NE1942: Enhancing Poultry Production Systems through Emerging Technologies and Husbandry Practices

(Multistate Research Project)

Status: Active

Project Menu

SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[09/25/2020] [09/17/2021] [09/26/2022] [08/07/2023]

Date of Annual Report: 09/25/2020

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 07/27/2020 - 07/27/2020
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2019 - 09/30/2020

Participants

• John Linhoss – Miss State - Biosystems engineering
• Tayo Adedokun - U Kentucky - Poultry nutrition, amino acids, minerals
• Kelley Wamsley - Miss State – Broiler nutrition, feed particle, amino acids
• Janice Siegford - Michigan State – Laying hen alternative housing systems
• Ken Koelkebeck U of Illinois –Laying hens, broilers extension, heat stress, management
• Tony Pescatore – U Kentucky – Poultry nutrition and Mgmt, Extension
• Pratima Adhikari – Miss State – Laying hen nutrition, management, gut health
• Shawna Weimer – U Maryland – Broiler welfare and stress physiology
• Dianna Bourassa – Auburn – Processing food safety and welfare
• Heng Wei Cheng – USDA ARS
• Jorge Vizcarra – Alabama A&M – Poultry as an animal model
• Mary Anne Amalaradjou – U Conn – Food safety, natural antimicrobials
• John Boney – Penn State – Broiler, turkey nutrition and management
• Wei Zhai – Miss State – Poultry nutrition
• Tom Vukina - NC State – Economics, integrator grower relations, welfare
• Anup Johny – U Minnesota – Food safety
• Mike Persia – Virginia Tech – Broiler, layer, and turkey nutrition
• Yang Zhao – Miss State/U Tenn – Environment, precision livestock farming
• Wilmer Pacheco – Auburn – Feed processing and broiler nutrition
• Wei Zhai – Miss State – Nutrition and gut health
• Ken Anderson – NC State – Laying hens, eggs
• Lingjuan Li – NC State – Environmental control, ag engineering
• Daniel Chesser – Miss State – Ag engineering housing design, energy efficiency
• Indu Upadhaya – U Conn – Food safety
• Paul Patterson – Penn State – Laying hens, nutrition, nutrient management
• Rajesh Jha – U Hawaii - Poultry nutrition and gut health
• Sally Noll – U Minnesota – Turkey management and nutrition

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes Attachment:

2020 NE-1942 Minutes.pdf

Accomplishments

Objective 1. Integrating technological advances into poultry systems. This will include collaborative research on incorporating engineering and technology to enhance system efficiency and sustainability through infrastructure development of blockchain production. 1a. Engineering and Technology AL - Auburn U. - Pacheco Since October 1st 2019, a total of 9 Feedstuffs articles have been published and 3 extension bulletins have been published through the Alabama Extension website. A total of 5 presentations have been presented to a wide variety of audiences including students, faculty, poultry integrators as well as to the poultry and feed industries in Indonesia and other countries in Southeast Asia. Four student interns and 3 graduate students have been trained in feed processing and poultry nutrition technology. MD - U. of Maryland - Weimer The Cocci Lesion Assessment project was a collaboration with Kate Miska at the USDA-ARS in Beltsville, MD. Broilers were challenged with coccidiosis (Emeria tenella) and the pathogenicity of the coccidial lesions were scored visually on a 0-4 scale. Digital images of the ceca were taken and the length, width, and lesion surface area were measured and calculated in ImageJ for each cecum in each image. The results from this project suggest that digital image technology has the potential to be a useful diagnostic tool to determine the pathogenicity of coccidia. The Chicken Tracking project is a collaboration with the University of Maryland Computer Science department developing algorithms to detect and predict broiler chicken behavior using deep learning neural network computer vision models. Behavior coding, video and image processing, and validation are ongoing. The aim of the Broiler Leg Health project is to establish and validate novel techniques to assess broiler leg health. We are investigating several applications for techniques to assess gait and skeletal integrity. We are currently in the early planning stages and will test prototypes in the coming months. PA - Penn State U. - Patterson   As an alternative for hatching egg sanitation, pulsed UV light was optimized for the inactivation of E. coli and Enterococcus faecium on shell eggs using a modified egg candling conveyor then tested on fertile hatching eggs. We determined PUV had no negative effects on fertility, hatchability or chick liability to 6wks and the system has promise for industrial scale-up. PA - Penn State U. - Boney   Animal feed producers are starting to implement more harsh processing techniques to control food borne pathogens and subsequent food borne illness outbreaks.  Examples of these techniques include increased steam conditioning temperatures and increased steam conditioning barrel retention time. These techniques may also improve feed milling efficiency and pellet quality. However, cost savings from improvements to physical feed quality and manufacturing efficiency is limited to the degree in which nutrients are degraded or denatured from these harsher techniques. Studying the interactions between milling efficiency, pellet quality, animal health, and performance is crucial for success in the changing poultry industry. Recent study results from the Boney lab demonstrate the ability to maintain turkey poult performance (D1-28) and bone mineralization when applying thermally aggressive processing strategies to improve feed manufacturing efficiency and pellet quality. On-farm nutrient segregation may also be affected by integrating new manufacturing techniques. Recent data from the Boney lab describes how investing in improved pellet quality can minimize nutrient segregation, providing a more similar plane of nutrition across the poultry house. Furthermore, the length of the feed line in the poultry house contributes to the degree of nutrient segregation. These consideration must be considered when investing feed quality improvements. 1b. Environmental Control and Management IL -  U. of Illinois - Koelkebeck, Gates, and Xiong Continuous Air Quality Monitoring in Alternative Laying Hen Houses. We evaluated the thermal comfort and air quality in commercial alternative layer houses, using the iPMU systems for simultaneous measurements of interior environmental parameters, including house temperature, ammonia (NH3), and carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations during cold and warm conditions. Six iPMUs were placed in three different hen houses on one site, including two aviaries (AV1 and AV2) and an enrichable cage house (EC) from February 1st to July 1st, 2019. The average daily ambient temperature ranged from -13.1 to 26.70C. The overall averaged interior air temperatures were 9.6 to 35.20C (AV1); 14.2 to 39.50C, (AV2); and 24.1 to 31.40C (EC). There was a variation in temperature distribution between the top and the bottom levels for all three houses, indicating the thermal environment was not uniform in the vertical direction. Overall, the hens in all three houses experienced THI conditions from normal to emergency categories. The average CO2 concentrations ranged from approximately 400 to 5,800 ppm for the three hen houses. During monitoring, 75% of the CO2 measurements were lower than 5,000 ppm for all three poultry houses. The NH3 concentrations recorded within the barn ranged from 2 to 54.2, 1.5 to 14.2, and 1.6 to 47.3 ppm on average, for AV1, AV2, and EC, respectively, with extreme values above 80 ppm observed during colder outside temperatures. During monitoring, 75% of the NH3 concentrations were below 60 ppm for all three houses. A variation was notable for NH3 concentrations measured between the top and bottom levels. The