Children's Ag Mag - Poultry

Faces of Mississippi’s

POULTRY INDUSTRY Sue Ann Hubbard

Clinical Professor Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine Pathobiology/ Population Medicine Department

What do you do?

I specialize in poultry. I help the poultry industry produce a healthy and wholesome source of protein for families. I also help people with backyard flocks keep their flocks healthy.

What is your education?

I have a bachelor’s degree in Poultry Science, two master’s degrees (one in Poultry Science and one in Avian Medicine), and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree, all from Mississippi State University.

What types of skills do you need for your job?

Instead of working with an individual animal, I work with a population of animals. It takes certain skills to be able to identify issues within a large population and make recommendations that affect so many animals at one time.

Do you enjoy your job?

I absolutely love it. Every day is a day with new challenges. It is very fulfilling to be able to make recommendations that can affect the safety of the food that I prepare for my family.

Kirby Mauldin Poultry Grower Laurel, Mississippi

What types of skills do you need to be a poultry farmer?

You need to be a jack of all trades‌a carpenter, a plumber, an electrician and more. You do a little bit of it all. You also must know how to take good care of your chickens. I grow broilers in four houses for a total of 80,000 birds or 4 ½ flocks a year.

I get them when they are hours old and keep them until they are about 60 to 66 days old and weigh about 9 pounds. I grow for Wayne Farms.

Why did you become a poultry farmer?

I have a Poultry Science degree from Mississippi State University. After I graduated, I worked for B.C. Rogers Poultry Inc. (now Koch Foods of Mississippi LLC) in Morton for three years. My wife and I wanted to start our family, and I had an opportunity to move home to Jones County so I did. I have been farming for 17 years.

Do you enjoy what you do?

I love it. I have the freedom to make my own hours and to be outdoors most of the day. I’m not confined to an office and desk. I also enjoy growing a delicious, safe, healthy product for my family and yours.

Circle the animals that are considered poultry.

Duck

Pheasant

This issue of AgMag is compliments of:

You can cook many different things with eggs. The chef’s hat, called a toque blanche (French for "white hat"), is said to have a pleat for each of the different ways you can cook eggs. Beyond basic scrambled, fried, poached, and baked eggs, you can also take eggs and turn them into omelets, salads, quiches, and casseroles. Eggs also play a huge role in the baking world. They are used in cakes, cheesecakes, cookies, custards, meringues, pie fillings, soufflÊs, and pastries.

The turkey, the duck, the quail, the pheasant and the goose are all considered poultry.

See answers bottom right

Owl

Peacock

Quail

Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation ÂŽ

Mississippi’s Top Commodity Poultry is a name given to domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, meat, or feathers. Poultry is Mississippi’s number-one agricultural commodity.

Most poultry farmers in Mississippi produce broilers. A broiler is a young chicken that is usually less than 12 weeks of age and has been bred specifically for meat production. Last year, Mississippi poultry farmers grew 736,000,000 broilers.

That’s a lot of chicken!

Eggcellent Eggs!

Eagle

Goose

An agricultural newsletter for kids from

Baby chickens are called chicks. Female chickens are called pullets until they’re old enough to lay eggs and become hens. Pullets are usually under 20 weeks of age. Male chickens are called roosters, cocks, or cockerels, depending on where you live in the world.

Is it Poultry?

Turkey

g a M g A POULTRY

Did you know that America’s largest egg producer, Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., is headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi? The U.S. produces about 75 billion eggs a year, about 10 percent of the world’s supply. Layers are mature female chickens used for egg production. A hen doesn’t need a rooster to lay an egg.

They do so on their own. These eggs are the kind of eggs you buy in the grocery store to eat. They are called unfertilized. Fertilized eggs are raised on broiler breeder farms by parent stock. These are the eggs that hatch into chicks. These eggs are never sold in stores and are not meant for human consumption. The interior of any egg intended to be sold as food must be inspected. This is accomplished by shining a bright light through the shell. This process is called candling.

The light highlights any irregularities, such as a developing chick.

These regulations are mandatory, whether the eggs are intended for a large grocery store or for the farmers market. Eggs with irregularities never make it to your plate and are destroyed.

The breed of hen determines the color of the egg shell.

Among commercial breeds, hens with white feathers and ear lobes lay white-shelled eggs; hens with red feathers and ear lobes lay brown eggs.

It takes 1.9 pounds of feed for a chicken to gain 1 pound.

Activity

Make a Rubber Egg

7 days! Do not disturb the egg, but pay close attention to the bubbles forming on the surface of the shell (or what's left of it).

