Poultry

Scientific Name (Chicken): Gallus gallus domesticus

Classified by: Carl Linnaeus (1758)

Other Poultry: Ducks (Anas platyrhynchos domesticus), Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo), Quails (Coturnix coturnix)

Body Structure of Poultry

Poultry are land-dwelling birds raised mainly for their meat, eggs, and feathers. They have lightweight skeletons, but their bones are strong, supporting active movements such as walking, scratching, and limited flying.

Key Features:

• Skeleton: 120–130 bones in chickens; bones are hollow yet sturdy
• Beak: No teeth; used for pecking, feeding, and grooming
• Comb & Wattles: Help regulate body temperature and signal health
• Feathers: Provide insulation and protection; molted seasonally
• Feet: Chickens have four toes per foot with claws, strong for digging
• Wings: Short and rounded in most domestic breeds, adapted for short flights
• Eyes: Chickens have excellent color vision and wide visual fields

Female Poultry Reproductive Cycle (Laying Hens)

Unlike mammals, female poultry (especially chickens) do not have heat cycles. Instead, they lay eggs based on light exposure and breeding traits, rather than mating.

Egg-Laying Cycle:

• First Egg: Approximately 16–24 weeks old
• Eggs per Month: 20–30 eggs (1 egg every 24–26 hours)
• Peak Production Age: 6 months to 2 years
• Ovulation Cycle: Controlled by daylight and hormones
• Fertility: A rooster is needed for fertilized eggs, but not for egg laying
• Broodiness: Some hens will stop laying and sit on eggs (natural incubation behavior)

Reproduction: Chicks, Incubation & Hatching

In poultry, mating occurs via cloacal contact (no external organs). After fertilization, the hen lays the egg, which develops outside the body in a nest or incubator.

Breeding Facts:

• Fertilization Window: Hens can store sperm for up to 2 weeks
• Incubation Period (Chicken): 21 days
• Clutch Size: Usually 8–14 eggs
• Chick Development: Starts once incubation begins (either naturally or with a machine)
• Heat Required: 99.5°F (37.5°C) for hatching
• Brooding Period: Chicks need warmth for 4–6 weeks post-hatching

Other poultry have slightly different timelines:

• Ducks: 28 days
• Turkeys: 28 days
• Quail: 17–18 days

Dietary Needs of Poultry

Poultry are omnivores—they naturally peck at seeds, insects, greens, and grains. Suitable nutrition is essential for development, egg production, and preserving a healthy immunity.

Core Diet:

• Starter Feed (0–6 weeks): High protein (18–20%) for rapid growth
• Grower Feed (6–16 weeks): Slightly lower protein, balanced nutrients
• Layer Feed (16+ weeks): Added calcium and protein for egg production
• Scratch Grains: Mixed grains offered as treats, not main diet
• Grit: Helps grind food in the gizzard (essential for digestion)
• Fresh Greens: Spinach, lettuce, herbs, vegetable scraps (no toxic plants)

Unsafe Foods:

• Raw beans
• Avocados
• Chocolate, caffeine
• Salty snacks
• Moldy or spoiled food

Clean, fresh water is vital—poultry can’t survive long without it, especially in heat.

Behavior & Intelligence

Poultry may surprise you—they’re social, alert, and capable of learning.

Behavioral Traits:

• Flock Dynamics: Strong social structure with a clear pecking order
• Communication: Use clucks, squawks, coos, and body signals
• Roaming Instinct: Chickens scratch the ground and forage naturally
• Brooding Behavior: Hens can become protective and maternal
• Training: Chickens can learn routines, recognize faces, and respond to calls

Chickens enjoy enrichment activities such as perches, dust baths, and open spaces. Confined birds often become bored or exhibit aggressive behavior.

Poultry farming has long been an essential part of poultry for sale in the UK for both rural and urban communities. People of Britain have been keeping chickens and other poultry breeds for centuries now, as evidence shows the first arrival in the Iron Age, and even professional poultry farming on a high scale has been going on since the nineteen hundreds. Titans Pets UK Poultry is here to preserve this historical and cultural monument of Britain's poultry, keeping and buying/selling them most easily and advanced. 

There are Hamburg chickens, Leghorn chickens, Old English Pheasant Fowl, Old English Game, and many other breeds of poultry for sale in the UK. We aim to connect professional sellers and buyers straightforwardly and, more simply, remove any unnecessary distractions within transactions. Whether you're starting your poultry farm or expanding an existing one, finding the right supplier is critical to ensuring the health and productivity of your flock.

Growing Poultry for Sale in the UK

The traditional process of purchasing poultry can be time-consuming and sometimes frustrating, especially if you need help determining where to start or which sellers to trust. Titans Pet UK Poultry eliminates these challenges by bringing trusted poultry providers to a central online location where they can advertise their services and products. Whether you're a seller with a large poultry farm or a small-scale breeder offering chickens for sale, anyone looking for "the poultry for sale near me" would hit on your posted ad on our platform. 

However, we follow a more adaptive approach on our platform as there are several benefits for poultry buyers and people looking for chicken, simplifying the search for poultry. Instead of browsing through multiple unrelated listings or driving around local farms near you, browse categorized listings from trusted sellers in one place with many different poultry breeds. From small batches of chickens to full-scale poultry farm operations for sale, our platform ensures you get access to high-quality, reliable options.

Simplifying Poultry Buying & Selling

Our platform is developed in a way that allows users to navigate for buyers to discover what is required. Whether it's poultry for sale Northern Ireland or a search for the best poultry chicken for sale in London, we've got you covered. You can also use the search filters to narrow down listings based on location, poultry breed, and seller experience. This ensures that you're not wasting time scrolling through irrelevant listings, but instead are finding poultry providers who match your criteria.

Additionally, since poultry farming encompasses various aspects—from chicken breeding to maintaining farm operations—our platform allows you to post ads that cater to specialized services. Whether selling chickens or offering a poultry farm for sale, Titans Pet UK provides the tools to get your message in front of interested buyers quickly and efficiently.