Poultry Health Today

Let me begin, dear readers, by saying that the style of this article differs from my usual pragmatic approach to processing concerns such as maintaining yield or fighting foodborne pathogens.

The feed additive sodium bisulfate administered to broilers during a coccidial challenge appeared to benefit gut integrity, Elle Chadwick, Graduate Research Assistant,* North Carolina State University, told Poultry Healt…

One part of my job is sleuthing to identify the probable source of reportable diseases found in our commercial pullet, breeder or broiler flocks. Through the years, it’s provided opportunities to learn something more abo…

Blending two commonly used antibacterial treatments could help processing facilities take better control of Campylobacter and reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses, according to scientists.

One of the most common questions among broiler producers is determining how much cooler the birds feel with various amounts of air movement.

The poultry industry’s gradual switch to cage-free egg production has underscored the need to rethink disease-control programs and address health and welfare challenges unique to layers in these production systems, accor…

More than 200 US retailers have agreed to switch to free-range egg production by 2025.

Training chicks and pullets so they are prepared for life in cage-free egg systems is critical to ensuring they meet their full productive potential, according to a leading veterinarian.

Focusing on chick quality from the moment eggs enter the incubator is critical to ensuring birds have the best chance of being healthy and productive in no-antibiotics-ever (NAE) systems.

Most chicken doctors refer to the Diseases of Poultry as the “bible of poultry disease,” but even this revered source of knowledge may be incomplete and can’t replace networking with colleagues. Just one such example is …

Acceptance of a petition designating avian leukosis lesions on poultry carcasses as a trimmable condition is expected to reduce waste and improve efficiency at processing plants while allowing meat inspectors to focus mo…

The vital role the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) plays in nutrient absorption and the immune response is probably much more complex and dynamic than most of us realize. We do know, however, that maintaining good intestina…

Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) has affected flocks before the virus was even identified. In the US, IBV strains are named for the state from which they were first isolated. There are strains named after Massachusetts,…

Surveillance aimed at pinpointing the type of infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) that’s circulating in poultry flocks is essential to control of the disease, Mark Jackwood, PhD, University of Georgia, told Poultry Health …

Producers making the switch to cage-free egg production need to ensure they and their staff are properly prepared for managing potential increases in Salmonella and other health challenges associated with those systems.

I rarely get on a soap box, but I’m going to make an exception in this case. As an industry, if we’re going to continue with “no antibiotics ever” (NAE) production, we have to know the quality of water our flocks are dri…

Newcastle disease (ND) throughout most of the US remains stable, but the industry needs to be on guard for changes in the virus that may require adaption of ND vaccines, Guillermo Zavala, DVM, PhD, president, Avian Healt…

Preventing birds from getting sick is perhaps the biggest challenge encountered when transitioning from conventional to “no antibiotics ever” (NAE) production, Tony Newsome, division manager, Fieldale Farms, told Poultry…

Vaccinations and other preventative health measures are more critical than ever as the US egg industry shifts toward cage-free and no-antibiotics-ever production, according to an industry expert.

Greater flexibility is needed in official Salmonella and Campylobacter testing regimes in order to support poultry producers and processors who are trialing new interventions to tackle both pathogens.