Good composting procedures eliminate odors and reduce the number of flies, rodents, predators and scavengers attracted to the bins. Additionally, when done properly, composting is a cost-effective method of biosecurity.
Post-mortem exams help determine mortality causes and which health challenges birds are encountering. But conducting necropsies on healthy birds can also provide the perspective needed to distinguish between what’s normal and abnormal for a particular flock.
Pathogenic Enterococcus cecorum is proving to be a growing problem on broiler farms, and infection extends beyond bird-to-bird contact to the farm environment, according to a study led by Martine Boulianne, DMV, PhD, DACPV, at the University of Montreal.
A “Rising Stars” article
by Emmanuel Alagbe, MS
PhD Candidate
Graduate Research and Teaching Assistant
Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
A “Viewpoints” article
by Michael Czarick
Extension Engineer – Poultry
University of Georgia
Department of Poultry Science
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.
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.
By W.A. Dozier, III, PhD
Department of Poultry Science
Auburn University and Alabama Cooperative Extension System
A “Rising Stars” article
by Allison Kawaoku, MS student
Graduate Research Assistant, University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia
There is a buzz about emerging technologies to monitor layers and nudge their behaviors. But, according to Janice Siegford, PhD, from Michigan State University, more “ground truthing” by testing new tech in real commercial conditions is needed to establish whether they will deliver promised advantages for producers.
An experimental gut treatment led by molecular microbiologist Melha Mellata, PhD, Iowa State University, demonstrated that using host-specific bacteria improved overall immunity and resistance to bacteria in young chicks.
By Matthew J. Hardy, MSc
AgriNerds – Co-owner, Waterfowl Biologist and Co-director of Ecological Modeling
Chester County, Pennsylvania