thermal environment and the gas concentrations in these facilities were not uniform. Both winter minimum ventilation and summer tunnel ventilation were not sufficient during some monitoring periods, and further improvement to the ventilation management strategies would be helpful. Management practices to monitor the interior thermal environment, investigate the air inlets performance (number of inlets and air velocity), adjust operational static pressure (which drives the air inlets), or which fans to operate during coldest conditions, should be considered by the producer. PA - Penn State U. Patterson Vegetative environment buffers have been studied and incorporated onto poultry farms for 5 major conservation practices: 1. For landscaping, screening and beautifying, 2. To improve air quality, 3. To improve water quality, 4. For energy conservation, and 5. For biomass production. More recently we studied the impact of buffers as cover for outdoor birds as protection from predators and the elements and their merits to enhance utilization of outdoor spaces and well-being. Objective 2. Establishing and adopting husbandry practices to a changing industry landscape. This collaborative research will encompass a multi-disciplinary approach to create a resilient poultry production system through optimal management of inputs and outputs in an ethically responsible manner. 2a. Nutritional Strategies and Feed Manufacture AL - Alabama A&M - Vizcarra The following projects were conducted: Alternatives to the skip-a-day feeding method in broiler chickens: Hemp (Cannabis sativa) supplementation Systemic infusion of acylated and des-acyl ghrelin on feed intake, weight gain, corticosterone, and growth hormone concentrations in male broiler chickens The effect of ghrelin agonists and antagonists on feed intake and animal behavior in chickens and turkeys. Corticosterone infusion and the concentrations of insulin, ghrelin and glucose in full fed and feed restricted birds Feed restriction and mild hypothermia on concentrations of ghrelin, corticosterone and pulmonary arterial pressure in broiler chickens The effect of short-term feed restriction on spatial memory: Development of a novel galliform model. IN - USDA-ARS - Cheng Dietary Synbiotic Supplementation Reduces Heat Stress in Broiler Chickens. The research was conducted in collaboration with Dr. M. Erasmus and Dr. Brad Kim (Purdue University) and Dr. G.R. Murugesan (Biomin America, Inc.). This study was to examine the effects of a dietary synbiotic supplement on growth performance and health of broiler chickens exposed to heat stress. Day-old broilers were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatments for 42 days: regular diets mixed with the synbiotic at 0, 0.5, and 1.0 g/kg feed. The results indicate that dietary supplementation increases bone growth and meat quality in broilers under a cyclic heating episode via increased bone mineral variability, inhibited bone resorption, and enhanced immunity and muscle oxidative stability. The findings provide insights for poultry meat producers and scientists to develop novel management strategies for increasing skeletal health and welfare of broilers, particularly in the areas that experience hot climates. Probiotic, Bacillus Subtilis, Prevents Injurious Behaviors and Increases Skeletal Health in Laying Hens. This study was conducted with Dr. M. Erasmus, Dr. Brad Kim and Dr. Tim Johnson (Purdue University). This project works on prevention or alleviation of social stress and related injurious behaviors and skeletal damage in laying hens by developing an animal-friendly method. The objectives of this study were 1) To determine if probiotic, bacillus subtilis, reduces social stress in caged hens via regulating the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the sympathetic-medullary-adrenal axis; 2) To examine if probiotic, bacillus subtilis, prevents social stress-induced injurious behaviors and osteoporosis in caged hens by regulating the serotonergic system via the microbiota-gut-brain axis; and 3) To determine if probiotic, bacillus subtilis, increases health status and well-being in caged hens via regulating intestinal and systemic immunity. The chicks were assigned to 1 of 3 treatments: 1) non-beak trimmed chicks fed a regular diet, 2) beak trimmed chicks fed the regular diet, and 3) probiotic-treated chicks (non- beak trimmed chicks fed the regular diet mixed with probiotic). Hens were evaluated for skeletal and foot health, feather quality, egg production traits, feed intake, causes of death, behavior, physiological responses, and gut microorganism changes. The data indicate that the dietary probiotic supplement increases skeletal health and reduces injurious behaviors in laying hens, resulting from up-regulation of brain serotonergic system and down-regulations of proinflammatory cytokines. HI - U. of Hawaii - Jha The research done in Dr. Jha's laboratory emphasizes on “Nutrition programing to improve the gut health of monogastric animals,” and “Evaluating novel feedstuffs and feed additives for their nutritional value and functional properties in pigs and poultry” using both in vivo and in vitro digestion and fermentation models. Of particular interest is “Early nutrition programming in broiler chickens” using an in ovo inoculation model. HI - U. of Hawaii - Misra Dr. Misra's lab is focused on improving the laying persistency and egg production traits. We identified the novel genes and biological pathways involved in the egg production in the oviduct of laying hens. Further, we delineated the mechanism by which environmental heat stress affects the egg production, and egg quality in the oviduct of laying hens. MN - U. of MN - Johny Our group investigated the antimicrobial efficacy of lemongrass essential oil and the major component of cinnamon oil, trans-cinnamaldehyde (TC), against Salmonella Heidelberg (SH) in ground turkey. Ground turkey was mixed with either essential oils or nothing, and the product was then inoculated with SH. SH counts after storage at refrigeration temperature showed that essential oils reduced SH by 100-fold in ground turkey. We also investigated the effect of essential oils on the cell wall of SH to understand the mechanistic basis for bacterial inactivation. Analysis under the microscope revealed that the essential oils damaged the SH cell wall, potentially resulting in its death. The results of this study indicated that essential oils show promise in reducing SH in ground turkey during refrigerated storage. Ongoing studies further explore the applications of essential oils in turkeys and ground turkey in combination with other control measures. We also investigated the potential of TC against SH on broiler drumsticks at scalding conditions intended for organic poultry processing. Broiler chicken drumsticks were inoculated with SH and were immersed in treatment water containing different concentrations of TC alone or in combination with peracetic acid (PAA) at scalding conditions. After scalding, the drumsticks were appropriately processed to obtain surviving SH populations. We also determined the efficacy of the scalding treatments against SH survival on drumsticks during chilled storage for 2 days. Additionally, the effect of the treatments on the surface color of drumsticks was evaluated. Results revealed that PAA and its combination with TC resulted in a significant reduction of SH. Moreover, the same treatments inactivated SH to non-detectable levels from the scalding water without adversely affecting the surface color of the drumsticks. The study revealed that TC could be an alternative antimicrobial for SH control in organic poultry processing. We are currently investigating the potential of TC against Salmonella on whole carcasses. Similar to the previous project, we investigated the potential of caprylic acid (CA), a medium-chain fatty acid, against SH on broiler drumsticks during