Poultry Science Terminology - W
Warfarin: anticoagulant used to poison rodents
Warm house brooding: raising poultry under controlled warm house conditions where the entire area is warmed to the same temperature
Water chilling: poultry carcasses are chilled in two phases, the first involves moving carcasses against a current of cold water in a tank and the second involves submersion into a chiller tank reduce carcass temperature for a specific period of time
Water soluble vitamin: essential, water-based vitamins not stored in the body and must be replaced daily
Wattles: fleshy flaps of skin found under the chin and on each side of the throat or beak of a chicken or turkey. They are typically red in color and are larger in most males; purpose is to cool the bird
Web: the network of interlocking parts that give a feather its smooth appearance; a part of the feet of waterfowl
Wet bulb temperature: lowest temperature that can be obtained by evaporating water into the air at a constant pressure
Wet-blub thermometer: thermometer used to measure the amount of moisture or water vapor in the air (humidity); The device contains a wick covering the bulb. The wick keeps the bulb wet by drawing water from a reservoir. Used in conjunction with a dry bulb thermometer, a reference to appropriate tables comparing wet and dry bulb readings will indicate the relative humidity
Wind egg: very small egg containing no yolk (fart egg)
Windpuffs: air trapped under the skin as a result of rupturing the air sacks during caponization
Windrowing: long low ridge or line of poultry litter, hay, or similar crop designed to achieve the best conditions for drying or curing
Wing clipping: procedure in which the primary wing feathers of one wing are cut to prevent flight; primary feathers are cut to 25 or 50% of their length
Wry tail: tail that lays to the side and is not symmetrical with the body line