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Poultry management
Poultry management usually refers to the husbandry practices or production techniques that help to maximize the efficiency of production. Sound management practices are very essential to optimize production. Scientific poultry management aims at maximizing returns with minimum investment. A carefully controlled environment that avoids crowding, chilling, overheating, or frightening is almost universal in poultry farming. Cannibalism, which expresses itself as toe picking, feather picking, and tail picking, is controlled by debeaking at one day of age and by other management practices. The feeding, watering, egg gathering, and cleaning operations are highly mechanized. Birds are usually housed in wire cages with two or three animals per cage, depending on the species and breed, and three or four tiers of cages superposed to save space. Cages for egg-laying birds have been found to increase production, lower mortality, reduce cannibalism, lower feeding requirements, reduce diseases and parasites, improve culling, and reduce both space and labour requirements.
1. Introduction In conventional poultry farming, the risk of transmission of infectious diseases, increased by, e.g., high stocking density, low genetic variation, suboptimal ventilation, and immunosuppression, represents a serious challenge for birds’ health and welfare [1,2]. Against this background, biosecurity represents one of the most powerful instruments to mitigate the risk of introduction (external biosecurity) and subsequent spread (internal biosecurity) of...
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1. Introduction Welfare assessment in animals has increasingly emphasized the need for objective, non-invasive measures that reliably reflect physiological and psychological states [1–4]. In this context, pupillometry (the measurement of pupil dynamics) has gained traction as a valuable tool, particularly in human psychological and neurological research [5,6]. The pupil’s diameter is known to change in response to a variety of internal and external stimuli, including...
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FIGAP 2026: The Scientific And Technological Exhibition Of The Livestock Industry
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An observational study conducted on three commercial layer farms showed that environmental enrichment increases number of birds on the range (see Dekoning et al. in this APSS Proceedings). In the same study, we aimed to determine if plumage damage score is different between birds found inside versus outside sheds. The farms were stocked with HyLine Brown flocks (all beak-trimmed); Farm-1 & Farm-3 had one shed each and Farm-2 had two sheds (all 3 farms & four flocks with a fixed...
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Feather pecking is synonymous with economic and major welfare problems in the poultry industry and is positively associated with feather ingestion. In a choice-feeding experiment, laying hens showed a stronger preference for unwashed compared to washed feathers (McKeegan and Savory, 2001). The attraction toward unwashed feathers could be related to the preen oil produced by the uropygial glands located dorsally at the base of the tail. Preen oil covers the feathers during the process of...
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Beak trimming can have serious consequences on hen welfare, health and production. However, compared to hot blade trimming, the infra-red technique has resulted in more uniform beak length and symmetry (Dennis et al., 2009). Pecking stones (Analysed Values: 20.50% calcium, 4.30% phosphorus, 5.0% sodium and 2.50% magnesium) have been used in Europe and are reported to blunt hens’ beaks and alter pecking behaviour (Glatz and Runge, 2017). The objective of the current study was to...
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In recent years, in response to consumer concerns regarding welfare of birds, there has been a move from caged to free-range production systems. This change has resulted in increased exposure of hens to pathogens, including parasites, which can compromise the welfare of the animal (Wongrak et al., 2015). Amongst helminths, Ascaridia galli is the most abundant nematode in poultry, and can cause significant economic losses and negative impacts on bird health and welfare (Daş et al.,...
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Effectiveness of Bacillus licheniformis-Fermented Products and Their Derived Antimicrobial Lipopeptides in Controlling Coccidiosis in Broilers (Extract)
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Dr. Mário Penz (Cargill) discusses the consequences of not managing water properly and the different factors to consider regarding its quality, during this Engormix interview....
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The 37th Annual Australian Poultry Science Symposium will take place from February 9th to 11th, 2026.
Planning is coming along nicely for APSS2026, and we have nine excellent invited speakers who are all very excited to be involved in the symposium next...
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Laying hens need to maintain their health status, including their gastrointestinal health until at least 72 weeks of age. Gut microbiota composition is extremely important to gastrointestinal and overall health. Furthermore, the gut-brain axis enables interactions between the enteric microbiota, the enteric nervous system and the central nervous system (Dinan & Cryan, 2017). The composition of gastrointestinal microbiota can be affected by animal behavior and vice versa (Neufeld et al.,...
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Andrew Gomer, Senior Business Development Advisor at Nova-Tech Poultry, discusses the company’s advanced technologies that support sustainable egg production. ...
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1. Introduction Aggressive behavior of roosters toward hens are rare in natural environments, where the two sexes form separate social hierarchies and male dominance is expressed in a passive manner [1–3]. However, it has been observed that males from broiler parental lines exhibit a high frequency of aggression toward females, especially during the display of sexual behavior [4–13]. This pattern of mating-related aggression has also been observed in slow-growing broiler...
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The ancestor of the modern-day chicken, the red jungle fowl, was exposed to different spectra of light in their natural habitat (Prescott et al., 2003). The surrounding environment, vegetation, season, and time of day all affect the color of light exposure to the wild bird (Endler, 1993), which may have lingering behavioral...
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Walking on eggshells - assessing anxiety in chickens Extension collaborative for the poultry industry -Attention bias...
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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...
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Introduction Animal welfare pertains to the quality of life of an animal, denoting the cumulative positive and negative experiences of an animal 1 . The welfare of farmed animals impacts their development and productivity, shaping both...
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Enrichment is the process of improving the environment of an animal, to meet their behavioral needs and ultimately improve their welfare. Enrichment helps to reduce stress and improve welfare by providing physical and mental stimulation, encouraging highly-motivated species specific behaviors, allowing the animal more control over their...
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Housing systems for laying hens in the United States (and more broadly across the world) are transitioning away from conventional cages to cage- free systems....
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This issue will cover: -What are behavioral needs? -What is dustbathing? -Dustbathing in commercial housing systems Substrate...
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By PSA Executive Director Andy Vance
Where has the year gone?!? As trite as it feels to write that, my head is spinning with how fast the year has gone for our Association. Through the first seven months of 2025, we’ve seen tremendous growth, with increased...
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In this issue: Introduction to the gut microbiome The function of prominent bacterial phyla Introduction to the gut-brain axis How microbial imbalance affects poultry welfare Practical strategies to improve the gut health of poultry What is the gut...
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