Instruct: Given a question, retrieve relevant documents that answer the question.
Query: What is the most common breed of chicken used for commercial meat production?
A broiler (Gallus gallus domesticus) is any chicken that is bred and raised specifically for meat production.[1] Many typical broilers have white feathers and yellowish skin. Most commercial broilers reach slaughter-weight between four[2] and seven weeks of age, although slower growing breeds reach slaughter-weight at approximately 14 weeks of age. Due to extensive breeding selection for rapid early growth and the husbandry used to sustain this, broilers are susceptible to several welfare concerns, particularly skeletal malformation and dysfunction, skin and eye lesions and congestive heart conditions. Management of ventilation, housing, stocking density and in-house procedures must be evaluated regularly to support good welfare of the flock. The breeding stock (broiler-breeders) do grow to maturity but also have their own welfare concerns related to the frustration of a high feeding motivation and beak trimming. Broilers are usually grown as mixed-sex flocks in large sheds under intensive conditions.
All Silkies have black or bluish skin, bones and grayish-black meat; their Chinese language name is "wu gu ji" (烏骨雞), meaning 'black-boned chicken'. Melanism which extends beyond the skin into an animal's connective tissue is a rare trait, and in chickens it is caused by fibromelanosis, which is a rare mutation believed to have begun in Asia. The Silkie and several other breeds descended from Asian stock possess the mutation. Disregarding color, the breed does not generally produce as much as the more common meat breeds of chicken.
The most common poultry consumed is chicken and duck, however to a lesser amount, pigeon, quail and wild swamp bird such as watercock are also consumed. Traditionally, Indonesians breed free-ranged chicken in the villages known as "ayam kampung" (village chicken). Compared to common domesticated chicken, these village chicken are thinner and their meat are slightly firmer. Various recipes of "ayam goreng" (fried chicken) and "ayam bakar" (grilled chicken) are commonly found throughout Indonesia. Other than frying or grilling, chicken might be cooked as soup, such as "sup ayam" and "soto ayam", or cooked in coconut milk as "opor ayam". Chicken satay is also commonly found in Indonesia, it is a barbecued meat on skewer served with peanut sauce. Popular chicken recipes such as "ayam goreng kalasan" from Yogyakarta, "ayam bakar padang" from Padang, "ayam taliwang" from Lombok, "ayam betutu" from Bali, and "ayam goreng lengkuas" (galangal fried chicken).
Hainanese chicken rice is a common dish in Thailand where it is called "khao man kai" (), literally meaning "chicken-oil rice". The chickens used in Thailand for this dish can be free range chickens of local breeds, resulting in a leaner and tastier dish, but increasingly meat chickens from large scale poultry farms are being used. "Khao man kai" is served with a garnish of cucumbers and occasionally chicken blood tofu and fresh coriander, along with a bowl of "nam sup", a clear chicken broth which often contains sliced daikon. The accompanying sauce is most often made with tauchu (also known as yellow soybean paste), thick soy sauce, chilli, ginger, garlic and vinegar.
Main courses are very typically water-based stews, either vegetarian or with lamb, goat meat, veal, chicken or pork. Deep-frying is not common, but grilling - especially different kinds of sausages - is very prominent. Pork is common, often mixed with veal or lamb, although fish and chicken are also widely used. While most cattle are bred for milk production rather than meat, veal is popular for grilling meats appetizers (meze) and in some main courses. As a substantial exporter of lamb, Bulgaria's own consumption is notable, especially in the spring.
Since 1959 it had been reported that recessive white "c" allele in homocygosis significantly reduces body growth rate and body size in a magnitude of 4-10%. This was later confirmed in meat-type chickens by the researches of Fox and Smyth, and in egg-type breeds by the research of Mèrat and coworkers. This is a serious drawback to the poultry meat-type production which remains unsolved to the present day. A white or very light undercolor is essential for the efficient processing of broilers and decrepit layers in slaughterhouses and meat processing plants, however White Plymouth Rock, a typical "recessive white" breed, continues to be used as the female side of most commercial broiler crosses, while White Cornish continues to be used as the male side. As a result, most modern broiler chickens are homozygous "c"/"c".
