Introduction
The term “poultry” covers several species of domesticated birds. However, history and species of poultry include chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guineas, pigeons, peafowl, ostriches, pheasants, and other game birds. Poultry is cherished based on two major products – the eggs and meat among others (Prabakaran, 2003). Oluyemi and Roberts (1979) defined poultry as any bird reared or hunted for useful purposes. Most of these birds are domesticated and are managed on the same basic principles as domestic fowl, but with some differences and similarities.
Poultry gives us much supply of food to the world’s population. Poultry meat and egg are preferred the world over. Prabakaran (2003) observed that meat and eggs are consumed in developed and underdeveloped countries of the world. The author added that 25% of the world’s meat supply is from poultry that includes chicken, turkey, duck, geese, domesticated quail etc and the proportion is increasing steadily, which trend has been more noticeable in the developing countries in recent years. Consumption though is generally acceptable, with no taboo the world over but consumption in developing countries remains much lower than in developed countries. The effort is being made to create more awareness to drive the message home for adequate acceptability of these products.
Some species of poultry predominate in certain geographical zones of the world whose origin started from Asian countries, such as India and spread to other parts of the globe. In this part of the world, chicken is highly embraced than other species of poultry with little or no knowledge about others. The study of poultry species – chicken will very clearly spell out what the species has to offer so that we can determine economically viable. As one of the species of poultry, chicken is picked up for discussion in terms of proportion, performance, and general management.
HISTORY AND SPECIES OF POULTRY
All ages (Avians) e.g. chicken, belong to this special group because externally and internally, they have many things in common such as having feathers but arrangement and color of plumage may differ. They have beaks that determine the mode of phension. They possess shank with scales.
history and species of poultry claws are made with the web. They possess wings that help them to be pneumatic than other animals. In their buccal cavities, they have no teeth for grinding of food before swallowing. In their alimentary canal, they have the gizzard at the lower end of the gullet for food grinding which is absent in other animals. Female lays eggs with a shell.
In males, organs of copulation are papilla without a penis. Poultry husbandry is the science of rearing poultry, such as providing the birds with all the needed management practices which afford the birds appropriate conditions for normal growth e.g. breeding housing feeding, etc.
ORIGIN OF POULTRY
Domestication of fowl in India dated back at least 1000 B.C. It was indicated that the fowl was produced by the Chinese as from 1400 B. C.Charles Darwin considered that all breeds of poultry were derived from a single stock – the jungle fowl called Gallus bankiva which was found over a wider area from northern India to Burma and Malasia. history and species of poultry according to Gallus bankiva is a small bird weighing from .907kg – 1.084kg (2 – 21/2Ib). It carries the tail up when in a wild state. It has bright yellow eyes, fine bones, rather longshanks with spurs. There are now considered that modern fowls are originated from four wild species.
1. GALLUS GALLUS: G. bankiva and G. fanagineus (Red jungle fowl) distributed around North central and Eastern India, Burma, Thailand, Cochin China, Malaypenisula, Philippine and Sumatra.
2. Gallus Lafayetti- Ceylonese jungle fowl – Found around Srilanka
3. G. Sonneratti (Grey jungle fowl) – originated from South West India.
4. G. varius, G. furcatus: Black/green jungle fowl, found in Java – South East Sumatra, Lombok – An Island in Indonesia.
TERMINOLOGIES ASSOCIATED WITH POULTRY
A cock: A mature intact male fowl
Hen: Mature female fowl
Chick: Young fowl of either sex – day one to when it stays away from the hen
Cockerel: young male fowl prior to puberty
Pullet: young female fowl prior to puberty
Flock: A group of birds
Hatching: What one might call the act of parturition in mammals i.e. it is when a chick breaks out of the shell.
Incubation: The sitting on the eggs by hen for normal development of the embryo for hatching.
Brooding: Caring for young birds e.g. warming them up and protecting them from all forms of dangers from day one to when they stay away from the hen.
Broiler: Young chick 8-12 weeks of age which have been raised for meat production.
Cull: The removal of unprofitable and unsuitable bird from the flock.
Caponization
(Caponizing): The removal of the cock testicles.
The product is then known as
CAPON.DRESSING: preparing birds for the oven or pot.
Dubbing: Removal of cock combs and wattles
Hackle: Long pointed feather of the neck
Saddle: Feathers (long) on the male (cock) back
Hopper: A type of food trough in which the feed is replenished from a container above.
Hover: A heat canopy under which chicks are reared.
Mash: A mixture of ground grain and other feedstuff.
Moult: Shedding of feathers and removal of plumage.
Pellet: The mash compressed into a solid mash for a size suitable for a particular age of stock.
Rose Comb: Aboard comb with a surface covered with small hand nodules.
Shank: Part of the leg between hock joint and foot.
Single Comb: Flat vertical comb with serrated along the edges.
Spur: Horn-like growth on the shank of the male bird (cock).
Trussing: The act of binding the wings etc of a fowl before cooking.
Cannibalism: Pecking of each other by bird due to poor management – over-crowding, poor genetic traits.
Clutch: Number of eggs laid by a hen consecutively before it breaks. The clutch size is usually considered to be a separate hereditary trait that helps to determine the annual eggs production.
IMPORTANCE OF POULTRY (FOWL)
- To accomplish a transformation of vegetable and animal matters in a form not useful to man, to a high protein useful for the production of eggs and meat.
- We have plant and animal protein but specialized protein efficiency is very high in poultry meat and egg.
- Its eggs rank 2nd to milk protein.
- Its flesh ranks above others of domestic animals in this respect.
- Estimated a 31b (1.36kg) broiler (fowl) can be produced from 71/2 1b (3.402kg) of feed.
- One dozen of an egg can be produced by 451b (20.412kgm) of feed.
- The easiest of all forms is to grow and harvest eggs.
- The turn-over is in a few weeks and the land and capital are small.
- The eggs are of high nutritive and digestive values.
- Almost, no food is as nourishing as an egg.
- Excellent source of good quality proteins.
- Its Biological value is the ideal standard of assessment of protein. It is therefore used for assessment of other sources of protein. The egg has excellent amino acids.
- Very rich in all vitamins except vitamin C – mostly ADEK including vitamin B12.
- Good source of mineral – Fe, P, and trace minerals.
- Unlike milk, eggs contain Fe.
- It is recommended for the infants.
- It is recommended for sick people because of its richness in biological value.
- Very economical and cost less.
- Quick and easy to prepare and it is tender.