Poultry-Related Facts
- Egg weight (average): 50–60 grams
- Shell made of: Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃)
- Yolk % in whole egg: ~32%
- Broiler market age: 6–8 weeks (weight: 1.5–2 kg)
- Poultry feed protein content:
- Starter: 22–23%
- Grower: 20–21%
- Layer: 17–18%
🔹 Scientific Names of Key Poultry Specie
Species | Scientific Name |
Chicken | Gallus gallus domesticus |
Duck | Anas platyrhynchos |
Turkey | Meleagris gallopavo |
🔹 Breed Characteristics (Poultry)
Breed | Feature |
White Leghorn | Best layer, small body, early layer |
Rhode Island Red | Dual-purpose breed, reddish-brown plumage |
Plymouth Rock | Dual-purpose breed, black & white bars |
Aseel | Indigenous, aggressive, used in cock fighting |
Kadaknath | Black meat bird from MP, rich in protein |
🔹 Animal Breeding Terms
- Inbreeding: Mating of related animals (↑homozygosity)
- Outbreeding: Mating of unrelated individuals (↑heterosis)
- Crossbreeding: Mating of different breeds (e.g., Jersey × Sahiwal)
- Grading up: Improving local stock by mating with superior breed
- Selection: Choosing best animals for reproduction
🔹 Key Animal Breeding Projects (India)
- Key Village Scheme (1952): Improvement of cattle breeds
- ICDP (Intensive Cattle Development Project): 1964–65
- National Project on Cattle & Buffalo Breeding (NPCBB): 2000–2011
- Rashtriya Gokul Mission: 2014 – Indigenous breed conservation
🔹 Fodder & Feed Science
- Silage: Fermented green fodder (maize, sorghum)
- Hay: Dried fodder (legumes, grasses)
- Urea Molasses Mineral Block (UMMB): Nutritional supplement
- Azolla: Protein-rich aquatic fern for animal feed
- Bypass fat/protein: Increases energy/protein without affecting rumen microbes
🔹 Milk Preservation & Testing
- Methylene Blue Reduction Test (MBRT): Detects microbial quality
- Resazurin Test: Bacterial load estimate in milk
- Phosphatase test: Checks adequacy of pasteurization
- Titratable acidity in milk: 0.13%–0.17% (as lactic acid)
🔹 Exotic & Indigenous Breeds of Cattle
Cattle Breed | Region | Type |
Sahiwal | Punjab | Milking |
Red Sindhi | Sindh region | Milking |
Tharparkar | Rajasthan | Dual-purpose |
Jersey (exotic) | UK/Channel Island | Milch |
Holstein Friesian (HF) | Netherlands | Milch (highest yield) |
🔹 Important Animal Diseases &Symptoms
Disease | Cause | Symptoms |
FMD | Virus | Blisters on mouth & feet, salivation |
Anthrax | Bacillus anthracis | Sudden death, dark tarry blood |
BQ (Black Quarter) | Clostridium chauvoei | Swelling in hips, high fever |
HS | Pasteurella multocida | Respiratory distress, sudden death |
Brucellosis | Brucella abortus | Abortion, infertility |
Mastitis | Bacteria (mainly Staphylococcus) | Swollen udder, clotted milk |
🔹 Miscellaneous One-liners
- Best source of animal protein: Egg
- First milk after calving: Colostrum (within 72 hrs)
- “White Revolution” Father: Dr. Verghese Kurien
- ICAR-Central Avian Research Institute: Izatnagar, Bareilly (UP)
- National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI): Karnal, Haryana
