Broilers An Overview of Broiler Production in Georgia

Objectives
Students will be able to:
Describe the life cycle of broilers.
Describe the history of the broiler industry.
Explain the importance of broiler production in Georgia.
Name the top three broiler producing counties.
Rank Georgia with other states in broiler production.
What is a broiler?
Broiler chickens are grown for their meat. These chickens are the ones we purchase at the grocery stores and eat for dinner.
History of Broilers
Early 1900s, chickens were raised for eggs
Women began to sell eggs and chickens
1924, Georgia chickens were sold out of state by rail
1929, stock market crash
1930s, Jesse Jewell of Gainesville
Sold North Georgia farmers baby chicks and feed on credit
Bought back adult chickens and farmers made a profit
Eventually opened a processing plant and hatchery
Post World War II, consumer interest in fully processed birds and frozen birds
1970s and 1980s, Americans began eating more and more poultry
Life Cycle
Fertile eggs take 21 days to hatch
Chicks hatch, are vaccinated, and incubated
Taken to chicken houses where the flocks live together
Flock is a large group of birds
Over 20,000 chicks may live together in the houses
Chickens are kept until they are 6 weeks old
Chickens are picked up and taken to the processor to be prepared for sale in stores
Chicken Houses
Floor is covered with dry pine shavings
Feed and water are available for the chicks to enjoy
Houses are heated because the chicks do not have enough feathers to stay warm, when they get older the temperature is lowered
Houses have fans to circulate the air and to bring in fresh air
Chicken Houses in GA
Poultry Products in GA
Poultry earns more than any other Georgia Agriculture commodity
$13.5 billion annually to Georgia’s economy
Georgia is 1st in the nation in broiler production
¾ of Georgia counties commercially produce chicken
Poultry Processors
Major Processors Based in Georgia:
Gold Kist
Fieldale Farms
Claxton Poultry
Mar-Jac
Cagle’s
Quick Facts
Assessment
1.True or False: Broilers are chickens grown for their meat.
2.Who began commercial broiler production in Georgia?
3.How many days does it take for a fertile egg to hatch?
a. 11 b. 16 c. 21 d. 26
4.What is a flock?
5.How many weeks are broilers kept by growers?
a. 3 b. 6 c. 12 d. 24
6.List the top three broiler producing counties in Georgia.
7.True or False: Georgia ranks fifth in the nation in broiler production.
8.Name two major poultry processors based in Georgia.
9.What do the poultry companies provide for their growers?
10.How many Georgians are directly employed by the poultry industry?
a. 3,000 b. 12,000 c. 36,000 d. 47,000
Answers
1.True
2.Jesse Jewell
3.C. 21
4.A large group of chickens.
5.B. 6
6.Franklin, Hall, and Habersham
7.False. Georgia ranks first.
8.Mar-Jac, Goldkist, Cagle’s, Claxton, and Fieldale Farms
9.Raw materials, distribution, and processing
10.D. 47,000
References
http://www.georgiastats.uga.edu/
http://www.gfb.org/agfacts/facts.htm
http://www.georgiaencyclopedia.org/nge/Article.jsp?id=h-1811
http://www.uga.edu/lam/kids/poultry/plifecycle.html
http://www.uga.edu/lam/kids/poultry/pindustry.html
http://department.caes.uga.edu/poultry/faculty/compton/ps2020/housingequip/housingequip.htm

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