CHSE Odisha Vocational Poultry Farming key terms

Domesticated birds such as chickens, ducks, turkeys, quails and guinea fowl kept by humans for eggs, meat, feathers or manure. In Odisha the term mostly means backyard and commercial chickens.

Small-scale rearing of a few birds around the homestead, usually on scavenging plus kitchen waste and grain. It supplies household eggs and meat and extra cash, especially for rural and tribal families.

A female chicken kept mainly to produce table eggs, usually from about 18-20 weeks of age. Commercial layers are managed for a long laying cycle of roughly 72-80 weeks.

A fast-growing chicken bred and raised only for meat, normally marketed at 5-7 weeks of age. Broilers convert feed very efficiently but need controlled housing, ventilation and health care.

A native chicken type adapted over generations to local climate, scavenging and low inputs, for example the coloured desi birds of Odisha. It lays fewer eggs but is hardy and fetches premium prices.

The offspring of a planned mating between two different pure breeds or lines. Crossbreds often show hybrid vigour, giving better growth or egg numbers than either parent line alone.

A commercial bird produced by crossing specially selected parent lines so that offspring perform uniformly and predictably. Hybrid layers and broilers dominate commercial farming and must be replaced each cycle.

Improving local nondescript stock by repeated mating of local females with superior males of a chosen breed over several generations. It raises body size and egg numbers while keeping local hardiness.

Separating day-old chicks into male and female. Vent sexing and feather sexing are the common methods used in hatcheries so that pullets and cockerels can be sold or reared separately.

Birds selected and kept for producing the next generation of chicks. They must be healthy, true to breed type, free from inherited defects and of proven performance.

Choosing which birds will be kept for breeding and which culled, based on traits such as growth, egg number, egg size, health and conformation. Good records make selection reliable.

Removing unproductive, sick, deformed or uneconomic birds from the flock. Regular culling saves feed, reduces disease spread and raises average flock performance and profit.

Housing birds on a floor covered with a thick layer of absorbent material such as paddy husk or sawdust. The litter absorbs droppings, generates mild heat and is later used as manure.

The bedding material spread on the floor of a poultry house. It must be dry, friable and free of mould; caked or damp litter causes ammonia build-up, foot problems and respiratory disease.

The number of birds or the floor area allowed per bird in a house. Overcrowding reduces growth and egg output and worsens litter, heat and disease problems, so recommended space must be respected.

Movement of fresh air through a poultry house to remove heat, moisture, carbon dioxide, ammonia and dust. Adequate ventilation prevents respiratory disease and heat stress, especially in Odisha summers.

The concentration of ammonia gas released from decomposing droppings in poultry houses. Sharp smell or eye irritation indicates poor litter and ventilation; high levels damage the respiratory tract and reduce performance.

A feed mixture supplying energy, protein, minerals and vitamins in the correct proportions for a given age and purpose. It prevents deficiency and excess, and gives cheaper gains than feeding single grains.

Kilograms of feed eaten to produce one kilogram of egg mass or live weight gain. A low ratio means efficient feed use and lower cost; it is a key measure of flock and feed quality.

A protein- and mineral-rich feed mixture fed along with grains or roughage to balance the ration. It supplies the protein, vitamins and minerals that cereal grains alone lack.

A small quantity of a substance added to feed for a specific purpose, such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes or probiotics. Additives must be used at recommended levels and legally permitted.

The process of keeping fertile eggs under controlled temperature and humidity until they hatch, either by a broody hen or in an incubator. Chicken eggs need about 21 days at around 37.5-37.8 degrees Celsius.

The section of an incubator, or a separate machine, that holds eggs during the first 18 days of incubation. It maintains turning, temperature and humidity until eggs are moved to the hatcher.

Shining a light through an egg to inspect the embryo, air cell and shell quality. It is used to remove infertile or dead eggs and to check development during incubation and before sale.

The percentage of eggs set, or of fertile eggs, that produce live chicks. Low hatchability points to poor egg handling, storage, incubation conditions, breeder nutrition or disease.

A newly hatched chick, usually up to 24 hours old, that has been sexed, graded and vaccinated in the hatchery. Its quality strongly affects later growth, livability and uniformity.

A facility where fertile eggs are incubated, hatched and the chicks processed, graded and dispatched. Strict sanitation and egg sourcing rules are essential to prevent disease transmission.

Caring for chicks during their first few weeks by providing warmth, clean water, suitable feed and protection. Good brooding sets the pattern for livability, growth and flock uniformity.

The heat source and surrounding pen used to keep young chicks warm. It may be a bulb, gas canopy or traditional lamp, and must allow chicks to move away if too hot.

A young female chicken from about the time of hatching until she begins laying, usually reared to 18-20 weeks. Pullet rearing aims at correct body weight and uniform sexual maturity.

The stage at which a pullet is about to start producing eggs, typically around 18-20 weeks of age. Birds should reach target body weight and receive laying feed by this time.

The harmful condition when birds cannot lose enough body heat, causing panting, reduced feed intake, lower egg size and deaths. Shade, ventilation, cool water and feeding at cooler hours help prevent it.

All measures taken to keep disease agents out of a poultry farm and to stop them spreading inside it. It includes fencing, footbaths, visitor control, cleaning, disinfection and safe disposal of dead birds.

Giving a vaccine to make birds resistant to a specific disease before they are exposed to it. Correct strain, dose, route, age and cold-chain handling decide whether vaccination actually protects the flock.

A highly contagious viral disease of poultry causing breathing difficulty, nervous signs, greenish diarrhoea and heavy deaths. It is controlled mainly by vaccination and strict biosecurity, and is reportable.

The number or percentage of birds dying in a flock over a stated period. Rising mortality is an early warning of disease, poor management or stress and should trigger immediate investigation.

Destroying or inactivating disease-causing organisms on surfaces, equipment and in water using approved chemicals. It works only after thorough cleaning, because dirt and organic matter protect microbes.

Traces of antibiotic medicine left in eggs or meat when the withdrawal period before slaughter or sale is not respected. Residues harm consumers and can make bacteria resistant, so withdrawal rules must be followed.

The minimum time that must pass after the last dose of a medicine before eggs or meat from treated birds may be sold. Ignoring it leaves drug residues in the product and can make it unsafe.

Processing a basic poultry product into a form that earns more, such as cleaned eggs, cut-up chicken, pickles, nuggets or manure-based compost. It raises income and reduces losses during glut.

The unbroken sequence of refrigerated storage and transport that keeps perishable poultry products safe from farm to consumer. A break in the chain allows bacterial growth and spoilage.

A written or digital account of daily feed, egg, mortality, medicine, weight and sales data on a farm. Accurate records allow cost calculation, performance comparison and better management decisions.

The total cost of feed divided by the kilograms of egg or live weight produced. Feed is the largest recurring expense, so this figure decides whether a poultry enterprise is profitable.

The route a poultry product takes from producer to final buyer, through traders, wholesalers, retailers or direct sale. Shorter channels usually give the farmer a better share of the consumer price.

Practices that protect farm workers from injury and illness, including safe use of machines, chemicals and vaccines, proper lifting, and protection from dust, ammonia and zoonotic infections.

An infection that can pass from animals or birds to humans, such as salmonellosis or avian influenza. Hygiene, protective clothing, safe handling and prompt reporting reduce the risk to workers and consumers.