NCSU: Environment, genetics affect egg production in a cage-free system
Consumers, retail customers and even legislators in some states are embracing cage-free egg production, necessitating a shift in the laying-hen industry.
Consumers, retail customers and even legislators in some states are embracing cage-free egg production, necessitating a shift in the laying-hen industry.
Despite the industry’s best efforts to control colibacillosis in layers, broilers and breeders, the bacterial disease caused by avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) continues to challenge producers and researchers.
Using the antibiotic bacitracin in poultry poses virtually no risk of an untreatable human infection from antimicrobial-resistant bacteria originating from chicken and turkey products, reports Randall Singer, DVM, PhD, University of Minnesota.
Turkeys are seasonal breeders, meaning exposure to a long-day photoperiod triggers the reproductive response. The challenge is that the photoreceptors are deep within the brain. The light must therefore penetrate the skull and brain tissue to elicit a response.
Breeding birds for efficient cage-free production requires developing healthy hens that lay an egg every day for 100 weeks and possibly up to 200 weeks in the future, reported Sijne Van der Beek, PhD, chief technology officer, Lohmann Breeders, The Netherlands.
Adding fishmeal into the diets of broiler breeder roosters could improve egg hatchability, North Carolina State University research suggests.
Waste byproducts from rearing insects commercially could play a role as a sustainable broiler feed, the results of research presented at the 2024 International Poultry Scientific Forum suggest.
By Daniel Wilson, DVM
Wilson Veterinary Company
Indianapolis, Indiana
Continuous lighting is commonplace in commercial broiler houses, but is that what’s best for the birds?
By Alexander W. Strauch, DVM
Four Star Veterinary Service, LLC
Minton Veterinary Service Office
Chickasaw, Ohio
Histomoniasis is nothing new to turkey producers, yet treatment options remain a major challenge. Bans of therapeutic and prophylactic compounds in several countries in recent years have only added to outbreak risks, emphasizing the need for alternative control strategies.
The ability to process birds on farms and eliminate live transport offers some compelling benefits to the poultry industry whose customers are increasingly disconnected from animal agriculture.
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