Path to the 100 week age layers in cage free systems
Egg producers are always looking for ways to improve layer hen’s efficiency as, nowadays, the genetic potential of layers is targeting an extended age...
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...
Fertile or not?
Fertilisation and a fertile egg marks the beginning of a new life but is by no means a guarantee of a long life, as...
First-Ever Report of antimicrobial ase across U.S. broiler chickens and turkeys
Dramatic antimicrobial usage changes and improved antimicrobial stewardship.
The new report shows dramatic reductions of turkey and broiler chicken antimicrobial use over a five-year timeframe....
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...
The core technology for the sustainability of animal production, environment and green energy
Among various technologies for sustainability in animal production, anaerobic digestion or biogas technology is recognized for its multiple functions and benefits. It breaks down...
Copper influences broilers’ performance and growth
Copper (Cu) is an essential component involved in a wide variety of biochemical processes. It must be supplemented in the trace mineral premix as...
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...
Broiler nutrition, future efficiency
Talking about broiler nutrition, we all want the best possible return while investing as little as possible: efficiency is the keyword to success and...
Antimicrobial drug resistance in poultry. What do we know about risk factors?
There is an increasing amount of published surveillance and diagnostic submissions data, providing information on prevalence and trends of antimicrobial drug use and antimicrobial...
Is chick yield still a valid reference?
Many hatcheries still use chick yield – chick yield is the average chick weight divided by the average fresh egg weight multiplied by 100...
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...
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...
Metabolisable energy of ingredients in peak layers
Layer nutritionists typically rely on apparent metabolisable energy data generated in broilers as layer AME data are less available.
The bioassays are typically conducted...
Field vaccination against ILT in broiler chickens: lack of consistency
When vaccination against infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is necessary in broiler flocks, mass administration techniques are required due to the sheer numbers of birds involved....
Clostridial Dermatitis
Clostridial Dermatitis is a disease of economic concern in turkeys. Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium septicum have been isolated consistently from dermatitis lesions in turkeys....
Science unveils new pathway to broiler chicken growth performance
A new tool has emerged for broiler chicken operations seeking new ways to optimize results while keeping aligned with a full range of the...
Improving birds’ health by refining their intestinal microbiota health and stability
Intestinal systems of living organisms are inhabited by a dense community of microorganisms dominated by bacteria but also containing archea, fungi, protozoa and viruses....
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...
The role of mechanistic theory in delaying the development of NSPases
This brief paper attempts to review the history of development of the mechanistic theories for NSPases and how this has possibly delayed advances.
NSPase feed...
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...
Crude soybean lecithin and vegetable acid oil as energy sources for broiler chickens
Lecithin and acid oil, as co-products from vegetable oil refining process, are economic alternatives to conventional fat sources and may represent an efficient energy...
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...
Effect of different dilution rates on fertility of chicken spermatozoa and its storage
Under natural mating, with a ratio of hen:cocks of 8:1 fertility rates are still low. Artificial insemination (AI) technology can be adopted and is...
Wooden Breast Disease
The emergence of Wooden Breast Disease in commercial broiler chickens has been associated with significant economic loss in the poultry industry resulting from severe...
Reducing undigested protein available at the intestinal wall on broilers
An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of supplementing an inherently thermo stable protease in broilers fed diets based on single raw materials,...
In Vitro evaluation of xylo-oligosaccharide production from different batches of wheat with and without...
Supplementing poultry diets with xylanase partially depolymerizes the xylans present in the dietary cereals, reducing the number of sugars in the molecular chains. The...
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...
EU grains, oilseeds and feed value chain partners for a sustainable production
EU grain and oilseed trade, crushing and feed industry sectors represented by COCERAL, FEDIOL and FEFAC welcomed the European Commission Communication on Stepping up...
Higher egg quality with Bolegg Terrace
Poultry farmer Klaasjan Salomons is very satisfied with the Bolegg Terrace system.
Klaasjan: “In the end, it is about the egg quality and it’s now...
Boosting the cell-mediated immunity in chickens post-hatch via pre-hatch delivery of nucleic acids
Respiratory virus infections such as Avian Influenza, infectious laryngotracheitis and infectious bronchitis lead to high morbidity and mortality in chickens globally.
Given the limitations...
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...
Using sensor technology against feather pecking in laying hens
In collaboration between Animal Breeding and Genomics (WUR), Breed4Food and the COST Action GroupHouseNet, a review paper was written on how sensor technologies can...
Air cell up when setting eggs!
It is important to pay attention to the orientation of the eggs when placing them on setter trays as this has quite an impact...
Research provides new understanding of ILT vaccines
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware, in which researchers...
Egg incubation influences leg health in broilers
Up to 30% of late growth meat broilers demonstrate reduced levels of locomotion, which is cause for concern for both the industry and chicken...
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...
Turkey reoviral arthritis update
Avian reoviruses (ARVs) belong to the genus orthoreovirus in the family Reoviridae. They are nonenveloped, double-stranded RNA viruses that are ubiquitous in domestic poultry...
Sentinel Birds: An old strategy that can enhance current diagnostic tools
The use of sentinel birds such as specific-pathogen-free (SPF) leghorns has been used extensively to learn about local presence of pathogens in farms, either...
