Chickens Flashcards
(53 cards)
1
Q
hoow many australians eat chicken
A
90%
2
Q
where is chicken meat produced per state
A
NSW = 32%
VIC = 20%
QLD = 20%
elsewhere = 20%
3
Q
when are chickens slaughtered/caught
A
35 days
4
Q
2 main breeds in ausralia
A
- Ross
- Cobb
5
Q
how were meat chickens bred
A
- great grandparents -> import fertile eggs, breeding only to produce fertile breeding eggs
- grandoparents (breeding farms) -> genetically different chickens bred
- parent breeders (breeding farms) -> fertile hatchlings breed
- meat chicken offspring grown for consumption (broiler grow out farms)
6
Q
how long are chickens grown out for
A
30-65 days
7
Q
how long is incubation time
A
- delayed hatching for a week
-21 days - fumigated for 18 days (setting)
- placed in hatcher for 3 days
- chick brooding
8
Q
explain breeder farms
A
- nesting boxes
- indoors
- one rooster per 10 chickens
- eggs into grates under chickens
9
Q
what is the optimum temp for fertile eggs in storage?
A
- 18° for 3-4 days
- lower for longer periods
10
Q
what is chick placement
A
- first stage of growing
- encouraging chicks to eat food from floor immdeiately after hatchign
11
Q
3 ways to raise meat chickens
A
- conventional -> indoors
- free-range -> access to outdoors
- organic -> outdoors only
*all systems have an indoor brooding period
12
Q
how many birds in each shed
A
40000-90000
13
Q
what temp do chicks need to be at in first stage
A
31-32°
- reduce by a degree every day
14
Q
explain a broiler cycle
A
- placement at day old
- staggered catching at 30, 40, 48, 56, 65 days
- shed empty and cleaned for next batch
15
Q
what is a cool pad?
A
- air flows through pad, water stored in bottom cools air in sheds
16
Q
when are chicks given access to outdoors in free range after brooding
A
21 days of age
*when they have feathers
17
Q
what time of day are birds caught
A
- caught by hand at night
- put in crates
18
Q
what is a full cleanout
A
all bedding, equipment, scrub floor, wall, spray everythng
19
Q
what is a partial clean out
A
- feed and water cleaned
- change bedding
- don’t spray everything though
20
Q
4 key biosecurity pricniples
A
- preventioon
- down time
- distance
- cleaning and disinfection
21
Q
prevention aspects
A
- environemnt
- pathogens
- host susceptibility/immunity
22
Q
downtime aspects
A
- keeping away from poultry farms if you have contacted other chickens recently
- e.g. 72 hours before entering another chicken farm
23
Q
distance principles
A
- disances between two farms
24
Q
cleaning apsects
A
- inactivate the pathogen
- use disinfectants and antibacterials
25
aspects of management of chickens
- food
- water
- air
- floor
26
ideal angles for water feeders
- chick = 35-45
- growing = 75-85
- grown = level with shoulder
27
chick positions and what they mean
- along outside = too hot
- evenly spread = right
- crowded in middle = too cold
- together in random area = something is wrong in a particular area
28
process of egg farming
1. breeders
2. hatchery
3. pullet growers
4. egg layer
5. egg grading
6. distribution
29
how many eggs produced in aus every year?
- 6.68 billion
30
how many hens in aus
30 million
31
when was import banned
1930's
32
laying breeds
1. isa brown (france)
2. hy-line brown (US)
3. hisex (holand)
* all brown egg layers*
33
genetics impoortaton process for eggs
1. GGP imported
2. GP eggs hatched
3. parents hatched
4. commercial chicks hatched -> layers
34
traits for layer chickens
- number of eggs
- feed conversion to eggs
- liveability
- shell strength + quality of eggs
35
what are pullets
- egg layers
36
what procedures do chicks undergo
- vaccination (egg vaccine or sprayed etc)
- sexing
- beak trimming (infared tech to take tip off/hook)
37
how to tell sex based off colour
- male sire will be brown which causes females to lay brown eggs
- female dam is white causing male offspring to be white
38
how can vaccines be given
- spray
- in the egg
- eyedrops
- wing vaccine
39
when do chickens lay
16 weeks
40
how long will chcikens sdtay in laying shed
72 weeks
41
what improvements ahve been made in egg industry
- lower feed intake
- lower manure by product (feed conversion)
- less water used
42
what is chick starter diet
- up to 6 weeks eat high protein diet
43
what is grower diet
- more food
44
what is layer diet
- higher calcium and mineral supplements and protein
45
lighting importance
- keep light immitating the season for breeding so they keep prodcing eggs
- 16 hours a day lighting
- reduce moulting phase
46
pros and cons of cages
pros:
- water and food always available
- control environement
- no predators
- efficient use of resources
- cleaner eggs
- easier for workers
- lower biosecurity needed
- less feather pecking
cons:
- welfare concerns
- low bone strength -> no movement
47
free range pros and cons
pros:
- consumers like it
- natural behaviour
- choice
- bone strength
cons:
- low productivity
- bacteria and viruses
- dirty eggs
- danger to predators
- wild birds -> biosecurity
48
barn eggs system pros and cons
- can roam around shed, inside
pros:
- nests
- naural behaviour
- protected
cons:
- hard to clean
- dirty eggs
- disease risk harder to contain
49
what happens once eggs laid
1. collected
2. egg packing -> transport
3. graded (weigh, cracks)
4. distribute
50
how many chickens kept in backyards
- 60,000 in WA
51
what are the egg standards
- national egg quality assurance program
- code of practce for welfare of poultry
- HACCP (hazard analysis and critical control points)
52
how much do layer hens eat
107 grams/day
53
main challenges in eggs production
- dominance of major supermarkets
- gov regulations
- site approvals
- salmonella
- biosecurity
