Trials show oregano essential oil supports anticoccidial vaccination
Oregano essential oil, well-documented for its antimicrobial action when included in the diets of various poultry species, has been found to be particularly effective...
Modern incubation techniques to improve chick quality and uniformity. The importance of chick quality...
The poultry industry has advanced rapidly over the past decades with hatchery management playing an important role in ensuring the successful production of good-quality...
Marel Poultry: A stress-free journey from shed to shackle
Marel Poultry solutions: for some six to eight weeks, even longer in the case of heavier and specialist breeds, broilers will have been carefully...
How a single Avian Influenza protein can increase period of infection
New research led by scientists at The Pirbright Institute has shown how an Avian Infuenza a virus protein, called PB1-F2, is able to shut...
Turkeys – 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...
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...
Taking portioning to a new era, Marel I-Cut 122 dual-lane high-speed portion cutter for...
I-Cut 122 Portion Cutter by Marel combines the highest levels of accuracy, throughput and reliability with new, innovative software.
The dual-lane I-Cut 122 has been...
Revolutioning poultry: Orbem’s ethical, ai-powered in-ovo sexing technology
Orbem has developed a groundbreaking solution to address one of the most significant ethical and economic challenges in the global poultry industry: the culling...
Overcoming challenges of antibiotic-free production
Antibiotic use once became a conventional, on-farm practice to prevent health issues and boost growth in poultry. Yet, public health concerns about rising bacteria...
Healthy, uniform day-old chicks require hatchery accurate climate data
In a modern hatchery, climate data are collected from various sensors installed in incubators and hatchery rooms, and from handheld measuring instruments. The performance...
Microbiological consequences of different housing systems for laying hens, with particular reference to Salmonella...
A significant proportion of human illnesses caused by Salmonella are linked to the consumption of contaminated eggs. In response, substantial government and private industry...
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...
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...
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...
Incubation temperatures influence muscle growth and energy in broiler embryos
In ovo embryogenesis in broiler can be modulated by alteration of external factors, like the incubation temperatures, as shown in several publications.
Embryonic myogenesis in...
Strategies for poultry producers to combat insecticide resistance
Poultry producers can combat insecticide resistance by rotating insecticides based on their mode of action, implementing resistance monitoring programs, and integrating non-chemical pest management...
Antibiotic-Free turkey production
The production of turkeys without the use of antibiotics is an increasingly common goal across the globe due to the focus on antimicrobial resistance....
In-ovo vaccination requires good hatchery management
In-ovo vaccination is gaining popularity and is being used in an increasing number of hatcheries. A driving force behind this is the increasing number...
A practical approach to broiler breeder management in the absence of beak treatment –...
In the absence of beak treatment management strategies, which ensure appropriate bird development and growth and the provision of adequate environment and stimuli, which...
Welfare indicators for hens and chickens
The evaluation of animal welfare in poultry farms requires a multidimensional approach that encompasses resource-, management-, and animal-based indicators. This combined approach allows for...
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...
Innovation is the key for sustainability
Today it is important innovation, and it is the main way to sustainability. Here, we introduce René and Jolanda van Doren who have together...
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...
Antibiotic-resistance: the contribution of the viruses in GIT microbiome
The GIT, or rather the gastro intestinal tract, is the organ of the all organism mostly colonized by the microbial population: it hosts more...
The dynamics of global meat production. An analysis of the period from 2000 to...
A preceding article documented the development of global meat1 exports (Windhorst, 2026). This follow-up article analyses the dynamics in meat imports.
Between 1970 and 2023,...
Researchers develop method for making new types of vaccines
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the U.S. National Poultry Research Center, Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory in Athens,...
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...
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...
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...
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...
How to guard your hatchery against biosecurity threats
Biosecurity, by simple definition, is a set of procedures undertaken to limit the spread of infectious pathogens to a susceptible population. It is, however,...
Boosting Chick Health from Day One: The Benefits of Spraying a Gelled Nutritional Complex...
In modern poultry production, the first hours of a chick’s life are critical. Yet, due to the natural spread of hatching over 24 to...
Poultry processing ergonomics
No matter the degree of automation of any given poultry processing plant! There will always be a need for laborers, yet just a few...
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 electrolyte supplementation on behaviour and performance of broilers
The present experiment was designed to investigate the effects of electrolyte supplementation in alleviating the harmful effects of high temperature for one day prior...
Rapid in vitro antimicrobial screening assay against Campylobacter
Research was undertaken to adapt a multi-well antimicrobial assay as a fast and reliable method to screen large numbers of plant extract treatments against...
Antioxidants in poultry nutrition and reproduction. An update
For the last three decades poultry production worldwide has made tremendous progress in terms of quantity and quality of meat and egg production, including...
How to improve hen fertility
Following specific procedures to increase hen fertility will not eliminate drops in fertility, but it may also reduce the need to trouble-shoot breeder flocks.
Artificial...
Adding value into the poultry food chain
Enhancing efficiency, sustainability and consumer engagement are three cornerstones to increase profitability by adding value into the poultry food chain. All together are necessary...
A cost-effective poultry feed additives solution to partially replace vitamin E
Livestock producers typically use feed additives such as vitamin E to increase the antioxidant capacity of animals and minimise economic losses.
Recently, the price of...
