26.
POULTRY SCIENCE
Unit 1: Poultry Genetics and Breeding
Phylogeny of poultry species, class, breed, variety and strains of chickens,
ducks, geese, turkeys and other species of poultry. Mendelian traits in
poultry. Inheritance of qualitative traits in poultry and their usefulness.
Inheritance of comb, plumage and other qualitative traits. Sex-linked and sex
influenced traits, their inheritance and usefulness. Economically important
traits and their modes of inheritance. Gene action influencing the traits.
Lethal and semi-lethal traits in poultry and their mode of inheritance.
Quantitative traits. Inheritance of egg number, egg weight, growth rate,
livability, fertility, hatchability, egg quality and other economic traits.
Heritability and their estimates. Genetic correlations, their computation and
application. Selection methods for genetic improvement natural, artificial,
directional, disruptive and stabilizing. Individual selection and family
selection. Mass selection combined selection and indirect selection.
Construction of selection indices. Exploitation of additive and non-additive
gene effects. Selection for specific characters. Recurrent and reciprocal
recurrent selection. Part record versus complete record selection. Genotype
and environment interaction. Relative merits and demerits of different
methods of selection. Different methods of mating-pen mating, flock mating,
stud mating, shift mating, artificial insemination-collection and insemination
techniques, dilution, diluents and cryopreservation of semen. Inbreeding and
out-breeding. Pure-line breeding. Cross-breeding. Hybridization and hybrid
vigour in improving economic traits, 3-way and 4-way crossing and
development of hybrids. Modern trends in commercial poultry breeding.
Major genes and their usefulness in poultry breeding in tropics. Dwarf gene
and its usefulness in broiler breeding. Practical breeding programmes for
developing broilers, layers and rural poultry strains. Breeding and
management of other species of poultry. Selection for disease resistance.
Immunogenetics. Blood group systems. Biochemical polymorphism and
usefulness in poultry breeding. Development of transgenic chicken. Different
molecular techniques for estimation of genetic diversity and similarity
among breeds and lines of poultry. Scope of integrating quantitative and
molecular approaches for genetic selection in poultry.
Unit 2: Poultry Nutrition
Various nutrients and their role in poultry. Nutrient requirements of different
species of poultry as per Bureau of Indian Standards and National Research
Council of the USA. Partition of energy. Estimation of M.E. and T.M.E.
Essential and critical amino acids and their inter-relationships. Evaluation of
protein quality. Calorie protein ratio. Essential fatty acids. Essential vitamins
and minerals and their functions. Nutrients deficiency, toxicity, synergism
and antagonism. Nutrient requirements for various species of poultry. Factors
influencing the nutrient requirements. Naturally occurring toxicants, their
adverse effects on poultry and methods to overcome them. Fungal exotoxins
of feed origin, their adverse effects on poultry, and methods to overcome
them. Different systems of feeding wet mash, dry mash, crumble and pellet
feeding. Restricted and phase feeding programme. Male separate feeding.
Factors influencing the feed intake. Feed ingredients and sources of various
nutrients. Quality control and BIS specifications for feed ingredients.
Unconventional feed stuffs and their utilization for economic feed
formulation. Feed formulation for different species and groups. Least cost
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feed formulation and linear programming. Non-nutrient feed additives.
Antibiotics, probiotics-direct feed microbials, antimicrobials, anticoccidials,
performance promoters, antioxidants, flavoring agents, coloring agents and
other non-nutrient feed additives. Organic, functional, designer and SPF feed
production. Regulations for import and export of feed and feed supplements.
Unit 3: Poultry Physiology
Homeostasis and its regulation. Characteristic features of endocrine glands.
Regulation of feed and water intake. Feed Passage rate in G.I. tract in
relation to digestion and absorption efficiency. Functional regulation of
digestion, absorption and metabolism of nutrients. Endocrine control and
variable factors influencing growth process; Mechanisms that determines the
sex and allows the development of left ovary and oviduct only. Physiological
control of age at sexual maturity, ovarian follicular hierarchy, atresia,
ovulation, oviposition, pause, clutch size and secretion of egg components.
