Poultry is any fowls including chickens, quails, geese, guinea fowls, turkeys, and ducks that are raised and bred for food, eggs, and other by-products. Whichever came first, whether it’s the chicken or the egg, it’s difficult to imagine the flavors and culinary experiences we have enjoyed without these plump birds.
These domesticated birds have been bred for thousands of years dating back to biblical times, the Iron Age, and the Hellenistic movements. Some are used as trading goods, while others are transported to other nations as supplies, and others are killed for ritual offerings.
Poultry Trivia
- Chickens never bathe in water. Instead, they take dust baths.
- The color of the chicken will determine the eggs’ colors. Chickens with white feathers and ear lobes lay white eggs. Meanwhile, those with red feathers produce brown eggs.
- Examining Turkey poop determines its gender. Spiral-shaped poops come from mails while those shaped like candy canes or the letter J come from females.
- Duck feathers are waterproof. They have 3 eyelids, and their egg production is affected by daylight. Longer daylight hours produce more eggs.
Poultry Buying Guide
Poultry is a sensitive meat, it’s fragile and will easily spoil if exposed to bacteria and high temperatures. Before buying poultry, you have to be aware of what specific poultry meat are you buying and if you have the right ingredients and ample preparation time.
Asses the meat appearance. Chicken or duck meat should have a light, pink color, and a plump texture. It should bounce right back when you lightly press it. Any gray tinges, bruise, and even a soft texture would indicate that the poultry is already days old. Also, any liquid leaking from the package will make a chicken soggy, resulting in a less appealing mouthfeel.
Chicken trimmings should have a clean cut. Ask your butcher about their process to ensure sanitation is maintained during the butchering process.
Poultry Production & Farming in Texas
There are at least 800 farms in Texas, mostly concentrated in the Eastern and Southern areas. Broiler chickens and turkeys are mainly raised for meat production. Egg-producing farms are also a top agricultural industry in the region.
The stages of the production cycle beginning with the broiling of breeders, followed by the hatchery, growing out on farms, and processing. The production of fertilized eggs begins in broiler breeding farms, the eggs are then incubated and hatched in the hatchery. Afterward, the chicks are moved in temperature and climate-controlled trucks to raise broilers. Once the birds reach a certain weight, they are then delivered to processing plants for their meat and other by-products.
Farms and processing plants are usually located near each other, at less than an hour of transportation time. Proximity is essential in poultry production as transportation time stresses the chickens, lessens their weight value, and resulting in the death of some chickens and chicks. Poultry is usually confined in inadequately spaced enclosures, enough for them comfortably sit on but tight enough to keep them from flapping or moving around to avoid injuries.
Geography
Raising poultry requires access to a good environment with open spaces and a clean water source to provide them nourishment and nutrition. The landscape must have soft soil and grass, trees but it should also be controlled by other bird species to avoid the transfer and infection of parasites.
Chickens and other poultry animals improve soil quality by feeding on non-beneficial insects. They peck on weed seeds, eliminating weed pressure and improving the balance o the vegetation’s root systems and patterns, thereby also amplifying water filtration and refining the soil biology.
Enjoying Poultries
Poultry is available all year long so you can enjoy buying different types of poultry from ducks, chickens, turkeys, and even quails. However, it is essential to be aware of how the poultry is raised and what they are fed with since any harmful chemicals fed to them will potentially harm the human body.
Storage
Raw poultry should always be wrapped to prevent cross-contamination with other frozen products. It is stored in a tight-lid container and refrigerated for 1 to 2 days. Thawing frozen poultry can be done in the fridge for 1 to 2 days, but thawing larger poultry cuts can take 2-3 days depending on the size. Thawed poultry should be cooked 2 days within from defrosting. Defrosted chicken in the microwave should be cooked immediately because some parts of the chicken are already starting to cook with the microwave’s heat.
Cooking
You can’t run out of delectable recipes for your poultry. Chickens are best when fried, but it’s also lovely when roasted, braised, or cooked in soups and stews. Small, juicy spatchcocks can be stuffed with bacon, potato, cranberries, and then slow-roasted for hours until the skin is crispy and the insides are tender and juicy. Pheasant bread can be lightly grilled and tossed into a watercress salad with balsamic vinegar and walnut dressing.
Nutrition
Poultry is one of the healthier alternatives to red meat as it is packed with protein and has a less fat content.
Thiamine: Thiamine provides energy in the body and is essential to the delivery of brain signals to aid in muscle contraction.
Vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 converts food into energy to increase the body’s serotonin and dopamine levels. A deficiency in Pyridoxine can cause rashes, seizures, and a pins-and-needles sensation in the feet.
Calcium: Calcium is essential in bone formation. Without it, people could have a fragile bone structure which can lead to fatigue, stress, and anemia.
Iron: Iron helps the body receive oxygen by forming hemoglobin. It also helps convert food into energy. Iron deficiency can result in anemia, extreme fatigue, headache, and irritable bowel syndrome.