scalding. All methods were similar to the project that investigated TC against SH on drumsticks. Results revealed that PAA alone or in combination with CA resulted in more than 2 log reduction on the drumsticks without affecting the surface color. More investigations are ongoing to validate the findings on whole carcasses. MS - Mississippi State - Zhai Effects of Riboflavin and Bacillus Subtilis on Blood Components of Male Broiler with or without Coccidial challenge. Probiotics, along with intestinal commensal bacteria, produce bile salt hydrolase (BSH). BSH hydrolyze conjugated bile, which depletes the emulsification capacity of bile salt and reduces lipid digestion and absorption. In this study, we hypothesized that the supplementation of extra riboflavin (as a BSH inhibitor and an antioxidant) in diet along with probiotic Bacillus subtilis minimize the adverse effects of coccidial challenge, reduce stress, and increase antioxidant enzyme. The objective was to determine the effects of riboflavin, Bacillus subtilis, and coccidial challenge on blood Heterophil to Lymphocyte (H: L) ratio, which is a stress indicator; serum superoxide dismutase (SOD), which is an antioxidant enzyme that removes superoxide to protect cells, and their relationship with the development of woody breast (WB). A total of 1,248 d-old Ross 708 male broiler were randomly assigned to 12 treatments in a 3 × 2 × 2 (riboflavin × Bacillus subtilis × cocci) arrangement, and each treatment consists of 8 replicating blocks. Diets with 3 levels of riboflavin, (0.75, 6.6 (recommended), and 20 ppm, with or without Bacillus subtilis (1.1×108 CFU/Kg) were fed to the birds. On d 14, 20× doses of commercial cocci vaccine were orally gavaged to birds in the challenged groups. On d 35, one bird per pen was selected, and blood was collected. There was no difference in the H: L ratio among the treatments. When birds were fed 6.6 ppm of riboflavin, cocci challenge lowered serum SOD levels. Eimeria spp proliferation in the intestinal cells can increase the production of free radicals (superoxide). More SOD may have been consumed to neutralize the increased free radicals in challenged birds, which resulted in lower SOD. The H:L ratio was positively correlated with the moderate WB, which indicates that increased severity of WB might have induced more stress in birds or vice versa. In conclusion, riboflavin and Bacillus subtilis did not alter the stress induced by the coccidial challenge and development of WB; however feeding different levels of riboflavin during coccidial challenge might affect birds’ antioxidation enzyme production and utilization. Eimeria Challenge and Feed Additives Affected Broiler Woody Breast Incidence. Woody breast (WB) is a common breast muscle myopathy condition in the current commercial broilers. In this study, we investigated the effects of dietary supplementation of antibiotic and probiotic on WB incidence in male and female broilers with or without cocci challenge. A total of 672 male and 672 female Ross × Ross 708 day-old chicks were randomized assigned to 12 treatments with a 3 (diet) × 2 (cocci challenge) × 2 (sex) factorial arrangement in 8 blocks. The 3 dietary treatments were: control diet (corn-soybean meal basal diet), antibiotic diet (basal diet + 6.075 mg bacitracin /kg feed), and probiotic diet (basal diet + 2.2 × 108 CFU Bacillus subtilis PB6 /kg feed). One mL 20 × cocci vaccine was orally gavaged to chicks in cocci challenge treatments on d 14. Birds in non-challenged treatments received same volume of distilled water. On d 29, 35, and 43, breast conditions in live birds were determined by palpation and grouped into Normal, Slight, Moderate, and Severe conditions by the severity of WB. Data were analyzed using 3-way ANOVA. Cocci challenge increased incidences of Moderate WB on d 29, Slight WB in male birds on d 35, and total Moderate and Severe WB on d 43. On d 43, supplementation of antibiotic or probiotic to the basal diet increased overall WB incidence in birds not receiving cocci challenge; cocci challenge increased overall WB in birds fed control diet. Birds fed antibiotic or probiotic diet exhibited higher Slight WB incidence than those fed control diet. In addition, male birds exhibited higher incidence of Slight WB on d 29, Moderate WB on d 35, and Moderate and Severe WB on d 43, as compared to female birds, which may be due to higher growth rate in male birds. In summary, on d 43, antibiotic and probiotic supplementation increased WB incidence in non cocci-challenged group; and cocci challenge increased WB incidence in birds fed control diet. Manipulation of intestinal microbial by antibiotic or probiotic administration or cocci challenge may have disrupted the original microbiome balance in the chicken gastro intestinal tract and induced stress and subsequently increased WB incidence. Effects of Nutrients Reduction on the Growth Performance and Economic Analysis of Ross 708 Broilers. Modern broilers exhibited fast growth rate, which caused poor meat quality and animal welfare problems. To decrease the growth rate, the current study investigated amino acid and energy reduction on the growth performance and economic return of Ross 708 broilers. The study used a randomized complete block design with a factorial arrangement of 12 treatments (3 energy × 4 AA). The 3 apparent metabolizable energy (AME) levels were 100, 92, and 84% of the commercial diet. The 4 levels of digestible AA (Lys, TSAA, and Thr) were 100, 90, 80, and 70% of the commercial diet. A total of 864 broilers were randomly allocated to 6 blocks. Each block contained 12 pens with 12 birds per pen. Broilers fed 70% AA and 100% AME exhibited the lowest average body weight (ABW) on d 10, 24, 34, and 41; and lower daily body weight gain (DBWG) than broilers fed 70% AA and 92% AME during d 0-10, 10-24, 24-34, and 34-41. These results suggested that AME reduction would not decrease ABW or DBWG when broilers fed low level of AA. AME or AA reduction would increase FCR. Broilers fed 84% AME exhibited higher FCR than 100% AME during d 41-48 or during d 0-10 when broilers fed 90% AA. Similarly, broiler fed 70% AA exhibited the highest FCR among all levels of AA during d 10-24. The increased FCR related with daily feed intake (DFI). Broilers fed 84 and 92% AME exhibited higher DFI than 100% AME during d 0-10 or d 41-48 when broilers fed 70% AA. Broilers fed 70% AA and 100% AME exhibited lower DFI than 11 groups during d 10-24, 9 groups during d 24-34 and d 34-41. However, nutrients reduction increased gross margin return. Broilers fed 70 or 80% AA exhibited lower feed cost/BW and higher return than 100% AA on d 41 and 55. In addition, broilers fed 84 or 92% AME exhibited lower feed cost / BW and higher return than 100% AME on d 41 and 55.In conclusion, AME or AA reduction would negatively increased DFI and FCR, but could decrease feed cost and increase return. PA - Penn State U. - Patterson Organic poultry production in the US has a sunset on the utilization of synthetic methionine in poultry diets that will severely limit poultry meat and egg production, efficient nutrient utilization and environmental sustainability. Therefore, alternative technologies and feedstuffs will be necessary to meet poultry methionine requirements into the future. We have done considerable research into Black Soldier Fly Larvae, meal and oil as alternative feedstuffs for laying hens and to document their life cycle analysis compared to traditional feedstuffs with the WWF. The larvae and meal are a concentrated source of methionine. MS - Mississippi State U. - Wamsley Establishing the digestible isoleucine requirement of Ross 708 male broilers for each feeding phase; Results:  Starter and Grower dlle requirements have been estimated using growth parameters and economic analysis. All dIle requirements were estimated using quadratic regression (95% of the asymptote; QR), as well as linear and