanical): transmission through contaminated equipment, closing, vehicles insects and wild life, formats

Question 44

TRUE OR FALSE: disease spread is not exponential.

Answer 44

FALSE
easy one

Question 45

What are the 3 general principle for biosecurity?

Answer 45

biosecurity manages disease risk through:
1. On farm disease control
2. Preventing pathogens from entering the farm
3. Stopping pathogens from spreading within and between barns

Question 46

What does on-farm disease control include?

Answer 46

-Prevention
-Early detection
-Treatment of identified diseases

Question 47

What are the biosecurity access control zones/points?

Answer 47

Controlled Access zone (CAZ)
-Area of land constituting poultry production area (restricted area)
-Has securable controlled access point

Restricted Access Zones (RA)
-An area inside the CAZ
-More restricted than the CAZ

Controlled Access Point (CAP)
-Visually defined entry points through which all traffic enter the CAZ and/or RAZ

Question 48

What is the goal of access control?

Answer 48

Goal of access management: to reduce and control traffic onto and within the farm
Somethings can do: change foot wear, have specific people entering only certain barns, young to older birds.