| 4-H Poultry Showmanship Questions |
| 52. 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. |
| 53. If checking the legs of a bird, one finds that the scales on the shank are all crusty, bumpy and swollen, what might be the problem? How is it treated? |
| Scaly leg mites. Dust with malathion or dip the legs in gasoline and then cover with petroleum jelly. |
| 54. Where is the crop on a chicken and what is it's function? |
| The crop is an enlargement of the esophagus and is located on the neck just above the junction of the body cavity. It holds the food that the bird eats, and slowly releases it to the rest of the digestive tract. |
| 55. What is the ratio of males to females that will provide the best fertility for a laying flock, without having more males than necessary? |
| Page 4 |
| About 1 male for every 10 females. |
| 56. How many nest boxes should be provided for a flock of laying hens? |
| Usually 1 for each 5 hens. |
| 57. How can you tell if baby chicks under a brooder have the proper temperature? |
| They are spread evenly under the light, not all bunched up, or all far away from the heat, or all to one side or another, which indicates a draft. |
| 58. In general, what temperature should be provided for growing chicks? |
| About 95 the first week, then drop 5 degrees per week until ambient temperature. |
| 59. 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 - 1.5 sq. ft for bantams. |
| 60. 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, ect., 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. Keep a foot dip pan filled with disinfectant near the door of your coop and dip your shoes prior to entering. It will prevent disease transmission to your birds. |
| 61. What is the gizzard and what is it's function? |
| The gizzard, also known as the ventriculus, is a part of the digestive system just behind the proventriculus, true stomach, and is where the food is ground up by the chicken to aid in digestion and absorbtion. |
| 62. What is cannibalism and how can it be prevented or reduced in your flock? |
| The pecking of one bird by another and it could cause injury and/or death. Prevent by beak trimming, use of specs or decreasing the density of your flock. |
| Bonus Question!!!!!!!!! |
| 63. To keep a flock of laying hens producing eggs year round, what environmental factor needs to be controlled or altered to meet the needs of the birds? |
| Light, maintain 16 hours of light per day year round. |
| 64. What gaseous product can be produced in manure that can be harmful to chickens? |
| Ammonia |
| Continued |
| 65. How can you tell an adult male turkey from a female? |
| Beard and size of the bird. |
| Hope you had fun and got a lot right. |