By Tom Tabler, PhD
Professor, Extension Poultry Specialist
University of Tennessee Extension Service/Animal Science Department
Middle Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center
Spring Hill, Tennessee
For every laying hen that is hatched, approximately one male counterpart also hatches. However, as roosters do not produce eggs, they are typically culled, or euthanized, at hatch. However, the culling of these day-old male chicks raises ethical concerns.
Europeans have battled avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) since the 1980s. Today, live and inactivated vaccines keep aMPV under control in Europe and most of the world except in the US, according to Aris Malo, DVM, Royal Dutch Veterinary Association.
Increased attention on animal welfare is driving the US poultry industry to innovate and work collaboratively to meet rising expectations of caring for laying hens.
Hens can positively influence the skin and respiratory tract microbiota of newly hatched chicks, according to a study published in Poultry Science.
USDA has authorized Boehringer Ingelheim to import two of the company’s live-virus vaccines for emergency use to help protect US poultry against avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) — a highly contagious respiratory viral infection that can result in severe respiratory symptoms and increased mortality in poultry.
US Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) has released an updated report quantifying on-farm antibiotic use and demonstrating the industry’s commitment to antibiotic stewardship and disease prevention.
The move to cage-free egg production has spawned a new generation of aviary systems available for hen housing. The question now is how well the new systems perform when balancing egg production and profitability with bird welfare.
Lighting has emerged as one of the most powerful tools to manage and optimize layer performance. It profoundly impacts production, health and overall welfare.
Cloacitis, or vent gleet, is chronic inflammation of a bird’s cloaca that can result in urate scalding, prolapse, weight loss, inactive ovaries and high mortality. Investigators looked at blood biomarkers to identify correlations to birds with cloacitis versus healthy birds.
For laying hens, bone health and eggshell development are critical aspects of lifetime productivity, and calcium supplementation can be beneficial. But when does it become too much of a good thing?
The recent shift to cage-free production has led to more problems with internal parasites and coccidiosis, explains Kenneth Anderson, MS, PhD, North Carolina State University, in a Q&A sponsored by Cargill Animal Health.
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