"commercial rations eat only a quarter to a half as much as they would with free access to food. They are highly motivated to eat at all times, presumably leading to chronic frustration of feeding. Because broiler breeders live to adulthood, they might show feather pecking or other injurious pecking behaviour. To avoid this, they might be beak trimmed which can lead to acute or chronic pain. A report in 2005 stated that around 5.9 billion broiler chickens for eating were produced yearly in the European Union. Mass production of chicken meat is a global industry and at that time,"
"Broiler A broiler (""Gallus gallus domesticus"") is any chicken that is bred and raised specifically for meat production. Many typical broilers have white feathers and yellowish skin. Most commercial broilers reach slaughter-weight between four and seven weeks of age, although slower growing breeds reach slaughter-weight at approximately 14 weeks of age. Due to extensive breeding selection for rapid early growth and the husbandry used to sustain this, broilers are susceptible to several welfare concerns, particularly skeletal malformation and dysfunction, skin and eye lesions and congestive heart conditions. Management of ventilation, housing, stocking density and in-house procedures must be evaluated regularly"
"a highly industrialized process. There are two major sectors: (1) rearing birds intended for consumption and (2) rearing parent stock for breeding the meat birds. Broiler A broiler (""Gallus gallus domesticus"") is any chicken that is bred and raised specifically for meat production. Many typical broilers have white feathers and yellowish skin. Most commercial broilers reach slaughter-weight between four and seven weeks of age, although slower growing breeds reach slaughter-weight at approximately 14 weeks of age. Due to extensive breeding selection for rapid early growth and the husbandry used to sustain this, broilers are susceptible to several welfare concerns, particularly"
"Broiler industry The broiler industry is the process by which broiler chickens are reared and prepared for meat consumption. The broiler production process is very much an industrial one. There are several distinct components of the broiler supply chain. The ""primary breeding sector"" consists of companies that breed pedigree stock. Pedigree stock (""pure line"") is kept on high level biosecure farms. Their eggs are hatched in a special pedigree hatchery and their progeny then goes on to the great grandparent (GGP) and grandparent (GP) generations. These eggs would then go to a special GP hatchery to produce Parent Stock (PS)"
"caged systems. Countries such as Austria, Belgium or Germany are planning to ban furnished cages until 2025 additionally to the already banned conventional cages. Meat chickens, commonly called broilers, are floor-raised on litter such as wood shavings, peanut shells, and rice hulls, indoors in climate-controlled housing. Under modern farming methods, meat chickens reared indoors reach slaughter weight at 5 to 9 weeks of age, as they have been selectively bred to do so. In the first week of a broiler’s life, it can grow up to 300 percent of its body size. A nine-week-old broiler averages over 9 pounds in"
"the U.S. are Cornish and White Rock. Chickens raised specifically for food are called broilers. In the U.S., broilers are typically butchered at a young age. Modern Cornish Cross hybrids, for example, are butchered as early as 8 weeks for fryers and 12 weeks for roasting birds. Capons (castrated cocks) produce more and fattier meat. For this reason, they are considered a delicacy and were particularly popular in the Middle Ages. Chicken meat contains about two to three times as much polyunsaturated fat as most types of red meat when measured as weight percentage. Chicken generally includes low fat in"
"by automatically immersing them in an electrified water bath and exsanguination by cutting their throats. Some research indicates that chickens might be more intelligent than previously supposed, which ""raises questions about how they are treated"". A possible 10-year life span has been shortened to six weeks for broilers. According to historical records, broiler mortality rates are decreasing. In 1925, the mortality rate in the U.S. was 18% compared to 3.8% in 2011. One indication of the effect of broilers' rapid growth rate on welfare is a comparison of the usual mortality rate for standard broiler chickens (1% per week) with"
"by broiler chickens. Yellow-hair chicken is not necessarily free range, although it could be, if raised that way. Yellow-hair chicken Yellow-hair chicken, also called yellow-feather chicken, 黃毛雞 (Cantonese Yale: wòhng mouh gāai, Pinyin: huángmáo jī, is a breed of chicken traditionally raised for meat in China. It takes about 120 days to grow to market size compared to as little as 41 days for specially-bred broiler chickens. Yellow-hair chicken is flavorful, but takes longer and is more difficult to cook than a typical broiler as it has less fat and more meat. Outside of China it is only available in"
