USDA Program Aid Volume 1348: U.S poultry industry--building a better bird

USDA Program Aid Volume 1348: U.S poultry industry--building a better bird is a USDA Program Aid published by the United States Department of Agriculture in 1984.

It reads:

"Today's layers average 244 eggs per year and use only 4.10 pounds of feed per dozen eggs produced. Over 90 percent of U.S. eggs are produced by cage layers, many in environmentally controlled facilities where ventilation, evaporative cooling, feeding, egg gathering, and watering systems are mechanized and automated. In many instances, poultry waste is removed from under the cages by scrapers or waste flush systems to anaerobic lagoons. Much of the manure is used as plant fertilizer for crops. Many laying houses have in-line egg washing, sizing, grading, and packaging systems. Collected eggs are either refrigerated on the farm or trucked immediately to central egg processing facilities. Eggs usually reach domestic retail outlets about 3 days after they are laid.

"Broilers now reach a market weight of 4.1 pounds (liveweight) in 51 days and use only 2.05 pounds of feed for each pound produced. There have been fewer changes in broiler production than in egg production practices in recent years. Buildings look about the same, and broilers are still grown mostly on litter. Some houses are mechanically ventilated, and many have circulating fans to help keep the birds comfortable in hot weather. Ceilings and sidewalls are insulated in most houses, helping to keep the birds cool in hot weather and to conserve heat in cold weather."

It later notes that the National Poultry Improvement Plan has programs to test and classify poultry breeding stock as free from Salmonella pullorum, S. gallinarum (fowl typhoid), Mycoplasma gallisepticum, M. synoviae, and M. meleagridis."

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