Dr. Greg Archer

In cage-free housing, multi-tiered aviary structures are often used (pictured above), where key resources (i.e., feed, water, nests, perches) are available on elevated platforms called tiers, and litter substrate is available on the ground floor for dustbathing and foraging. Hens move vertically and horizontally across the elevated structures to access resources, which requires the hens to have sk ...

Bio-security is the cheapest, most effective means of disease prevention and control available.  Proper bio-security will help to ensure the overall health and welfare of your flock.What is “Bio-security”?Simply put it is protecting your birds from disease by minimizing their exposure to vectors or fomites.What is a vector or a fomite?A vector is something living and a fomite is s ...

Stocking density is a critical factor to consider for optimum welfare of commercial broilers    Stocking density is typically defined in terms of the number of birds per unit area or the amount of space provided on per bird basis. In commercial production, stocking density of a broiler flock is calculated based on target market weight by accounting for the number of chicks placed in ...