"The ""whole, ready-to-cook broiler"" wasn't popular until the 1950s, when end-to-end refrigeration and sanitary practices gave consumers more confidence. Before this, poultry were often cleaned by the neighborhood butcher, though cleaning poultry at home was a commonplace kitchen skill. Two kinds of poultry were generally offered: broilers or ""spring chickens,"" young male chickens, a byproduct of the egg industry, which were sold when still young and tender (generally under 3 pounds live weight); and ""fowls"" or ""stewing hens,"" also a byproduct of the egg industry, which were old hens past their prime for laying. This is no longer practiced; modern"
"and that the animals are looked after in state-of-the-art environmentally controlled facilities. Chickens farmed for meat are called broilers. Chickens will naturally live for six or more years, but broiler breeds typically take less than six weeks to reach slaughter size. A free range or organic broiler will usually be slaughtered at about 14 weeks of age. Chickens farmed primarily for eggs are called layer hens. In total, the UK alone consumes more than 34 million eggs per day. Some hen breeds can produce over 300 eggs per year, with ""the highest authenticated rate of egg laying being 371 eggs"
"bird more space per square foot. Because broilers are relatively young and have not reached sexual maturity, they exhibit very little aggressive conduct. Chicken feed consists primarily of corn and soybean meal with the addition of essential vitamins and minerals. No hormones or steroids are allowed in raising chickens. In intensive broiler sheds, the air can become highly polluted with ammonia from the droppings. In this case, a farmer must run more fans to bring in more clean fresh air. If not this can damage the chickens' eyes and respiratory systems and can cause painful burns on their legs (called"
"pathogens such as E. coli and Salmonella providing that the internal stack temperature reaches 140 to 160 °F. Re-spreading the stacked litter and allowing it to dry would be expected to decrease ammonia and extend litter life. Broilers have on average a 47-day growout period, during which the typical broiler chicken will generate about two pounds of litter, if you add the manure and bedding materials. Actual manure generation will be lower because it is only a fractional component of litter. This translates to an average of about 0.7 ounce per day per bird, varying considerably over the life of"
"that for slower-growing broiler chickens (0.25% per week) and with young laying hens (0.14% per week); the mortality rate of the fast-growing broilers is seven times the rate of laying hens (the same subspecies) of the same age. Meat broilers are usually slaughtered at approximately 35 to 49 days of age, well before they become sexually reproductive at 5 to 6 months of age. However, the bird's parents, often called ""broiler-breeders"", must live to maturity and beyond so they can be used for breeding. As a consequence, they have additional welfare concerns. Meat broilers have been artificially selected for an"
"body weight. At nine weeks, a hen will average around 7 pounds and a rooster will weigh around 12 pounds, having a nine-pound average. Broilers are not raised in cages. They are raised in large, open structures known as grow out houses. A farmer receives the birds from the hatchery at one day old. A grow out consists of 5 to 9 weeks according to how big the kill plant wants the chickens to be. These houses are equipped with mechanical systems to deliver feed and water to the birds. They have ventilation systems and heaters that function as needed."
"ability to move around and behave in a normal manner. The eggs are laid on the floor of the cage and roll into troughs outside for ease of collection. Battery cages for hens have been illegal in the EU since January 1, 2012. Chickens raised intensively for their meat are known as ""broilers"". Breeds have been developed that can grow to an acceptable carcass size () in six weeks or less. Broilers grow so fast, their legs cannot always support their weight and their hearts and respiratory systems may not be able to supply enough oxygen to their developing muscles."
"First Broiler House The First Broiler House, also known as Mrs. Wilmer Steele's Broiler House, is preserved at the University of Delaware Agricultural Experiment Station near Georgetown, Delaware as an example of a chicken house that was widely used to raise broiler chickens in Delaware during the 1920s. An example of an individual-colony house, the square wood frame building housed 500 chickens. It was provided with a coal stove. Celia Steele of Ocean View, Delaware was the first person in Delaware to raise chickens specifically for meat production, separately from her laying flock that was primarily meant to produce eggs."
