Zavala: Scratching the surface of emerging poultry health challenges
By Guillermo Zavala, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACPV
Avian Health International, LLC
By Guillermo Zavala, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACPV
Avian Health International, LLC
Research on broilers is often applied to commercial turkeys, as is the case with many studies on photoperiod lengths. At the 2025 Poultry Science Association annual meeting, Karen Schwean-Lardner, PhD, University of Saskatchewan, presented results of her study that were specific to turkeys.
Research has uncovered much about how welfare impacts broilers’ physical and functional traits, but less is known about their mental state. A doctoral student at Virginia Tech studied fear and anxiety in fast- and slow-growing broilers, as well as the impact of environmental complexities.
Temperature and moisture levels influence the survivability of Campylobacter jejuni in used broiler litter, according to a study led by Matthew Bailey, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at Auburn University.
Breeding for increased appetites and fast growth has resulted in meatier birds. But these heavier birds experience health complications and decreased reproduction. Feed restrictions are used to maintain the lower bodyweight required for broiler breeders. University of Arkansas graduate student Allison Weaver is researching how feed restrictions affect bird welfare.
Research on the microbiota in chicken reproductive tracts revealed an abundance of live bacteria, including strains typically found in the gut, according to Nir Ben Porat, Hebrew University of Jerusalem student.
A “Viewpoints” article by
Ken Opengart, DVM, PhD, DACPV
3 Birds Consulting
Signal Mountain, Tennessee
A “Viewpoints” article by
Marian Stamp Dawkins, FRS CBE
University of Oxford, UK
Optimizing poultry health and performance requires navigating a wide range of variables, including chick quality, nutrition, biosecurity and management of the poultry house environment. And lighting in the houses plays an important role, according to Brian Fairchild, PhD, professor and extension poultry specialist at the University of Georgia.
Turkey poults develop a wide range of behaviors besides eating, sleeping and resting in their first week of life. They also learn play behaviors and activities to comfort themselves, according to research by Alexandra Jackson, doctoral student, Auburn University.
Heat stress affects poultry farms everywhere — even in Canada, where poultry producers battle hot, humid conditions in the summer. Deborah Adewole, PhD, associate professor, University of Saskatchewan, has focused her recent work on nutritional strategies to reduce heat stress and discussed her research in a webinar hosted by Canadian Poultry.
Raised to maximize meat production, commercial turkey toms are bred to grow quickly and gain weight in a short time. This begs the question whether the bird’s skeletal system meets that developmental challenge.
