Exterior and interior strategies for rodent control
As the weather cools, rodents seek refuge indoors where there is easy access to food and water. Rodents are vectors for spreading disease, which...
How to improve indoor air quality in poultry housing
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, in which researchers provided...
Balancing beetles with the bottom line
Darkling beetles, commonly referred to as litter beetles, are a widely encountered pest for those in the broiler production industry. Litter beetles are holometabolous...
Poultry litter pasteurisation
Heaping of used poultry litter reliably induces significant elevations in temperature due to the actions of variety of aerobic bacteria and fungi. Temperatures typically...
LED lights in turkey farms
With the rise of the energy efficient light emitting diode – LED – bulbs in today’s market, there is an opportunity to refine...
How preheating temperature can affect litter drying
One of the purposes of preheating a broiler house is to ensure the litter is properly dried prior to chick placement. Research has shown...
The Finnish Landrace Breed and a successful conservation program in Finland
Finnish landrace breed chicken is classified as a light egg layer. Meat is also consumed subsistence production and it is described as tasteful.
There is...
Brooding
Getting chicks off to a good start is very important to overall flock performance. At no time does a bird grow faster than during...
Best practice in management
How management best practice can help support profitability on broiler farms
In partnership with Cobb, this new series of articles will examine best practice in...
Cobb suggesting management tips to maximize male fertility
The role of males in poultry breeding is extremely important. Each male is responsible for fertilizing 10 or more females. Each hen produces at...
Perches: environmental enrichment or mechanical challenge?
The study compared the impact of wire ramps and perches on meat chicken mobility and the incidence of detached femoral caps (DFC), which can...
The future of brooding
It is essential that newly hatched poults are provided with the best possible starting conditions in brooding. This is a fundamental first step to...
Turkey farming – A brief review of welfare and husbandry issues
A literature review was undertaken to examine welfare issues in the turkey farming sector. The major issues are diseases, poor locomotion due to high...
Broilers perform better with intermittent lighting programs
Roles of certain parts of the digestive tract of chickens seems to have been lost with the evolution of time and commercial practices. Gizzards...
Alternative systems: pros and cons
Alternative production systems of cage-free or range egg production are increasing in number due to outside influences. The outside constituents forcing this growth are...
Consequences of outdoor ranging on external and inter-nal health parameters of hens from different...
Free-range layer pullets are typically reared indoors within Australia, but adult layers go outdoors which might cause poorer adaptation due to the mismatch between...
Targeted approaches to achieving good litter quality
Turkeys spend their life in close contact with litter material. The aim is to establish and maintain good, dry litter conditions and an environment...
Understanding and managing water for successful flocks
Water is the single greatest input into the production of poultry products such as eggs and meat. The fact water is a relatively inexpensive...
Poultry lighting
With LED technologies, farmers can today vary the color, intensity and photoperiod of the poultry lighting in houses and barns to improve production.
While incandescent,...
Intra Chickpaper: double grip prevents legs to slip in chicks
Splayed legs in chicks is a condition that occurs in newly hatched chicks. It is caused by a weakness or injury in the tendons...
Wet litter. Factors associated with the shed micro-environment and litter properties
Wet litter in meat chicken sheds occurs as the result of multiple, interrelated causes. This paper discusses some of the sources of water in...
Different light sources
The value of regulating the photoperiod of poultry and livestock to stimulate reproduction has been recognized for many years and is used regularly by...
Protein nutrition of breeders to improve production, hatchability and offspring performance – First Part
The last decades, poultry meat is becoming the most important protein sources in human diet and production is worldwide growing. Global poultry meat production...
Spotty Liver Disease in cage-free brown laying hens
Missouri has a large amount of egg production that uses alternative housing methods such as cage-free farming. The development of the alternative systems began...
Management best practices: small details can have the big-gest impact
Raising turkeys is equal parts science and art. It involves precise measurement of various factors throughout the life of the flock. It also requires...
Diagnostic strategies for the control of avian Mycoplasmas
Mycoplasmas are bacteria without the cell wall which cause infections in poultry especially at respiratory and articular level.
They are the smallest single-celled organisms found...
Hot weather management and nutrition
Thermoregulation is the ability of birds to maintain their body temperature across a range of environmental temperatures and in hot weather. Turkeys use a...
In ovo injection of oregano essential oil at different pH affects hatchability and post-hatching...
