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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Biosecurity and surveillance in times of Avian Influenza
Biosecurity is today a primary factor in farming. The poultry world has entered a new era driven by increasingly demanding consumer and regulatory expectations....
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...
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,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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,...
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...
Dietary xylanase improves growth performance and cost savings in broiler chickens fed a corn-soybean...
The increased demand to reduce production costs, as well as concerns about the environment, have resulted in pressure on poultry producers to increase dietary...
Pulsed ultraviolet light processing of eggs
In recent years, pulsed ultraviolet light has been shown to reduce microbial pathogens on the surface of shell eggs, crucial for maintaining good chick...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The use of antibiotics in the poultry industry
Antimicrobial resistance in human and animal isolates in the E.U. remains a significant problem despite the bans of antibiotic growth promoters and the reductions...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Biosecurity practices and investments implemented by today’s poultry producers
One brick higher
The 2015 outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus devastated the United States poultry industry. A novel Eurasian-North American H5N2 was...
Is no antibiotics ever (NAE) poultry production sustainable?
For many years, commercial poultry feeds in the United States contained sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotics, commonly known as antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs), to maximize...
Biosecurity – practical tips to minimize the human risk of contamination
All poultry operations are under a constant threat from the ever-present enemy of disease and infection. It is imperative in all operations that we...
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...
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...
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...
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)...
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...
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...
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...
Optimal fat utilisation by Intra Liposol at broilers
It is difficult - especially for young animals - to optimally digest the range of fats and oils in the diet. This leads to...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Identification of broiler poultry house dust components using chemical and physical analysis
Dust found in poultry housing is a complex substance most likely comprised of a mixture of excreta, feather, feed and bedding material.
M. Ahaduzzaman, L....
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...
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...
Best practice in egg production
How robust management and proactive measures can drive best practice for egg production on poultry farms.
In partnership with Cobb, this article examines best practice...
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...
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...
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...
Housing systems in laying hen husbandry – second 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Navigating an antibiotic-free and reduced antibiotic use poultry industry
Antibiotics are a type of antimicrobial medication used to treat infections caused by bacteria. In the 1930s, a sulfonamide was the first commercially available...
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...
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...
Animal breeding reduces environmental impacts
Results of a study show that breeding reduces environmental impacts of animal products by about 1% per year. This is achieved without specific selection...
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...
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...
How much cold pressed canola meal can we use in layer diets?
Canola meal has been available for the layer feed industry in Australia for over 30 years. However, very little has been used due to...
Research shows limited effectiveness for two darkling beetle control products
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga., in which researchers...
Understanding poultry lighting
A short guide to poultry lighting for layer farmers
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...
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”...
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...
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...
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...
Raising turkeys without antibiotics
Alternative management – paying attention to detail and supportive care strategies can be utilized to produce turkeys without antibiotics in this new era.
Dr. Steven...
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...
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...
