ANSC 44500
COMMERCIAL POULTRY MANAGEMENT

A team of 3 students each is to select a minor species of poultry or a niche market (e.g., range reared, organic poultry, or specific pathogen free flocks) that contributes limited amount of income to total poultry sales in the United States. Examples of minor species of poultry include special breeds of chickens (e.g., the French La-Rouge slow growing broilers), turkeys, ducks, geese, Bobwhite quail, Coturnix quail, pet birds (parrots), chukar partridge, ring-necked pheasants, guinea fowl, ostriches, emus, pigeons, or doves. To avoid duplication, each team will select a different specialty bird market by the end of the second week of class. The instructor will identify teams by the beginning of the second lecture. An outline of the proposed enterprise analysis must be submitted to the instructor by week 5 of class (Feb. 9, 2010).

Learning Outcomes

Understand and appreciate:

• the scientific principles of sound management decisions relative to specialty bird housing, disease control, nutrition, breeding, incubation, processing, marketing, and economic planning;

• the importance of integration of facility design with management systems that enhance bird welfare without negatively impacting the environment, food safety, and human health;

• the knowledge base of  professionals in the poultry industry who can provide realistic perspectives of current and evolving technologies;

• how classroom and laboratory knowledge can be applied to solving potential problems of specialty bird enterprise; and

• that thinking critically and logically will facilitate enterprise analysis contributing to  short- and long-term solutions.

A written report, including references, should discuss the life cycle of the bird and what is known on the housing, health care, management, nutrition, breeding, incubation, processing (if applicable), and marketing of that particular species. Discussion should include the use of the specialty bird (e.g., for food, medicine, sport, hobby, leisure, fashion, vegetation control, protection, etc.) and problems faced by the specialty bird industries and possible solutions (e.g., lack of availability of antibiotics, vaccines, equipment, feeds, etc.). Include an economic analysis of profit potential. Financial analysis should include labor and operating costs (animals, feed, supplies, equipment, etc.) as well as income. Include in the financial plan your loan requirements for starting a specialty bird market and a cash flow analysis projected at least 5 years from initiation of enterprise.

An oral presentation near the end of the semester will consist of a poster display or a Power Point presentation in which each team (all students must participate) will have 25 minutes to present the highlights of their written report. An additional 5 minutes are available to answer questions from the audience. Exhibits could include brochures/hand-outs for the audience, equipment used in caring for the birds, samples of the marketable product, etc. A printed original copy of the report as well individual student and self-assessment performance as a team member (see first table) are to be presented to the instructor for evaluation on the day of the presentation.

Suggested References:

Fanatico, A. 2006. Alternative poultry production systems and outdoor access. National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. http://attra.ncat.org/attra-pub/PDF/poultryoverview.pdf.

International Hatchery Practice, a magazine published 8 times per year by Positive Action Publications Limited.

Oberholtzer, L., C. Greene, and E. Lopez, Dec. 2006. Organic poultry and eggs capture high price premiums and growing share of specialty markets. USDA LDP-M-150-01: Outlook report from the Economic Research Service. www.ers.usda.gov. Hard copy available in instructor's office.

Parkhurst, Carmen R. and George J. Mountney, 1987. Poultry Meat and Egg Production. 1st edition. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, Inc., New York, NY.

Scientific journals, e.g. World's Poultry Science Journal, Poultry Science, British Poultry Science, The Journal of Applied Poultry Research.

World Poultry, a magazine published 10 times per year by Reed Business. www.WorldPoultry.net.

Grading System:

Written reports and oral presentations will be graded using the criteria shown in the next three tables. The enterprise analysis is worth a total of 100 points or 20% of your grade. Individual team members will assess each other’s participation; 20 of the 100 points will be based on team participation with an average taken from the other 2 students on the team, a self-analysis, as well as instructor input. A total of 54 and 24 of the 100 points are appropriated to the written report and oral presentation, respectively. Student assessment of oral presentation will also be provided as additional feedback and will contribute to each student earning up to 2 points by turning in her/his evaluations of the team presentations to the instructor on the day of the presentation. The instructor will later distribute results to respective team members. Students will use the third table titled “Evaluating the Team’s Presentation” to evaluate each other team’s oral presentations.

To ensure that teams receive feedback from their enterprise analysis, instructor assessment, including appropriate written comments of project, will be returned to the students before the last day of class.

Tables (pdf) - "Student Evaluation of Team Member's Participation on Project", "Evaluating Written Report", and "Evaluating the Team's Presentation"

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