quadratic broken line models (LBL; QBL). For the starter phase (0-18 d), estimated requirements for BW, BWG, and FCR ranged from 63 – 74 % dIle:dLys (0.76-0.90% dIle) depending upon the regression model utilized. For the grower phase (14-28 d), estimated requirements for BW, BWG, and FCR ranged from 62.22 – 69.57% dIle:dLys (0.68-0.76 % dIle) depending upon the regression model utilized. Additionally, the range for dIle:dLys for % Breast and Tender relative to Body Weight was from 63 – 84% (0.69 – 0.92% dIle). Remaining dIle requirements will be established for the finisher and withdrawal phases in the upcoming year. Evaluating the optimal dLys and AME for Cobb MV × Cobb 500 throughout growout; Pesults:  Experiment 1: Cobb MV × Cobb 500 male broilers fed HAA (1.28% dLys) during the starter phase had the lowest d 0-14 FCR and uFCR. Additionally, feeding starter diets formulated to ≤ ME (3070 kcal/kg AME) improved d 0-14 FCR, while feeding ≤ LE (2980 kcal/kg AME) improved d 0-28 FCR. Experiment 2: Feeding Cobb MV × Cobb 500 females the Grower diets formulated to ≥1.08% dLys or ≤3116 kcal/kg AME optimized breast yield (relative to d 42 carcass weight). Also, a stepwise increase in d 42 breast weight when increasing grower dLys levels from 1.00 to 1.18% was found. Feeding Cobb MV × Cobb 500 female broilers the Grower diet formulated to 1.18% dLys + 3028 kcal/kg AME (fed from 14-28 d) was the most profitable at the end of the grow-out period (d 42). The finisher phase research will be conducted in this calendar year. Response of broilers fed phytase enzymes of different optimal pH ranges alone or in combination; Results:  Three phytases (A, B and C) with unique characteristics in their sequence or IP6 hydrolysis were evaluated for complimentary action upon IP6 via combinations of A, B, and/or C. Feeding A+B+C at 240 FTU/kg led to maximized BWG beyond birds fed C at 120 FTU/kg, A+B+C at 120 FTU/kg, C at 240 FTU/kg, and A at 240 FTU/kg. Birds fed of A, B, C, A+B, B+C, or A+C had similar tibia ash % regardless of FTU/kg. Feeding A+B+C at 240 FTU/kg increased IP5. Birds fed B alone had improved Ca digestibility with increased activity fed, while those fed A alone and A+C had reduced digestibility at 240 FTU/kg. Feeding B and B+C increased P digestibility at higher phytase activities. Birds fed B, B+C, and A+B+C demonstrated improved amino acid digestibility at 240 FTU/kg, while those fed C and A+C exhibited a reduction. Future research will conduct a full grow-out with similar phytase inclusion strategies, but with higher activity levels. KY - U. of Kentucky - Pescatore and Adedokun A series of experiments to evaluate determine ways to mitigate the effects of stress in birds exposed to different types of stress ranging from coccidia vaccine to heat stress. Also, the effect of stress on energy and nutrient digestibility and utilization of diets was also investigated. Furthermore, the possibility of the removal of anti coccidia drugs from poultry diets would likely increase the possibility of gastrointestinal challenges in poultry. To this effect, we conducted a series of studies to evaluate the potential of a poultry intestinal stress related effect on several variables including digestibility, intestinal inflammation and permeability, as well as serum levels of heat shock protein in control and challenged birds. Results from these studies shows that nitrogen excretion in broilers and laying hens could be reduced by careful control of dietary nutrients during diet formulation and that intestinal stress could decrease the intestinal integrity of poultry. A study was conducted to determine the effect of dietary inorganic Zn (ZnO 80 or 30 mg Zn/kg diet) versus Zn proteinate (Bioplex® Zn, 80 or 30 mg Zn/kg diet Alltech) on keel bone damage. Birds without any deviation from normal were a 1, any deviation was given a 2; while a deviation resembling the shape of an ‘S’ was given a 3. At 29 weeks of age a score of 1 was given to 27% birds, a 2 was given to 70%, and a 3 to 3%. At the end of the 36-week period, a score of 1 was given to 8% of birds, a score of 2 to 55%, and a score of 3 to 37%. Hens receiving the lowest level of Zn as ZnO had greater incidence of keel bone deformity than with Bioplex®Zn. A study was conducted to evaluate the influence of using in ovo application of γ-tocopherol vitamin E (GTVE) on green muscle disease (GMD). Eggs were hand-injected with 100ul of canola oil or 30IU GTVE in canola oil (in mixed tocopherols 95, DSM) on ED (embryo day) 12 or 18.5. In ovo GTVE regardless of the time of ED injections reduced GMD to 45.82% compared to 62.5 and 91.58% for canola and control groups. 2b. Disease Control and Management MN - U. of Mnnesota - Noll Footpad Dermatitis in Commercial Turkeys. Footpad dermatitis is a welfare concern characterized by skin inflammation with erosion and ulceration of the footpad. Assessment at processing allows better observation. Live bird scoring (LS) is difficult due to adherence of litter but could yield important information. The study objective was to investigate agreement between LS and postmortem (PM) score. Hybrid Converter hen turkeys were housed at different stocking densities and bedding material. The footpads of 6 and 14 wk old hens (N=24 per age) were scored by two observers after minimal removal of material (LS) and then re-scored PM after sampling and storage in 10% buffered formalin resulting in a cleaner pad. Footpads were scored (Berg, 1998 0- no lesion and 2- severe) and a composite score given. One sample proportion test was used to test the agreement of LS and PM scores of the same turkey hen and age group. Spearman correlation tested the association of LS and PM scores. At 14 wk, 13, 63, and 25% of turkeys had LS score of 0, 1, and 2, respectively with average of 1.13. The average PM score was 1.13 with 33, 21, and 46% having scores of 0, 1, and 2, respectively. A moderate correlation was found between LS and PM (r=0.59, P=0.0028) and reported earlier (Furo et al., 2017). Agreement was 54% (95% CI 33, 74%). The most discrepancy in score occurred at score 1. For hens at 14 wk with a LS of 1 (N=15), three were subsequently re-scored PM as 0 and seven as 2. In conclusion, agreement between LS and PM footpad score was better for turkeys assessed at 6 wk versus 14 wk. At 14 wk, the LS and PM discrepancy at score 1 (mild lesions) indicated it was more difficult to assess perhaps due observation conditions. Thus further data collection is needed, with possible revision of current footpad scoring schemes advised. AL - Auburn U. - Bourassa Dr. Bourassa’s lab is focusing on prevention strategies to minimize the occurrence and levels of the foodborne pathogens Salmonella and Campylobacter on poultry and poultry products. Our main areas of focus have been the identification of target areas for improvements in food safety and sanitation through the use of processing plant biomapping, application of peroxyacetic acid (PAA) in combination with an acidifier for the reduction of Campylobacter during processing and on final products, and transmission of Salmonella on dust within poultry houses. Extension activities included addressing urgent concerns of the Alabama commercial poultry industry as well as the industry nationwide. This included quarterly HACCP Roundtable meetings where industry personnel and FSIS can come together to discuss current regulatory issues. In addition to serving the poultry industry, both public and youth groups were served through programming including youth poultry judging training and contests (4-H and FFA). AL - Auburn U. - Macklin Dr. Macklin's Lab research has focused primarily around on farm - Salmonella mitigation strategies as well as exploring novel Salmonella recovery methods. To date windrow composting as well as the use of an organic acid salt have shown promise in reducing this pathogen in the environment. Results from the novel Salmonella recovery had