One week later, pour off the vinegar and carefully rinse the egg with water. The egg looks translucent because the outside shell is gone! The only thing that remains is the delicate membrane of the egg. You've successfully made an egg without a shell. Okay, you didn't really make the egg - the chicken made the egg - you just stripped away the chemical that gives the egg its strength.

in the solution while the carbonate part reacts to form the carbon dioxide bubbles that you see.

Some of the vinegar will also sneak through, or permeate, the egg's membrane and cause the egg to get a little bigger. This flow of a liquid from one solution through a semi-permeable membrane and into another less concentrated solution is called osmosis. That's why the egg is even more delicate if you handle it. If you shake the egg, you can see the yolk sloshing around in the egg white. If the membrane breaks, Experiment the egg's insides will spill out into the vinegar. Yes, you've made a Place the egg in a tall glass and cover the egg with vinegar.

How does it work? pickled egg! Allowing the egg to react with the carbon dioxide in the air Look closely at the egg. Do you see any bubbles forming on Let's start with the bubbles you saw forming on the shell. The bubbles will cause the egg to harden again. Amazing! the shell? Leave the egg in the vinegar for a full 24 hours. are carbon dioxide gas. Vinegar is an acid called acetic acid - and white vinegar from the grocery store is usually about 5% acetic acid and 95% Change the vinegar on the second day. Carefully pour the old vinegar water. Egg shells are made up of calcium carbonate. The vinegar reacts See more at: www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/nakeddown the drain and cover the egg with fresh vinegar. Place the glass with the calcium carbonate by breaking the chemical into its calcium egg-experiment. with the vinegar and egg in a safe place for a week - that's right, a whole and carbonate parts (in simplest terms). The calcium part floats around Materials Raw egg Tall glass White vinegar Patience

What does the sun have to do with eggs?

Would you believe that the egg-laying process for a chicken actually begins in its eye?! Hens need a minimum of 16 hours of daylight to sustain strong production. If hens are not provided with supplemental light, they will naturally stop laying eggs when daylight hours drop below 12 hours. In addition to the light sensed through the eyes, chickens sense light through a gland called the pineal gland. This gland is situated on their brain and is often called the “third eye.� Humans also have this gland. As light increases, the pineal gland responds by sending a hormone to the hen’s ovary to start producing eggs.

Poultry Terms

Draw a line from the term to the definition. Read your AgMag to find the answers.

Pullet Broiler

To examine the contents inside of an intact egg, usually in an attempt to determine fertilization of the egg.

A female chicken under one year of age.

Hen Chick Candle Rooster

Delicious & Nutritious

A male chicken.

A young chicken that is usually less than 12 weeks of age and has been bred specifically for meat production.

A baby chicken.

A female chicken who is old enough to lay an egg.

Hormones are not used to make chickens grow faster. This is probably the biggest myth told about the poultry industry.

Chicken eggs supply all essential amino acids for humans (a source of complete protein) and provide several vitamins and minerals, including retinol (vitamin A), riboflavin (vitamin B2), folic acid (vitamin B9), vitamin B6, vitamin B12, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. All of the egg's vitamins A, D, and E are in the egg yolk. The egg is one of the few foods to naturally contain vitamin D. Yolks also contain lutein, which helps prevent age-related cataracts and macular degeneration.

Backyard Chickens

Recently, many families have decided to have their own backyard chicken coop to provide fresh eggs each day. A chicken coop usually has an indoor area where the chickens sleep and nest, then there is the outdoor area where the chickens spend the rest of their time. Both the inside and outdoor floors of a chicken coop are often covered with a loose material such as straw or wood chips to absorb chicken droppings and to allow for easier cleanup. A coop should be locked at night with all the chickens inside of it so that the chickens are protected from predators.

Hard-Working Hens Hens lay about 300 eggs a year, on average.

Most eggs are laid between 7 and 11 a.m.

A hen requires about 24 to 26 hours to produce one egg. After the egg is laid, the hen starts all over again about 30 minutes later.

A hen must eat about four pounds of feed to produce one dozen eggs.

A hen will turn her egg 50 times each day to keep the yolk from sticking to the side.

Think about how many eggs you see in the grocery store. If each hen produces about one egg a day, think about how many hens and how many days it takes to produce enough eggs to meet the demand. Thank goodness for hard-working hens!

To tell if an egg is raw or hard-boiled, spin it. Because the liquids have set into a solid, a hard-boiled egg will easily spin.

The moving liquids in a raw egg will cause it to wobble.

Most chicken coops have some type of ventilation to help air out any smells. Many of these coops are now found in cities and even neighborhoods. Raising chickens in your backyard can be a fun and educational experience. The decision to take on an animal, whether as a pet or livestock, should only be made after serious consideration and research. It takes a lot of work to raise healthy, happy chickens.

