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On a chicken farm, hens lay eggs.
The eggs are sent to shops so we can buy them.
Some farms have ducks or turkeys.
Some farms have geese or chickens.
Farmers sell poultry to shops for us to buy so we can eat them.
Chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese are farm birds. Together they are called poultry (say pole-tree). People buy eggs that come from farms. People eat chicken, duck, turkey and goose. They all come from poultry farms.
Chickens
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Hens lay eggs.
Most of the time they are not fertile, which means there is no baby chick inside.
These eggs are washed and packed into boxes.
Trucks take boxes of eggs to the shops so we can buy them.
On many egg farms, hens are kept in tiny cages and can never run around.
They are called battery hens.
When they lay eggs, the eggs roll down onto a shelf below.
But on some chicken farms, the hens can run around outside and scratch in the ground or hay. They go inside at night for safety and shelter. They lay their eggs on straw in nests. This is called a free range farm. These chickens lead a more natural life than battery hens do.
When there is no rooster, a hen lays eggs that do not have chicks inside. After a rooster mates with a hen, a chick will grow inside each of her eggs. After she lays her eggs, the hen sits on them for 21 days before they hatch.
Ducks
 A duck Family
A baby duck is a duckling. |
Ducks paddle on the water and walk on the ground.
They have webbed feet to help them swim. They make a quacking sound.
They eat greens, grains, bugs and snails they find in the grass.
Turkeys
 A turkey family
A baby turkey is called a poult. |
Turkeys are big birds. They have a big fan tail.
They have red skin on their heads. The red skin that hangs down over the beak is called a snood.
Turkeys make a gobble gobble sound.
Geese
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A baby goose is a gosling.
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Some geese are wild birds, and some are on farms.
Geese are big birds. They can be fierce.
They are good watchdogs!
Go to other kidcyber farm pages:
| goats | horses & donkeys | pigs | cattle (cows) | sheep |
| farm machines | grain crops | fruit farms | special farms | vegetable farms |
If you use any part of this in your own work, acknowledge this source in your notes like this:
Sydenham, S. & Thomas, R. Poultry (2003). [Online], Available: www.kidcyber.com.au
A chicken family
A goose family