EXPLORING POULTRY AND

POULTRY PRODUCTS

Interest Approach

Ask the students to name all of the things they eat that come from poultry. If they are not familiar with the definition of poultry, ask them what things they eat that come from chickens and turkeys. Use this discussion to lead into the lesson.

Student Learning Objectives. Instruction in this lesson should result in students achieving the following objectives:

1 Understand the types of animals that are considered to be poultry.

2 Discuss the chicken industry.

3 Discuss the turkey industry.

4 Understand the parts of an egg and the development of the embryo.

Terms. The following terms are presented in this lesson (shown in bold italics):

Air cell Albumen Blastoderm Blastodisc Broilers Chalaza Gizzard Grit Layers Poultry Poults Shell Shell membrane Toms Yolk

OBJECTIVE 1: Understand the types of animals that are considered to be poultry.

Anticipated Problem: What types of animals are called poultry?

I. Poultry is fowl, or birds, that have been domesticated or kept by humans.

OBJECTIVE 1 continued

A. Examples of poultry are chickens, turkeys, ducks, ostriches, emus, quail, pigeons, pheasants, and geese.

OBJECTIVE 1 continued

B. As a whole, poultry animals produce meat, feathers, and eggs.

C. Chickens and turkeys are the most common poultry in the United States.

OBJECTIVE 2: Discuss the chicken industry.

Anticipated Problem: What is involved in the chicken industry?

II. The chicken industry primarily produces meat and eggs from chickens.

OBJECTIVE 2 continued

A. Most birds in the chicken industry are purchased as chicks (baby chickens) and kept in long, low buildings.

B. There are two types of chickens—layers and broilers.

1. Layers are chickens that are raised to lay eggs.

2. Broilers are chickens that are fed to produce meat.

OBJECTIVE 2 continued

C. Chickens must be fed properly to produce.

1. Chickens do not chew their food. They swallow it whole and use a strong, muscular organ, called a gizzard, to grind the food into smaller pieces.

2. Chicken feed is a mixture of corn, sorghum, wheat, and other grains.

3. Layers need grit in their diets to be able to form the shell of the egg. Grit is usually small pieces of granite added to the chicken feed.

4. Layers need at least 4 pounds of feed to produce a dozen eggs.

5. Broilers eat 1 pound of feed a week to gain weight.

OBJECTIVE 2 continued

D. Egg production is an important part of the chicken industry.

1. The average American family eats about 250 eggs per year.

2. It takes hens just over one day to produce an egg.

3. After eggs are laid they are quickly moved to a plant that washes, measures, grades, and packages the eggs for sale.

4. Most eggs are in the grocery store about 72 hours after they are laid.

OBJECTIVE 3: Discuss the turkey industry.

Anticipated Problem: What is involved in the turkey industry?

III. The turkey industry produces over 275 million turkeys in this country each year.

OBJECTIVE 3 continued

A. Turkeys are raised mostly for meat.

B. Producers who raise turkeys to lay eggs sell the poults (baby turkeys) as soon as they hatch to the producers who will feed them for meat production. Turkey eggs are light brown with dark speckles.

OBJECTIVE 3 continued

C. While wild turkeys are mostly brown and have colorful feathers, domesticated turkeys, those that are raised by humans, are white with a red head and neck.

D. Turkey feed is a mixture of corn and soybeans with extra vitamins and minerals mixed in.

E. Toms (male turkeys) will eat about 80 pounds of feed before they reach market weight.

Ameracauna

Sometimes called the “Easter Egger” because it lays colored eggs

Medium Blue/Green EggsFriendly, quiet, easily handled

Australorp

BlackEggs are large brownFriendly, Shy, Easily Handled

Leghorn

Large white eggsCan be noisy and flightyDoes well in confinement

Sussex

Medium brown eggsCalm, gentle, curious

ORPINGTON

Large Light Brown EggsAdapts well to confinement, docile and

friendly

Auburn Turkey

Extremely Rare

Blue Slate Turkey

Extremely Rare, on the endangered listColor can range from lavender to dark grey

Midget White Turkey

White, Small

Poultry Extension Video

http://www.cleanvideosearch.com/media/action/yt/watch?videoId=HwM3hOPwnnI

Chicken Questions!

What should I do if my chickens are pecking each other? Most commonly caused by too many birds in one area Reduce number of birds Add a block for birds to peck

Chicken Questions

What do I do if my hens start eating their eggs? Egg eating can be stopped by placing golf balls in the

nesting boxes or where eggs are laid Make sure eggs are collected several times a day Egg eating can be caused by over crowding

Chicken Question

Are brown eggs healthier? The breed of chicken determines the color of her

eggs. The color of a chickens earlobe will tell you what color

her eggs will be. Brown eggs are just as healthy as white eggs.

