SELECTION OF POULTRY

STOCK
Poultry Stock can be classified into two: the egg type or layers and
the meat type or broilers. While broilers are bred for meat production, the
layers are expected to lay high-quality eggs.

Different layers produce eggs with different shell colors. White egg
layers have the highest egg production rate and are efficient feed converters.
Tinted egg layers possess the same qualities next to white egg layers.
Brown egg layers are the least productive among the three and the most
expensive to keep or maintain. Most people prefer buying brown eggs even
though its production cost is higher. This is because most brown egg layers
are organically raised.

Ordinary poultry raisers normally classify eggs according the purpose: Table
and fertile eggs

1. Table eggs- are produced by female chickens without mating with a

rooster.
2. Fertile eggs- are produced by hens that are raised with roosters. The
ratio of male to female is 1:8 or 1:10. The hen can lay a fertile egg if it
mates with a rooster at least once a week.
COMMERCIAL LAYERS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS
A poultry raiser should select a strain with high genetic potential to
achieve high level of performance in egg production. A strain is an improved
breed from a common ancestry of chicken.
An example of commercial strain is the Leghorn, which is the leading
breed when it comes to egg production. A Leghorn has a small body but it
lays large eggs. It also possesses high egg-to-feed conversion ratio.
 In modern egg production, the laying hen should possess the following
characteristics:

1. High egg production

The layers should have a lying rate of 80% for the entire laying period.
2. High feed Efficiency
The layers should have high feed conversion ratio. They should consume
two kilograms of feed for a three-kilogram egg.
3. Good size and Quality of eggs
The laid egg should weigh 70 grams during the entire laying period. The
egg should be in good shape and have a strong shell and good interior yolk quality.
4. Uniform size and growth
The chicken should grow uniformly during their pullet period. In their
growing stage, early culling is applied to the birds that grow slow. Culling means
removal of an animal that has undesirable qualities. This process will be discussed
in detail in the next lesson.
5. Long laying period
The layers should have 80% of lay up to 15 months or longer.
6. No broodiness
Broodiness is the instinct of a hen to sit on its eggs after laying a certain
number. This is discouraged during egg production because it causes interruption
in laying.
GENETICS POTENTIAL OF MODERN COMMERCIAL BROILERS

The production of good meat is the primary concern in broiler production.

The breed for broilers should have the following characteristics:

1. Rapid Growth
Broilers should grow fast to weigh at least two kilogram in 45 days.
2. High feed efficiency
Broilers should have a high feed conversion ration. They should
consume an average of six bags of feed for 100 broilers in 45 days.
3. High livability rate
Meat producers should have a survival rate of at least 98%, or 2%
mortality, for the entire reading period.
4. Good fleshing
Broilers should be meaty. Some consumers prefer yellow gold skin.
5. Uniform size
Broilers should have uniform size to avoid extended feeding period for
the birds that grow slower.

Stock for broiler production is derived by crossing heavy and medium

breeds of chicken. The most popular breed for crossing chickens are Cornish
Cross bred to White Rock, New Hampshire, or Rhode Island Red.
 Breeds of Poultry
In poultry, the terms type, class, breed, and variety mean four different
things. Type refers to the form and shape regardless of the breed.

Class is used to identify which breeds have been developed in certain

regions, and which breeds are often named after the region.
Breed refers to an established flock possessing distinctive
characteristics, such as shape and size. White Leghorn is the most
prominent breed when it comes to egg production because of its good
laying quality.
Variety means the subdivision of a breed, which can be distinguished
by color pattern or type of comb.
 Standard
Weight (lb) Color
BREED AND VARIETY

Ear Type of
Cock Hen Skin Shank Egg
Lobe Comb
1. Jersey Black Giant Black 13 10 Red Yellow Black Brown Single

2. New Hampshire Red 8 1/2 6 1/2 Red Yellow Yellow Brown Single

3. Rhode Island Red Red 8 1/2 6 1/2 Red Yellow Yellow Brown Single and
rose
4. White Plymouth Rock White 9 1/2 7 1/2 Red Yellow Yellow Brown Single

5. White Cornish White 10 1/2 8 Red Yellow Yellow Brown Pea

6. Andalusian (blue) Blue 7 5 1/2 White White Yellow White Single

Single and
7. White Leghorn White 6 4 1/2 White Yellow Blue White rose
8. Native Multi-
colored
5 4 Red Yellow Yellow Light Single and
Brown rose
 Breeders develop many hybrids, offspring of two different breeds, to produce
more eggs. They produce hybrids that are excellent layers, but not one can exceed
the ability of the best Leghorn. Leghorn is known as the most popular breed in terms
of egg production. This breed of chicken is small but it can lay relatively large eggs
given a minimum amount of feed.

