The Delaware Poultry Industry

It’s a common assumption that Delaware’s number one industry is tourism but it is actually the poultry industry. It has a huge and wide ranging impact on Delaware as every 1 job in the Poultry Industry it can create up to 7 jobs in the community. Delaware is also very unique in the opportunities it provides to poultry farmers. In most other states, farmers only have one or two companies that they can contract with but Delaware has six different possible integrators that they can choose. The massive amount of birds has given rise to a booming corn and soybean industry to supply the poultry industry with feed. These industries have benefited from increased technology such as improved chicken houses. Chicken houses are now of the broiler growout model with tunnel fans, cooling pads, with computer systems that allow for total control of the environment to ensure that the birds are more comfortable. The most surprising fact that I learned was how chickens have increased in size about four fold from 1957 to 2005 from an average of 905 g to 4202 g.

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