Activity

Make a Rubber Egg

7 days! Do not disturb the egg, but pay close attention to the bubbles forming on the surface of the shell (or what's left of it).

One week later, pour off the vinegar and carefully rinse the egg with water. The egg looks translucent because the outside shell is gone! The only thing that remains is the delicate membrane of the egg. You've successfully made an egg without a shell. Okay, you didn't really make the egg - the chicken made the egg - you just stripped away the chemical that gives the egg its strength.

in the solution while the carbonate part reacts to form the carbon dioxide bubbles that you see.

Some of the vinegar will also sneak through, or permeate, the egg's membrane and cause the egg to get a little bigger. This flow of a liquid from one solution through a semi-permeable membrane and into another less concentrated solution is called osmosis. That's why the egg is even more delicate if you handle it. If you shake the egg, you can see the yolk sloshing around in the egg white. If the membrane breaks, Experiment the egg's insides will spill out into the vinegar. Yes, you've made a Place the egg in a tall glass and cover the egg with vinegar.

How does it work? pickled egg! Allowing the egg to react with the carbon dioxide in the air Look closely at the egg. Do you see any bubbles forming on Let's start with the bubbles you saw forming on the shell. The bubbles will cause the egg to harden again. Amazing! the shell? Leave the egg in the vinegar for a full 24 hours. are carbon dioxide gas. Vinegar is an acid called acetic acid - and white vinegar from the grocery store is usually about 5% acetic acid and 95% Change the vinegar on the second day. Carefully pour the old vinegar water. Egg shells are made up of calcium carbonate. The vinegar reacts See more at: www.stevespanglerscience.com/lab/experiments/nakeddown the drain and cover the egg with fresh vinegar. Place the glass with the calcium carbonate by breaking the chemical into its calcium egg-experiment. with the vinegar and egg in a safe place for a week - that's right, a whole and carbonate parts (in simplest terms). The calcium part floats around Materials Raw egg Tall glass White vinegar Patience

What does the sun have to do with eggs?

Would you believe that the egg-laying process for a chicken actually begins in its eye?! Hens need a minimum of 16 hours of daylight to sustain strong production. If hens are not provided with supplemental light, they will naturally stop laying eggs when daylight hours drop below 12 hours. In addition to the light sensed through the eyes, chickens sense light through a gland called the pineal gland. This gland is situated on their brain and is often called the “third eye.� Humans also have this gland. As light increases, the pineal gland responds by sending a hormone to the hen’s ovary to start producing eggs.

Poultry Terms

Draw a line from the term to the definition. Read your AgMag to find the answers.

Pullet Broiler

To examine the contents inside of an intact egg, usually in an attempt to determine fertilization of the egg.

A female chicken under one year of age.

Hen Chick Candle Rooster

Delicious & Nutritious

A male chicken.

A young chicken that is usually less than 12 weeks of age and has been bred specifically for meat production.

A baby chicken.

A female chicken who is old enough to lay an egg.

Hormones are not used to make chickens grow faster. This is probably the biggest myth told about the poultry industry.

Chicken eggs supply all essential amino acids for humans (a source of complete protein) and provide several vitamins and minerals, including retinol (vitamin A), riboflavin (vitamin B2), folic acid (vitamin B9), vitamin B6, vitamin B12, choline, iron, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium. All of the egg's vitamins A, D, and E are in the egg yolk. The egg is one of the few foods to naturally contain vitamin D. Yolks also contain lutein, which helps prevent age-related cataracts and macular degeneration.

Backyard Chickens

Recently, many families have decided to have their own backyard chicken coop to provide fresh eggs each day. A chicken coop usually has an indoor area where the chickens sleep and nest, then there is the outdoor area where the chickens spend the rest of their time. Both the inside and outdoor floors of a chicken coop are often covered with a loose material such as straw or wood chips to absorb chicken droppings and to allow for easier cleanup. A coop should be locked at night with all the chickens inside of it so that the chickens are protected from predators.

Hard-Working Hens Hens lay about 300 eggs a year, on average.

Most eggs are laid between 7 and 11 a.m.

A hen requires about 24 to 26 hours to produce one egg. After the egg is laid, the hen starts all over again about 30 minutes later.

A hen must eat about four pounds of feed to produce one dozen eggs.

A hen will turn her egg 50 times each day to keep the yolk from sticking to the side.

Think about how many eggs you see in the grocery store. If each hen produces about one egg a day, think about how many hens and how many days it takes to produce enough eggs to meet the demand. Thank goodness for hard-working hens!

To tell if an egg is raw or hard-boiled, spin it. Because the liquids have set into a solid, a hard-boiled egg will easily spin.

The moving liquids in a raw egg will cause it to wobble.