It is of importance to the meat breeding industry to know the magnitude of the depression in growth rate caused by the recessive white genotype in the commercial stocks.Also, several other pigment dilution genes, have been reported to depress growth rate. The experimental results of Fox and Smyth in 1985 also proved that "c" (recessive white) and "I" (dominant white) do not act in additive manner in influencing growth rate, and more importantly, the depression observed for "recessive white" was not enhanced by the presence of "dominant white" ("I"). As part of the future strategy of the genetic work on the parent stocks of the male side It would not be necessary to eliminate segregating "dominant white" from recessive white lines, but it would be economically advantageous to remove "recessive white" from the male lines.
The occurrence of solid white plumage is widespread among avian species. Such phenotypes result mostly from single mutations associated with absence of melanin deposition.
Beef is the most commonly eaten red meat in Morocco, usually eaten in a "Tagine" with vegetables or legumes. Chicken is also very commonly used in Tagines, knowing that one of the most famous tagine is the Tagine of Chicken, potatoes and olives. Lamb is also consumed, but as Northwest African sheep breeds store most of their fat in their tails, Moroccan lamb does not have the pungent flavour that Western lamb and mutton have. Poultry is also very common, and the use of seafood is increasing in Moroccan food. In addition, there are dried salted meats and salted preserved meats such as kliia/khlia and "g'did" which are used to flavor tagines or used in "el ghraif" a folded savory Moroccan pancake.
On average, a chicken lays one egg a day, but not on every day of the year. This varies with the breed and time of year. In 1900, average egg production was 83 eggs per hen per year. In 2000, it was well over 300. In the United States, laying hens are butchered after their second egg laying season. In Europe, they are generally butchered after a single season. The laying period begins when the hen is about 18–20 weeks old (depending on breed and season). Males of the egg-type breeds have little commercial value at any age, and all those not used for breeding (roughly fifty percent of all egg-type chickens) are killed soon after hatching. The old hens also have little commercial value. Thus, the main sources of poultry meat 100 years ago (spring chickens and stewing hens) have both been entirely supplanted by meat-type broiler chickens.
In the United States in the 1800s, chicken was more expensive than other meats and it was "sought by the rich because [it is] so costly as to be an uncommon dish." Chicken consumption in the U.S. increased during World War II due to a shortage of beef and pork. In Europe, consumption of chicken overtook that of beef and veal in 1996, linked to consumer awareness of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease).
Modern varieties of chicken such as the Cornish Cross, are bred specifically for meat production, with an emphasis placed on the ratio of feed to meat produced by the animal. The most common breeds of chicken consumed in the U.S. are Cornish and White Rock.
The Kari Improved kienyeji chicken is a local indigenous chicken distributed by Homerange Poultry Kenya. The breed was developed by the Kenya Agricultural Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO) in 2012 as a dual purpose chicken which is ideal both for meat and also for egg production. The breed is comparatively cheaper to rear as it can be free ranged and is highly resistance to diseases. The breed also matures faster i.e. it starts production at 4.5 months of age. The breed is available commercially as Day Old chicks or month old chicks that may be obtained from Homerange Poultry Kenya ( http://www.homerangepoultry.com )
Beef cattle are the most popular livestock farmed in the Basque Country, being present in approximately 62% of all livestock farms of that region. Between 1999 and 2009, the average number of cattle present on each farm rose by about 88.3%, making cattle the most rapidly increasing group of livestock during that time. One explanation for this increased attraction to beef cattle farming is that the production of beef meat easily involves other industries such as dairy and cereal, allowing for more economic opportunities and collaborations. Almost a quarter of livestock gross production is beef meat. Some common breeds of cattle in the Basque Country include Betizu, Monchina, Pirenaica, and Terreña. However, the breed that is used most often in the meat industry is Pirenaica. Of all of the breeds used in meat production in this region, this is the only breed that is completely native to the Basque Country.
