Page 132 - Calculating Agriculture Cover 20191124 STUDENT - A

12-2 Poultry Science CH 12]

Criteria that may be used to measure or gauge the importance of the poultry industry include:

1. As a source of farm income. The United States Department of Agriculture reports that U.S.
poultry producers sold broilers, eggs, turkeys and chickens valued at $46.3 billion in 2018,
representing approximately 11% of the total cash farm income for the year.

2. As a food. Poultry meat and eggs are used chiefly as human food. 2018 statistics for the U.S.
indicate that the per capital consumption of chicken and turkey on a ready-to-cook basis totaled
96.2 and 16.2 pounds respectively. Additionally, the U.S. per capita consumption of eggs was
289.

3. Industrial uses. Science and technology have teamed to develop many products from poultry
and eggs, and their by-products. Among such industrial uses are: fertile eggs used in the
preparation of vaccines; below retail standard eggs are used in the preparation of animal feed
and fertilizers; egg whites are used in making pharmaceuticals, paints, varnishes, adhesives,
printer’s ink, book binding, wine clarification, leather tanning and textile dyes. Egg yolks are
used in the making of cake mixes, soap, paint, shampoos, leather finishing, and book binding.
Egg shells are used in making mineral mixes and in fertilizer; feathers are used in animal feed,
fertilizer, millinery goods, pillows, cushions, mattresses, dusters, and insulation material;
poultry offal is used in animal and mink feeds; and, endocrine glands are used in making
biological products.

4. Research. The chick is much more sensitive to the lack of several substances in the diet than is
the laboratory rat. Chicks have an advantage of being inexpensive and readily available. Many
scientists consider that the nutritional needs of the human are more similar to that of the
chicken than the rat.

POULTRY REARING

Meat Production
Chicken raised for meat are divided into classes based on age and sex. The meat from small,
young chickens is usually leaner than that from larger birds. The summary below is dependent on the
bird breed as they affect the feed consumption and growing rate to market maturity.

• Rock Cornish hens: Developed in the 1800s in the United States by crossing a Cornish
3
gamecock with the White Plymouth Rock chicken, Rock Cornish hens weigh / 4 to 2
pounds—the perfect size for serving one person, though a 2-pound bird could serve two
people. These plump-breasted birds are very low in fat, and generally come onto the
market at 35 or 42 days of age. You may occasionally find them fresh, but they are often
sold frozen. The traditional way to serve Rock Cornish hens is stuffed and roasted, but
they can also be broiled, braised, grilled, or sautéed.

• Broiler/fryers: This is the most popular type of chicken. Broiler/fryers are six to eight
weeks old and weigh 2 1/2 to 5 pounds. They are meaty, tender, all-purpose birds.
Despite their name, these chickens can be roasted, grilled, poached, steamed, or sautéed
as well as broiled and fried. They are not a good choice for stewing, however, as their
meat will become dry and stringy.

• Roasters: These chickens are a little older and larger than broiler/fryers. They are
generally brought to market when they are 12 weeks to 20 weeks old and weigh 3 ½ to 6
pounds. Roasters have tender, flavorful meat. They can be roasted, grilled, braised, or
stewed.

• Capons: These are male chickens that have been surgically castrated. This practice
results in large birds at a young age, so the meat remains tender. They are usually
slaughtered when 15 to 16 weeks old, and they weigh 9 to 11 pounds. Capons have a
large proportion of white meat but a thick layer of fat underneath the skin, which makes
the white meat fattier than that of other chickens. Capons are best roasted.

INSTRUCTOR Copyrighted Material