Linear Epitope Mapping of B-cell responses following immunization with Avian Reovirus S1133
Avian reovirus is a causative agents of tenosynovitis and viral arthritis. Commercially available reovirus vaccines do not protect against challenge with emerging variants associated...
Development of Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) for Mycoplasma gallisepticum
Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is the most pathogenic avian mycoplasma species. It affects commercial, non-commercial poultry and wild birds. Current MG sequence typing methods rely...
Changing role of poultry nutritionist in a changing industry
Reflecting back on 30 years of working in the poultry industry as nutritionists we realize that the biggest changes that have occurred have mostly...
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...
Comparing two ELISA kits
Here a comparison of two ELISA kits as been made to assess their efficicacy.
Recombinant turkey herpesvirus vaccines (rHVT) are being widely used for...
Woody breast in the poultry meat industry
In the U.S., poultry is widely popular by consumers and is the top protein consumed. In the last decade along with improvements in growth...
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...
Gut health
Gut health and the efficient conversion of feed into its basic components for optimal nutrient absorption is vital for both commercial and turkey breeder...
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,...
Navel practicalities
A well-closed navel is one of the most important and easily visible signs of chick quality. In a good quality chick, the navel is...
Effects of low protein and balanced amino acid levels on birds under subclinic NE
One benefit of low protein (LP) diets is improving gut health in a future of antibiotic-growth promoter free diets.
Drew et al., (2004) found an...
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...
Gene-edited chicken cells resist Avian Influenza virus in the lab
Cobb-Vantress, Inc. / Siloam Springs, Arkansas, USA: In newly released research, scientists from The Roslin Institute have prevented the Avian Influenza virus from replicating in lab-grown...
Holistic view of intestinal health in poultry
Intestinal health is necessary to maintain efficient and sustainable gastrointestinal tract (GIT) physiology. The GIT has digestive, absorptive, metabolic, immunological and endocrinological functions.
This means...
Dietary starch influences performance of broiler chickens offered low-protein diets
This study suggests that there is interference between the digestion of starch and protein and/or absorption of glucose and amino acids. Paradoxically, the low-protein...
The broiler chicken as a signal of a human reconfigured biosphere
Part 2
The second part* in the series of two wich analyses the anthropological impact of the chicken from an archaeological/historical point of view: broilers...
The broiler chicken as a signal of a human reconfigured biosphere
Part 1
The first part in the series of two wich analyses the anthropological impact of the chicken from an archaeological/historical point of view: broilers...
IFIF: Better nutrition for improved animal health
The International Feed Industry Federation (IFIF) underlined its commitment to supporting efforts by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) to strengthen animal health...
Algae products in organic poultry diets
Algae, “the not so new kid on the block” has been used in both human and animal diets dating back centuries. There is a...
Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) vaccines produced in eggs have unpredictable mutations
Scientists at The Pirbright Institute have shown that infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) vaccines produced in eggs have unpredictable mutations which may be prone to...
Transcriptomic modifications caused by subclinical necrotic enteritis in broiler chickens
Phasing out of in-feed antibiotics in the poultry industry has caused necrotic enteritis (NE) to become a primary concern in commercial poultry production in...
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...
Measuring egg shell quality
Maintaining egg shell quality is important for maximizing production of broiler chicks from breeders as shell quality and hatchability go hand in hand. Thin...
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...
Development and evaluation of probiotics
As restrictions to antibiotic growth promoters (AGP) have become more prevalent, producers have turned to several technologies as probiotics - Direct Fed Microbials to...
Quality Control Audits of killed vaccination
Vaccination programs for breeders and egg layers include procedures with inactivated vaccines. Killed (inactivated) vaccines are used to prevent disease in the vaccinated bird...
World Veterinary Day – celebrating the value of vaccination
The theme of this year’s World Veterinary Day – celebrated April, 27th – was Value of Vaccination. To celebrate it, some of the vaccinology...
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...
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...
Does the external climate matter?
The optimum climate parameters for embryo development – temperature, humidity, and the balance between oxygen supply and carbon dioxide release from the incubator –...
Low protein diets down regulate hepatic enzymes
Low protein (LP) diets have clear benefits for the poultry industry with regards to health, welfare and production. Dean et al., (2006) found that...
Heat stress causes inhibition of Eimeria replication in broilers
Eimeria infection is one of the most important diseases affecting poultry production, and is characterized by bloody or watery diarrhea, weight loss, poor feed...
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...
On farm slaughter
Commercial on farm slaughter could eliminate many potential animal welfare issues associated with cooping, transport, dumping, and shackling of live broilers. However, concerns regarding...
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...
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...
Future of coccidiosis management in turkeys
Coccidiosis is a disease that is caused by protozoan parasites that develop within the intestine of most domestic and wild animals and birds. Coccidia...
Advantages and disadvantages of Coccidiosis control programs in poultry
Coccidiosis is a protozoan economic disease of poultry, in which around 80% of losses are due to mortality, reduced weight gain, inefficient feed conversion,...
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...
Rethink the golden rules of incubation
Your incubation results might be affected by a lack of accuracy in the rules you’re applying. The rules of incubation have been derived from...
Gut health in layers
To some extent gut health has not been a focus of commercial pullet and layer flocks unless the problem contributed to a significant mortality...
