Turkey breeding – Where from, Where to? – Domestication of animals was a major...
All species of today’s domestic plants and animals followed an analogous pattern of multi-generational change influenced by humans. The modern populations of turkeys followed...
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...
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,...
Estimated total cereal production in the EU-27 for the 2022 harvest
Experts from the Copa and Cogeca working groups on cereal and oilseed gathered in Brussels, with an estimated total cereal production of 277 million...
A novel microbiome metabolic modulator improved growth performance and intestinal morphology during a coccidiosis...
The present study was designed to investigate the effects of a precision glycan Microbiome Metabolic Modulator (MMM) on growth performance and gut health parameters...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Research reveals method to improve Escherichia coli vaccines
A funded research project at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. was completed, in which researchers revealed a method to improve Escherichia coli...
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...
Macroscopic lesion scoring correlates with gut morphology changes in a newly developed dysbacteriosis model
Conventional broilers often experience intestinal problems between 20 and 30 days of age, caused by a microbial imbalance in the gut, which is referred...
Marel Poultry’s AMF-i sets the world’s benchmark
Marel Poultry’s AMF-i innovating the poultry processing. Breast cap deboning is an extremely important stage in any poultry processing plant. During this process, end...
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),...
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...
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...
Optimal outdoor stocking density in free-range hens
Consumer concern for laying hen welfare is leading to an increase in alternative housing systems that provide valued resources designed to cater to hens’...
The trifecta for a sustainable production
To meet the needs of an additional three billion people over the next 35 years and to prevent further escalation of global poverty, agricultural production must double during this time. In meeting the increased demand for food, the interdependence between water, food and energy will become more evident and highlight resource insecurities.
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...
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...
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...
Re-programming of broiler growth and immunity through changes in breeder hen bodyweight
Reprogramming of broiler growth and developmental events is increasingly recognised as having lifelong effects on animal health, welfare and productivity. Whilst most studies have...
SPIDES, short periods of incubation during egg storage
Why SPIDES is so important in incubation? If hatching eggs are stored for more than a week before being set in an incubator their...
Managing bird behaviour in organic production systems
This topic is presented on by John Brunnquell, the founder and current president of Egg Innovations, which is the largest exclusive producer of free...
Profiling Salmonella serotypes through broiler processing
USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Georgia in which researchers profiled Salmonella serotypes through broiler processing.
The...
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...
Lubing presents the new Intermediate drive 2.0 for its egg conveyor systems
Lubing starts its 2022 with a novelty: the new intermediate drive, which was completely redesigned and makes the use of egg conveyors even smoother...
Increased cecal butyrate concentrations protect against Salmonella Enteritidis
Butyrate is a molecule that is extensively studied as a feed additive to improve gut health and animal performance. It also has been described...
Detection and quantification of Gallibacterium anatis and Mycoplasma synoviae
Mycoplasma synoviae is one of the most common preconditions for secondary bacterial infections in poultry. It causes subclinical infections of the upper respiratory tract,...
Selection criteria in turkey breeding
The turkey industry supply chain flows from the breeders through a number of multiplication phases, which culminate in commercial birds being grown and processed...
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...
General overview and installation of light traps in broiler breeder rearing
Designing a ventilation system for a dark out tunnel ventilated rearing house can be challenging. There are many different models and designs of light...
Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL (CECT4529): 35 years of Italian research (1985-2020)
The history of the probiotic strain Lactobacillus acidophilus D2/CSL (CECT 4529) follows that of many strains produced by Centro Sperimentale del Latte and acts...
Raising Pullets in Alternative Systems
Productive and profitable layers begin with good quality pullets. Having the correct body weight and body type at the start of egg production will...
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...
Timing is everything in early feeding
Early feeding is now a critical point. When using nature as a reference to what are the optimum requirements of the day-old chick, we...
Evaluating hen behaviour and physiological stressors during Ventilation Shut Down
USPOULTRY announces the completion of a funded research project at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C. in which researchers provided insight on using...
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...
Cecal coccidiosis in turkeys
Cecal coccidiosis is an important disease that affects the cecal integrity of turkeys and may result in watery feces with flecks of blood. In...
A Box-Behnken assessment of fishmeal and sorghum inclusions in broiler diets
The objective of this study was to investigate the impacts of starch and protein digestive dynamics on broiler growth performance using Box-Behnken response surface...
