Category: Layers

Internal parasites in free-range chicken farming: Roundworms

With the recent rise in the use of slow-growing lines for pasture-based and free-range broiler production, worm infestations could become a significant issue. Warmer weather also contributes to the rise in worm populations, as moisture and humidity create favorable conditions for parasite eggs to thrive, explains Prafulla Regmi, PhD, University of Georgia.

Gingerich: Managing bacterial disease in cage-free systems

In cage-free systems, it’s not only the birds that are moving around more freely. Bacterial transmission is also quicker and more efficient when birds roam uninhibited in large groups, underlining the importance of effective disease management.

Egg-laying-hen housing systems: What does the gut say?

Change is constant and there’s always a learning curve. Such was the case around 2017, as pressure built toward more cage-free housing systems for egg-laying hens along with the push to reduce antibiotics or antibiotic substances in animal diets.