The role of feed additives in the protozoal diseases in poultry
Coccidiosis and histomoniasis are economically significant diseases in chickens and turkeys. Management, vaccination and medication are key tools in the control of these diseases...
A diagnostic laboratory perspective for pathogen detection
Detection of infectious diseases can generally be broken down into laboratory detection of the pathogen or detection of the immune response to the pathogen....
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...
Hybrid Feed – New approach in layer hen feed at start of production
The actual genetic improvements in layer hens are providing the market with a layer hen producing saleable size eggs quicker than before and extending...
Engineering vaccines for multiple strains of IBV
In new work funded by a Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) researchers at The Pirbright Institute and The Roslin Institute have published...
Better hatch and post-hatch performance
Hatchability, chick quality and post-hatch performance improve substantially when embryo-response parameters are actively controlled during incubation. The BioStreamerTM concept, developed by Petersime, continually monitors...
Evaluating phosphorous equivalency of phytases
The use of exogenous enzymes in non-ruminant nutrition is a valuable tool to increase digestibility and therefore spare the inclusion of expensive nutrients whilst...
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...
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...
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...
Importance of hatch-time and access to feed on broiler muscle development
In commercial settings, hatching occurs over a 24-48 h window and chicks are held in the incubator until a majority have cleared the shell.
Earlier...
Pas Reform launches SmartCare™
As a future-focused business that serves the hatchery sector worldwide, Pas Reform has built its reputation as an innovator in single stage incubation technologies....
Host and microbial biomarkers for intestinal health and disease in broilers
New tools can be used to determine the gut health status of animals and to predict animal performance or to make a decision whether...
Site and extent of digestion on poultry production
In poultry formulation and production of feed has evolved extensively in the last century with the identification of required nutrients, and subsequent and continuing...
A cost-effective solution to partially replace vitamin E
Oxidative imbalance can reduce animal productivity. If severe, it can lead to inflammation, reduced immune function and increased susceptibility to disease. Livestock producers typically...
The importance of fresh air
Vostermans Ventilation is addressing the need for even distribution of fair and heat in the poultry house, to obtain an optimal uniform microclimate on...
Metabolic differences in the blood of chick embryos
A study was conducted in order to investigate metabolic differences in the blood of chick embryos and post-hatch chicks from two egg sizes and...
Management techniques for a hot climate
Hot conditions significantly affect the performance of layers, particularly in temperatures higher than 30°C. Getting good technical results requires some adjustments in the management...
Sample management and handling for diagnostic testing
Diagnostic testing is an important and widely used tool in commercial poultry husbandry. A key to best use of diagnostic testing, is to begin...
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...
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...
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...
Better for birds, the earth, and you: Kipster’s egg
In the United States, as of March 2024, 40% of eggs produced are cage-free. While the cage-free movement has gained momentum worldwide, one company...
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...
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...
How Xylanase can improve performance of a broiler diet
Whilst xylanase rich NSP-enzymes are used consistently in wheat based diets the question remains whether the positive response seen can be ascribed solely to...
Red mite problem greatly reduced with Q-Perch
Red mites are parasites that are found on average 83% of the European poultry farms. They weaken the laying hens, which can lead to...
VALLI housing systems
VALLI’s products not only live up to everything they promise but, above all, the solutions provided by the Italian company take into account all the issues involved in order to meet the requirements of an increasingly conscious and demanding customers.
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...
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...
Influence of age on the standardised ileal amino acid digestibility of maize and barley...
Grains are the major energy sources in broilers. However, they also supply about 40% of the total dietary protein and contribute significantly to the...
Protozoal management in turkeys
The two turkey protozoa that cause significant animal welfare and economic distress include various Eimeria species of coccidia and Histomonas meleagridis. For coccidia, oral...
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...
Poultry house environmental control during cold weather
Most people think minimum ventilation in a poultry house is all about air quality but that is only partially correct. First one should define...
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...
Low protein diets in broilers
Some recent research at the Arkansas Agriculture Experiment Station Poultry Research Farm has been focused on low protein diets in broilers. Many nutritionists rely...
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...