"are contracted to them on a long-term basis. Broiler breeder growing is typically a two-stage process. Parent stock purchased from a primary breeder is delivered as day old. Most are first placed with on specialist ""rearing houses"" or starter farms until approximately 18 weeks of age. The starter farm has the specialized brooding equipment to raise the chicks. A typical rearing house (also called a shed or barn) design for Alabama-like climate ( in summer and in winter): Chicks require warm air temperatures, which is reduced as the birds mature: Chicks might be debeaked at 7–10 days age. During rearing,"
"Poultry farming Poultry farming is the process of raising domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese for the purpose of farming meat or eggs for food. Poultry - mostly chickens - are farmed in great numbers. Farmers raise more than 50 billion chickens annually as a source of food, both for their meat and for their eggs. Chickens raised for eggs are usually called layers while chickens raised for meat are often called broilers. In the United States, the national organization overseeing poultry production is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In the UK, the national organisation is"
"broiler house was usually 30-40 feet wide and 400-600 feet long. Each may house thousands of chicks. A farm may contain a number of these; most contain about 4-6 houses. Inside the house there are several automated systems including feed chains, water pipes, curtain drops, fans, and a gas heating system to keep chicks warm. KFC uses Gold Kist Farm Chicken. Gold Kist Gold Kist was a large chicken producing company in the southern United States . It was founded in 1933 by D.W. Brooks, a University of Georgia agronomy instructor as the Cotton Producers Association, a cooperative to help"
"hock burns) and blisters on their feet. Broilers bred for fast growth have a high rate of leg deformities because the large breast muscles cause distortions of the developing legs and pelvis, and the birds cannot support their increased body weight. In cases where the chickens become crippled and can't walk farmers have to go in and pull them out. Because they cannot move easily, the chickens are not able to adjust their environment to avoid heat, cold or dirt as they would in natural conditions. The added weight and overcrowding also puts a strain on their hearts and lungs"
"shipped live or killed, plucked, and packed on ice (but not eviscerated). The ""whole, ready-to-cook broiler"" was not popular until the 1950s, when end-to-end refrigeration and sanitary practices gave consumers more confidence. Before this, poultry were often cleaned by the neighborhood butcher, though cleaning poultry at home was a commonplace kitchen skill. Two kinds of poultry were generally used: broilers or ""spring chickens""; young male chickens, a byproduct of the egg industry, which were sold when still young and tender (generally under 3 pounds live weight), and ""stewing hens"", also a byproduct of the egg industry, which were old hens"
"unit of growth, better body proportions, higher yields, better fibre qualities and other characteristics. Undesirable traits such as health defects, aggressiveness or lack of docility are selected against. Selective breeding has been responsible for some large increases in productivity. In 2007, a typical broiler chicken at eight weeks old was 4.8 times as heavy as a bird of similar age in 1957. In the thirty years to 2007, the average milk yield of a dairy cow in the United States nearly doubled. Techniques such as artificial insemination and embryo transfer are frequently used today, not only as methods to guarantee"
"by wild animals, and biosecurity. Farm animals are artificially selected for production parameters which sometimes impinge on the animals' welfare. For example, broiler chickens are bred to be very large to produce the greatest quantity of meat per animal. Broilers bred for fast growth have a high incidence of leg deformities because the large breast muscles cause distortions of the developing legs and pelvis, and the birds cannot support their increased body weight. As a consequence, they frequently become lame or suffer from broken legs. The increased body weight also puts a strain on their hearts and lungs, and ascites"
"at approximately 8 weeks of age. In the EU, each chicken must have one square metre of outdoor space. The benefits of free-range poultry farming include opportunities for natural behaviours such as pecking, scratching, foraging and exercise outdoors. Because they grow slower and have opportunities for exercise, free-range broilers often have better leg and heart health. Organic broiler chickens are reared under similar conditions to free-range broilers but with restrictions on the routine use of in-feed or in-water medications, other food additives and synthetic amino acids. The breeds used are slower growing, more traditional breeds and typically reach slaughter weight"