Intestinal barrier function – A case to be studied in reduced protein diets
Maintaining intestinal health and growth remains a concern as demands increase to limit the use of antibiotics in poultry production. There is also an...
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...
Use of comparative genomics to identify vaccine candidates for Campylobacter Jejuni
Interventions to control and reduce the incidence of Campylobacter jejuni colonization in poultry is important in order to reduce the burden of foodborne illness in humans....
Impact of investment in Hendrix Genetics’ breeding and testing program
With the upcoming release of the new performance standards for Hendrix Genetics’ laying hens, it is important to examine factors contributing to the genetic...
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....
Back to basics: we need to concentrate on basic management skills
As we move to using less antibiotics in the production of poultry, many alternative products have been developed. While some are affective in specific...
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...
Taking phytase superdosing from scientific concept to commercial application: a UK example
Scientific research is based on carefully designed experiments, performed in carefully controlled conditions with the outcome measured as accurately as possible, using a range...
What is good chick quality?
When asking the question “What is good chick quality?”, the responses can be very different based on the person and their role. For instance,...
Incubation and the role of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) in embryo development
The practice, or “art”, of artificially incubation of the avian egg dates back some 3,000 years to the ancient Egyptian mud/brick oven type rooms...
Bacillus Subtilis improves performance of broilers fed medicated or non-medicated feed
Animal digestive health is key to obtain optimal performance. Antibiotic growth promoters (AGPs) have long been shown to be very effective to develop and...
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...
Housing systems in laying hen husbandry- First 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...
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,...
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...
Poultry house climate
Poultry climate is a key factor in faming. High temperatures and a high humidity: in Germany, short periods in the summer months where temperatures...
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,...
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...
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...
Performance, immunity and blood biochemical parameters of broiler chickens fed diets containing Kappaphycus alvarezii
Kappaphycus alvarezii (KPA) can be incorporated at 1.50% in diets for improved performance, immuno-responsiveness and blood biochemical parameters in broiler chickens.
Introduction
Kappaphycus alvarezii (KPA) is...
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...
Turkey breeder health, new welfare challenges and demands
The health of turkey breeders is critical to ensure the economic production of high quality fertile hatching eggs to produce poults which can be raised without antibiotics.
Nutritional implications of antibiotic free rearing of broilers
The gradual reduction in the use of AGP coincided with an increase in the therapeutic use of antibiotics on farm level. Especially in broiler...
The impact of raised incubation temperature on hatch, chick quality and broiler performance
Two experiments were conducted at the Aviagen product development center in the USA to study the effect of increased eggshell temperature during mid to late incubation on hatchability and chick quality
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...
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...
Impact of grain type on performance in broilers under Necrotic Enteritis challenge
The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of grain type on performance and gut microbiota composition in broiler chickens under a...
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...
New applications such as superdosing of phytase to maximize phytate destruction to improve performance...
It is well documented that phytase supplementation in broiler diets improves P and Ca utilization through the destruction of phytate (IP6) and thereby allows...
Effect of graded levels of supplementary phytase in diets with and without rapeseed meal...
Application of dietary enzymes, including phytase, protease, and carbohydrases, alone or in combination, to facilitate phosphorus, protein, and energy utilization is a common approach...
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...
Meyn launches the new Opening machine 240 with the patented cutting mechanism
The next generation Meyn Opening machine 240, works with a “Swivel” movement to ensure an exact cut to reduce intestine damage at high speeds,...
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...
Prevention of cross-contamination in the hatchery
How to properly prevent cross-contamination in the hatchery. Here some easy steps to achieve a better biosecurity in your hatchery.
Selection for persistency and profitability in layers
Prof. Dr. Rudolf Preisinger, Chief Technical Officer at the EW Group, held a presentation on the selection of Lohmann’s layer lines for the traits...
The Omics revolution – Implications for animal production
What does Omics mean?
Omics is a term that refers to the recently developed high throughput technologies that include genomics, functional genomics (transcriptomics), proteomics, and...
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...
Effects of light intensity on broiler welfare, productivity and leg health
Researchers investigated the welfare implications of behavioural changes induced by varying light programs. Here the effects of light intensity on broiler welfare and productivity are reported.
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...
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...
