Agriculture: Australian Poultry

7/29/2019 Agriculture: Australian Poultry

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Introduction

The layer and chicken meat industries are very important to the Australian people producing

incredible amounts of food for people to consume. The popularity of both industries has in

recent years been gaining momentum in terms of popularity and the total amount of

consumption. The chicken meat Industry employs about 20000 people, 8000 of those justbelong to Ingham. In 2000 619,406 tonnes of chicken was produced and on average 31.4 kg

of chicken meat was being consumed by each person in Australia that year. In 2011 they are

producing 1,042,382 tonnes of chicken meat and the average consumption will be about

43.9Kg per person in 2015 this is predicted to reach 1,159,602 tonnes produced and 46.1kg

consumed per person. In the layer industry over 2890 people are employed, in 2009 111

million eggs were sold in 2010 122 million eggs were sold and an average of 200 eggs per

person were consumed. Both Industries are worth a lot of money with the chicken meat

industry earning about $1.4 billion dollars each year and the layer industry is worth $1.5

billion.

White Leghorn:

The White Leghorn is chicken that is an egg layer. The white leghorn is a medium weight

bird growing up to about 4-6 pounds at full maturity. The leghorn is good in most

environments but it is vulnerable to frost bite on its comb so make sure to protect them if it

frosts. The leghorn is kept for its egg laying capacity. It lays about 4 large eggs per week.

Their nature is that they are not broody and they are as docile compared to other birds.

They are used very widely through the laying industry for their superior egg quality also for

their ability to produce highly desirable crossbreed chicks with other chickens like the Rhode

Island Red.

The white leghorn matures very quickly at about 8-10 week


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Minorca:

The Minorca is a bird that is used for egg laying. The Minorca is a heavy weight bird

weighing between 6.5-7.5 pounds at full growth. The Minorca is good in most conditions but

is very susceptible to frost as it will cause frost bite. The Minorca is used for its egg qualitythey lay 4 extremely large eggs per week. They are not broody and they are docile.

They are used as layers in the industry but they are quite spared out as they cant compete

with other birds but are used for their extremely large eggs.

It is an average maturing bird it matures at about 11-18 week period

Rhode Island Red:

The Rhode Island Red is a dual purpose breed. The Rhode Island is a heavy bird that reaches

6.5-7.5 pounds at full weight. They are a very hardy bird that can thrive in all non-extreme

environments. The Rhode Island is praised highly for its eggs as for its meat, it produces 5

extra-large eggs per

They are used mainly as a sire for F1 crosses to produce superior chicks they are also still

used as a dual purpose they are widely spread out throughout Australia.

The Rhode Island Red is an average maturing bird reaching maturity at about 11-18 weeks


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Australorp:

The Australorp is a dual purpose foul. It is a heavy weight bird that at full maturity weighs

between 5.5-7.5 pounds. It is adapted to suit all Australian environments. The Australorp is

used for it egg production and for the fact they are still good meat when they stop

producing eggs. The Australorp lays about 5 large eggs per week; the birds are very docilethey are also broody.

They are used as a dual purpose breed with having really good laying capacity and are also

favoured for their fast growth, so they are a popular breed.

The Australorp is a fast growing chicken being from two different parents meaning it has

hybrid vigour it matures at about 8-10 weeks

Light Sussex:

The Light Sussex is a dual purpose breed. It is a heavy class of foul and fully grown can reach

up to 6-7.5 pounds. It is capable to thrive in all normal temperature ranges. They are a dual

purpose breed but the light Sussex is only good at one of those at a time they cant be good

at laying eggs at a good table meat at the same time. They are also known for their poor

food conversion ratio. That lay about 4 large eggs per week. They are sometimes broody

and are not that docile.

The light Sussex would be hardly used in the industry as their food conversion rate is poor

compared to other breeds, also they would be used as ether layers or meat chickens but not

both at the same time.

