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...
Drought impacts on plant ground cover on a free range egg farm
In this study drought conditions were experienced and was high-lighted the difficulty for farms in maintaining green ground cover during adverse dry conditions.
Introduction
Maintaining vegetation...
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...
Calcium nutrition, bone metabolism, and eggshell quality in longer-persisting layers
As regard layers management, rather than being depopulated at 60 to 70 weeks of age, or being moulted to allow for additional production cycles,...
Evaluation of effects of in ovo light stimulation on incubation performance and chick quality...
In sustainable commercial poultry business, hatchability and chick quality are key points that determine the yield and cost of production. Positive results of lighted...
Broiler breeders are calmer when fed twice a day
Broiler breeders which are fed twice a day display less foraging and pecking behaviour and more eating and resting behaviour. Furthermore, some birds even...
In-ovo corticosterone alters body composition in 35 day old chi-cken meat birds
Increasing evidence suggests early-life exposure to maternal stress can permanently alter thedevelopment of an embryo. Such findings have significant application to the chicken meat...
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...
Effect of the type of diet and the addition of humic substances as growth...
In recent years, humic substances have been tested as growth promoters in animal production and are one of the promising options to face the...
Natural antioxidants and vitagene concept in poultry production – Second part
From vitamins to vitagene. In this second part the focus will be on the Vitagene concept, which refers to a group of genes involved...
Different incubation profiles for different breeds?
Breeding has powerful effects. Although all chicken breeds originate from the same wild ancestor, they differ dramatically in appearance, physiology, type and metabolic rate....
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...
Getting to the bottom of sex-related first week mortality in the hatchery
"Why are so many chicks dying in their first week in the hatchery?" I could hear the worry in his voice when I received...
Pathogenesis of egg infections by salmonella – Second Part
Early protection has been demonstrated after primary live vaccine administration early post-hatch but this effect is serotype-specific, while cross-protection between some serotypes has been...
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)...
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...
Best practice in feed management
How innovative thinking and a proactive approach can ensure best practice with feed on broiler farms
In partnership with Cobb, this article examines best practice...
Interrupting cholesterol pathway reduces Marek’s disease spread
In a new discovery, scientists from The Pirbright Institute confirm that cholesterol production and transport play a crucial role in how Marek’s disease virus...
How to assess chick quality
The term "chick quality" is rather vague, as it can refer to various aspects – from directly visible physical traits to hidden ones, such...
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...
Big problem – simple solution in the hatchery
A hatchery got in touch with me recently about a worrying problem: 3-5% of the newly delivered chicks were dying during their first 3-5...
How to ensure a better sustainability in breeding
Aviagen underlines commitment to International Poultry Council’s five priority Sustainable Development Goals for breeding.
The International Poultry Council (IPC) has prioritized five of the United...
Effect of the type of diet and the addition of humic substances as growth...
In recent years, humic substances have been tested as growth promoters in animal production and are one of the promising options to face the...
Chelated copper compared to antibiotics effect on gut health in broilers
In this study the specific interventions of chelated copper methionine hydroxy analogue (cuMHAC) and a combination of cuMHAC and an effective foregut acidifier were...
Turkey arthritis reovirus. Diagnostic strategies
Avian reoviruses (ARVs). They are non-enveloped viruses of 70-80 nm size having an icosahedral symmetry. The viral genome has 10 segments of double stranded...
Mycoplasma Synoviae, a technical update
Mycoplasma are the smallest free-living organisms both in size and number of genes, and unlike many other bacteria, they do not have a cell...
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....
Adaptability of bird flu poses threat to poultry
New insights from a study of the 2016/17 bird flu outbreak show how highly pathogenic bird flu viruses – which are likely to cause...
Black soldier fly larvae in meat chicken diets modifies the fatty acid profile in...
Black soldier fly (BSF) larvae are a promising alternative feed ingredient for monogastrics,includingpoultry.However,theimpactoffeedingBSFlarvaeinbroilerdietson the fatty acid profile of the breast chicken meat remains unknown.
This...
Researchers characterize selected variant Avian Reovirus strains
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of California, Davis, in which researchers looked to...
Determining the correct temperature for transporting 18-day incubated eggs
On-farm hatching is now fairly common in some countries, it requires incubated eggs to be transported from the hatchery to the farm at 18–18.5...
CAS technology is emerging as the harvesting solution of choice – Working on animal...
CAS helps reduce the stress in animals. This is a humane approach and many poultry companies are starting to take note. Animal well-being extends...
Air pressure in the hatchery
The hatchery is where we create the optimum conditions for life to develop. Although we are talking about the development of embryos, there are...
Impact of dietary soluble non-starch polysaccharide levels on the gastrointestinal environment of young broilers
The dietary fibre content of broilers diets is frequently neglected during feed formulation, despite the prevalence of fibrous material in feed ingredients and notable...
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...
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...
Avian reovirus, molecular characterization
Avian reovirus (ARV) is the main cause of viral arthritis and tenosynovitis in chickens and turkeys, triggering economic losses in the poultry industry due...
Reaching the genetic potential
Genetic improvements are seen across a wide array of traits that Hendrix Genetics’ geneticists select on, from egg production, egg quality to bird behavior....
Natural antioxidants in poultry production
From vitamins to vitagenes - First part
In general, there are four major types of stress in poultry production: technological, environmental, nutritional and internal stresses....
Effects of yeast and its derivatives on meat yield
The present experiment was designed to determine the effects of yeast and its derivatives on meat yield and hematological indices of broiler chickens challenged...
Role of dietary calcium in Necrotic Enteritis development and pathogenesis
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, in which the...
Pathogenesis of egg infections by Salmonella – First Part
Salmonella is an invasive bacterial genus and colonizes the gut of chickens, and systemically spreads to internal organs, including the reproductive tract, potentially leading...
