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...
Raising broilers antibiotic-free
Best management practices are a key component in raising chicken without antibiotic with more attention to details of production and biosecurity.
Biosecurity. Cleaning and disinfection on an organic poultry farm
All who work or visit poultry farms must adhere to the guidance of the farm management when it comes to biosecurity protocols.
There are...
Outdoor broilers behavioural time budgets
The demand for free-range chicken meat is increasing. Free-range products are usually perceived as more welfare friendly by consumers and particularly fulfil the belief that the ability to perform natural behaviour leads to better welfare.
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...
Quick molt diets and programs
Induced molting is a process conducted by many commercial egg producers to extend the productive life of the laying hen. The main objective of...
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.
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.
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...
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...
Common global poultry welfare practices
A recent article by Hendrix Genetics detailed the creation and roll out of a structured poultry welfare program for all species offered by the breeding company.
The...
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...
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...
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...
How Early Rearing Environments Shape Laying Hen Performance and Welfare
Successful egg production in table-egg laying hens relies on proper caretaking during the lay phase, yet early rearing is also paramount to achieve performance...
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...
Vencomatic Group and Orbem announce a strategic partnership for in ovo sexing of poultry...
Vencomatic Group (VMG), a family-owned supplier of innovative solutions for the international poultry industry, and Orbem, a leading deep-tech imaging and AI technology company,...
Gut health in poultry production: why, what and how
Gut health has become a dominant topic in the global poultry industry. But why did the topic emerge to become so important to the...
Automated assessment of health and welfare in commercial broiler chicken flocks using optical flow
Assessing the health and welfare of growing broiler chickens is mainly done post mortem, using measures taken at the slaughter plant (% birds with...
New animal welfare labelling system
The conclusions of the animal welfare labelling subgroup of the Commission’s Animal Welfare Platform were released. Copa and Cogeca welcomes the main conclusions of...
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.
Poultry litter quality: investigating the interrelationship between litter moisture content, pH, water activity and...
Wet litter is a recognized issue in commercial poultry production and litter quality has come under great scrutiny with the introduction of farming scheme...
