1. Poultry and Egg Production:
M.E. Persia
Iowa State University
September 8, 2011

2. 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

3. Meat Chicken Production
State
Number
Live weight
Average Weight
1,000 head
1,000 pounds
Pounds
Georgia
1,205,004
6,322,022
5.7
Alabama
1,082,334
6,059,406
5.2
Arkansas
973,634
5,551,543
Mississippi
757,545
4,483,780
5.9
North Carolina
707,861
5,013,567
7.1
Texas
684,058
3,841,478
5.6
Missouri
413,091
1,961,251
4.7
Virginia
318,858
1,650,008
Delaware
304,471
2,117,720 7
Kentucky
304,237
1,650,617
5.4
South Carolina
298,727
1,950,163
6.5
Tennessee
289,909
1,487,249
5.1
California
266,761
1,503,951
Louisiana
184,163
1,122,202
6.1
Maryland
138,855
667,669
4.8
Oklahoma
129,705
888,473
6.8
Other States
569,616
2,924,854
5.11
2010 US Poultry and Egg Association

4. Egg Production (Laying Hens)
Number
1,000 head
United States
247,400
Iowa
51,866
Ohio
27,000
Pennsylvania
24,398
Indiana
22,446
California
19,252
Texas
13,251
Michigan
10,133
Minnesota
9,637
Nebraska
9,094
Florida
9,037
2010 American Egg Board

5. Meat Turkey Production
Number
In 2007
Number in 2008
Change
1,000 head
(%)
United States
266,700
273,100
102
Minnesota
46,500
48,000
103
North Carolina
38,500
40,000
Arkansas
29,500
31,000
105
Missouri
18,500
18,000 97
Virginia
20,500
21,000
California
16,200
16,000 99
Indiana
13,600
14,500
106
Pennsylvania
11,000
11,500
South Carolina
10,400
12,500
120
Iowa
8,700
9,000
Ohio
6,000
100
Other States
47,300
45,600 96
2008 National Turkey Federation

6. Importance of Poultry in Iowa
Farmgate receipts animal agriculture in Iowa (2005)
Approximately 6% of Animal Agriculture Farm Gate Receipts in Iowa
Accounts for over $500 million annually

7. Commercial Production
Size
Broiler 22,000-26,000 birds per house
5 to 7 flocks a year
Layer 200, ,000 birds per house
0.5 to 1 flocks a year
Turkey 15,000 birds per house
3 flocks a year
Integration

8. An Integrated Approach
Grandparent Flock
Parent Flocks
Hatchery
Hatchery
Retail
Production Flocks
Feed Mill
Rendering Plant
Distribution
Processing Plant

9. Chicks Crossbred chicks to gain growth advantage Grandparent Male
Female
Productive Stock

10. Chicks
Selection has increased efficiency

11. Chicks Hatchery Transportation Vaccination Sorted Sexed
From hatchery to farm

12. 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

13. Feed 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

14. 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

15. Shelter
Broiler house Laying facility

16. Air, Ventilation and Temp. Control
Movement of air
Cool birds
Remove volatile compounds
Refresh air
Brooding of young chicks
Lighting

17. 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

18. 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

19. Process Laying hen Hatchery – 21 days Pullets – 18 weeks
Similar to meat birds
Sanitation important
Sex all chicks
Pullets – 18 weeks
Immature female laying hen
Sunk cost

20. Process Laying hen Lay cycle – 40 to 50 weeks Processing plant
Automation – egg belt
Induced Molting – increase productivity
Processing plant
Located on Farm
Clean eggs
Candle and remove defective
Grade eggs
Further processing

21. Egg Facility

22. What are the products? (eggs)
Shell Eggs
Liquid Egg Whites
Liquid Egg Yolks
Liquid Egg Substitutes
Powdered Whole Eggs
Powdered Egg Whites
Meringue Powder
Powdered Egg Substitutes
Hard Cooked or Pickled Eggs

23. What are the Products? (Meat)

24. Production equation Inputs Outputs Chicks (Genetic Stock) Feed
Medication
Water
Shelter
Ventilation/Temp. Control
Labor/Process
Time
Poultry products
Hatchery waste
Manure/litter
Spent hens
Egg waste/carcass trim
Dust/odor/ammonia
Noise/flies