Broiler
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It is a hot, sticky, humid summer afternoon. Your birds are heavy, all the tunnel fans are running, and the evaporative cooling pads are thoroughly wet. Despite your best efforts to keep the birds comfortable, house temperatures are climbing and the birds are panting. Many broiler growers have faced this high-stakes scenario during summer months…
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Antibiotic use in chicken production has long been a subject of scientific, regulatory, and public opinion debate. While antibiotics have historically played a significant role in maintaining flock health and improving production efficiency, concerns about antibiotic bacterial resistance and antibiotic effects on human health have prompted major shifts in poultry industry practices. Consumers today are…
Posted in: Broiler -
Monitoring poultry body weight is important for evaluating the growth and performance of a flock. The bodyweight and uniformity of the flock are essential to understand growth pattern, efficiency, health condition, and production prediction. The traditional protocol is to manually sample and weigh a portion of the flock by using a platform scale or hanging…
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Over the years, there has been an increased demand for organically or naturally produced poultry products mostly due to the perception that these products are safer, tastier and healthier. In the United States, organic poultry broiler production increased from 1.9 million birds in 2000 to more than 10.4 million in 2005, while organic layer production…
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PDF Version Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by certain fungi. Secondary metabolites are compounds that are produced by an organism but are not required for normal metabolic activities like growth or reproduction. Antibiotics are also secondary metabolites produced by fungi, however, the classification of something as an antibiotic or a mycotoxin is based on whether…
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PDF Version The brooding period is important to getting chicks off to a good start and influences flock performance. Depending on the market weight, the brooding period represents as much as 1/3 of the grow-out period. The chick is still developing and will grow rapidly during this period. The objective is to minimize stress on…
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PDF Version How many times have you heard about biosecurity? Too many to count? Yet, how often are biosecurity practices implemented on your farm and to what extent is it a priority? Talk to anyone who has had a bad disease outbreak on their farm due to outside factors and the issue of biosecurity becomes…
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PDF Version If you raise poultry as a hobby, or on a small-scale, it’s typically not feasible to mix your own feed. Larger-scale commercial operations maintain the ability to purchase bulk amounts of the individual ingredients, plus have the equipment to grind, mix, and pellet their feed. Buying an already formulated feed from a dealer…