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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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Overview Lighting is an important management tool for small and backyard poultry flocks. Proper light levels and day‑length help regulate feed intake, growth, behavior, and egg production. LED (light‑emitting diode) bulbs have become a preferred lighting option for many poultry keepers because of their efficiency, durability, and spectrum control. In a real-world scenario, a small…
Posted in: Backyard -
Cage-free production and floor egg issues Poultry production (meat and eggs) provides cost efficient protein for human beings. Currently the U.S. is the world’s largest broiler producer (41 Billion lbs. in 2017) and the world’s 2nd largest egg producer (105 Billion table eggs in 2017). However, the U.S. egg industry is facing a number of…