The commercial poultry industry relies on only a few poultry breeds to produce their hybrid broilers and layers. There is therefore a high risk that many pure breeds may disappear. Had it not been for the dedication of the stud breeders, this would certainly have happened. The formation of clubs, poultry exhibitions and shows; the rigorous maintenance of standards and their enthusiasm, have all contributed to an expanding group of poultry fanciers. There are about 300 poultry clubs in Australia representing thousands of poultry keepers.
Chickens provide us with a number of products, including meat from specially bred broilers (meat chickens) and eggs from layers (egg laying chickens). During the past many families owned their own flock of hens to supply them with meat and eggs. Today, in Australia, most chicken meat production is carried out as an intensive livestock enterprise by commercial producers. The Australian chicken meat and egg industries are separate industries that use different chicken breeds, housing and production systems.
The chicken meat industry produces meat and uses a different type or breed of chicken than that used for egg production. Some meat type breeds can produce 1 kg of liveweight from less that 2 kg of feed. Strains of chickens bred for meat production are called meat chickens. The word broiler is an American term for meat chickens which is not commonly used in Australia because it can be confused with boiler, which in Australia means an old or spent hen that has finished its productive life as a layer. A dressed fowl is one that has been killed, plucked, and had its feet, neck and internal organs removed. It might seem more correct to say it has been undressed, but the term is derived from the bird being dressed up to go to market.
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