OBJECTIVE 4: Understand the parts of an egg and the development of the embryo.

Anticipated Problem: What are the parts of an egg and how does the embryo develop?

IV. For eggs to hatch they must first be fertilized and incubated. Chickens will lay eggs even if they are not fertilized. The non-fertilized eggs are the ones you can buy at the store.

Mother Knows Best

A mother hen reaches underneath her body and turns her eggs frequently with her beak. This is because the egg yolk tends to float toward the shell. When the egg lies too long in one position, the white separates and allows the yolk to float through, forcing the egg cell against the shell and killing it. The hen avoids this by changing the position of the eggs. She keep them warm by spreading her feathers over them. She is very careful with them and won’t let anyone else touch her eggs.

Mother Knows Best

When using an incubator at home, eggs must be turned regularly to prevent the yolk from settling to one side and to exercise the embryo. When you turn the egg, the embryo gets it exercise by turning in the shell until its head is upright. Eggs should be turned at least twice a day. At a hatchery they have large incubators which turn the trays which the eggs are in. 3 days before the eggs are to hatch they stop turning them. The temperature should be kept at 100*. If you want to hatch chicks at home you can purchase a small incubator and eggs from a school supply store. And if everything goes right in 21 days you will have new chicks.

OBJECTIVE 4 continued

A. The length of time for an embryo to develop in an egg varies by species.

1. Chickens need 21 days. 2. Geese need 29–31 days. 3. Turkeys need 27–28 days. 4. Ducks, depending on their species, need

28–35 days.

OBJECTIVE 4 continued

B. There are seven major parts of an egg.

1. The shell is the outer covering of the egg that protects the inside. The shell is made up of mostly calcium carbonate.

2. The shell membrane is actually two very thin linings that protect harmful contaminants like bacteria from entering the egg.

3. The air cell, or pocket, forms at the large end of the egg and grows larger as the embryo (developing baby chick) gets larger.

OBJECTIVE 4 continued

4. The yolk is the center, yellow part of the egg that provides nourishment for the developing embryo.

5. The blastodisc is the area where the embryo will begin to grow if the egg is fertilized. When the egg is fertilized, this area is called the blastoderm.

6. The albumen is the egg white or clear part of the egg. It cushions the embryo as it grows and gives it protein.

7. The chalaza is the curly cord that holds the yolk in the middle of the egg.

OBJECTIVE 4 continued

CHICKEN EGG INTERNAL STRUCTURES

Y O L K

G e rm in a l D is c

L a te b ra

L ig h t Y o lk L a y e r

D a r k Y o lk L a y e r

Y o lk M e m b r a n e

A ir C e ll

O u te r S h e l l

M e m b r a n e

I n n e r S h e ll

M e m b r a n e

M E M B R A N E

A L B U M E N

F i rm

O u te r T h in

I n n e r T h in

C h a l a z if e ro u s

C h a l a z a e

S H E L L

C u tic le

S p o n g y ( C a lc a re o u s ) L a y e r

M a m m il la ry L a y e r

OBJECTIVE 4 continued

CHICKEN EGG INTERNAL STRUCTURES

Y O L K

G e rm in a l D is c

L a te b ra

L ig h t Y o lk L a y e r

D a r k Y o lk L a y e r

Y o lk M e m b r a n e

A ir C e ll

O u te r S h e l l

M e m b r a n e

I n n e r S h e ll

M e m b r a n e

M E M B R A N E

A L B U M E N

F i rm

O u te r T h in

I n n e r T h in

C h a l a z if e ro u s

C h a l a z a e

S H E L L

C u tic le

S p o n g y ( C a lc a re o u s ) L a y e r

M a m m il la ry L a y e r

OBJECTIVE 4 continued

DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES OF A CHICK EMBRYO

A lb u m e n

( e g g w h i te )

A lb u m e n

A lb u m e n

( e g g w h i te )

5 D a y s 1 0 D a y s

1 5 D a y s 2 0 D a y s

Y o l k s a c Y o l k S a c

Y o l k S a c

Life Cycle of a Chicken Egg

REVIEW

1. What types of animals are called poultry?

2. What is involved in the chicken industry?

3. What is involved in the turkey industry?

4. What are the parts of an egg and how does the embryo develop?