Poultry Science LibraryPT107 Poultry Species, Breeds and Varieties
MAIN IDEA: What are the breeds and varieties of domestic poultry? Poultry species raised to produce eggs and poultry meat have been domesticated from wild species. They all originate from two avian orders -- Galliformes and Anseriformes. Chickens, turkeys, guinea fowl and pheasants belong to the order Galliformes. These are heavy-bodied birds adapted to life on the ground. They have short wings and are not well-suited for long-distance flight. They have legs and toes that make them well-adapted for running and scratching. Domestic chickens originated from a species of jungle chickens given the scientific name Gallus gallus. The scientific name for the chicken is Gallus domesticus. Domestic ducks, geese and other waterfowl belong to the order Anseriformes. Nearly all domestic ducks (Anas platyrhyncha) originated from the wild mallard (Anas platyrhynchos). Many of the domestic breeds look like the wild birds, but the domestic breeds are usually larger. Meanwhile, the Muscovy duck (Cairina moschata) originated in South America. It is known for low-fat meat compared with other breeds. Most of the domestic geese raised in Europe and North America originated from the Greylag Goose (Anser anser). The wild Greylag is a native bird found across northern and central Europe and Asia. It has been domesticated for over 1,000 years. While the Greylags are gray in color, the feathers of domestic breeds vary from white to gray or in-between. There are dozens of domestic breeds of geese with wide variations in size and color. Another species of geese, sometimes called Chinese geese, is the domestic swan goose (Anser cygnoides). These geese originated in eastern Asia. They can be recognized by a large knob at the base of their bill. Colors vary from mostly gray to pure white. SCIENTIFIC NAMES OF COMMON DOMESTIC POULTRY SPECIES All common poultry species are a part of the animal kingdom (Animalia), the phylum (Chordata) and the class (Aves) or birds. The word "avian" is an adjective pertaining to bird or Aves. Poultry species in the Aves class are then divided into family, genus and species as follows:
BREEDS AND VARIETIES There are many different breeds and varieties of chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. Unlike other domesticated animals, the terms "purebred" and "registered" are not used in poultry. Instead, poultry breeders use the term "standard-bred" for birds that meet the standards established for their breed and variety. These standards are described in the American Standard of Perfection published by the American Poultry Association (APA). This publication includes standards for chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese. The APA is the oldest livestock organization in the United States. It was founded in Buffalo, New York, in 1873. Besides publishing the American Standard of Perfection, the mission of the APA is to promote and protect the standard-bred poultry industry. It encourages poultry shows to help educate breeders, the general public and future poultry professionals on the sound and practical value of standard-bred poultry and pure breeding. Domestic poultry: Domestic poultry are divided into classes, breeds and varieties. These divisions are used to help identify differences among different strains.
Bantams: Bantams are miniature breeds raised by hobbyists who are interested in maintaining these unique breeds. There are some 350 bantam breeds and varieties. Many of them are miniatures of larger breeds. Bantam breeders have their own organization. The American Bantam Association (ABA) promotes bantam breeds and publishes the Bantam Standard. Fancy flock: The term "fancy flock" is used to describe the flock of a poultry breeder who maintains a flock of standard-bred birds for the purpose of showing them and selling stock to other breeders. Many of these breeders maintain their flock as a hobby. They attend shows to see the birds being displayed and to learn about the birds being selected as the best by the show judges based on APA standards. They then attempt to match or exceed what winning breeders have accomplished. Many of these poultry shows provide a sales area where breeders can sell or buy birds from each other. This is where many beginning "fancy flock" growers can go to purchase breeding stock to help them get started. The main purpose of the "fancy flock" is to achieve the ideal in conformation and APA standards for the breed. AMERICAN POULTRY ASSOCIATION (APA) CLASSIFICATIONS Large Breed Chicken Classifications
Bantam Chicken Classifications
Most chicken breeds used for meat and egg production originate from four classes: 1) American, 2) English, 3) Mediterranean and 4) Asian. 1. The American breeds are called dual-purpose breeds because they are suited for both meat and egg production. They are large and well-fleshed and lay brown-shelled eggs. Major breeds are 1) Rhode Island Red, a red-feathered bird with a long, rectangular body; 2) the Plymouth Rock, of which there are several varieties, all with long, fairly broad bodies; and 3) the New Hampshire, a meaty, medium-long bird with light red feathers. 2. The English breeds are valued for the quality of their meat. Cornish chickens, for example, are often used in crossbreeding programs for broiler production. All English breeds except the Cornish have white skins. 3. The Mediterranean breeds are smaller and used mainly for egg production. They include the popular Leghorn breed of which there are many varieties. The White Leghorn is more popular than all of the other types combined. This breed is the world's leading egg producer. Other Mediterranean breeds are the White Minorca, which is often used in crossbreeding for egg production, and the Ancona. All Mediterranean breeds lay white-shelled eggs. 4. Asiatic birds are large, meaty birds with loose feathers and feathered shanks. Their main commercial disadvantage is that they grow slowly. However, they are popular exhibition birds. The major breed is the Brahma, which has three varieties. View photographs of some chicken breeds on another page. Duck Classifications
View photographs of some duck breeds on another page. Goose Classifications
Turkey Classification
COMMERCIAL BREEDS Poultry bred for commercial production often differ significantly from the standard-bred birds seen at APA shows. Commercial poultry breeding includes some of the most advanced methods used in animal agriculture. Commercial chicken breeders select birds based on their egg and meat production abilities rather than on their appearance. Today's poultry breeders select and cross inbred lines and strains to produce birds with traits that allow efficient production of high-quality meat and eggs. Most commercial chicks are hybrids or crosses of selected breeds. A hybrid is a plant or animal produced by crossing two different breeds, varieties or species. Some of the earliest efforts in improving layer chickens date back to the development of hybrid corn. Inbred poultry lines and strains were developed with desired traits. Crossing these lines produced birds that could exceed the performance of their parent lines. This process, called hybridization, is used for both layers and broilers. Most broiler chicks used by commercial growers are hybrid varieties or combinations of many different breeds. Some broiler breeds grow faster and larger, while others emphasis specific traits such as larger breast meat yield, more efficient feed conversion, or more disease resistance. Many of these broiler strains are named after the breeding companies that genetically develop them, such as Arbor Acres, Ross, Peterson and Hubbard. One of the problems in broiler production is that the strains that have proven best for efficient meat production often do not produce many eggs. This has made it more difficult to produce an adequate supply of hatching eggs. View photographs of some chicken breeds on another page. View photographs of some duck breeds on another page. View photographs of other poultry on another page. BOTTOM LINE: Today's common poultry breeds have originated from a wide variety of wild birds. Poultry breeds can be divided into two types -- 1) the commercial or utility breeds and 2) standard-bred birds. Commercial breeders select traits for efficient production of meat and eggs, while standard breeders are mainly hobbyists who maintain "fancy flocks" that conform to American Poultry Association standards.
** American Livestock Breeds Conservancy - Poultry Breeds
** American Poultry Association
** Hy-Line International - Poultry Genetics, Layer Breeding
** Oklahoma State University - Breeds of Poultry
** Penn State University - Embryology in the Classroom - Breeds and Varieties
** University of Arizona - Animals: Common and Scientific Names
** University of Illinois Extension - History of Breeds
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