| 4-H Poultry Showmanship Questions |
| 19. What does "molt" mean relative to chickens? |
| Lose feathers, reproduction stops, renews the bird for another production cycle. |
| 20. Why should birds be removed from and replaced into cages head first? |
| Prevent possible wing damage, to maintain control. |
| 21. What is the function of the uropygial (preen) gland? |
| It produces an oily substance the bird wipes onto it's feathers with it's beak, for preening. In ducks and waterfowl it helps to waterproof their feathers. |
| 22. Which of the nutrients, other than oxygen, should poultry have free access to at all times? |
| Page 2 |
| Water |
| 23. Do chickens ever have teeth? |
| Yes, an egg tooth at hatch to help break through the shell. |
| 24. What does "dual purpose" mean relative to chickens? |
| Can be used for both meat and egg production. Rhode Island Red, New Hampshire,White and Barred Plymouth Rocks, ect. |
| 25. What does "bleaching" mean relative to chickens? |
| The order of loss of skin color in laying hens, particularly in Leghorn types, where the yellow pigment, xanthophyll, of the skin fades to white as it is used to color the yolk. Order of bleaching: vent, eyering and earlobes, beak, bottom of feet, front of shanks, back of shanks, top of toes, hock joints. When birds stop laying, they replace pigment in reverse order. |
| 26. Where does the yellow color of the beak and shanks of chickens come from? |
| Xanthophyll from corn and grass they eat. |
| 27. What color eggs do Rhode Island Red, all Rocks and Sex Linked chickens lay? |
| Brown |
| 28. What breed(s) of chicken lay(s) blue-green eggs? |
| Araucana and Ameraucana |
| 29. What needs to be supplied in an artificial incubator to hatch eggs? |
| Heat, Humidity and Turning |
| 30. How long is the incubation period for Chickens, Turkeys, Ducks and Geese? |
| 21days, 28 days, 28 days, 30-32 days, Muscovy is 33-35 days. |
| 31. At what temperature should most chicken eggs be incubated? |
| 100 degrees F |
| Continued |
| 32. What is the purpose of turning eggs in an incubator? |
| Keep the embryo from sticking to membrane, causing malformations of the embryo |
| 33. Why should incubators be"fumigated" or "Disinfected" prior to use? |
| Remove bacteria, virus or mold organisms that may infect the eggs being hatched. |
| 34. How many eyelids does a chicken have? Why? |
| Three: Upper, Lower and Nictating Membrane which moves from front to rear of the eye and is clear. |
| 35. How many feather tracts do chickens have? |
| 10: Head, Neck, Shoulder, Wings, Breast, Back, Abdomine, Rump, Thigh and Legs. |
| 36. How many primary and secondary flight feathers do most chickens have? |
| 10 Primary and 14-18 Secondary. |