Most of us eat chicken at least once a week, if not more. Chickens have been around as long as people have been on the Eastern Shore. The difference is in how we grow them now. A hundred years ago there were chickens running around every farm. I think they are referred to nowadays as “free range chickens”. They used to just let them eat grass, bugs and whatever else met their fancy. Some of the females were kept housed for their egg production but every other chicken was subject to find himself on the business end of an ax and wind up in the frying pan.
As early as the 1800’s, there were attempts by farmers to grow a meat-type bird that could be marketed at a young, tender age. These efforts were generally short-lived and met with little success.
In the year of 1923, Mrs. Wilmer Steele of Ocean View, Delaware grew 500 broilers along with her laying stock. At sixteen weeks of age, these broilers weighed 2 ¼ pounds and sold for 62 cents a pound. The following year, Mrs. Steele grew one thousand broilers and made a profit. This was the start and the birthplace of our gigantic broiler industry as we know it today. Folks on Delmarva said look what Mrs. Steele has started. More chicken houses were built, more profits were realized, higher standards of living were enjoyed along with social growth. By 1935, Delmarva was already growing the fantastic number of 10,000,000 broilers per year.
Comparing broiler production today with that of 1927 is like comparing apples to oranges. In 1927, 16 weeks and 12 pounds of feed were needed to produce a 2 ¼ pound chicken. In 1965, a 4 pound bird could be had in 9 weeks with only 8 or 9 pounds of feed. The improvements can be attributed to the many phases of science – genetics, nutrition, disease control, housing and management.
In the beginning of the industry, broilers were the by-products of the market egg industry when cockerels were separated from the Barred Plymouth Rock pullets being raised for egg production. Later, these Barred Rocks were crossed with New Hampshires to give us the Red Rock cross. The raising of the birds was now directed by modern science. The feed had additives to insure more meat production and less disease. In the beginning, broiler producers lost 15-20 % of the flock before they were large enough to go to market. Now they raise nearly 100 % to maturity due to the improved production methods now used. In 1927, it took 16 weeks to produce a 2 ¼ lb. broiler with a feed conversion of 5 lbs. of feed to produce 1 lb. of live weight. By 1957, it took only 10 weeks to produce a 3 ½ lb. broiler with a feed conversion of 2 ½ lbs. of feed to produce 1 lb. of live weight. By 1965, many growers were producing a 4 lb, broiler in 9 weeks on a feed conversion of approximately 2 lbs. of feed per pound of meat.
That was 47 years ago. How much progress have we made since then? Two things are certain – chicken is one of the more moderately priced meats at the grocery store and we certainly eat a lot of it.
As early as the 1800’s, there were attempts by farmers to grow a meat-type bird that could be marketed at a young, tender age. These efforts were generally short-lived and met with little success.
In the year of 1923, Mrs. Wilmer Steele of Ocean View, Delaware grew 500 broilers along with her laying stock. At sixteen weeks of age, these broilers weighed 2 ¼ pounds and sold for 62 cents a pound. The following year, Mrs. Steele grew one thousand broilers and made a profit. This was the start and the birthplace of our gigantic broiler industry as we know it today. Folks on Delmarva said look what Mrs. Steele has started. More chicken houses were built, more profits were realized, higher standards of living were enjoyed along with social growth. By 1935, Delmarva was already growing the fantastic number of 10,000,000 broilers per year.
Comparing broiler production today with that of 1927 is like comparing apples to oranges. In 1927, 16 weeks and 12 pounds of feed were needed to produce a 2 ¼ pound chicken. In 1965, a 4 pound bird could be had in 9 weeks with only 8 or 9 pounds of feed. The improvements can be attributed to the many phases of science – genetics, nutrition, disease control, housing and management.
In the beginning of the industry, broilers were the by-products of the market egg industry when cockerels were separated from the Barred Plymouth Rock pullets being raised for egg production. Later, these Barred Rocks were crossed with New Hampshires to give us the Red Rock cross. The raising of the birds was now directed by modern science. The feed had additives to insure more meat production and less disease. In the beginning, broiler producers lost 15-20 % of the flock before they were large enough to go to market. Now they raise nearly 100 % to maturity due to the improved production methods now used. In 1927, it took 16 weeks to produce a 2 ¼ lb. broiler with a feed conversion of 5 lbs. of feed to produce 1 lb. of live weight. By 1957, it took only 10 weeks to produce a 3 ½ lb. broiler with a feed conversion of 2 ½ lbs. of feed to produce 1 lb. of live weight. By 1965, many growers were producing a 4 lb, broiler in 9 weeks on a feed conversion of approximately 2 lbs. of feed per pound of meat.
That was 47 years ago. How much progress have we made since then? Two things are certain – chicken is one of the more moderately priced meats at the grocery store and we certainly eat a lot of it.
Nothing like fried chicken...good article!!! Makes me want to run to Royal Farms right now!!!
ReplyDeleteThis was the beginning of the end of prosperity for the lower shore. Today we are seeing the effects of industrial farming. High poverty rates, high unemployment, high foreclosure rates, and blight. No area has ever prospered after industrial farming and their slaughter houses come in. And to think chicken is inexpensive is a misnomer. The hidden costs are astronomical. The whole industry is heavily tax payer subsidized. Tax payers pay for the programs to get rid of the manure for example. Tax payers pay for the employees welfare benefits because wages are so low, they can't survive. These companies lobby for lack immigration because this gives them a steady stream of people willing to work for low wages. There is nothing good about the chicken industry including the inferior product they sell. No responsible company who offers good paying jobs will come to this area. They won't subject their employees to the stench, the poisoned waters, the waste land the toxic waste dump the lower shore is now. The past few generations of local people need to be real proud of how they've ruined this area for their own children and future generations. You need to be real proud of yourself!
ReplyDelete11:02 you need to get a life.....born and raised here, made a good living off the poultry industry, love the products produced here and enjoy eating them every chance I get!!!! Stick to your veggie diet all you want, but let the rest of enjoy while you move on!!!! Job openings post on every web site for all the poultry companies....go and apply if you don't want other capable folks filling the jobs!!!
ReplyDeleteYou ever going to let this guy rest in peace?
ReplyDelete