shown that surgical shoe covers were the most effective; however, in research setting repurposed paint rollers were almost as effective and under research pen trials much easier to perform. Some additional ongoing research is looking at the effect coccidiosis infection has on Salmonella colonization. This research is ongoing. Concluded research that was performed with the feed milling specialist was a survey of feed mills in Alabama with the goal of determining the bacterial levels associated with feed and its ingredients. Results of that study had shown the recovery of no Salmonella, though based on E. coli recovery it is possible if the feed mill and finished feed is poorly managed/handled. In addition, several spore forming Clostridia and Bacillus survived the pelleting process. These bacteria originated from currently utilized ingredients or had persisted in the feed mill from previous used ingredients. These findings show that proper feed mill cleaning is important and if a pathogenic spore former is present crucial to reduce the chance of spreading it to flocks being fed feed from that mill. Whole genome sequencing is being conducted to identify any potential toxins being produced by these bacteria. Extension activities included addressing urgent concerns of the Alabama commercial poultry industry as well as the industry nationwide. Educating feed mill managers on the best management practices that should be in place for proper storage and manufacturing of feed in order to minimize any potential animal and human health issues that may arise. Working with poultry veterinarians on methods to reduce and/or control the spread of protozoal and bacterial pathogens. In addition to serving the poultry industry, both public and youth groups were served through programming including youth poultry judging training and contests (4-H and FFA). Educating backyard/small flock poultry producers on how to raise and manage their animals, proper handling, regulatory requirement and methods for converting live birds to meat products. GA - U. of Georgia - Thippareddi and Bekkers  The focus of Dr. Thippareddi’s lab is to mitigate the risk of Salmonella and Campylobacter prevalence and concentrations as well as the antimicrobial resistance in those pathogens in poultry and poultry products throughout the poultry production processing continuum. The main areas of focus are to identify and evaluate methods to reduce the concentrations at the production related to the broiler environment (water, feed, litter and air), manipulation of poultry gut microbiome through use of pre- and probiotics and other feed/water ingredients unit operations at processing from loading through further processing of products. MD - U. of Maryland - Weimer The aim of the Salmonella Project is to evaluate the differences in the susceptibility of conventional and slow-growing broilers to a Salmonella typhimurium Samples have been collected but processing and analysis have been paused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The results from this project will provide data on the impact of growth rate on resident intestinal microbiota and the effect of a pathogen challenge on intestinal microbiome response. 2c. Physiological Responses to Environment and Welfare MD - U. of Maryland - Weimer Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Weimer was working with Delmarva integrators on applied research projects as well as providing technical assistance with animal welfare program assessments. These activities will resume once UMD approves resumption of extension. MI - Michigan State U. - Siegford and Swanson Research in the Animal Behavior and Welfare Group under Dr. Siegford and Dr. Swanson falls predominantly under NE-1942 Objective 2c: Establishing and adopting husbandry practices to a changing industry landscape: Physiological Response to Environment and Welfare. In particular, their work focuses on examining alternative housing systems and space, including access to litter, on the behavior of laying hens. Recent projects have examined how different commercial strains of laying hens respond to an aviary environment. Their work has demonstrated that white hens show more use of perches to roost, nests to lay eggs and litter for dust bathing compared to brown hens, which lay eggs within a shorter window and typically have more space between themselves and other hens. Most recently, PhD candidate Tessa Grebey’s work is examining differences in dust bathing among strains of hens as impacted by social context, litter restriction and time of day. Dr. Siegford also works with colleagues examining how various types of precision livestock farming technology, ranging from body worn sensors to computer vision, could be used to provide information on individual laying hens to reduce damaging behavior and to better meet birds’ needs. Dr. Swanson serves on the Scientific Advisory Committee of the United Egg Producers to ensure that laying hen standards, including those that apply to hens in alternative housing systems, are based on science. PA - Penn State U. - Boney Pennsylvania’s proximity to large population centers along the east coast and their ever-changing demands explains the diversity of the poultry industry in the state. Animal welfare organizations have marketed their practices as superior. Scientifically evaluating these practices to ensure animal welfare improvement is imperative. Furthermore, re-evaluating husbandry practices within the bounds of the welfare organization of choice may maximize both profit potential and animal welfare. These data can be used by integrators when deciding which voluntary programs they wish to use. A recent study compared commercial lighting programs and programs associated with a nationally recognized animal welfare organization. Study results demonstrated how turkey poult performance and bone mineralization can be affected by lighting programs. Additional research in this area would greatly benefit the industry. CA - U. of California-Davis - Blatchford, Makagon, and Xiang The group at University of California, Davis engaged in research in the areas of poultry behavior, poultry welfare and meat science. The group conducted several projects to the use of commercially available sensors for automated tracking of poultry. These projects aimed to enhance our understanding of the effects of ectoparasites on laying hen behavior, the potential for using acoustic sensors to track movement, and whether hen-mounted sensors impact hen behavior. Additionally, the group completed a study of the impacts of rearing on the behavior of hens in enriched colony cages, and initiated a study into the effects of access to vertical space during rearing on the incidence of keel bone fractures as laying hens, cognitive development, and bone development. A systematic literature review about the impacts of housing on keel bone fracture prevalence was also completed. Research evaluating the trade- offs and relative reliabilities of animal-based welfare assessment strategies for commercial ducks was brought to completion. The group’s meat program evaluated the effect of chilling methods (water chilling vs. air chilling) on the shelf life of bone-in and boneless chicken breast. A novel microbiome tool was developed to determine the shelf life of chicken product from this project. The tracking individual birds in large flocks has long been a constraint in studying the behavior and welfare of poultry flocks. Automated recording of individuals allows for this tracking and provides both individual and flock based measures. When these sensors are well developed they may also provide less labor intensive monitoring of flocks for producers. However, before sensors can replace behavioral observations, it is important to ensure that the sensors produce accurate data and that their presence does not affect bird behavior or welfare. High prevalence of keel bone fractures