Prafulla Regmi

In poultry farming, worms and protozoa represent the two primary classes of internal parasites that impact bird health, welfare, and productivity. While indoor-reared poultry typically avoid infestation from worms that require intermediate hosts, free-range birds are more susceptible. Interestingly, broilers tend to have less exposure due to their shorter growth cycles, as many nematodes require f ...

   In this issue:Introduction to the gut microbiomeThe function of prominent bacterial phylaIntroduction to the gut-brain axisHow microbial imbalance affects poultry welfarePractical strategies to improve the gut health of poultryWhat is the gut microbiome?A microbial community, their collective genetic material and metabolites, within the digestive tract of an animal that usually has a ...

What is live haul?Turkeys are typically raised for 10 to 20 weeks, depending on bird sex, size, and product criteria for markets. Once the market weight is achieved, turkeys are herded, loaded, and transported to slaughter plants for stunning and processing.These events of herding, loading, and transporting turkeys are commonly referred to as “load out” or “live haul” (henc ...

Animal welfare audits are performed to evaluate whether a hatchery, farm, or processing plant is meeting the specific animal welfare standards of a certification program.These programs may be internal to a certain company, or they could be a requirement for animal welfare certification. These certification programs have their own set of standards and audits, which are typically created in collabor ...

Damaging behaviors in poultry include feather pecking, vent pecking, and toe pecking. While feather and vent pecking are well-known welfare problems in poultry that have received significant attention from researchers and farmers, toe pecking remains relatively unknown. Therefore, this article aims to shed light on toe pecking.Toe pecking (TP) occurs when a laying hen pecks at her toes or the toes ...

The holiday season is once again here, which means many kitchens will be filling up with baked goods and savory dishes. It is also the time of year when the use of eggs increases for all of those delicious dishes! However, eggs can be a potential source of Salmonella bacteria that can cause illness or in rare cases even death. Here are some tips to help reduce that risk in your kitchen.Eggs 101The ...

Light and dark cycles within a 24-hour period play a crucial role in maintaining physiological and behavioral rhythms in animals.In birds, daily rhythms associated with feed intake, physical activity, sleep-wake cycles, and physiological rhythms are influenced by photoperiod. The ancestors of domestic chickens, the Red Junglefowl, are diurnal animals with activity during the light period and inact ...