The light Sussex is a medium maturing bird reaching maturity at about 11-18 weeks


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Plymouth Rock:

The Plymouth Rock is a dual purpose chicken. It is a heavy weight foul at full maturity it

weighs between 6-8 pounds. The Plymouth is capable of surviving in all normal conditions. It

has a very good egg laying capacity being able to lay 4 large eggs per week. The Plymouth is

a very docile bird that is also broody.The Plymouth is used a dual purpose breed but is not that widely used as it cant compete

with other birds like the Rhode island red but it is used for crossbreeding.

The Plymouth Rock reaches maturity at about the same time as most other birds at about

11-18 weeks.

New Hampshire:

The New Hampshire is used a dual purpose breed. The New Hampshire is a heavy weight

foul at full growth it reaches to between 5.5-7.5 pounds in weight. The Hampshire is good inall average Australian conditions. The breed does not have a fantastic egg production rat at

only 3 large eggs per week but what it lacks in egg production it makes up for in the rate of

its growth. It is very docile and also broody.

In the industry it is used as parent for crossbreeds as it imparts lots of favourable qualities

like quick growth. It is used widely because of its use in crossbreeding.

The New Hampshire is a very fast maturing chicken maturing at about 8-10 weeks


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Bibliography

http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/27_2710.htm

http://www.poultryhub.org/education-and-training/fancy-poultry-breedschickensnew-hampshire/

http://www.albc-usa.org/documents/chickenbreedcomparisonedited.pdf

http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Australorp-B14.aspx

http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Rhode-Island-B97.aspx

http://chickipedia.wikispaces.com/Light+Sussex+Chickens

http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Plymouth-Rock-B85.aspx

http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/New-Hampshire-Red-B76.aspx

http://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Leghorn-White-B65.aspx

http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201104/s3197682.htm

http://www.aecl.org/

http://www.chicken.org.au/
http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/27_2710.htmhttp://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/27_2710.htmhttp://www.poultryhub.org/education-and-training/fancy-poultry-breedschickensnew-hampshire/http://www.poultryhub.org/education-and-training/fancy-poultry-breedschickensnew-hampshire/http://www.albc-usa.org/documents/chickenbreedcomparisonedited.pdfhttp://www.albc-usa.org/documents/chickenbreedcomparisonedited.pdfhttp://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Australorp-B14.aspxhttp://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Australorp-B14.aspxhttp://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Rhode-Island-B97.aspxhttp://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Rhode-Island-B97.aspxhttp://chickipedia.wikispaces.com/Light+Sussex+Chickenshttp://chickipedia.wikispaces.com/Light+Sussex+Chickenshttp://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Plymouth-Rock-B85.aspxhttp://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Plymouth-Rock-B85.aspxhttp://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/New-Hampshire-Red-B76.aspxhttp://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/New-Hampshire-Red-B76.aspxhttp://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Leghorn-White-B65.aspxhttp://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Leghorn-White-B65.aspxhttp://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201104/s3197682.htmhttp://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201104/s3197682.htmhttp://www.aecl.org/http://www.aecl.org/http://www.chicken.org.au/http://www.chicken.org.au/http://www.chicken.org.au/http://www.aecl.org/http://www.abc.net.au/rural/news/content/201104/s3197682.htmhttp://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Leghorn-White-B65.aspxhttp://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/New-Hampshire-Red-B76.aspxhttp://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Plymouth-Rock-B85.aspxhttp://chickipedia.wikispaces.com/Light+Sussex+Chickenshttp://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Rhode-Island-B97.aspxhttp://www.mypetchicken.com/chicken-breeds/Australorp-B14.aspxhttp://www.albc-usa.org/documents/chickenbreedcomparisonedited.pdfhttp://www.poultryhub.org/education-and-training/fancy-poultry-breedschickensnew-hampshire/http://www.dpi.qld.gov.au/27_2710.htm

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Agriculture: Australian Poultry