Considerations for a better quality of chicks
During the incubation period, embryonic growth and development are affected by different factors, as breeder age, the incubation temperature and the availability of egg...
The impact of anthelmintic resistance in parasites of poultry
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announced the completion of a funded research project at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, in which researchers...
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...
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...
Farmers’ perceived importance of biosecurity practices and actual performance on farm
It is prudent in today’s age that farmers uphold high-level compliance of biosecurity practices on Australian commercial chicken farms. This is especially so with...
Economics of broiler production systems in the Netherlands
In 2017, farmers of conventional, slower growing and biological broiler strains had similar incomes. The so-called ‘middle segment’ systems, the Dutch Retail Broiler (DRB)...
Controlling water temperature during brooding
Though there is a wide range of opinions on the optimal drinking water temperature for young chicks, the fact is farm managers actually have...
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...
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...
Water quality critical to broiler performance
Water is the most important nutrient for poultry. Although the necessity of providing a plentiful supply and sufficient access is well understood, the importance...
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...
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...
The importance of monitoring chicks water usage
Getting chicks off to a good start is very important to overall flock performance. At no time does a bird grow faster than during...
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...
Cleaning and disinfection as strategic tools for avian production
Biosecurity, defined as all measures taken to prevent both the introduction and the spread of infectious agents on the farm, is of key importance...
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...
Maternal stress, the potential impact on broiler breeders and subsequent chick development
Managing stress in broiler breeders has been a continual topic of discussion since the early 1980’s, but our understanding of stress and its influence...
Impact of stress on feather cover of laying hens
Feather pecking is a behavior in which individual laying hens peck repetitively at the plumage of conspecifics, causing poor feather. Although FP can be...
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...
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...
Biosecurity: protecting animal health to sustain the supply chain
Safeguarding animal health is of paramount importance to any country’s economy and food supply. Livestock with a clean health status is an important requirement...
ERPA, the European rural poultry association to defend rural poultry producers
Rural poultry production is important in volume and has a large social role; it was therefore essential to have a specific organization to represent...
Efficacy and economics of oral fluralaner for the treatment of northern fowl mites in...
Once mites are observed in one area of the barn they tend to progressively spread to the whole barn and subsequently to the next...
Flip-overs: causes and solutions in brooding
The poult start is an extension of the hatching process. The whole process, including poult placement, is only as strong as its weakest link.
William...
Managing bird behaviour in organic production systems
This topic is presented on by John Brunnquell, the founder and current president of Egg Innovations, which is the largest exclusive producer of free...
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...
Big data for poultry. What is possible? – second part
The term big data may at first appear incongruous to animal agriculture. However, by capturing, analysing, reporting and sharing of through-production chain data with...
Effects of corticosterone injection at embryonic day eleven on broiler growth and tonic immobility
Elevated corticosterone in ovo can have significant lasting impacts in avian species, including poultry. Stress in broiler breeder hens can lead to elevated corticosterone...
Seminars highlighting innovations in broiler farming
Two interesting specialist seminars for broiler farming were held on the 16th and 17th of November in Visbek and Hamm, Germany. The companies BEST3,...
The effect of on-range insect feeding on range usage of free range laying hens
In Australia, on-range feeding of free-range laying hens can be frequently observed and is especially common in mobile sheds. While the biosecurity risk of...
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...
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...
Graded levels of stocking density for turkey toms raised to 16 weeks of age
Stocking density can be one of the most important drivers of economic return; however it can greatly influence bird performance, health, and welfare. In...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Ammonia control during brooding begins when previous flock ends
The level of ammonia young chicks will be exposed to during the first week of their lives is determined to a large extent by...
Salmonella control in broiler breeders
Today, our goal is to control and eliminate all Salmonella species and pathogens from the breeding program. The ability of the primary breeder to...
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...
Cost-effective biosecurity management practices
An effective flock health plan must integrate solid strategies for disease prevention, rapid diagnosis, and effective treatment to support poultry health. To attain this...
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...
Turkey Breeding – Making the most of genetic potential
Genetic potential
Successful and profitable turkey production occurs across a wide range of production systems and farming environments. Breed choice, farming facilities, equipment, management, nutrition...
Some common issues of the first week in brooding turkey poults
Turkey poults are very sensitive to environmental conditions and any uncomfortable situation very quickly leads to a problem and even sometimes a disaster. Any...
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...
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...
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...
How to house happy birds by Vencomatic Group
Happy birds produce best. Aviary systems were invented to provide laying hens with maximum freedom, while using floor space efficiently. Aviaries consist of multiple...
What we do and don’t know related to cage free egg production research
During the early 2000s the pressure was on the U.S. egg industry to increase cage space and to transition from conventional cage systems to...
Minnesota Turkey launches 3rd “day in the life of a turkey farmer” video
Minnesota turkey grower Loren Brey of Brey Farms, New Ulm, Minn., was recently featured in “A Day in the Life of a Turkey Farmer”...
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...
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...
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...
Impact of the lighting and feeding regimen during rearing on Hy-Line brown pullet growth...
The impact of two lighting and three feeding programs during rearing on pullet body weight (BW), feed intake (FI), organ characteristics and start of...
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...
Managing heat and minimum ventilation systems in the broiler house
When outside temperatures drop and gas prices rise, maintaining the desired inside broiler house air temperature and ventilating to meet air quality needs can...
Minimizing interventions for turkey beak treatment in Germany
Germany wants to play a leading role in Europe in poultry and turkey welfare issues. Fundamental changes have been made to husbandry systems during...
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...
Research shows practical method to reduce litter moisture
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, in which researchers...
Improving hens health and productivity
Scientists at Roslin and two other institutions receive funding from FFAR to improve health and productivity of egg-laying hens.
The Foundation for Food and Agriculture...
Breeding for robustness in turkeys
Turkey breeders have invested in selection methodologies to ensure the commercial cross is capable of delivering outstanding performance with good welfare under a variety...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Effects of feed presentation on growth performance and gut health of turkeys
The combined effect of feed presentation parameters bears considerable implications for the digestive health and growth performance of turkeys. This topic is very relevant...
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...
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...
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...
The importance of minimum ventilation and how to calculate it
Providing birds with the correct house environment is key to unlocking the full genetic potential and performance of a flock. Poultry growers often focus...
Effect of ammonia on the immune response to infectious bronchitis virus vaccination
Commercial broilers in the grow-out stage are commonly exposed to ammonia which can have an effect on infectious bronchitis virus vaccination.
Ammonia concentrations are...
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...
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...
Assessment of the use of perches to improve leg health in meat chickens
Poor leg health in Australian fast growing meat chickens is a major welfare issue, resultant from long-term genetic selection for bird size and growth rate...
