Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
3
Poultry Biology
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT A NEWCOMER
to poultry raising understand a bit about what makes
a bird work. Poultry, of course, have a different biological makeup than do humans. This
chapter is designed to be a brief introduction to the topic, but by no means is it compre-
hensive or inclusive. It will give the reader a general understanding of basic poultry bio-
logy. There are many topics, textbooks, and websites available for the reader who wishes
a deeper and broader understanding of the topics covered in this chapter.
Biologically, poultry are similar to humans with a few notable differences. The most
obvious: poultry have feathers instead of hair, wings in place of arms, no sweat glands,
nonexpandable lungs plus air sacs, and a much higher body temperature, between 105.6
and 107°F (40 to 41.6°C). Poultry have no teeth (hence the saying
scarce as hen's teeth
)
but instead use a muscular organ called a
gizzard
to grind food.
Poultry biology is similar among the various species. Chickens and bantams are essen-
tially identical in shape and function, but the organs of the bantams are smaller. Guineas
are very similar to chickens, although they produce a much drier waste product, probably
because they hail from the drier regions of Africa, where bodily water conservation would
be vital. Quail and pheasants are biologically similar to guineas. Turkeys have many sim-
ilarities to chickens, but the toms are far more prone to air sac problems because they puff
up to impress the hens when they strut. Larger spaces mean more room for bacteria to
settle and grow.
