Introduction to Poultry Farming

You know how it is that about 60% of the world are not Vegans and consume many kinds of meat to the least? I feel it's of prior importance to at least know the basics of how these meat are raised just as you enjoy eating them. This article is to entertain the non-poultry owners as well as educate the poultry farmers alike. Before I proceed, let me bring the logic behind poultry and poultry farming to the limelight. In simple words, it is just the informed procedure on how best to breed a specie of birds for meat, eggs or domestic purposes. It is a form of animal husbandry that breeds domesticated birds for either commercial purposes or for domestic purposes.
Some examples of poultry breeds includes:
Chickens, Geese, Ducks, Turkey, Pigeons and Guinea fowls.
Now, you may ask, is poultry farming really profitable? However, I would like to ask you, a non-vegan if you keep count of the number of meat and meat products you consume in the space of one month. Can you now see that those who specialise in brooding chicks to maturity earn just as much as they would to buy a house and raise their families like others would. So why shy away from it if that's what you're interested in?

(*A pic of my broiler birds at 3 days old when I first started my poultry journey).

I for one is a poultry farmer and I am proud to be called one. I mean, I am not ashamed of eating meat, so why should I be ashamed of raising and selling them? That being said, the most common poultry birds that are being raised are the broilers, hybrid chickens and turkeys.

Broilers

(*These are my 'previous' 3 days old chicks that have grown into full fleshed chickens. P.S, there were 5 weeks in this picture and still growing).

A broiler has the scientific name to be gallus gallus domesticus. It is a specie of chicken that is bred for the primary production of meat. So in essence, broilers produce tons of meat. An average 6 to 8 weeks broiler should weigh about 3.5 kg to 4.2 kg of meat. Did you know that broiler chickens do not mate as the usual chickens would in order to produce offsprings. Oh, I guess it shouldn't be new to anyone that chickens lay eggs. However, broiler chicks are practically produced in ''a lab experimental way''. What I mean is that for broiler chicks to be made, there's always a breeding of a special line of White Cornish Rooster together with a special line of White Plymouth Rock hen. This 'chemistry bonding' leads to the production of broiler eggs. A fact about broilers is that they grow really fast. Personally, when I bred day old broiler chicks I would discover that they change in physical form every single day. I'm talking about their feet becoming bigger, their weight increasing down to having pure white feathers come out from their wings and it automatically turns its creamy baby hairs to pure white features in about 4 weeks of growth.

Hybrid Chickens

(Image-source:homeinthefingerlakes.com)

Hybrid chickens has the scientific name of gallus gallus domesticus. They are the results of breeding pure breeds of chickens. Such pure breeds are the Light Sussex, Rhode Island Red or Leghorn. Hybrids are generally tough. You get to actually the aggressiveness of a hungry man in a hybrid chicken. They virtually fight all the time. Asides that, they are also bred for their high egg production, disease resistance and their natural savour when cooked. I mean you don't need to 'sweat' so much in making your meals tasty while cooking a hybrid chicken's meat because it tastes so heavenly; when cooked. Hybrids are best for commercial productions because you have two sides to gain from- their egg production and its meat production if fed properly. But for longer period of time (like 6 months) when compared with the broiler chickens.

Turkey

(Image Source: www.abc4.com)

Turkey has a botanical name of meleagris gallopavo domesticus. It is a relatively large bird that can be identified with having a fleshy wattle, tail feathers that are broadly tipped with rusty or white colour and a bare head skin that may have a blue or grey colour. An average turkey can weigh between 16-24 pounds if it's a Tom (that's a male) and 8-16 pounds, if it's a hen (a female).
An interesting fact on how turkeys reproduce is that they tend to reproduce asexually. That is, in the absence of a male turkey, a female turkey can produce fertile eggs on her own.
Finally, a wrap up about poultry farming and production is that it isn't a hard nut to crack for people who wish to start it as a business. It simply involves several stages that is included in rearing a specie of birds from hatchery (day old) to peak performance then to maturity after which it can get to the consumers and sales are done.
P.S, I would be dropping more aspects of poultry farming that you would like to read on to build the stock of knowledge you have so to be able to place your hand around the kind of meat you eat, how they are raised, the right nutrition and vaccines for them and the economies of scales around it.
Till I come your way next time, stay informed and refreshed.
Your young and experienced poultry farmer,
~Uc.