Many breeds were selected and are used primarily for producing eggs, these are mostly light-weight birds whose hens do not go broody often.
Most farms and homesteads use dual-purpose breeds for meat production. Some breeds are raised mainly for meat:
Meat chickens are different than egg-laying chickens for urban chicken owners. Chicks sold specifically as meat chickens are sometimes called broiler chickens. As with egg-laying breeds, there is a variety of meat chicken breeds. These chickens are butcher-ready in a short time period after hatching. Some breeds grow to full size in as little as 5 weeks. Other breeds grow for up to 12–14 weeks until the butcher date. Meat chickens provide urban chicken owners the ability to know where their meat is coming from, and how it was raised.
The commercial production of broiler chickens for meat consumption is a highly industrialized process. There are two major sectors: (1) rearing birds intended for consumption and (2) rearing parent stock for breeding the meat birds.
In the 21st century, chickens are frequently bred according to predetermined breed standards set down by governing organizations. The first of such standards was the British Poultry Standard, which is still in publication today. Other standards include the Standard of Perfection, the Australian Poultry Standard, and the standard of the American Bantam Association, which deals exclusively with bantam fowl. Only some of the known breeds are included in these publications, and only those breeds are eligible to be shown competitively. There are additionally a few hybrid strains which are common in the poultry world, especially in large poultry farms. These types are first generation crosses of true breeds. Hybrids do not reliably pass on their features to their offspring, but are highly valued for their producing abilities.
All chickens lay eggs, have edible meat, and possess a unique appearance. However, distinct breeds are the result of selective breeding to emphasize certain traits. Any breed may technically be used for general agricultural purposes, and all breeds are shown to some degree. But each chicken breed is known for a primary use.
In contrast to the multitude of breeds & types used in smaller operations, breeds such as the New Zealand and the Californian, along with hybrids of these breeds, are most frequently utilized for meat in commercial rabbitries. The primary qualities of good meat-rabbit breeding stock are growth rate and size at slaughter, but also good mothering ability. Specific lines of commercial breeds have been developed that maximize these qualities - rabbits may be slaughtered as early as seven weeks and does of these strains routinely raise litters of 8 to 12 kits. Other breeds of rabbit developed for commercial meat production include the Florida White and the Altex.
Rabbit breeding stock raised in France is particularly popular with meat rabbit farmers internationally, some being purchased as far away as in China in order to improve the local rabbit herd.
By the late 1950s, poultry production had changed dramatically. Large farms and packing plants could grow birds by the tens of thousands. Chickens could be sent to slaughterhouses for butchering and processing into prepackaged commercial products to be frozen or shipped fresh to markets or wholesalers. Meat-type chickens currently grow to market weight in six to seven weeks, whereas only fifty years ago it took three times as long. This is due to genetic selection and nutritional modifications (but not the use of growth hormones, which are illegal for use in poultry in the US and many other countries). Once a meat consumed only occasionally, the common availability and lower cost has made chicken a common meat product within developed nations. Growing concerns over the cholesterol content of red meat in the 1980s and 1990s further resulted in increased consumption of chicken.
While there are over 300 different breeds of chickens, most people choose between a select few breeds. Most chicken owners are looking for a high-producing egg layer, cold- and heat-hardy, docile, quiet, non-broody, and aesthetically pleasing chicken breed. Many commercial chickens raised in factories for white eggs are white leghorns. This breed is noisy, but has a very high production of eggs and rarely go broody, and they are not very docile, cold-hardy or aesthetically pleasing. Urban chicken owners often choose a red-sex link hybrid similar to production brown-egg producers (Isa Browns, HyLine Browns), another hybrid among the Red and Black Sex-links, or chickens known as "heritage breeds," including the Rhode Island Red, Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons, Brahmas, Wyandottes, etc. These breeds generally fit more of the categories that urban chicken owners are looking for.
