NAME: SCORE

COURSE/YEAR/SECTION:
LABORATORY SCHEDULE:
DATE OF SUBMISSION:
AGRI 211 – INTRODUCTION TO LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY
PRODUCTION

LABORATORY ACTIVITY # 6
Judging Poultry and Slaughtering

Distinguishing between a good layer and a bad layer could be quite difficult for inexperienced
poultry farmers. For example, you may be interested in buying point of lay chickens, and you would want
to buy good, healthy chickens. That means you must know the physical characteristics of good and poor
layers.
Below is a table highlighting the physical characteristics of good layers and poor layers.
Parameter Good layers Poor Layer
Vigor Strong Weak and unthrifty
Breed type Wedge shape body Shallow and tendency towards rocker keel
Head Neat, refined Beefy and crow head
*Comb and Wattles Full, red, waxy, warm and velvety Very long, thin and sharp pointed
*Eyes Full, bright and alert Dull and sleepy
*Beak Stocky and well-curved Very long, thin and sharp pointed
*Ear lobes Full waxy and velvety Shrunked and coarse
Neck Stock and rather short Long and thin
Body Capacious Limited capacity
*Back Broad and straight Narrow and crooked
*Sides Deep and straight Shallow and barrel-shaped
*Keel bone Long and well-curved Short and crooked
*Pelvic bones Wide apart and thin Close together and thick
*Skin Thin, soft and oily Thick, dry and rough
*Abdomen Large, soft and free from fat Small, hard with thick fat
*Vent Full, larger and moist Small and dry
*Feathers Warm and soiled Clean and perfect
Legs Wide apart and well-set Close together and knock-kneed
*Shanks Thin and soft in back Full, hard and round in the back
*Toe nails Stocky and well-curved Long and thin
Temperament Alert, active and friendly Shy, nervous and quaky
Molt Late and rapid Early and slow
OBJECTIVES
At the end of this activity, students should be able to:
1. Judge and identify a good layer chicken; and
2. Conduct the slaughtering process

MATERIALS
Activity sheet
Pen/pencil
Live species of layer chicken
Slaughter materials: knife, chopping board, containers, weighing scale,

Results:
1. Table 1. Result of Layer Judging
2. Process of slaughtering chicken
3. Table 2. Slaughter Data gathered
 Parameter Layer 1 Layer 2 Layer 3 Layer 4 Layer 5 Layer 6 Good or Bad
layer
Vigor
Breed type
Head
*Comb and Wattles
*Eyes
*Beak
*Ear lobes
Neck
Body
*Back
*Sides
*Keel bone
*Pelvic bones
*Skin
*Abdomen
*Vent
*Feathers
Legs
*Shanks
*Toe nails
Temperament
Molt
Table 1. Result of Layer Judging
Table 2. Slaughter data gathered
Dressed Total Weight Weight of Weight of Dressing
Sample # Liveweight Shank Head
weight (kg) of Giblets feather blood percentage
1
2
3
4
5
6
Giblets - liver, heart, gizzard, and neck of a chicken

Table 2.1 Weight of giblets

Sample # Weight of liver Weight of gizzard Weight of heart Weight of neck
1
2
3
4
5
6
Questions to answer
1. What is the importance of layers?
2. What factors affect the egg production in layers?
3. What is slaughtering and processes involved? What could be some problems in slaughtering of an animal/s?
4. Which is better to sell: chicken on liveweight or dressed basis? Why?

Conclusion:
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