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...
How an automatic flushing system can reduce the use of antibiotics
Consumers worldwide start to worry about the use of antibiotics in livestock production and their effect on human health. Antibiotic-free chicken is increasingly becoming...
New board research initiative grant focused on animal welfare
$110,000 in funding for a new research grant addressing animal welfare. The topic and request for proposal were selected by the USPOULTRY board of...
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...
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...
Evaluation of a novel slow-growing strain for chicken meat
The slow-growing broiler (SGB) strain offers an alternative chicken meat choice, while appealing to the ‘niche’ market and attracting a premium price. SGBs have...
How can hatcheries lessen the impact of Covid-19?
The world is currently experiencing a pandemic caused by a coronavirus, Covid-19. While the virus probably originated in animals, it appears that it only...
The effects of diet and epigenetic alterations on the gut microbiome, inflammation and poultry...
The gut microbiota is a fundamental force influencing diverse aspects of avian physiology. Microbiome studies are at a critical juncture and facing a challenging...
Easy-entry poultry cut-up automation
In today’s tough times, there are various reasons for poultry processors to reconsider the number of operatives in their cut-up department and think about...
Infectious bronchitis virus shuts down cell stress signals
A new study from scientists at The Pirbright Institute and collaborators at the University of Surrey provides evidence that infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) can regulate the...
Phytic acid reduction in canola and camelina meals
Canola and camelina meals have been identified as alternative plant protein sources in place of soybean meal for animal feeding. The use of these...
Towards practical methods for assessing ILTV vaccine take
In response to ILTV outbreaks, live vaccines are typically administered at 7-14 days of age in drinking water via nipple drinkers which may not...
Early embryonic mortality
At the moment an egg is laid, the embryo already consists of 30-60,000 cells. The death of some of them – for example under...
Development of coccidial vaccinal immunity is not impaired by feeding oregano essential oil
Coccidial vaccination is an alternative to medication programmes, although vaccination can lead to impaired performance.
The objective of this study was to determine the effect...
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...
Researchers examine the role of APEC in turkey cellulitis
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, in which researchers...
Ventilation in the setter – Which is the dominant element for ventilation control: CO2...
Single-stage versus multi-stage
During the past decades, single-stage incubation has gained popularity and eventually replaced multi-stage incubation as the dominant incubation method. This is not...
Broilers diets with high and low net energy but similar metabolisable energy
A semi-commercial scale feeding study was conducted to compare formulations of broiler diets based on predicted net energy (NE) and metabolisable energy (ME). It...
Infectious bursal disease viruses may swap genetic material during infection
Live cell imaging has been used by researchers at The Pirbright Institute to reveal new information about how different strains of infectious bursal disease virus...
Egg bacteriological study
Eggs from 10 commercial brands were selected in different types of housing: cage and on the floor (free of cage) obtained from 4 supermarket...
Benefits of non-synthetic, natural oregano essential oil in pullet rearing
Feeding oregano essential oil to pullets during rearing can help to improve flock uniformity, reproductive fitness and feed efficiency, according to research undertaken at...
Enhancing turkey welfare one step at a time
Researchers of Wageningen Livestock Research have been able to define when a turkey takes a step. This is an important milestone to automating gait...
Chicken study probes resistance to food bug
Receiving gut microbes from resistant chickens does not lessen chickens’ susceptibility to bacterium that causes food poisoning.
Susceptible chickens became even more susceptible to Campylobacter,...
Research examines novel next generation sequencing techniques
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, in which researchers...
Research examines different dietary treatments for woody breast
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, in which researchers examined different...
Influenza antibodies made by Pirbright reduce disease in chickens
Scientists at The Pirbright Institute have engineered synthetic antibody
molecules that can be administered to poultry to reduce the symptoms of Influenza, as well as...
Prevention and control of biofilm in water line systems as part of biosecurity protocols
This paper does not address
the situations in which the microbiological quality of the water
has been compromised from the beginning; rather, this paper addresses how
drinking...
Effects of probiotic bacillus Amyloliquefaciens H57 on performance and intestinal microbiota of chickens
Direct fed microbials are a potential probiotic alternative to antibiotic
growth promoters for improving animal production and preventing enteric pathogen
infections. We are studying the effects...
Footpad dermatitis in market turkey hens. Bird density and bedding material relationships
Lameness
and poor footpad condition can be major issues for meat-type poultry resulting
in their decreased well-being and decreased productivity. A large body of
research exists for...
Meta-analysis of genetic parameters of feed conversion and related traits in chickens
The objective of this study was to estimate the impact of some factors on heritability estimates of
body weight (BW), feed conversion ratio (FCR),
feed
intake (FI),...
New method to detect woody breast fillets
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announced the completion of a funded research project at Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama, in which researchers found a...
Ideal amino acids and chicken gut disturbance
There is considerable interest in the development of low protein diets
with supplemental amino acids for broiler chickens due to economic, environmental and bird
welfare advantages....
Get the most from your diagnostic laboratory.
A field perspective.
You notice the
mortality is up this morning in one of your brooder houses. Your first thought
might be “better take some birds to...
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...
Test offers fast insight into chickens immunity
Gene activity in blood samples
can be used to show individual chickens response against common diseases. Testing
could help to breed for disease resistance and help...
Potential to produce poultry feed from food wastes
The annual food waste in Australia is estimated at 7.5 million tonnes
with the majority disposed of in landfills. This not only
causes significant economic loss...
Phytase efficacy in young turkeys versus young broilers
Based on tibia-ash content, equivalency between phytase enzymes with young turkeys appeared to be similar with young broilers. An extensive review about “microbial phytase...