"kept in cages. The battery cages are arranged in long rows in multiple tiers, with external feeders, drinkers, and egg collection facilities. This is the most labour saving and economical method of egg production but has been criticised on animal welfare grounds as the birds are unable to exhibit their normal behaviours. In the developed world, the majority of the poultry reared for meat is raised indoors in big sheds, with automated equipment under environmentally controlled conditions. Chickens raised in this way are known as broilers, and genetic improvements have meant that they can be grown to slaughter weight within"
"commercial broilers are bred to reach a slaughter-weight of about 2 kg in only 35 to 49 days. As a consequence, the behaviour and physiology of broilers reared for meat are those of immature birds, rather than adults. Slow growing free-range and organic strains have been developed which reach slaughter-weight at 12 to 16 weeks of age. Typical broilers have white feathers and yellowish skin. Recent genetic analysis has revealed that the gene for yellow skin was incorporated into domestic birds through hybridization with the grey junglefowl (""G. sonneratii""). Modern crosses are also favorable for meat production because they lack"
"The wife of a Coast Guardsman stationed at the Bethany Beach Lifesaving Station, she raised her first flock of 500 in 1923, selling 387 two-pound chickens for 67 cents per pound. In 1924 she started 1000 chickens. In 1925 Mrs. Steele started 10,000. The industry expanded from there, reaching 3 billion chickens per year fifty years later in 1973. The broiler house has been moved from its original site at the Steele farm and has been repaired. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 3, 1974. First Broiler House The First Broiler House, also known"
"last decades of the 20th century. The application in broiler production is based on the known fact that dwarf female parents give 100% normal progeny when they are mated with normal male parents. The resulting progeny males are 100% heterozigotes ""Dw""/""dw"" and the females are hemizygotes ""Dw""/-. In commercial broiler chicken production the use of dwarf female parents acquired a great importance. Nowadays, the majority of broiler breeders in Europe are the standard, fast growing genotype, but 18-20% of the broiler breeders are dwarf parental females that produce standard and alternative (medium or slow growing) broilers. The use of dwarfism"
"now being pioneered in the UK by various poultry rearing farms. In these systems, the pullets are allowed outside from as young as 4 weeks of age, rather than the conventional systems where the pullets are reared in barns and allowed out at 16 weeks of age Meat chickens Free-range broilers are reared for meat and are allowed access to an outdoor range for at least 8 hours each day. Free-range broiler systems use slower-growing breeds of chicken to improve welfare, meaning they reach slaughter weight at 16 weeks of age rather than 5–6 weeks of age in standard rearing"
"the FCR was about 2, with each hen laying about 330 eggs per year. From the early 1960s to 2011 in the US broiler growth rates doubled and their FCRs halved, mostly due to improvements in genetics and rapid dissemination of the improved chickens. The improvement in genetics for growing meat created challenges for farmers who breed the chickens that are raised by the broiler industry, as the genetics that cause fast growth decreased reproductive abilities. Although there are few studies of the feed conversion ratios of edible insects, the house cricket (Acheta domesticus) has been shown to have a"
"Due to its unique genetic features, the Kuroiler is resistant to diseases. The kuroiler chick is a potential bio-converter of no cost agricultural, household and natural waste abundant in villages — into human protein food and substantial incomes for rural households. History Introduced in the early 1990s, the breed was created by Vinod Kapur of Kegg Farms Private, ltd., and the name is a portmanteau of Kegg and Broiler. Rather than all being raised in a central hatchery, Kuroiler eggs are hatched in more than a thousand ""mother units"" throughout the country, then are distributed down to the individual villages"
"generalized in broiler industry. Two different types of autosomal dwarfisms have been found in chickens. These types of dwarfism are controlled by genes located on the autosomal chromosomes so inherits the same way in both sexes. In 1929 a type of dwarfism was described in different breeds of Rhode Island Red chickens. This type of dwarfism produced individuals which showed a general growth delay, which was recognizable since two or three weeks of age. The outer toe was curved backwards. The skull was high and wide in relation to its length and the upper beak was curved downwards. Tongue was"
"Yellow-hair chicken Yellow-hair chicken, also called yellow-feather chicken, 黃毛雞 (Cantonese Yale: wòhng mouh gāai, Pinyin: huángmáo jī, is a breed of chicken traditionally raised for meat in China. It takes about 120 days to grow to market size compared to as little as 41 days for specially-bred broiler chickens. Yellow-hair chicken is flavorful, but takes longer and is more difficult to cook than a typical broiler as it has less fat and more meat. Outside of China it is only available in Chinese restaurants, and, even there, usually not on the English menu. The breed is being displaced in China"