QUALITIES OF CHICKENS THAT ARE INHERITED

The qualities of the parents are inherited by their offspring at certain extents
only. An offspring, for example, may inherit sexual maturity by about 30% only, laying
intensity by 10%, hatchability by 12%, body weight by 60%, and growth by 35%.

1. Plumage Color
The feathers that cover the body of the fowl are called plumage. Breeding
broilers covered with white plumage is advantageous because they are easier to
pick clean than the chickens with dark colored feathers. Color feather chickens have
pigmented pin (or immature) feathers at broiler age, which are hard to remove from
the skin.
2. Skin and Shank Color
Shank colors of fowl result from different combinations of pigments in the
lower and upper layers of the skin. Yellow shanks are due to the carotenoid pigments
in the epidermis and the absence of melanic pigment. Black shanks are due to the
presence of melanic pigments in the epidermis. Complete absence of both types of
pigments makes the shanks white.

3. Feather Development
Early feathering is essential for broiler production because at this stage, pin
feathers are minimized. Broiler strain carry the sex-linked early feathering gene. At 10
days of age, rapid feathering chicks will show well-developed tail feathers. Slow-
feathering chicks do not develop feathers in the tail.

4. Egg Production
Breeders have successfully increased broiler meat production and they are
still working on the improvement of egg production. It is observed that the bird lay
more if eggs are removed daily from the nest. This way, the brooding instinct is
eliminated and egg yield will be higher.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF LAYER CHICKENS
The characteristics of layer chicken should be studied and analysed by the
poultry raiser so they can select the best breed of layer chickens for maximum egg
production.

1. Sexual Maturity
A pullet is sexually manure when she lays her first egg. The pullet that
starts to lay earlier that usual is more likely to lay longer and produce more eggs.
Sexual Maturity is hereditary by about 30%. Average Leghorns become
sexually mature between 170 and 185 days after hatching. Dual purpose breeds
usually reach sexual maturity two weeks later.
Birds that start to lay early, say five months old, can lay approximately
250 eggs.

2. Egg size
The size of egg may be affected by the following factors:
a. Body Size- Generally, larger breeds produce larger eggs.
b. Age- The size of egg increases as chickens age usually up to six months.
c. Weather- The size of egg decreases during summer.
d. Second year- The size of egg is larger in the second year of production.
3. Intensity (approximately 10% heritability)
Intensity is very important from a profit standpoint. It is referred to as the rate of
production of lay by a hen during a given period of time. A flock rate with 85% production
at a given time has laying intensity.

4. Hatchability (approximately 12% heritability)

This refers o the percentage of fertile eggs hatched during brooding or artificial
incubation.

5. Broodiness
Broodiness is nature’s way of aiding propagation. When a hen is broody, it sits
on the laid egg until hatched. This behaviour should be discouraged in modern poultry
production because when the hen is brooding, it stops laying. Light breed Leghorns are
less broody than general purpose breeds.

6. Body weight of 60% and growth of 35% heritability

Large body size is important to broilers because a mature body is correlated
with growth rate and feed efficiency. Crossbreeding is practiced in broiler production
because growth is uniform, and fewer runts and culls are found. Rapid growth and feed
efficiency lowers the overhead cost of production.

7. Viability
Viability or livability is greatly influenced by feeding and management practices.
Breeders are continuously developing strains of higher livability rate in order to
maximize poultry production.
 SOURCES OR STOCKS
Commercial egg producers buy chicks or started pullets form the hatchery. Started
pullets are 16 to 20 weeks old and are ready to lay. It is possible but not practical to hatch
chicks on the farm because they can be easily contaminated by older birds.
Small poultry farms buy their stock from three sources: From hatchery as day-old chicks;
from growers, who produced ready to lay pullets; or from a commercial flock that sells layers
on the second year.
Day-old chick should be brought from reputable hatcheries but these chicks require
brooding facilities as well, and brooding increases the cost of raising chickens to production
age. They are bought as straight run or sexed chicks.
Straight run chicks are mixed male and female by almost 1:1 ratio. These chicks are
cheaper as compared to sexed chicks, which can either be all female or all male. Female
chicks are used for egg production only and male chicks, which grow faster, are for meat
production only.
Started pullets, most of the time, are available only from raisers who specialize in this
operation. These chickens require less equipment and care but cost more that the other
chickens because the raiser had already invested on feed, culling, and management.
Laying hens are usually replaced after 12 to 15 months. Anyone who has little
experience but wants to venture in egg production with only a small investment can buy layers
on their second year. At this stage, layers are cheaper, but make sure that the ones you
choose are egg-type breeds.
It should also be noted that the stock should be ordered several weeks in advance to
assure delivery on time, especially for chicks.