I discuss Different Kinds Of Poultry, the common types, nutritional content, and what they are often used for. Poultry is a broad categorization of animals that includes chickens, turkeys, and ducks. Poultry is usually domesticated animals raised by humans to produce eggs or meat for consumption.
There are an astounding number of Different Kinds Of Poultry, with some being more popular than others. These include broilers (chickens), hens (chickens), turkeys, and ducks.
What are different kinds of poultry?
The Different Kinds Of Poultry term “poultry” can be used differently and mean different things, so one must be careful when discussing these animals. The term “poultry” is often used to refer only to chickens, turkeys, and ducks. However, the group also includes guinea fowls, quails, and geese in some regions, such as Great Britain and Russia. Poultry often refers exclusively to these birds. This categorization excludes many other bird species that are sometimes included in the poultry category. For example:
1. Guinea fowls are often included in the category of poultry. However, they are a type of bird called a dromedary, which is not listed as poultry in any official literature on poultry. Guinea fowls are considered domestic animals, and many people consider them poultry because they eat grain and have been raised for food. Guinea fowls can also be used as game birds because of their large size and undesirable hunting rates.
They are known for their vocal feature and are used as security for other birds on the farm. Guinea fowl usually weigh about 1 to 1.5kg at 12 weeks when they are ready to be sold and slaughtered. The average lifespan of guinea is between 10 and 15 years.
There are 3 guinea fowl varieties: pearl, lavender, and white. You can also cross guinea fowl with chickens. The most common breeds of guinea fowl are:
- White-breasted guineafowl
- Black guineafowl
- Helmeted guineafowl
- Plumed guineafowl
- Crested guineafowl
- Vulturine guineafowl
- Numida meleagris.
Guinea fowl meat is drier than chicken and turkey meat, and the eggs are smaller and darker than chicken eggs. They have an incubation period of 28 days, and when the eggs are hatched, they are called Keets.
They lay around 30 eggs in a deep nest. Ducks hide the nests they build before laying eggs and also share them with other hens. Their eggs are smaller and are darker and whitish.
2. Geese are often referred to as domestic poultry, even though they are not in the poultry category. Geese eat grain and get very fat, but their meat is often used for human consumption.
3. Grouse is another type of bird often included in the poultry category. Their meat is also used for human consumption, and they eat grain. They are also very large and somewhat awkward to handle, but this does not stop them from being a type of poultry.
Many people also use the term “poultry” to refer specifically to chickens and turkeys, so when discussing this topic, it is important to specify which type of poultry is being discussed. Chicken eggs are often referred to simply as eggs or chicken eggs but can also be called “table eggs,” especially when the egg will be eaten raw.
4. Chickens make up a large proportion of domesticated birds today. They have been used to produce eggs for thousands of years, and their role in our culture has been essential to the growth of modern society. There are many different types of chickens, as shown in the figure below.
In the United States, Canada, and Australia, male chickens over one year are called cocks, while in the UK and Ireland, they are known as cocks.
Chickens can weigh from 3.4 kg to 3.9 kg and have a life span of 5 to 10 years.
The common breeds of chicken classified into 3 (Americal, Mediterranean, and English) are
- Rhode Island (Red and White)
- New Hampshire
- Leghorn
- Sussex
- Orpington
- Sussex
Chickens start laying from 16 weeks, depending on the type and breed you are raising. A chicken lays eggs every 24 – 26 hours and can produce up to 240 eggs yearly.
5. Turkeys are also domesticated birds that are raised for food. They are raised in every part of the world, except for some parts of South America, and they do not only eat grain; they also eat plants, insects, and even wild animals.
The male turkey is always bigger than the female one, and they usually weigh between 5 and 11 kg, while the female turkeys weigh between 2.5 kg and 6 kg. It takes an average of 19 weeks or approximately 5 months to attain slaughter size.
The average lifespan of a domestic turkey is 10 years. Turkeys can be raised in an open space or build a coop to raise them.
The classes of turkeys are:
- Roasters – They are younger turkeys under 16 weeks or 4 months
- Hens – They are female turkeys and always around 21 weeks or 5 months
- Tom – These are turkeys that are 52 weeks or 12 months old.
- Mature – They are turkeys over 65 weeks or 15 months old.
The most common breeds of turkey are: Beltsville Small white, Black turkey, Blue State, Bourbon Reds, and so on.
Turkey hens produce 45 poults annually, and it takes 28 days for turkey eggs to hatch.
They are mostly killed for consumption during Thanksgiving and Christmas.
6. Quail is another kind of bird that is often included in the poultry category, even though it is a type of pheasant that is not listed as poultry. Quails are often kept as pets and raised for food.
Quails are raised for meat consumption and egg production, with the egg used as medicine for most types of diseases. China is the world’s largest producer of quail meat, with 160,000,000kg per year.
The average life span of quail is 3 to 5 years and weighs around 0.096kg. Their main food is insects, although they eat seeds, leaves, and berries.
The most common species of quail are:
- Japanese quail (Coturnix)
- Italian Quail
- English White quail
- British Range quail
- Ornamental quail
- Gambel’s quail
They lay an average of 200 eggs a year, and it takes around 23 days to hatch them.
7. Ducks are another domesticated bird that is often included in the poultry category. They produce eggs, and they are also raised for food. Ducks can be used as pets but are not usually used to produce eggs. However, ducks are sometimes kept with geese to produce eggs, which then can be turned into duck meat.
Ducks are commonly raised for egg production and meat consumption, and their feathers are good sources of money. An average duck weighs around 0.72 kg and 1.6 kg
The male duck is called Drake, while the female duck is called duck. The average lifespan of Mallard is 5 years.
There are 12 types of ducks which are:
- Dabbling ducks
- Diving duck
- Eider
- Goldeneye
- Merganser
- Perching Duck
- Scoter
- Sea Duck
- Stifftail
- Teal
- Whistling Duck and
- Domestic Duck
There are over 40 breeds of duck, but the most common ones you can raise domestically are Cayuga, Call, Campbell, Pekin, Indian Runner, and Muscovy.
Ducks lay an average of 300 eggs every year.
Special Notes
Different Kinds Of Poultry Chickens, turkeys, and ducks are often used to produce eggs for human consumption. They are also often used for their meat. Chickens, turkeys, and ducks are unique in their domestication because they were bred over thousands of years to be able to live amongst humans and thrive.
They may be considered domestic or farmed animals in many world areas. However, they are still different from other domesticated or farmed animals because they belong to a species that is not categorized as agricultural animals.
Conclusion
Different Kinds Of Poultry Poultry is a broad classification of animals that includes chickens, turkeys, and ducks. Poultry is usually raised for eggs or meat because it is a food source in many regions of the world. There are an astounding amount of different kinds of poultry, so it’s important to be careful when discussing these animals. When discussing this topic, it’s also important to specify which type of poultry is being discussed. Thank you for reading this different kind of poultry.