Photo period and its role in optimization of reproductive functions;
physiology of poultry testes, spermatogenesis, semen ejaculation and its
characteristics. Fate of sperm in oviduct and fertilization. Respiratory system-
mechanisms of gaseous exchange. Thermo-regulatory and stress
mechanisms. Physio-biochemical stress responses and remedial approaches.
Factors influencing reproductive functioning.
Unit 4: Poultry Products Technology
Structure, chemical composition and nutritive value of egg and chicken
meat. Various measures of egg quality. Shell, albumen and yolk quality
assessment. Factors influencing egg quality traits. Mechanism of
deterioration of egg quality. Weight and quality grades of egg as per BIS,
Agmark and USDA standards. Egg processing and storage. Different
methods of preservation of table eggs and their relative merits and demerits.
Preparation of various egg products and their uses. Processing, packing,
preservation and grading of poultry meat. Quality control of poultry meat.
Further processing and fast food preparation. Physical, chemical, microbial
and organoleptic evaluation of meat quality. Processing and utilization of
egg and poultry processing waste.
Unit 5: Poultry Management
Poultry industry in India- past, present and future prospects. Statistics of egg
and meat production in India. Major constraints facing the poultry industry.
Selection, care and storage of hatching eggs. Principles and methods of
incubation. Concept of modern hatcheries. Factors essential for incubation of
eggs. Testing of eggs. High altitudes and hatchability of eggs. Embryonic
communication. Photo acceleration and embryonic growth. Factors
influencing hatchability and production of quality chicks. Analyzing
hatchability problems. Hatchery hygiene. Fumigation procedure. Prevention
of hatchery borne diseases. Utilization and disposal of hatchery waste.
Prerequisite of good hatchery. Layout of a modern hatchery. Equipment
required in a modern hatchery. Single and multi-stage incubators. Hatchery
business. Sexing, handling, packaging and transportation of chicks. Principles
and methods of brooding. Space required for brooding, rearing, feeding and
watering. Preparation of brooder house to receive young chicks. Forced
feeding of turkey poults. Brooding of Japanese quails, ducklings, guinea fowl
and turkey poults. Management during growing period. Overcrowding,
culling. Management of replacement pullets for egg production and breeding
stocks. Management of layers and breeders. Light management. Debeaking,
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dubbing and other farm routines. Litter management. Broodiness and forced
molting in layers. Management of turkey, ducks, Japanese quails and guinea
fowl. Concept and definition of organic poultry. Status, certification and
guidelines for organic poultry production. Government policies on organic
poultry farming. Summer and winter management. Farm location and site
selection. Ideal layout of poultry houses for different systems of rearing.
Design of poultry houses like brooder, grower, broiler, layer and cage house,
poultry processing unit, feed mill etc. Environmentally controlled and open
poultry houses. Types of construction materials used. Cross-ventilation and
ridge ventilation. Effect of pollution on production performance of birds.
Ammonia control in poultry houses. Type of brooders, feeders, drinkers,
laying nests, cages etc. Automation in poultry production.
Unit 6: Poultry Economics and Marketing
Economic principles as applied to poultry production. Production functions.
Farm size-resources and product combinations, efficiency criteria in use of
resources in poultry production. Cost concept. Maintenance and evaluation
of different production records. Insurance and financing of poultry
enterprises. Project formulation for setting up of poultry farms and
hatcheries. Production and requirement of poultry products in India and for
exports. Various marketing channels. Transportation of eggs and chicken.
Marketing approaches. Horizontal and vertical integration in poultry
industry and their importance. Price spread in marketing of poultry and
poultry products. Role of cooperatives in poultry farming.
Unit 7: Poultry Health Management
Common diseases of poultry-bacterial, viral, fungal, protozoan, parasitic and
other emerging diseases of poultry, their prevention, control and treatment.
Metabolic and nutrient deficiency diseases and disorders. Vaccination
programmes. Deworming programmes. Control of coccidiosis, worms,
ectoparasites and flies. Medication procedures. Cleaning and disinfection of
poultry houses. Drinking water sanitation. General farm sanitation and
hygiene. Safe disposal of dead birds and farm waste. Stress control. Heat
stroke. Cold shock. Vices of poultry and their control. Bio-security measures
in poultry farm.
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