among egg laying hens is an important and global poultry welfare concern. A recent systematic review of literature on this topic completed by our group has highlighted the need for research comparing assessment methods to facilitate comparison of data from different research labs. The need for work on developmental aspects of keel bone damage was also highlighted. Our group is conducting research to fill both of these knowledge gaps. Commercially raised ducks have received relatively little scientific attention from the animal welfare assessment standpoint. Although duck welfare assessments are conducted in research and production settings, there have been few efforts to evaluate the reliability and accuracy of the welfare assessment protocols used. A scientific comparison of welfare assessment strategies for ducks provides assurances about the relative accuracy of commonly used assessment strategies, and allows for benchmarking of the welfare of ducks in relation to management strategies. A systematic evaluation of the two chilling methods has provided to poultry industry. The evaluation included shelf life of chicken, energy usage and economic impact. Scientific evidence was provided from this project to industrial partners, assisting with the decision-making if they want to shift the chilling method from one to another. 2d. Housing Systems MN - U. of Minnesota - Noll Partial Slotted Flooring (PSF) System for Market Turkey Toms. Market turkey toms were reared in PSF system from 6 to 18 wks of age. Red Rooster Double L Classic Plastic Flooring was installed to form 30% of the total floor area (with a pit underneath to collect waste) with the remaining floor area with bedding. Feeders and waterers were placed over the flooring to maximize waste collection. The control treatment was 100% of the floor area with bedding. The trial examined the influence of stocking density on turkey performance, carcass quality and litter characteristics due to previous observations that the turkeys spend most of their time in the bedded areas as compared to the area with flooring. Performance and carcass quality were similar between flooring treatments. Feed efficiency improved as stocking density decreased. Foot pad scores were more severe for turkeys at increased stocking density or reared on the conventionally bedded pens. Research supported by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. MD - U. of MD - Eastern Shore - Moyle The following activities were done: On farm field day for training growers and allied industry (450+ attendees) on improving farm management, including: information controller management, environmental controls, litter management and government regulations. Used thermal camera to show how migration fences can effect ventilation during hot weather. Held trainings for growers (and techs 100+) on how to manage their controllers to improve house performance and efficiency. Evaluated noise reduction benefits of vegetative buffers. Management workshop for new growers. NC - NC State U. - Vukina Vote vs. Buy Gap in Case of Californian Battery-cage Ban. The objective of this research is to analyze the conditions under which individuals, nearly all of whom regularly consume animal products (for example eggs) may support legislation that requires farm production practices that result in improvements in perceived animal welfare. In many cases, individuals support such legislation even though these production practices increase farm costs and cause higher prices for all consumers. For example, more than 60% of the voters in California supported the ban on production of eggs with hens kept in cages, however their revealed willingness to pay for cage-free eggs is actually low and the projected social welfare loss is very large. We are in the process of developing an economic model that will explain this discrepancy between the voting and purchasing decisions and test the propositions of the theoretical model with the precinct level data on Proposition 2 referendum in California. NC - NC State U. - Anderson The egg industry is moving towards extensive production systems with a current estimate of 75 mil hens in cage free systems. This is to meet the desire of Retail consumers for this product however, individual family consumer demand has slowed due to the increased egg prices associated with this shift. These changes have been documented to not improve the welfare of the hens or the safety of the food they produce in systems which are more “humane”. Problem is that the consumers are far removed from production agriculture and don’t understand the inherent issues associated with animal production and the risks to the animal in more extensive systems North Carolina Layer Performance and Management Test extension program has been on-going for 61 years in cooperation with the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and the Primary Breeders of Commercial Egg Strains. The 40th NCLPMT Final Report Vol 40 No. 5 was published in July 2019. The NCLP&MT was designed to examine the strain by production system performance in an unbiased manner for egg producers in North Carolina and throughout the world. The test provided insight to egg companies to understand potential problems related to the management of the different genetic strains of white and brown egg layers that they may experience. These strains are commercially available in production systems used in the US and Europe. The results were disseminated to communities of interest via electronic means for the first time. This actually increased the audience. The reports are maintained on a web site and open to the regional, national, and international egg producers. The information is also used as the basis for training at regional and national meetings for the egg industry. The increased electronic communications have enhanced the reach of the project and continues to expand. The International Breeder Companies has deemed the NCLP&MT not relevant to the industry resulting them pulling their support. However, producers located around the world still value the information as indicators of strain by environment interactions. Research has also been focused on internal parasites in cage free and free range systems. What was accomplished under these goals? The 40th NCLP&MT final report includes non-feed- withdrawal program in all production systems without the use of any light restriction. Both White and Brown egg layers participated in the research project at the Piedmont Research Station. The hens in all systems experienced a respite from egg production with a 20% body weight loss in extensive production systems in White and Brown Egg Strains. The hen blood chemistry, stress physiology, livability and subsequent productivity of the hens having undergoing the non-anorexic molt are the key aspects along with taking into account the costs of feed and management. These costs may be more than compensated for by the expected reduction in mortality and increased salable eggs produced under the non-anorexic program which would provide additional monetary returns. There appears to be products which will reduce the incidence of internal parasites in range systems KY - U. of Kentucky - Pescatore and Adedokun Experiments were conducted laying flocks in commercial situations. The first experiment assessed whether movements of free-range laying hens were influenced by changing the locations of movable habitat enrichments, the research demonstrated moving shade in a range affected laying hen movement and location within the range. The second experiment identified a correlation between personality attributes of a stockman and flock productivity and developed a regression using production and personality parameters that yielded an 81.85% predictability of expected results. Key personality traits were emotional control and the relationship between detail orientation and assertiveness.

