Merck Animal Health

Understanding post-vaccination ‘takes’ critical for managing fowl cholera

Vaccination is key to managing fowl cholera in poultry. For a program to be successful, however, it’s critical to train vaccination crews to monitor vaccine “takes” or major cutaneous reactions within a flock — no easy task with today’s employee shortages and rotating vaccination crews.

National Chicken Council

NCC: Get (and spread) the facts about avian influenza

Poultry producers are well aware of the catastrophic losses associated with avian influenza, but even those close to live production could benefit from a refresh on the virus’ transmission and control. 

Poultry Science Association

New study shows brain size is smaller in commercially bred laying hens

When humans domesticate and breed an animal, they tend to select for a very specific trait. In laying hens, artificial selection for high egg production has led to hens that can produce 320 eggs a year. But could artificial selection have unintentionally altered hen brain morphology?

Merck Animal Health

Management, vaccines are keys to fowl cholera prevention

Fowl cholera is a bacterial disease of poultry that commonly affects chickens around 15 weeks of age and older, but it can impact birds as young as 6 weeks, cautions Charlie Broussard, DVM, Merck Animal Health.

Merck Animal Health

10 steps for successful fowl cholera vaccination

Developing a thorough vaccination strategy for fowl cholera — one that includes selecting the right vaccine strain for the field challenge that the birds are facing and proper vaccine administration — is critical when managing this bacterial disease.

US Poultry & Egg Association

Researchers identify early indicators of necrotic enteritis in broilers

In this age of “no antibiotics ever” farming, the re-emerging necrotic enteritis (NE) disease caused by Clostridium perfringens poses a major economically important health concern in poultry, particularly in broiler flocks, says Ravi Kulkarni, BVSc, assistant professor at North Carolina State University.

Merck Animal Health

Five steps to address low-grade fowl cholera in poultry

Even with the best flock-management and vaccination protocols, fowl cholera can occasionally find a crack in the system. Chronic, low-grade cholera problems can materialize, or occasional breaks in breeder flocks can suddenly appear.

Poultry Science Association

Poultry scientists test promising avian flu vaccination strategies

Avian influenza outbreaks in the US are rare but, when the virus strikes, the results are devastating. The disease spreads rapidly, forcing producers to rely on quarantine-and-cull to limit the damage. A 2015 outbreak in the US led to an estimated loss of more than 48 million birds.