The dynamic complexity of the developing embryo requires the maintenance of differentiated compartments with the capacity to maintain independent environments required to optimise their...
Developing and implementing Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs)
As part of the modernization programs at USDA, FSIS is amending the egg products inspection regulations and is now requiring plants that produce egg...
Improved fly control on poultry facilities with microbial products
Parasitoid wasps and the entomopathogenic fungi Beauveria bassiana were both examined to see if augmentative releases of the pathogenic organisms can help lower house...
Formulating layer diets beyond the least-cost model
Due to the high cost of feed for poultry, there is continuous pressure to formulate ‘least-cost’ diets that meet nutritional requirements. However, the main...
Best practice in biosecurity
How to effectively manage and reinforce best practice in biosecurity on broiler farms
This article examines best practice in broiler production, focusing specifically on biosecurity....
Understanding egg quality
Egg quality is multi-faceted, with physical, functional, and microbial aspects contributing to egg quality. Research has shown that many factors impact egg quality including...
Poultry house climate
Poultry climate is a key factor in faming. High temperatures and a high humidity: in Germany, short periods in the summer months where temperatures...
Effective ventilation key to Cobb500™ development
Effective ventilation plays a key role in the health and performance of broiler flocks. Nigel Strain, Cobb senior regional technical manager for Europe, the...
How to minimize peracetic acid exposure in poultry plants
Peracetic acid has been used increasingly in the food and medical industries as a disinfectant, and its use in poultry processing has further enhanced...
A practical approach to broiler breeder management in the absence of beak treatment –...
In the absence of beak treatment adhering to proven and agreed best practice management practices is key. The roles of good stockmanship and promoting...
Artificial structures mitigate simulated adverse pop-hole conditions
There is some evidence that commercial meat chickens prefer to access the range through ‘favoured’ pop-holes; however what makes pop-holes attractive or aversive is...
New technologies in housing, equipment and computer controls
The poultry housing and equipment industry continues to develop, introducing new technologies in line with trends in modern communications and ventilation systems. As expected...
Challenges and opportunities in establishing a new turkey parent stock operation in a remote...
The Russian turkey market has shown substantial growth during the last decade with new and very large companies willing and able to invest considerable...
Maintaining hatching egg quality through good hygiene and handling
The microbiological status of a hatching egg is highest immediately after the egg is laid. The objective, therefore, is to ensure that quality is...
Researchers investigate how laying hens visually perceive the resources in cage-free housing
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announced the completion of a funded research project at Purdue University in which researchers investigated how laying hens visually...
Backyard chickens
Are backyard chickens just a transient phenomenon? Current craze? Foodies’ desire for fresh eggs? Baby boomers or young families wanting to get closer to...
Foodborne pathogens in poultry production
Foodborne pathogens continue as a considerable threat to public health. Intensification of livestock production, especially poultry, facilitates diseases transmission by increasing population size and...
Biosecurity: cleaning and disinfection
The first step of any disease prevention program starts with a comprehensive plan for cleaning and disinfecting.
Cleaning poultry breeder houses
The first step of any...
Minimizing antibiotic use in broiler production
Many countries are being asked to reduce or eliminate antibiotic use in poultry, due to growing concerns about the use of antibiotics in food-producing...
Managing turkeys coming into lay
The first few weeks between transfer of turkeys to the laying farm and the peak of production can have a big influence on flock...
Impact of layer alternative systems on management and production costs
The use of alternative systems in layer farming has increased in the commercial egg industry due to pressure arising from consumers concerns about hen...
Partially slotted flooring systems for market toms – What are the possibilities?
Avian influenza virus is stable longer in moist and cool conditions. Depending on seasonal and production conditions barn air and litter (bedding) moisture can...
Management of precise broiler production in farm level and technology usage
Farming broilers today has some very real challenges, namely birds are reaching their kill weights quicker, the profits from farming chicken are under pressure,...
Current trends in litter management
As much of the broiler industry transitions to antibiotic free production based on consumer demand, broiler house management is changing more substantially than it...
Management of chicken manure
The laying hen produces an average of 150 to 200 g of fresh manure, which is considered a source of pollution due to the...
Alternative housing system’s impact on feeding pullets and layers
In order to satisfy consumer demands for their food to be produced a more “humane” manner the retail outlets are pushing the egg industry...
Light intensity and led lights
Light intensity can be measured in three ways: luminous intensity, luminous flux and luminous power. Led Lights are here analyzed.
