POULTRY ASSIGNMENT

POULTRY INDUSTRY IN IRELAND

• The poultry industry is divided into 2 separate sections – poultry meat and egg production. In each sector production can be either highly intensive e.g. battery cage eggs, free range or organic. For each of these enterprises there is a corresponding breeding business undertaken as separate enterprises with foundation breeding stock imported. A small number of companies control the entire poultry breeding industry world wide. Franchise rights are awarded and Ireland has the same commercial stock as any other area in the developed world.

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• 70 million chickens are produced annually, 4 million turkeys and eggs from 2 million hens. The industry is seriously effected by cheap imports from third countries. Ireland, with its high cost base for raw feed ingredients is unable to compete economically. The fast food industry is supplied mainly by imports. Quality also should be considered and the quality assured logo is clearly evident on Irish chicken produced on farms participating in the quality assurance scheme. Ireland is the highest consumer of poultry meat in the EU while at the low end of the egg consumption scale.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF POULTRY THAT CAN BE FOUND ON A FARM

• Chickens: Polish, Java, Campine, Bandara, Buttercup, Baheij
• Geese: African, Chinese Brown, Chinese white, Embden.

DIFFERENT TYPES OF POULTRY THAT CAN BE FOUND ON A FARM

• Turkey's: Black, Bourbon, Bronze, Royal Palm, Slate.
• Ducks: Call, Cayuga, Crested, Khaki Campbell.

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• A mature male chicken is called a Rooster or cock or roo.
• A mature female chicken is called a hen.

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• A hen can only lay one egg in a day and will have some when it does not lay an egg at all.

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• Poultry farming is the raising of domesticated birds such as chickens, geese, ducks and turkeys for the purpose of farming meat or eggs for food. Poultry are farmed in great numbers with chickens being the most numerous.

GALLIC ROOSTER

• The Gallic rooster is an unofficial national symbol of France as a nation.

CHICKEN DISEASES AND PREVENTION

• Feed your chickens onions and garlic as a preventative for worms.
• Diarrhoea is the most common diseases amongst fowl. As a remedy dissolve one tablespoon of chemical in one quart of warm water

AVIAN FLU

• Avian Flu With the recent outbreaks of mutated forms of Avian flu among humans around the world, this one disease that many new backyard flock owners are curious about. Avian flu (or just bird flu) is really just another form of flu and it will effect your chickens in the same way.

AVIAN FLU

• Chickens with bird flu usually have respiratory symptoms, like wheezing or coughing and their combs and wattles may get discolored. Ill birds will also be lethargic and off their feed. If you suspect your chickens have the flu, you can still use their eggs (though they will likely have a reduced output until their are better). All eggs should be well cooked, and you should be doubly careful to wash your hands after you handle them.

AVIAN FLU

• Most chickens who get bird flu will recover on their own, and you can also get them vaccinated if you find that they catch it frequently.

FOWL POX

• Do not confuse this with the chicken pox disease that humans get. Chickens can get their own version of pox, and it can be spread by biting insects or just through the air if infected chickens are nearby. Pox spread by insect bite (usually mosquitoes) appears as sores and black lesions on your chicken's combs or wattles. While the bird has the disease, you'll get far fewer eggs and your chickens will be pretty unhappy. But otherwise they can usually get over it within a few weeks on their own.

FOWL POX

• But if they get pox in the inhaled version, it can be more serious and show as sores inside the mouth and other respiratory problems. You can get your chickens vaccinated for pox, just like with the other diseases.

DUST BATHING

• Dust bathing is an animal behaviour characterised by the act of grooming while rolling or moving around in dust or sand, with the purpose of cleaning fur.

ROOST

• A place where birds regularly settle or congregate to rest at night. Chickens want to be at the highest point available and to be gathered together for warmth.

CHICKENS TO HATCH

• 21 Days: Fertilised chicken eggs usually take exactly 21days to hatch, most duck eggs take 28 days.

DUCK

• Male: drake
• Female: duck
• Baby: duckling

GOOSE

• Male: Gander
• Female: Goose
• Baby: Gosling

INCUBATOR

• Incubator - a piece of equipment especially designed to incubate eggs.
• There are many makes and models of incubators for sale and they vary greatly in price, quality and user-friendliness.

EXAMPLE OF INCUBATORS:

• Fertility and Candling: Natural fertility is rarely 100% - it may vary from 55% to 95% with season, condition and type of birds. You might be safe to expect that 50% to 75% of the fertile eggs will hatch, though 90%-100% hatches can and does happen. With shipped eggs the hatch rate is approximately 50% overall. Fertility of eggs cannot be determined before incubating them. After 5-7 days, white-shelled eggs can be candled to see if embryos have developed. If there is no sign of development by day 10, discard any "clears".

POSITIONING OF EGGS:

• An incubating egg could set in a normal position as it would on a flat surface; that is with the large end slightly higher than the point, or upright in egg cartons/turners, with the fat end of the egg always up. An egg that persistently has the small end elevated may cause the embryo to be misoriented with the head toward the small end. In the misoriented position, the chick is likely to drown on pipping. Therefore, it is quite important that in general, the large end of eggs should be slightly higher than the small ends; or as they would lie naturally on a flat surface.

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• Turning: is essential during the first 14 days of incubation and should be continued until 3 days prior to the eggs expected hatch day. If hand turning, always turn the eggs an uneven number of times a day, so the eggs do not spent two nights in a row in the same position. If not turned to a fresh position frequently during the early stages, the developing embryo touches the shell membrane and sticks to it causing abnormal growth. Turning the eggs mimics what a mother hen would do naturally.

WHAT TO DO WITH HATCHED CHICKENS

• After the chick hatched allow it to dry off and fluff up in the incubator before removing it to a brooder. Newly hatched chicks can survive for up to 3 days on the yolk they absorb during the hatching process, but once you put them in the brooder make sure there is at least water available and offer them food after a day or 2.

FEEDING BABY CHICKS

• Food and water must be available at all times from the time they are out of the incubator. Do not dole out a measured daily ration. Do not let food or water run out! Chicks need to be fed a chick starter. Medicated chick starter can be fed to help prevent Coccidiosis. Chicks fed a medicated starter may still get coccidiosis. The medicine in the feed only help prevent it.

PREVENT DROWNING

• Prevent drowning: Water receptacles are a problem with baby birds during their first week. Chicks are clumsy and can easily fall into water dishes and drown. A common device to prevent drowning is to use a shallow water cup with marbles set in the water over the entire drinking area. The chicks will drink in the spaces between the marbles.

POULTRY FARMS IN IRELAND

• *Enfield Broiler Breeders Ltd Kilmurry Clane Co. Kildare *Dingle Poultry & Farm Supplies Ballydavid Tralee Co. Kerry *Urban Arks Caracastle Charlestown Mayo Co. Mayo *Enfield Broiler Breeders Ltd Grove Farm Hazelhatch rd Celbridge Co. Kildare

POULTRY FARMS IN IRELAND

• * Shields Kevin & Beth Kinduff Aghabog Monaghan Co. Monaghan *McPhillips John Drumloo Newbliss Co. Monaghan *Enfield Broiler Breeders Ltd Kilmurry Clane Co. Kildare *McKenna Turkeys Doogary Tydavnet Co. Monaghan