Poultry farming
Poultry farming is the raising of domesticated birds—especially chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese—for meat, eggs, feathers, or breeding.
Broiler: A chicken raised primarily for meat, usually selected for rapid growth and efficient feed conversion. Broiler production is a major route from poultry housing and feeding to meat.
Egg production: The commercial or household production of eggs, chiefly from domesticated hens. Eggs are a principal product of poultry farms specializing in laying birds.
Animal welfare: The physical and psychological condition of animals, shaped by their health and living circumstances. Bird density, movement, handling, and housing conditions influence welfare on poultry farms.
Pastured poultry: Poultry raised with regular access to pasture, often in movable shelters or outdoor enclosures. Pasture-based systems contrast with confinement-focused production in bird access to land.
Layer hen: A female chicken kept primarily for egg production. Layer management centers on sustained egg production rather than rapid meat growth.
Poultry meat: Meat obtained from domesticated birds, including chickens, turkeys, ducks, and geese. Meat production shapes breeding, feeding, housing, and processing choices.
Avian influenza: A group of influenza A virus infections that affect birds and sometimes other animals or humans. Infectious outbreaks can spread through flocks and disrupt poultry production.
Backyard poultry keeping: The small-scale keeping of domestic birds at homes for eggs, meat, or companionship. Household flocks differ from commercial farms in scale, purpose, and management.
Poultry feed: A formulated diet supplying poultry with energy, protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Feed composition strongly shapes growth, egg output, health, and production costs.
Free-range poultry farming: A production system that gives poultry access to outdoor areas under defined management conditions. Outdoor access distinguishes this system from fully indoor poultry production.