Luminous flux is the total...
Methods for recovery and quantitation of viral nucleic acids from broiler litter
There is a well-recognised problem with both the supply of broiler litter material in some regions, and with the disposal of spent litter. This...
Researchers use laser for broiler house enrichment
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, in which researchers used...
Some basic suggestions to improve breeder management
Dr. Keith Bramwell, a former professor in the Department of Poultry Science at The University of Arkansas, and Hatchery Consultant for Jamesway Incubator Company...
10 alerting signs of poor ventilation
Proper ventilation is basic in poultry farming as it reduces mortality, stimulates early feed intake, improves flock uniformity, and ensures an adequate temperature regulation.
Here...
Factors that contribute to consistent quality poult starts
The process of egg production, hatching, processing and delivery of a quality poult are all important and stressful points that impact the lives of...
Housing systems in laying hen husbandry- First part
A status report
This analysis is an abridged version of a report which the author prepared for the International Egg Commission (IEC) in London, UK.
In...
Biosecurity, the basics
By biosecurity we mean those measures aimed at reducing the risk of introducing and spreading infectious agents on farms, i.e. bio-exclusion and bio-containment measures.
Luigi...
Management of slow growing broilers for profit
Chicken is consumed in larger quantities than either beef or pork largely due to its relatively low fat and high protein content when compared...
Management of ectoparasites in cage-free housing systems
As cage-free systems become more frequent in poultry production, we are forced to evaluate how pest control measures should adapt to ensure efficacy.
The...
How does your turkey grow?
Predicting how a turkey flock might grow under different nutritional and environmental conditions is a question of interest to everyone involved in turkey production...
Pre-Placement checklist
Pre-placement house preparation should be part of a proper management to ensure future performance of broilers and farm profitability.
The following checklist displays the...
Visual identification of potential feather pecking
Feather pecking behaviour is common in floor-housed laying hens a behavior, which is positively associated with developing feather pecking habits.
It has been suggested that...
Healthy water, healthy birds
Since birds consume as much water as feed providing a clean, safe and sanitized water supply is crucial for assuring modern poultry flocks perform...
The effect of monochromatic photo-stimulation on growth and reproduction of broiler birds
Broilers in-ovo or with post hatch photo-stimulation with green light (GL) were heavier from dark incubated birds. Furthermore, we defined the cellular and molecular...
Eco-friendly heating for efficient poultry breeding
The new standards for commercial poultry breeding have been requiring more sustainable, efficient and cleaner technologies. Along with it, the organic poultry production is...
Cage free pullet management
The conditions in cage free systems differ from the traditional cage housing systems and require a different management approach. Alternative production systems can be...
Spent hens: Can we improve their welfare?
The aim of this study was to observe the improvement in welfare indicators of spent hens kept in three different housing systems.
Sixteen Isa...
Welfare and cost benefits through automated grading and vaccination
Evaluation of working time requirements of different grading and vaccination processes.
One of the most important measures for the quality of poultry breeding stock is...
Resources and tools to write a good biosecurity plan
Poultry
industries in the United States (U.S.) have been in a unique situation after
the 2014-2015 highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreak. Analysis and
epidemiology of the...
Essential oils – Opportunities to improve food safety in organic poultry production and processing.
Organic poultry – A growing sector with challenges
Poultry is the most widely available organic meat in the U.S. and predicted to have increased consumer...
Raising Pullets in Alternative Systems
Productive and profitable layers begin with good quality pullets. Having the correct body weight and body type at the start of egg production will...
Best practice in broiler house management
How the right technology and proactive management can ensure best practice in housing on broiler farms
In partnership with Cobb, this article examines best practice...
A correct lighting is essential in poultry houses
Many poultry producers appreciate the importance of light in maximising performance. Whether chickens or turkeys, laying hens, commercial growers or parent stock, all poultry...
Back to basics: we need to concentrate on basic management skills
As we move to using less antibiotics in the production of poultry, many alternative products have been developed. While some are affective in specific...
Performance benefits of probiotic and protease in broilers subject to Eimeria challenge
Consumer pressure and government regulations are driving US poultry industry to remove antibiotic growth promoter (AGP) from poultry production.
Nutrition program including feed additives is...
Hot weather management
Hot weather can have a detrimental effect on flock performance and in extreme cases cause heat loss. While you cannot control outside weather conditions,...
