Scott Kenney, PhD, associate professor and researcher at The Ohio State University, investigated the connection between highly pathogenic avian influenza, dairy cattle and poultry operations.
Keeping a close eye on incubation conditions is key to improving hatchability, chick quality and reducing 7-day mortality, according to hatchery expert Mike Wineland, PhD, a former poultry science professor at North Carolina State University and owner of Hatchery Consult, LLC.
Most poultry companies invest significant resources in infectious bronchitis vaccination programs. But according to one of the poultry industry’s leading infectious bronchitis virus researchers, Mark Jackwood, PhD, Ceva Animal Health, one critical question often receives less attention than it should: How do you know the program worked?
An innovation taking the broiler/breeder industry by storm is Comfort Nest™, a mechanical egg-laying system from VAL-CO that more than doubles the nest size to accommodate high-yield broiler-strain hens.
Broiler breeder fertility has been declining over the past decade, raising concerns about both productivity and the long-term sustainability of the industry. Marcela Quino, a graduate student at Auburn University, examined how time of day, rooster competition and behavior influence mating success and fertility during the early production period.
The starter-phase duration for broiler breeders can affect their reproductive performance later, including development, fertility and hatchability, according to a study led by Edgar O. Oviedo-Rondón, DVM, MSc, PhD, Dipl. ACPV, North Carolina State University.
Cases from an outbreak of aMPV among broiler flocks in Mississippi are mostly coming with secondary infections, which can exacerbate disease severity. A research team led by Autumn Gregg, DVM, a poultry resident at Mississippi State University, investigated the infections appearing in the outbreak.
Eric Shepherd, DVM, Zoetis, takes a look at potential IBD vaccination programs that may disrupt field virus pressure, restore disease control and support overall flock health.
The USDA Center for Veterinary Biologics has granted Huvepharma approval for the manufacturing and sale of a new broiler-breeder coccidiosis vaccine, Advent P, which contains Eimeria necatrix and E. brunetti.
Breeding for increased appetites and fast growth has resulted in meatier birds. But these heavier birds experience health complications and decreased reproduction. Feed restrictions are used to maintain the lower bodyweight required for broiler breeders. University of Arkansas graduate student Allison Weaver is researching how feed restrictions affect bird welfare.
A “Viewpoints” article
by Autumn Gregg, DVM
Poultry resident
Mississippi State University
Avian metapneumovirus has not been detected in the US since the 1990s. So, it was a surprise in 2023 when cases began surfacing in Virginia, West Virginia and North Carolina. By January 31, 2024, the Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network received its first suspect case. Here’s what they did.