Probiotics as an alternative to antibiotics for treating lameness in broilers
The pathogenesis leading to a form of lameness known as bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO) appears to be initiated by mechanical microfracturing of susceptible...
A multidisciplinary research approach on Avian Influenza in Italy
The Avian Influenza epidemic of 2016-2017 had been the largest in Europe in more than 10 years. The circulating virus was a Highly Pathogenic...
Biosecurity measures and new vaccines to combat the spread of bird flu
The recent H5N6 bird flu outbreak is confined to the south of England, partly due to the introduction of an Avian Influenza Protection Zone...
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...
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...
Incubation temperature and how it influences chick hatch time and bone ash
With commercial broilers spending up to 30% of their lifespan in the egg, incubation temperature has been linked to some leg weakness issues.
The recommended...
Reducing the environmental impact of egg production via breeding and alternative diet
Egg production has an important role in the global production of food. For decades, we have successfully selected laying hens that efficiently produce animal...
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...
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....
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...
Infectious Laryngotracheitis (ILT) outbreaks in laying hens in Konya province
Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) epidemic cases characterized with respiratory symptoms, hemorrhagic tracheitis and laryngitis findings were identified in laying hen’s enterprises in Konya province.
Ten Lohman-breed...
The role of early experience on the behavior of hens housed in cage-free aviaries
Understanding the consequences of rearing experiences on the behavior and bone integrity of laying hens can help inform solutions to animal welfare and management...
Insect meals in poultry nutrition: nutritional opportunities and challenges still to overcome
Insect meals are receiving growing attention as possible alternative protein sources for poultry diets. However, it would be misleading to treat insects as a...
Feeding the commercial turkey
Choosing the most effective feeding programme has never been more important given the unpredictability of the raw material market and lack of consistent supply...
The future of probiotics
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif., in...
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...
Frontiers in human and veterinary antibody discovery
The Pirbright Institute hosted the inaugural Comparative Veterinary Immunology Group (CVIG) meeting Frontiers in Human and Veterinary Antibody discovery on 26 and 27 November,...
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...
Short chain fatty acids and poultry gut health
Due to customer demands, producers have been asked to change the way they grow production animals, specifically through the removal of antibiotics. With this...
Genetic evaluation of body weight and tibia resistance in broilers
In this study, genetic parameters of important traits related to body weight and bone resistance were investigated in a paternal broiler line. Data from...
Fear in turkeys, implications for productivity and wellbeing
From an evolutionary standpoint, fear is an adaptive response that promotes survival by enabling animals to avoid injury and death. Because of the important impact that fear has on animal well-being, fear has formed the basis of many scientific studies and is included as part of welfare assessment programs such as the Welfare Quality Assessment Protocol for poultry.
Evaluation of anti-inflammatory capacities of bacillus-based probiotics using an in vitro intestinal cell model
With the evolution of genetic potential of modern broilers, transforming the large feed intake into protein deposition is a real challenge for the digestive...
Optimizing immunization through proper vaccination in turkeys
When we talk about optimizing immunization through proper vaccination in commercial turkeys, we are really talking about optimizing drinking water vaccination when we think...
Challenges in longer laying cycle. Stabilizing egg quality
In the past 50 years, selection, initially at the breed level and then using quantitative genetics coupled with a sophisticated breeding pyramid, has resulted...
The cost of mycoplasma infection in poultry
Sometimes some Mycoplasma infections cause disease in poultry and this has been extensively studied and worried about by veterinarians, poultry producers and veterinary authorities....
Ability to detect Salmonella vs. Salmonella-Free in poultry processing
Poultry are sampled often for Salmonella during growout on the farm and throughout the processing plant. While on farm sampling is not currently a...
The manureshed concept: a solution to poultry litter nutrient recycling?
Surface waters in the United States are regularly assessed as a part of the Clean Water Act to determine whether the water quality protects...
Detection of antibodies against Chlamydia species in chicken serum
Avian chlamydiosis is a bacterial infection caused by Chlamydia bacteria. The currently available tests distinguish Chlamydia species based on genetic material. Researchers from Wageningen...
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...
ProHealth, new solutions for animal health and production sustainability
The ProHealth project is focused on understanding the multi-factorial dimension of animal pathologies linked to production and use this to develop, evaluate and disseminate effective control strategies to reduce impact.
Two critical points in the rearing of Hubbard premium pullets
Achieving good uniformity is not the biggest challenge during the rearing period of Hubbard Premium breeder females. Because they take a fairly long time...
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...
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...
Physiological zero in hatchery management
On the farm, the eggs cool down after laying and are either transported on the same day or stored for a few days before...
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,...
The Salmonella initiative
An enduring challenge and reputational issue for the egg industry is caused by the presence of Salmonella enterica serovars (particularly some Typhimurium serotypes), which...
Effects of early enrichment on range use in free-range laying hens
Free-range laying hen production systems are perceived to be preferable for hens’ ethological needs. However, not all hens use the range daily with some...
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...
How Necrotic Enteritis affects animal’ welfare and performance
Necrotic Enteritis (NE) affected flocks have poor enteric health and nutrient digestibility leading to decreased performance and increased excretion of nutrients.
Evidence suggests that...
Aviagen slower-growing breeds get seal of approval from key European welfare schemes
Europe is experiencing an increase in demand for slower-growing breeds. The momentum of this poultry market sector is likely to follow on an upward...