Breeding, Health, and Egg Management

This capstone unit integrates breeding, hatching, health, and on‑farm production practices for small‑scale chicken keepers. Students will apply skills in selecting breeding stock, managing incubation and growth, implementing biosecurity and disease control, and safely handling, storing, and packaging eggs and poultry products.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze breeding stock using physical, behavioral, and health criteria to develop a small‑scale breeding plan that supports desired traits and flock health
• Demonstrate proper incubation, hatching, and brooding procedures, including egg handling, candling, temperature/humidity control, and early chick care to achieve acceptable hatch and survival rates
• Apply health management and biosecurity protocols—vaccination, parasite control, quarantine, disease reporting, and humane handling—to prevent and respond to common poultry illnesses and mortality events
• Evaluate egg and poultry product handling, storage, labeling, and on‑farm processing practices for food safety, quality, and consumer claims, and recommend corrective actions for production problems