4-H Poultry Showmanship Questions
1.* What is the function of the
vent? Is it common to all poultry? (It is the uro-genital opening of the bird,
the external portion of the cloaca. All poultry have one. It is where the egg,
uric acid and feces all exit.)
2.* In order for a female to lay
eggs, does she need the presence of a male? (No, only for fertile eggs to be
produced.)
3. In what part of the hens reproductive tract is the shell
produced ? (Uterus or shell gland)
4. What are the following? Pullet,
Hen, Cockerel, Rooster, Capon? (Pullet is young female, hen is a female that
has laid eggs for about 6 months, cockerel is a young male, rooster is mature
male and capon is castrated male chicken.)
5.* What is the importance of
calcium in the diets of laying hens? (Needed for the calcium of the egg shell.)
6.* What precautions must be taken when
you introduce new birds into your home flock? (First check for disease, next
quarantine for three weeks, and check for any symptoms.)
7.* What are the differences between
the plumage of most adult male and female chickens (Male: long, sharp hackle
feathers, saddle feathers and sickle feathers on tail. Female: short, blunt
hackle feathers, no saddle feathers and no sickle feathers on tail.)
8.* Other than feathers, what other
anatomical features are unique to the male chicken? (Larger comb and wattles, coloring,
spurs)
9. What are the major external
parasites of poultry? How do you perform a parasite check on chickens or
poultry? (Lice and Mites, check vent, under wings, on skin under feathers by
preen gland, general body area.)
10. If you found external parasites
how should you treat them? (Use Sevin powder or liquid, dust or spray
birds and dust nest boxes.)
11.*What are the two other names for
the breast bone of chickens? (Sternum or Keel)
12.*How man eggs can a hen
potentially lay in one year? (365, one a day.)
13. What nutrient do chickens and
other poultry require each day? (Protein, carbohydrate, fat, minerals,
vitamins, water, oxygen)
14. What are the most common feed
ingredients used in poultry diets in the United States? (Corn and Soybean
meal)
15. It has been said that eggs are
an almost perfect food, however they are missing one vitamin, what is it?
(Vitamin C)
16.*What does depth of body
indicate? ( Size of abdomen and ability to hold a forming egg)
17.*What does width of body
indicate? (Size of body across the pelvic bones, room for egg)
18.*Why do we measure flexibility of
the pubic bones? (To see if they will open enough for an egg to pass)
19.*Why does the judge ask to see
the feet and legs of birds? (To check for deformities and disease and for
parasites)
20. What does "molt" mean
relative to chickens? (Lose feathers, reproduction stops, renews the bird for
another reproduction cycle)
21.*Why should birds be removed from
and replaced into cages head first? (Prevent possible wing damage, to maintain
control)
22.*What is the function of the
uropygial (preen) gland? (Produces an oily substance the bird wipes onto its
feathers with its beak, for preening. In ducks and waterfowl it helps to
waterproof their feathers.)
23. Which of the nutrients, other
than oxygen, should poultry have free access to at all times? (Water)
24.* Do chickens ever have teeth?
(Yes, egg tooth at hatch to help break through the shell)
25.*What does "dual
purpose" mean relative to chickens? (Can be used for both meat and egg
production, like Rhode Island Reds, New
Hampshire's, White and Barred Plymouth Rocks, etc.)
26.*What does "bleaching"
mean relative to chickens? (It refers to the order of loss of skin color in
laying hens, particularly in Leghorn
type birds, where the yellow pigment, xanthophyll, of the skin fades to white
as the pigment is used to color the yolk. Order of bleaching: vent, eyering and
ear lobes, beak bottom of feet, front of shanks, back of shanks, tops of toes,
hock joints, when birds stop laying eggs they replace pigment in reverse
order.)
27. Where does the yellow color of
the skin, beak and shanks of chickens come from? (Xanthophyll from corn and
grass they eat.)
28.*What color eggs do Rhode Island
Red's, New Hampshire's and Sex Linked chickens lay? (Brown)
29.*What breed(s) of chicken lay(s)
blue-green eggs? (Araucana and Ameraucana)
30. What needs to be supplied in an
artificial incubator to hatch eggs? (Heat, Humidity and Turning)
31. How long is the incubation
period for Chickens, Turkeys
and Ducks and Geese? (21, 28, 28, 30-32, for muscovy it is 33-35 days. )
32. At what temperature should most
chicken eggs be incubated? (100oF)
33. What is the purpose of turning
eggs in an incubator? (Keep embryo from sticking to membranes and causing
malformations of the embryo)
34. Why should incubators be
"fumigated" or "Disinfected" prior to use? (To remove any
bacteria, virus or mold organisms that might infect the eggs being hatched)
35.*How many eyelids does a chicken
have? Why? (Three, upper, lower and nictating membrane which moves from the
front to the rear of the eye and is clear.)
36.*How many feather tracts to
chickens have? (10- head, neck, shoulder, wings, breast, back, abdomen, rump,
thigh and legs)
37.*How many primary and secondary
flight feathers do most chickens have? (10 primary and 14-18 secondary)
38. What and where are the covert
feathers? (Small feathers on wing, fill in spaces.)