Most chicken coops have some type of ventilation to help air out any smells. Many of these coops are now found in cities and even neighborhoods. Raising chickens in your backyard can be a fun and educational experience. The decision to take on an animal, whether as a pet or livestock, should only be made after serious consideration and research. It takes a lot of work to raise healthy, happy chickens.

Faces of Mississippi’s

POULTRY INDUSTRY Sue Ann Hubbard

Clinical Professor Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine Pathobiology/ Population Medicine Department

What do you do?

I specialize in poultry. I help the poultry industry produce a healthy and wholesome source of protein for families. I also help people with backyard flocks keep their flocks healthy.

What is your education?

I have a bachelor’s degree in Poultry Science, two master’s degrees (one in Poultry Science and one in Avian Medicine), and a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree, all from Mississippi State University.

What types of skills do you need for your job?

Instead of working with an individual animal, I work with a population of animals. It takes certain skills to be able to identify issues within a large population and make recommendations that affect so many animals at one time.

Do you enjoy your job?

I absolutely love it. Every day is a day with new challenges. It is very fulfilling to be able to make recommendations that can affect the safety of the food that I prepare for my family.

Kirby Mauldin Poultry Grower Laurel, Mississippi

What types of skills do you need to be a poultry farmer?

You need to be a jack of all trades‌a carpenter, a plumber, an electrician and more. You do a little bit of it all. You also must know how to take good care of your chickens. I grow broilers in four houses for a total of 80,000 birds or 4 ½ flocks a year.

I get them when they are hours old and keep them until they are about 60 to 66 days old and weigh about 9 pounds. I grow for Wayne Farms.

Why did you become a poultry farmer?

I have a Poultry Science degree from Mississippi State University. After I graduated, I worked for B.C. Rogers Poultry Inc. (now Koch Foods of Mississippi LLC) in Morton for three years. My wife and I wanted to start our family, and I had an opportunity to move home to Jones County so I did. I have been farming for 17 years.

Do you enjoy what you do?

I love it. I have the freedom to make my own hours and to be outdoors most of the day. I’m not confined to an office and desk. I also enjoy growing a delicious, safe, healthy product for my family and yours.

Circle the animals that are considered poultry.

Duck

Pheasant

This issue of AgMag is compliments of:

You can cook many different things with eggs. The chef’s hat, called a toque blanche (French for "white hat"), is said to have a pleat for each of the different ways you can cook eggs. Beyond basic scrambled, fried, poached, and baked eggs, you can also take eggs and turn them into omelets, salads, quiches, and casseroles. Eggs also play a huge role in the baking world. They are used in cakes, cheesecakes, cookies, custards, meringues, pie fillings, soufflÊs, and pastries.

The turkey, the duck, the quail, the pheasant and the goose are all considered poultry.

See answers bottom right

Owl

Peacock

Quail

Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation ÂŽ

Mississippi’s Top Commodity Poultry is a name given to domesticated birds kept by humans for their eggs, meat, or feathers. Poultry is Mississippi’s number-one agricultural commodity.

Most poultry farmers in Mississippi produce broilers. A broiler is a young chicken that is usually less than 12 weeks of age and has been bred specifically for meat production. Last year, Mississippi poultry farmers grew 736,000,000 broilers.

That’s a lot of chicken!

Eggcellent Eggs!

Eagle

Goose

An agricultural newsletter for kids from

Baby chickens are called chicks. Female chickens are called pullets until they’re old enough to lay eggs and become hens. Pullets are usually under 20 weeks of age. Male chickens are called roosters, cocks, or cockerels, depending on where you live in the world.

Is it Poultry?

Turkey

g a M g A POULTRY

Did you know that America’s largest egg producer, Cal-Maine Foods, Inc., is headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi? The U.S. produces about 75 billion eggs a year, about 10 percent of the world’s supply. Layers are mature female chickens used for egg production. A hen doesn’t need a rooster to lay an egg.

They do so on their own. These eggs are the kind of eggs you buy in the grocery store to eat. They are called unfertilized. Fertilized eggs are raised on broiler breeder farms by parent stock. These are the eggs that hatch into chicks. These eggs are never sold in stores and are not meant for human consumption. The interior of any egg intended to be sold as food must be inspected. This is accomplished by shining a bright light through the shell. This process is called candling.

The light highlights any irregularities, such as a developing chick.

These regulations are mandatory, whether the eggs are intended for a large grocery store or for the farmers market. Eggs with irregularities never make it to your plate and are destroyed.

The breed of hen determines the color of the egg shell.

Among commercial breeds, hens with white feathers and ear lobes lay white-shelled eggs; hens with red feathers and ear lobes lay brown eggs.

It takes 1.9 pounds of feed for a chicken to gain 1 pound.