ABSTRACT
The term poultry refers to domesticated species of birds valued for their meat and eggs. The most frequently encountered examples, chickens and turkeys, belong to the order Galliformes, as do pheasants, quail, and grouse. Notably, two other orders of birds are included in the term poultry, Columbiformes, doves and pigeons (e.g., squab), and Anseriformes, ducks and geese. Each of the many species of birds within each order has been highly valued for many thousands of years for both their beauty and their contribution to the diet (1). Within each species there is a wide array of strains and types, varying in many aspects of plumage, including feather color and shape. Body type and size, growth rate, egg production, and disease resistance vary among individual types of poultry. Thus the term encompasses a highly diverse group of birds of broadly differing habits, genetic diversity, environmental requirements, and nutritional needs.