39.*What is the function of the comb
and wattles on chickens? (Sex differentiation, Identification and thermoregulation)
40.*Where is the axial feather found
and how many do chickens have? (on wings between primary and secondary flights,
one on each wing.)
41.*For what disease must all birds
going to shows our of state be tested for? (Salmonella pullorum).
42. How is Salmonella pullorum
spread or transmitted? (Through the egg, either by organisms from the ovary or
from shell contamination from contact with manure in the nest box.)
43.*What are basic signs of good
health in chickens? (Alert, active, clear eyes, good manure consistency and
free from external parasites)
44. How often should poultry flocks
that are allowed access to outside for roaming or grazing be de-wormed? (As
often as needed, but at least twice a year, spring and fall.)
45. For what disease of poultry should
small flock owners be particularly aware of that can cause high mortality and
be of great concern to commercial poultry growers? (Avian Influenza)
46. If you saw a lot of manure
staining on the feathers just below the vent, what health related problem of
your bird should you suspect? (Diarrhea)
47. Why is the problem described in
# 45 of concern and how can it be treated? (Diarrhea can lead to de-hydration
and possible death. One needs to re-hydrate the bird by providing electrolytes
and water and then determine why the bird had diarrhea in the first place and
treat that. A high load of worms, coccidiosis or bacterial infection of the gut
can often lead to diarrhea)
48. Sometimes in breeding flocks
feather loss is noticed on the lower back and the back of the head of some
females. What is the cause of this? (When breeding, the males stand on the back
of the females, and hold onto the feathers on the back of the head with their
beak, causing loss of feathers in those areas.)
49. Many starter feeds for chickens
are labeled as "Medicated". What is the medication and for what
reason is it in the feed? (Amprolium or Coban (Monensen), and it is to help the
bird build immunity to Coccidiosis, a protozoan disease of the digestive tract
of birds. There are nine (9) different types of coccidiosis, so medicated feed
is a good preventative measure.)
50. What is the main difference
between Starter Feed, Grower Feed and Layer Feed for feeding chicks, pullets
and laying hens? (Protein levels, Starter 18-19%CP, Grower 14-15% CP and Layer
16-17% CP.)
51.*What is the difference between a
broiler, a roaster and a capon? (Broilers are young meat birds, usually
processed at 6-8 weeks of age, roasters are usually 10-14 weeks of age and
capons a castrated meat birds grown to about 18-20 weeks of age.)
52. What is bumble foot? (An
infection in the foot pad of poultry, usually caused by Staphylococcus
aureus from the manure.)
53. If upon checking the sternum of
a chicken it is found to be crooked, what nutritional deficiency disease could
be the cause? (Rickets, lack of calcium or phosphorous in the diet.)
54. If checking the legs of the bird
one finds that the scales on the shank are all crusty and bumpy and swollen,
what might be the problem? (Scaly leg mites.) How is it treated? (Dust with
malathion or dip the legs in gasoline and then cover with petroleum jelly.)
55.*Where is the crop of chickens
and what is its function? (The crop is an enlargement of the esophagus and it
is located on the neck just above the junction with the body cavity. It holds
the food the bird eats and slowly releases it to the rest of the digestive
tract.)
56. What is the ratio of males to
females that will provide the best fertility for a laying flock, without having
more males than necessary? (about 1 male for every 10 females)
57.*How many nest boxes should be
provided for a flock of laying hens? (Usually 1 for each 5 hens.)
58.*How can one tell if baby chicks
under a brooder stove or light have the proper temperature? (They are spread
evenly under the light, not all bunched up or all far away from the heat
source, or all to one side or another, which indicates a draft)
59.*In general, what temperature
should be provided for growing chicks? (about 95oF for the first
week and drop by 5o per week until at ambient temperature)
60. How much floor space should be
provided for standard and bantam adult laying hens reared on the floor? (About
1.5 - 2 sq. ft for standards and .75 to 1.5 sq. ft for bantams)
61. What is "Biosecurity"
and why is it important for your flock of birds? (Biosecurity means preventing
infectious or disease causing organisms and other pests, like insects, rodents,
etc., from coming in contact with your birds. Keeping human traffic to a
minimum, and not allowing contact with any sick birds, either directly or
indirectly through. Keep a foot dip pan filled with disinfectant near the door
to your coop and dip your shoes or boots prior to entering your facility. It
will prevent disease transmission to your birds and is very important.)
62. What is the gizzard and what is
its function? (The gizzard is also known and the ventriculus a part of the
digestive system just behind the proventriculus, true stomach, and it is where
the food is ground up by the chicken to aid in digestion and absorption.)
63. What is cannibalism and how can
it be prevented or reduced in your flock? (The pecking of one bird by another
and it can cause injury and/or death. Prevent by beak trimming, use of specs or
decreasing the density of your flock.)
64. To keep a flock of laying hens
producing eggs year round, what key environmental factor needs to be controlled
and altered to meet the needs of the bird? (Light, maintain 16 hrs of light per
day year round.)
65. What gaseous product can be
produced in manure that can be harmful to chickens? (Ammonia)
66. How can you tell an adult male
turkey from a female? (Beard and size of bird)
* signifies
questions suitable for novice and clover showmen.
