Marisa Erasmus

1. IntroductionThe laying hen industry in the United States consists of approximately 330–340 million laying hens [1] that must first go through the growing phase known as the pullet phase. The pullet phase accounts for approximately 25% of a laying hen’s lifetime [2] and encompasses approximately 0–16 weeks of age (WOA). During this time, the pullet reaches sexual maturity and g ...

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 ...

The hatching phase of broiler production refers to the last three days of incubation, which are embryonic days 18-21. This phase of embryonic development is critical for the chick’s survival, as well as welfare and production later in life. In commercial hatcheries, eggs with viable embryos are transferred from incubators to hatching cabinets on embryonic day 18. Chicks hatch in the hatching ...

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 ...

The first few days of life are some of the most important in chicks' lives. During this time, chicks start developing and set themselves up for the rest of their lifetime. The husbandry decisions made at this point can impact the birds' growth, development, health and welfare.This newsletter will focus on three important parts of giving chicks the best start:TemperatureFeedWater  &nbs ...

Spondylolisthesis, often called ‘kinky back’, is a deformity that affects broiler chickens’ spines. The deformity occurs in the fifth and/or sixth vertebrae (T6) and leads to spinal cord compression making it hard for birds to walk, and in severe cases it can cause paralysis. Chickens are lame and will sit with extended feet, show an imbalance, and fall on their side when attempt ...

    In the United States, consumers have a lot of choice when it comes to food products. Various claims and labels on the products provide consumers with information about how the animals were raised and treated during production. However, the information on animal products can sometimes be confusing. This article explains some of the common labels and claims found on animal product ...