Publications

AL – Bourassa Harris, C.E., L.N. Bartenfeld, D.V. Bourassa, B.D. Fairchild, B.H. Kiepper, and R.J. Buhr. Evaluation of drinking water antimicrobial interventions on water usage, feed consumption, and Salmonella retention in broilers following feed and water withdrawal. J. Appl. Poult. Res. 28:699-711. Talorico, A.A., J.T. Krehling, K.S. Chasteen, L. R. Munoz, A. Pal, M. Bailey, D.V. Bourassa, and K.S. Macklin. Effect of windrow composting on Salmonella Enteriditis persistence in poultry litter. PSA Annual Meeting, July 15-18, 2020. Virtual. Pal, A., M. Bailey, A. A. Talorico, J.T. Krehling, K.S. Macklin, and D.V. Bourassa. Examination of poultry litter as a potential source for airborne pathogens. PSA Annual Meeting, July 15-18, 2020. Virtual. Bourassa, D.V., A. Giron, K.L. Woods, W.J. Pacheco, and K.S. Macklin. 2020. Mejora de la calidad e inocuidad de huevos en pequeños gallineros. ACES ANR-2657. Bourassa, D.V., K.L. Woods, W.J. Pacheco, and K.S. Macklin. 2020. Enhancing egg quality and safety in small flocks. ACES ANR-2642. Norton, R.A., K.S. Macklin, and D.V. Bourassa. What is the current state of the food supply? Poultry Times. V: 67 N: 12 June 08, 2020. Norton, R.A., S. Rodning, E. Monu, D.V. Bourassa, A. Tigue, and J. Sawyer. Impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the meat industry and food safety. Food Safety Magazine. eNewsletter. June 16, 2020. Norton, R.A., K.S. Macklin, and D.V. Bourassa. Poultry science professors comment on food supply, poultry processing operations. WATT AgNet.com press release. May 5, 2020.<a href="%20https:/www.wattagnet.com/articles/40231-poultry-science-professors-comment-"> https://www.wattagnet.com/articles/40231-poultry-science-professors-comment-</a><a href="https://www.wattagnet.com/articles/40231-poultry-science-professors-comment-on-food-supply-poultry-processing-operations"> on-food-supply-poultry-processing-operations</a> Growing America press release. May 5, 2020. <a href="https://www.growingamerica.com/news/2020/05/auburn-university-poultry-science-professors-comment-food-supply-poultry-processing-operations">https://www.growingamerica.com/news/2020/05/auburn-university-poultry-</a><a href="https://www.growingamerica.com/news/2020/05/auburn-university-poultry-science-professors-comment-food-supply-poultry-processing-operations"> science-professors-comment-food-supply-poultry-processing-operations</a> Geneva County Reaper. May 5, 2020. <a href="https://www.oppnewsonline.com/2020/05/01/poultry-science-professors-comment-on-food-supply-poultry-processing-operations/">https://www.oppnewsonline.com/2020/05/01/poultry-science-professors-</a><a href="https://www.oppnewsonline.com/2020/05/01/poultry-science-professors-comment-on-food-supply-poultry-processing-operations/"> comment-on-food-supply-poultry-processing-operations/</a> Bourassa, D.V. Bacteria on eggshells can be a concern. Chicken Whisperer Magazine. Spring 2020. Bourassa, D.V. Substantial impact of septicemia/toxemia carcass condemnations. WOGS Newsletter, June 2020. Bourassa, D.V. Factors impacting frequency of dead on arrival (DOAs). WOGS Newsletter, May 2020. Bourassa, D.V. Suggestions for employee safety during the COVID-19 pandemic. WOGS Newsletter, March 2020. Bourassa, D.V. Biomapping for better process control. WOGS Newsletter, February 2020. Bourassa, D.V. Impact of chilling rate on incidence of spaghetti breast. WOGS Newsletter, November 2019. Bourassa, D.V. Minimizing the cropper as a source for carcass contamination. WOGS Newsletter, October 2019. Hall, M., D.V. Bourassa, and A. Fanatico. Slaughter and processing of poultry. Small and Backyard Poultry eXtension Webinar. June 16, 2020. AL - Macklin Macklin, K.S., and R. Hauck, ed., Overview of Helminthiasis in Poultry, in the 12th edition of The Merck Veterinary Manual. 2019. Merial Select, Inc., Duluth, GA.<a href="https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/helminthiasis/helminthiasis-in-poultry"> https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/helminthiasis/helminthiasis-in-poultry</a> Poudel, A., T. Hathcock, P. Butaye, Y. Kang, S. Price, K. Macklin, P. Walz, R. Cattley, A. Kalalah, F. Adekanmbi and C. Wang. 2020. Comparison of microbiota, antimicrobial resistance genes and mobile genetic elements in flies and the feces of sympatric animals. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 96 (4), 1-13. Hamilton, M., X. Ma, B. McCrea, M. Carrisosa, K. Macklin, C. Zhanf, X. Wang and R. Hauck. 2020. Influence of Eimeria spp. infection on chicken jejunal microbiota and the efficacy of two alternative products against the infection. Avian Disease, 64 (2), 123-129. Muñoz, L., W. J. Pacheco, J. Krehling, K. Chasteen, A. Tailorico, L. Brooks, J. Evatt, and K. Macklin. 2020. Evaluation of commercially manufactured animal feeds to determine presence of Salmonella, E. coli, and Clostridium perfringens. International Poultry Science Forum Abstract M127, Atlanta, GA. Jan. 27-28, 2020. Carrisosa, M., K. Macklin, C. Wang and R. Hauck. 