Volovskiy Broiler LLC equipped with a Meyn 6,000 bph Maestro based slaughtering and processing...
Volovskiy Broiler LLC (Volovskiy Broiler) is now equipped with a Meyn 6,000 bph Maestro based slaughtering and processing line, including an integrated 3,000 bph...
Roxell pan feeder system: the ultimate alternative to beak treatments
Jan Hoving from Zeewolde (NL) tested this Roxell solution at his rearing farm. For him, the decision to use Natural Beak Smoothing was a...
Pirbright’s new Avian Influenza vaccine
An improved poultry influenza vaccine has been developed by researchers from The Pirbright Institute. The potential vaccine triggers a rapid immune response which protects...
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...
Infectious Coryza in vaccinated layers: are vaccines failing to protect?
During 2017 and 2018 Infectious Coryza was detected in several commercial vaccinated egg layer flocks in California. The Avibacterium paragallinarum strains isolated from infected...
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....
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...
Perches: environmental enrichment or mechanical challenge?
The study compared the impact of wire ramps and perches on meat chicken mobility and the incidence of detached femoral caps (DFC), which can...
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...
A new view of how class I molecules fight diseases
Classical class I molecules of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) play crucial roles in defence against viruses.
The class I molecules bind pieces of protein...
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...
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...
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...
Supplementation of a protected complex of biofactors and antioxidants on the gene expression and...
The objective of this study was to evaluate the dietary supplementation of a protected complex of biofactors and antioxidants P(BF+AOx) on the expression of...
Supplementing Bacillus strains in chicken diets
The present study investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of several Bacillus strains on growth performance, intestinal inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines, antioxidants and tight...
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...
Innovative approaches to egg sexing
The rise of specialized layer genetics in the mid-20th century introduced a lasting challenge for egg producers: identifying and culling male chicks. This practice...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
The effects of a multi-enzyme and Bacillus probiotic combinations on calcium and phosphorus digestibility...
450 day-old male Ross 308 chicks were randomly allocated to 3 dietary treatments with 6 replicate pens per treatment and 25 birds per pen....
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 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...
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...
Managing the risk makes the difference in mycotoxin control
A webinar on the results of the 2017 harvest analyses in terms of mycotoxin contamination has been recently held. Two experts on the matter...
Effect of multi-xylanase system on growth performance and gut health in broilers
Non-starch polysaccharides (NSP), particularly arabinoxylans (AX), with complex biochemical structures are one of the main causative factors for impaired growth performance and poor gut...
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...
The effect of hot and cold hatcher temperature profiles on hatchability and chick quality
An eggshell temperature of 100°F (37.8°C) is widely accepted as optimal for embryonic development from the start of incubation up until transfer time. Eggshell...
Feeding broilers of the future
The only way to maintain production is to improve the understanding of precision nutrition so that producers can feed broilers with low or no...
A comparison of hen performance during an extended laying cycle based on hen body...
This study evaluated the performance of Hy-Line Brown hens with different body weights (BW) up to 100 weeks of age. Hens in the lowest...
Research examines alternative feeding programs and photostimulation periods for broiler breeders
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, in which researchers...
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...
Big data for poultry – first 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...
Dietary energy, digestible lysine and available phosphorus levels influence growth performance and carcass traits...
Energy (E) and amino acids (AA) are two of the most expensive components in broiler diets. There is no general consensus regarding the interaction...
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....
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...
Monitoring of IBV circulation and prevalence
Infectious bronchitis (IB) is one of the most common viral diseases in chicken production worldwide and IB virus (IBV) is considered the most contagious...
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...
Effects of dietary insoluble and soluble non-starch polysaccharides on performance and ileal and excreta...
This study examined the effect of dietary insoluble and soluble non-starch polysaccharides (NSP) in common broiler diets on performance and ileal and excreta moisture...
Checking and calibrating sensors: essential preventive hatchery maintenance
We expect incubators to function 24/7 without disruption - and with the highest levels of accuracy from the sensors in particular, on whose outputs...
Growth begins in the gut
In the race to replace antibiotics on Canadian poultry farms, some producers have successfully adopted yeast-based prebiotic supplements. But there’s more potential to enhance...
