Water is one of the most important resources in broiler production, yet it can be easy to overlook until a problem arises. Birds depend on consistent access to clean, fresh water throughout the flock cycle, and the watering system must deliver the right amount at the right pressure and height.
Increasing performance is the biggest goal in the broiler industry, but how exactly is this accomplished? One possibility is on-farm hatching to reduce biosecurity and sanitation risks associated with transporting newly hatched chicks.
Technology that measures body fat in live hens could help producers extend persistency of lay and meet growing demand for eggs without increasing flock numbers, according to Jarred Oxford, poultry nutritionist with Cargill Animal Nutrition.
The first week after hatch is a critical stage for broiler chicks. A team of Auburn University researchers observed 75 Ross 308 broiler chicks from day 1 to day 7 after hatch and recorded their behavior continuously for 24 hours each day to understand how chick behavior changes with age and time of day.
To address the challenges of live-haul turkey handling, Allison Pullin, PhD, and her team at Prestage Department of Poultry Science at North Carolina State University developed a training tool to standardize procedures and best practices.
In a Q&A, Charlie Broussard, DVM, a poultry veterinarian with Merck Animal Health, explains how industry thinking has shifted regarding coccidiosis programs and why more producers are maintaining coccidiosis vaccination year-round.
Could a dietary supplement mitigate the negative impact of common mycotoxins in broilers? Matthew Jones, DVM, PhD, director of nutrition and veterinarian at the Southern Poultry Research Group, decided to find out.
By Michelle Kromm, DVM, MPH, MAM, DACPV,
Food Forward, LLC,
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Broiler flocks are facing more variable respiratory disease challenges that coincide with increasingly variable weather patterns. This new reality is leading poultry veterinarians and production managers to rethink their vaccination strategies. Brian Jordan, PhD, Zoetis, discusses options.
The microbiota community in the ceca changes rapidly as broiler chickens grow. Additionally, these microbes play a major role in digestion, nutrient use and bird health. A longitudinal study conducted by an Auburn University research team examined the role that age plays in cecal microbiome development in broilers.
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?
In an interview, Vasil Stanev, DVM, MBA, global director of technical services poultry nutrition and health at Phibro Animal Health, explains how the company’s divalent anticoccidial feed additive helps producers manage coccidiosis, which reducing the risk of resistance from the Eimeria parasites, which cause the condition.