Many common strains of cross-bred chickens exist, but none breed true or are recognized by poultry breed standards. Thus, though they are extremely common in flocks focusing on high productivity, cross-breeds do not technically meet the definition of a breed. Most cross-breed strains are sex linked, allowing for easy chick sexing.
By the late 1950s, poultry production had changed dramatically. Large farms and packing plants could grow birds by the tens of thousands, radically impacting labor practices alongside farming techniques. Chickens could be sent to slaughterhouses for butchering and processing into prepackaged commercial products to be frozen or shipped fresh to markets or wholesalers. Meat-type chickens currently grow to market weight in six to seven weeks whereas only fifty years ago it took three times as long. This is due to genetic selection and nutritional modifications (and not the use of growth hormones, which are illegal for use in poultry in the US and many other countries). Once a meat consumed only occasionally, the common availability and lower cost has made chicken a common meat product within developed nations. Growing concerns over the cholesterol content of red meat in the 1980s and 1990s further resulted in increased consumption of chicken.
The first poultry breed to have its own specialist club for enthusiasts, Sebrights were admitted to poultry exhibition standards not long after their establishment. Today, they are among the most popular of bantam breeds. Despite their popularity, Sebrights are often difficult to breed, and the inheritance of certain unique characteristics the breed carries has been studied scientifically. As a largely ornamental chicken, they lay tiny, white eggs and are not kept for meat production.
The Rosecomb is a breed of chicken named for its distinctive comb. Rosecombs are bantam chickens, and are among those known as true bantams, meaning they are not a miniaturised version of a large fowl. Rosecombs are one of the oldest and most popular bantam breeds in showing, and thus have numerous variations within the breed. An ornamental chicken, they are poor egg layers and not suited for meat production.
It is widely agreed that the mallard ("Anas platyrhynchos") is the ancestor of all breeds of domestic duck (with the exception of the Muscovy duck ("Cairina moschata"), which is not closely related to other ducks). Ducks are farmed mainly for their meat, eggs, and down. As is the case with chickens, various breeds have been developed, selected for egg-laying ability, fast growth, and a well-covered carcase. The most common commercial breed in the United Kingdom and the United States is the Pekin duck, which can lay 200 eggs a year and can reach a weight of in 44 days. In the Western world, ducks are not as popular as chickens, because the latter produce larger quantities of white, lean meat and are easier to keep intensively, making the price of chicken meat lower than that of duck meat. While popular in "haute cuisine", duck appears less frequently in the mass-market food industry. However, things are different in the East. Ducks are more popular there than chickens and are mostly still herded in the traditional way and selected for their ability to find sufficient food in harvested rice fields and other wet environments.
Because hens stop laying when they become broody, commercial poultry breeders perceive broodiness not as a normal physiological process, but as an impediment to egg and poultry meat production. With domestication, it has become more profitable to incubate eggs artificially, while keeping hens in full egg production. To help achieve this, there has been intense artificial selection for non-broodiness in commercial egg laying chickens and parent stock of poultry. As a result of this artificial selection, broodiness has been reduced to very low levels in present-day breeds of commercial fowl, both among egg-laying and meat-producing breeds.
Before the industrialization of chicken production, and the creation of broiler breeds of chicken, only young spring chickens (pullets or cockerels) would be suitable for the higher heat and relatively fast cooking time of frying, making fried chicken a luxury of spring and summer. Older, tougher birds require longer cooking times at lower temperatures. To compensate for this, sometimes tougher birds are simmered till tender, allowed to cool and dry, and then fried. (This method is common in Australia.) Another method is to fry the chicken pieces using a pan-fried method. The chicken pieces are then simmered in liquid, usually, a gravy made in the pan that the chicken pieces were cooked in. This process (of flouring, frying and simmering in gravy) is known as "smothering" and can be used for other tough cuts of meat, such as swiss steak. Smothered chicken is still consumed today, though with the exception of people who raise their own chickens, or who seek out stewing hens, it is primarily made using commercial broiler chickens.