Poultry, People, and Progress

Abstract

Over the past 50 yr private enterprise companies have built today’s pre-eminent commercial poultry industry. Rugged pioneers of poultry production, and bankers of sound judgment founded and integrated the industry. Students, researchers, and extension workers from land-grant colleges were paramount in developing the industry. Genetic selection and improvements in poultry health, management, housing, and nutrition have brought unprecedented progress in growth rate and feed conversion of broilers between 1950 and 1980. During the year 1950 broilers reached 1.82 kg live body weight at 12 wk of age and utilized 3.25 kg feed/kg gain. In 1988, broilers averaged the same body weight at 6 wk 2 days on 1.95 kg feed/kg gain.Competition for the world market has intensified and brought into focus the interface between land-grant colleges and private industry. Care must be taken to preserve the assets of this past relationship and the academic freedoms necessary for comprehensive universities. Systems of education are being re-evaluated to meet the challenges of competition for world markets. In spite of great developments from the sciences, society remains under the duress of serious sociological and behavioral problems. A classification of the sciences illustrates the great difficulties in addressing social problems. A legitimate concern is that in our zest to meet the economic goals offered by the world market, we will neglect the humanities in education with attendant negative impacts on society. A classification of the arts and humanities is offered.