The Poultry Farm Industry: Raising Domesticated Birds for Meat and Eggs

Poultry farming is a significant part of the agricultural industry, involving the raising of domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys, and geese for the production of meat or eggs. With over 60 billion chickens killed for consumption each year, chickens are the most commonly farmed poultry in the world. This article will focus on the poultry farm industry, including the various types of poultry farming, housing systems, and the benefits and concerns associated with this industry.

Types of Poultry Farming

Poultry farming can be divided into two main categories: meat production and egg production. Broilers are chickens raised for meat, while layers are chickens raised for egg production. Other types of poultry, such as ducks, turkeys, and geese, are also farmed for their meat and eggs.

Housing Systems

Gap view farm farmers use various housing systems to raise their birds, including battery cages, free-range, and organic systems. Battery cages are small cages housing 3 to 8 hens, with walls made of metal or mesh and a sloped wire mesh floor. This system allows for easier care of the birds, eliminates floor-laid eggs, and reduces labor requirements. However, animal welfare scientists have criticized battery cages for not providing hens with sufficient space to perform natural behaviors, leading to abnormal behaviors and frustration.

Free-range farming allows chickens to roam freely for a period of the day, with access to open-air runs during at least half of their life. Organic systems in the US require organic management in nutrition, preventative health care, living conditions, handling/processing, and recordkeeping. The Soil Association standards used to certify organic flocks in the UK indicate a maximum outdoors stocking density of 1,000 birds per hectare and a maximum of 2,000 hens in each poultry house.

Benefits and Concerns

Poultry farming provides several benefits, including a reliable source of protein for human consumption and economic benefits for farmers. However, there are also concerns associated with this industry, including animal welfare issues and the use of antibiotics in feed or drinking water to prevent disease outbreaks.

Animal welfare concerns include cannibalism, feather pecking, and vent pecking, which can lead to injuries and decreased productivity. Some farmers use beak trimming as a preventative measure, although reducing stocking rates would eliminate these problems. Diseases can also be common in poultry farming, and birds are vulnerable to predators. Barn systems have been found to have the worst bird welfare. In South-East Asia, a lack of disease control in free-range farming has been associated with outbreaks of Avian influenza. Intensive and free-range farming both have animal welfare concerns, and reducing stocking rates and improving living conditions can help alleviate these issues.