Poultry farming

Poultry farming, rearing of all types of domesticated farm fowls for eggs and flesh. Chickens are the most popular bird, followed by turkeys, ducks, geese, and other types. Important chicken breeds are the leghorn and Rhode Island Red for eggs and the Plymouth Rock and Cornish for meat. Nearly all economically valuable fowls live in controlled environments, with artificial lighting and heating and small pens for individuals or groups. Chickens are hatched in incubators, reared in brooders and transferred to laying or fattening quarters. An annual output of 200–250 eggs per bird is essential for good profits. Marketing is organized through farmers' cooperatives and marketing boards.