Poultry and Egg Production:

 

M.E. PersiaIowa State UniversitySeptember 8, 2011

Background Information 

• What is poultry production?– Meat chickens– Laying hens (egg production)– Meat turkeys– Meat ducks– Ratites (ostrich and emu)– Game birds (quail, pheasants and partridge)– Breeding stock

Meat Chicken Production

2010 US Poultry and Egg Association

State Number Live weight Average Weight

1,000 head 1,000 pounds Pounds

Georgia 1,205,004 6,322,022 5.7Alabama 1,082,334 6,059,406 5.2Arkansas 973,634 5,551,543 5.7Mississippi 757,545 4,483,780 5.9

North Carolina 707,861 5,013,567 7.1

Texas 684,058 3,841,478 5.6Missouri 413,091 1,961,251 4.7Virginia 318,858 1,650,008 5.2Delaware 304,471 2,117,720 7Kentucky 304,237 1,650,617 5.4

South Carolina 298,727 1,950,163 6.5

Tennessee 289,909 1,487,249 5.1California 266,761 1,503,951 5.6Louisiana 184,163 1,122,202 6.1Maryland 138,855 667,669 4.8Oklahoma 129,705 888,473 6.8Other States 569,616 2,924,854 5.11

Egg Production (Laying Hens)Number

1,000 headUnited States 247,400

Iowa 51,866Ohio 27,000Pennsylvania 24,398Indiana 22,446California 19,252Texas 13,251Michigan 10,133Minnesota 9,637Nebraska 9,094Florida 9,037

2010 American Egg Board

Meat Turkey ProductionNumberIn 2007

Number in 2008 Change

1,000 head 1,000 head (%)United States 266,700 273,100 102

Minnesota              46,500               48,000  103North Carolina              38,500               40,000  103Arkansas              29,500               31,000  105Missouri              18,500               18,000  97Virginia              20,500               21,000  102California              16,200               16,000  99Indiana              13,600               14,500  106Pennsylvania              11,000               11,500  105South Carolina              10,400               12,500  120Iowa                 8,700                 9,000  103Ohio                 6,000                 6,000  100Other States              47,300               45,600  96

2008 National Turkey Federation

Importance of Poultry in Iowa

BeefDairySwineLayersTurkeyOther

Farmgate receipts  animal agriculture in Iowa (2005)

Approximately 6% of Animal Agriculture Farm Gate Receipts in Iowa

Accounts for over $500 million annually

Commercial Production 

• Size– Broiler 22,000-26,000 birds per house

5 to 7 flocks a year– Layer 200,000-350,000 birds per house

0.5 to 1 flocks a year– Turkey 15,000 birds per house

3 flocks a year

• Integration

An Integrated Approach

Grandparent Flock Parent Flocks Hatchery

Production FlocksFeed Mill

Hatchery

Processing PlantDistribution

Retail

Rendering Plant

Chicks

• Crossbred chicks to gain growth advantage

GrandparentMale

ParentMale

GrandparentFemale

GrandparentMale

GrandparentFemale

ParentFemale

Productive Stock

Chicks

• Selection has increased efficiency

Chicks

• Hatchery– Vaccination– Sorted– Sexed

• Transportation– From hatchery to farm

Feed

• Majority of the cost of poultry production

• Source and purchase complete feed or ingredients to make feed

• Several diets fed over the production cycle

• Feed Mill– Broiler and turkey rations are pelleted

– Laying hen diets are fed as mash 

– One feed mill makes the diets for several farms in a region

Feed

Feed

Ingredient Percentage

Corn 64

Soybean meal (48%) 20

Meat and bone meal 6

Dried distillers grains with solubles 4

Poultry fat 3

Rock phosphate 1.7

Limestone 1.4

Salt 0.4

Vitamin and Mineral Premix 0.5

Shelter

Broiler house

Laying facility

Air, Ventilation and Temp. Control

• Movement of air– Cool birds– Remove volatile compounds– Refresh air

• Brooding of young chicks• Lighting

Process

• Broiler/Turkey– Hatchery – 21 or 28 days

• Sanitation important• Incubation and hatching

– Growout – 35 to 56 d for Broilers and 16 to 21 wks for Turkeys

• All in all out• Biosecurity important

Process

• Broiler/Turkey– Processing plant(approximately 1 day)

• Located away from farms (must transport birds)• Labor intensive• High adoption of technology/automation• Sanitation important (Food Safety)• Packaging and storage• Further processing

Process

• Laying hen– Hatchery – 21 days

• Similar to meat birds• Sanitation important• Sex all chicks

– Pullets – 18 weeks• Immature female laying hen• Sunk cost

Process

• Laying hen– Lay cycle – 40 to 50 weeks

• Automation – egg belt• Induced Molting – increase productivity

– Processing plant• Located on Farm• Clean eggs• Candle and remove defective• Grade eggs• Further processing

Egg Facility

What are the products? (eggs)

Shell Eggs Liquid Egg Whites Liquid Egg Yolks

Meringue PowderPowdered Whole Eggs Powdered Egg Substitutes

Liquid Egg Substitutes

Hard Cooked or Pickled Eggs

Powdered Egg Whites

What are the Products? (Meat)

Production equation

Inputs• Chicks (Genetic Stock)• Feed• Medication• Water• Shelter• Ventilation/Temp. Control• Labor/Process• Time

Outputs• Poultry products• Hatchery waste• Manure/litter• Spent hens• Egg waste/carcass trim• Dust/odor/ammonia• Noise/flies