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HEALTH AND WELFARE

How to manage layer flocks in winter weather

One of the consequences of climate change seems to be increasingly volatile weather systems accompanied by rapidly changing and frequently unseasonal temperatures. As November gave way to December at the…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why essential oils can reduce stress in chickens

Anyone can suffer from stress when they are taken out of their comfort zone, and this is no different for poultry. Changes in the exterior and/or interior temperature, inadequate ventilation,…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How to prevent coccidiosis in poultry

The cost of coccidiosis to the poultry industry is massive. A 1999 paper put its global cost to production and control at more than $5bn each year. Subclinical cases will…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

3 ways to keep on top of pododermatitis in broilers

Optimising the shed environment is critical to containing pododermatitis, as Philip Clarke reports. Reducing levels of pododermatitis in broiler flocks is all about avoiding the chemical reaction that causes it…

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Case studies

HEALTH AND WELFARE

50 years of poultry health progress – one firm’s view

It was during the 1960s that the poultry industry really began to evolve into the structure it holds today. British farmers were looking to the United States, where poultry farming…

POULTRY

Sound and steam aids campylobacter reduction in poultry

Poultry integrator Faccenda has reached a “key milestone” in its work in reducing campylobacter – a slaughterhouse intervention that is commercially viable and creates a meaningful reduction. It has been…

POULTRY

Biosecurity the key focus for top turkey breeders

Getting the basics right and maintaining high biosecurity standards are the keys to success when it comes to producing high health status turkey breeding stock, according to Kenton Hazel of…

POULTRY

Clean drinking water is key to poultry performance

Poor quality drinking water is often overlooked in free-range egg production and can lead to reduced productivity and an overreliance on antibiotics. “There is an assumption that, as water is…

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Insights

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How geneticists are breeding for better broilers welfare

As more and more is asked of the modern broiler, so genetics companies have to keep an even closer eye on health and welfare, as Frank Siewerdt, Cobb director of…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Beak trimming is still a big issue for UK egg farmers

For years, the spectre of managing commercial layer units without the ability to beak trim hung over the poultry sector. Encouraged by animal rights organisations, the prospect of a ban…

FEED AND NUTRITION

How proteases can save on feed costs in broiler rations

Protein is one of the most expensive ingredients in broiler diets, so must be used efficiently. Fortunately, adding protease can increase the nutritional value of most protein-containing raw materials, meaning…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How other countries are cutting use of antibiotics on poultry fa...

How are other countries controlling antibiotic use in their poultry and what lessons might the UK learn? Jake Davies delves into a new Nuffield Scholarship report on the subject. Across…

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News

POULTRY

Avian influenza strikes a second commercial turkey farm

A second outbreak of the H5N8 strain of avian influenza (AI) has been discovered on a turkey farm in Lincolnshire, exactly one month after the first case was found in the…

POULTRY

'No region safe from avian flu'

Migratory wild bird pathways mean no region is safe from avian influenza, the director general of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) has said. Monique Eloit blamed the plethora…

POULTRY

Second outbreak of bird flu in backyard poultry flock

Bird flu has been discovered in a second flock of backyard poultry, this time near Settle, North Yorkshire. It follows findings of the highly virulent H5N8 strain in wild birds…

HEALTH

Genetic engineering could revolutionise poultry vaccines

Genetic engineering has the potential to unlock a new generation of poultry vaccines, according to leading UK researchers. Scientists at the Pirbright Institute have used GM technology to develop a…

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Video

HEALTH

Sanderson Farms says antibiotic-free chicken is a ‘gimmick’

US poultry integrator Sanderson Farms has said it will not phase out antibiotics from its farms, taking a position that runs contrary to many other similar companies in the USA.…

US poultry sector strikes back at welfare abuse claims

One of America’s top three poultrymeat producers, Perdue Farms, has launched a new website to help consumers better understand indoor chicken production. The move follows a spate of bad publicity…

POULTRY

Top tips for spray vaccinating chickens

While spraying is an excellent way of carrying out mass vaccinations for respiratory diseases in broilers and pullets, using the wrong equipment can have disastrous consequences. Traditional pressure sprayers in…

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