Poultry encyclopedia — poultry farming terms from A to Z

A broiler is a meat-type chicken bred for fast weight gain. It comes from crossbreeds with high growth potential and reaches slaughter weight in about 35–42 days. Unlike a layer, it directs all the energy from feed into building muscle rather than producing eggs. The broiler is the most commonly farmed meat poultry in Poland and worldwide.

A layer is a laying-type hen kept for the production of table eggs. Laying breeds and crosses are light, with an efficient oviduct, and lay close to one egg a day at peak lay. Unlike the broiler, the layer grows slowly because the body “invests" in egg production. A laying flock is run for many months, not a few weeks.

FCR (feed conversion ratio) is the number of kilograms of feed needed for one kilogram of weight gain in the bird. The lower the FCR, the better — the bird converts feed into meat more efficiently. In broilers good values usually sit around 1.5–1.7. FCR is a key profitability indicator, because feed is the largest cost of the cycle.

Coccidiosis is a parasitic disease of poultry caused by protozoa of the genus Eimeria, which damage the intestinal lining. It shows as diarrhoea (sometimes bloody), apathy, poorer gain and higher mortality. Wet litter and high stocking density favour it. It is prevented by nutritional prophylaxis (coccidiostats), vaccination and keeping the litter dry and clean.

Biosecurity is the set of rules and safeguards meant to keep diseases out of the farm and prevent carrying them outside. It covers entry control, disinfection mats and sluices, a split into clean and dirty zones, work clothing and protection against wild birds and rodents. It is the basic shield against avian influenza and other diseases. It applies from the flock’s first day.

Incubation is the hatching of chicks from hatching eggs under controlled temperature, humidity and turning. In hens it lasts about 21 days and takes place in incubators (hatchers) at hatcheries. Success depends on egg quality, parameters and hygiene. Incubation produces the day-old chicks that go to brooding on farms.

Microclimate is the conditions inside the poultry house: temperature, humidity, air movement and gas concentration (ammonia, carbon dioxide). It is maintained by ventilation and heating matched to the birds’ age. A poor microclimate — too hot, too humid or too much ammonia — lowers gains and opens the door to disease. A good microclimate is one of the pillars of a healthy flock.

IRZplus is the Animal Identification and Registration system run by ARiMR, in which a farmer registers the flock holding and keeps poultry records. It records, among other things, flock size, placements and removals of birds. Registration and ongoing records are a legal duty of every farmer. IRZplus is the basis of traceability and inspection readiness.

Candling is shining a strong light through eggs (with a candler) to assess their state. It lets you check whether an egg is fertilised, how the embryo is developing, and detect shell cracks or air-cell defects. It is used mainly in hatcheries during incubation, to remove unpromising eggs early. It is a simple but important method of hatch quality control.

A livestock unit is a conventional unit equal to 500 kg of live animal weight, used to convert stocking and assess the scale of farming. Each species and category has an assigned conversion factor. The livestock unit determines, among other things, environmental thresholds and formal duties — the number of units decides which permits and procedures apply to a farm. It is a term on the border of economics and law.

All-in-all-out is a flock-management system in which the whole house is populated at once with birds of the same age and emptied entirely at the end of the cycle. Between batches there is a break for cleaning, washing and disinfection. This rhythm breaks the chain of infection and evens out the flock. It is the standard in commercial broiler farming.

The withdrawal period is the time that must pass from giving a bird a drug to slaughter or egg collection, so that products contain no prohibited residues. The drug leaflet and regulations set its length. Observing the withdrawal period is mandatory and subject to control. Every treatment and its withdrawal must be noted in the flock treatment records.

A day-old chick is a freshly hatched chick that, in its first day of life, goes from the hatchery to the house for brooding. At this stage the bird does not yet regulate its own body temperature, so it needs warmth, access to water and feed, and calm. Chick quality and the first days of brooding strongly affect the result of the whole cycle. It is a start that decides the rest of farming.

Litter is the material (most often sawdust, straw or shavings) lining the floor of the house in floor-based rearing. It absorbs moisture and droppings, insulates and gives birds a surface to scratch. Wet, caked litter favours leg diseases and coccidiosis and raises ammonia levels. Keeping litter dry and loose is one of the farmer’s basic duties.

Stocking density is the number of birds or their weight per square metre of house floor. It is expressed in birds per m² or kilograms per m². Maximum density is set by welfare regulations — too dense a flock means a worse microclimate, more disease and slower gain. Choosing density is a compromise between bird welfare and use of the facility.

Avian influenza, in its highly pathogenic form HPAI, is a viral infectious disease of poultry and wild birds, very dangerous to flocks. It spreads quickly and causes high mortality. Because of the epizootic threat, detecting an outbreak means culling the flock and restriction zones around the farm. The best protection is rigorous biosecurity and isolation from wild birds.

Brooding is the first phase of chicks’ life, when they need extra warmth because they do not yet regulate their own body temperature. It usually lasts from the first days up to a few weeks, depending on the species, and requires heating, easy access to water and feed, and proper lighting. Well-run brooding translates into an even, healthy flock. Mistakes from this period carry through the whole cycle.

A flock card is a document (paper or digital) in which the farmer keeps ongoing records of one flock: placements, mortality, body weight, feed and water use, treatment and withdrawals. It lets you track results in real time and is the basis of inspection readiness. A digital Flock Card orders this data in one place and calculates the indicators for the farmer.

Pododermatitis is inflammation of the skin of the birds’ footpads, arising most often from contact with wet, caked litter with high ammonia levels. It shows as lesions and ulcers on the soles, pain and poorer movement of the bird. It is also a welfare indicator assessed at slaughter. It is prevented by dry, loose litter and a good microclimate in the house.

These are the three basic stages of broiler feeding, matched to the bird’s age and needs. Starter is the initial feed, rich in protein, for the first days of intensive growth; grower is the middle phase; finisher is the final feed before slaughter, aimed at weight gain. Changing feeds at the right time improves FCR and results. Each stage has a different composition and pellet structure.

The veterinary number (farm identification number) is a number issued by the district veterinary officer confirming that the farm is registered and supervised in trade in products of animal origin. It is required when a farmer sells live birds or eggs on the market. It is the basis of legal sale and traceability of the product’s origin. Without it, poultry may not be placed on the market.

Placement is populating the house with a new batch of birds — most often day-old chicks — and the start of a new production cycle. It is preceded by preparing the facility: cleaning, disinfection, heating and setting up watering and feeding. The date and quality of placement are noted in the flock records. The start of the whole batch depends on a good placement.

Mortality means birds that have died in the flock, usually counted as a percentage of placed birds over the whole cycle or on a given day. Some mortality is natural, but a sudden rise is a signal of a problem — disease, a microclimate or feeding error. Daily recording of mortality lets you catch trouble early. It is one of the most important indicators of flock condition.

A parent flock is birds kept to lay hatching eggs from which commercial chicks (e.g. broilers) hatch. It stands higher in the breeding pyramid than the production flock and is run with an emphasis on lay and hatching-egg quality. It is the link between the work of genetics companies and commercial farms. Eggs from these flocks go to hatcheries.

Culling is removing weak, sick or unpromising birds from the flock to improve health and evenness of the group. In laying and parent flocks it also means withdrawing low-productivity birds. It is done with respect for welfare and regulations. Deliberate selection limits the spread of disease and raises the flock’s average result.