Category: Health

Considerations for cage-free pullet management

Allison Pullin, PhD, North Carolina State University explores how tracking a portion of individual animals in research and commercial poultry flocks offers insight to improve management practices and animal welfare.

Watkins: Water sanitation is the best insurance policy

Susan Watkins, PhD, has spent much of her 30-year poultry career studying water problems and how to solve them. A consultant and distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Arkansas, Watkins discussed ways to sanitize poultry water systems and correct mineral damage during the Devenish Symposium at the 2025 PEAK conference.

Serological survey unveils emergence, trends of aMPV in Georgia

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.

How data-driven insights are reshaping flock management

Data is playing a growing role in helping producers manage risk, optimize health and justify production decisions. From digitizing information to store it securely to using it to guide real-time decision-making, for Dan Wilson, DVM, founder of Wilson Veterinary Co., it has become integral to the way he works with producers to improve flock performance.

No easy answers for preventing gangrenous dermatitis outbreaks

Known for high mortality and low morbidity, gangrenous dermatitis (GD) continues to evade answers as researchers investigate potential stressors that trigger an outbreak. Matthew Jones, DVM, Southern Poultry Research Group led a panel of poultry professionals that included Don Ritter, DVM, Chuck Hofacre, DVM, Mark Burleson, DVM, and Carrie Cremers, DVM, to discuss field experiences that helped control GD.

Six practical ways to safeguard flock health

Eric Shepherd, DVM, MS, MAM, DACPV, poultry veterinarian, and Brian Fairchild, PhD, Extension Poultry Scientist and Professor, University of Georgia Department of Poultry Science, recently offered practical advice for reducing disease risk in poultry environments. Both spoke in a webinar sponsored by the Poultry Science Association and American Association of Avian Pathologists.

Watkins: Six tips to conduct water assessments for poultry

When it comes to drinking water for poultry, Susan Watkins, PhD, has a lot to say. Most important: Don’t neglect it. At the Devenish Symposium held during the 2025 PEAK conference, Watkins, a consultant and distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Arkansas, offered practical advice for keeping poultry water clean.