2020. Development and application of a multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) scheme for Eimeria maxima. International Poultry Science Forum Abstract M31, Atlanta, GA. Jan. 27-28, 2020. Herron, C., K. Macklin and A. Morey. 2020. New food safety challenges facing the poultry and meat industry with the advent of online meal delivery services. International Poultry Science Forum Abstract P217, Atlanta, GA. Jan. 27-28, 2020. Chasteen, K., K. Macklin, J. Krehling, L. Munoz and A. Talorico. 2020. The effect of low pH formic acid salts on litter performance. International Poultry Science Forum Abstract P264, Atlanta, GA. Jan. 27-28, 2020. (25%). Padgett, J., P. Price, T. Gaydos, R. Berghaus, J. Baxter, C. Hofacre, M. Sims and K. Macklin. 2020. Strategies to reduce colonization of Salmonella Enteritidis in layers. International Poultry Science Forum Abstract P275, Atlanta, GA. Jan. 27-28, 2020. Haiderer, H.E., J. Krehling, L. Munoz, A. Talorico and K.S. Macklin. 2020. Evaluating roller swabs for Salmonella spp. detection. AU Student Research Forum. Auburn, AL. May 15, 2020. Virtual. Talorico, A.A., J.T. Krehling, K.S. Chasteen, L. R. Munoz, A. Pal, M. Bailey, D.V. Bourassa, and K.S. Macklin. Effect of windrow composting on Salmonella Enteritidis persistence in poultry litter. PSA Annual Meeting, July 15-18, 2020. Virtual. Pal, A., M. Bailey, A. A. Talorico, J.T. Krehling, K.S. Macklin, and D.V. Bourassa. Examination of poultry litter as a potential source for airborne pathogens. PSA Annual Meeting, July 15-18, 2020. Virtual. Bourassa, D. B., A. Giron, K. L. Woods, W. J. Pacheco, and K. S. Macklin. 2020. Mejora de la calidad e inocuidad de huevos en pequeños gallineros. Alabama A&M & Auburn Universities Extension. ANR-2657. Bourassa, D. B., K. L. Woods, W. J. Pacheco, and K. S. Macklin. 2020. Enhancing Egg Quality and Safety in Small Flocks. Alabama A&M & Auburn Universities Extension. ANR-2642. Macklin, K. S., S. Bonilla, W. J. Pacheco, and D. B. Bourassa. 2019. Bioseguridad para las aves de traspatio. Alabama A&M & Auburn Universities Extension. ANR-2611. Macklin, K.S., D.V. Bourassa, and W.J. Pacheco. Raising chickens for fun. Alabama Cooperative Extension Service, Elmore County, Wetumpka, AL. February 24, 2020. AL - Pacheco Fahrenholz, A. C., W. J. Pacheco, C. R. Stark. 2020. Transportation: The mobile arm of your facility. Feedstuffs. Vol. 92(06). Stark, C. R., A. C. Fahrenholz, W. J. Pacheco. 2020. Preventing dust explosions a must. Feedstuffs. Vol. 92(05), page 28. Pacheco, W. J., Fahrenholz, A. C., and C. R. Stark. 2020. Understanding bulk density important. Feedstuffs. Vol. 92(04), page 28. Fahrenholz, A. C., C. R. Stark, and W. J. Pacheco. 2020. Importance of infrastructure systems emphasized. Feedstuffs. Vol. 92(03), page 28. Fahrenholz, A. C., C. R. Stark, and W. J. Pacheco. 2020. Keep infrastructure, material handling systems tiptop. Feedstuffs. Vol. 92(02), page 28. Pacheco, W. J., Fahrenholz, A. C., and C. R. Stark. 2020. Tips for feed conditioning, cooling in winter. Feedstuffs. Vol. 92(01), page 28. Stark, C. R., A. C. Fahrenholz, W. J. Pacheco. 2019. FSMA CGMPs Check Up - Part. Feedstuffs. Vol. 91(12), page 28. Stark, C. R., A. C. Fahrenholz, W. J. Pacheco. 2019. FSMA CGMPs Check Up - Part. Feedstuffs. Vol. 91(11), page 28. Pacheco, W. J., Fahrenholz, A. C., and C. R. Stark. 2019. Post-pellet liquid application systems 101. Feedstuffs. Vol. 91(10), page 32. Bourassa, D. B., A. Giron, K. L. Woods, W. J. Pacheco, and K. S. Macklin. 2020. Mejora de la calidad e inocuidad de huevos en pequeños gallineros. Alabama A&M & Auburn Universities Extension. ANR-2657. Ovi, F., W. J. Pacheco, C. Starkey, and M. Rueda. 2020. Effect of different inclusion levels of whole corn from 14 to 42 days on productive and processing performance of broilers. Abstr. M52. International Poultry Scientific Forum. Rueda, M., S. Bonilla, C. de Souza, F. Ovi, J. Starkey, C. Starkey, J. Cueva-Caldas, and W. J. Pacheco. 2020. Evaluation of particle size, feed form and pellet diameter on broiler performance and processing yield from 1 to 39 days of age. Abstr. M53. International Poultry Scientific Forum. AL – A&M – Vizcarra Ceron-Romero, N., A. Thomas, E. Vroonland, K. Sanmartin, M. Verghese, E. Heinen and J.A. Vizcarra. 2020. The effect of a Ghrelin Receptor Agonist (Capromorelin) on Feed Intake and Body Weight Gain in Broiler Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). Poultry Science (under review). Taofeek, N. O., N. Chimbetete, N. Ceron-Romero, F. Vizcarraa, M. Verghese and J. A Vizcarra. 2020. The effect of systemic infusion of acylated and des-acyl ghrelin on feed intake, weight gain, corticosterone, and growth hormone concentrations in male broiler chickens. Poultry Science (prepared to be submitted). Sanmartin-Castillo, K., E. Vroonland, N. Ceron, N. Taofeek, L. Swanson, M. Verghese, and J. Vizcarra. 2020. The Effect of a ghrelin receptor agonist (capromorelin) on Feed and Water Intake, Body Weight Gain and Animal Behavior in Female Broad Breasted White Turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). Poultry Science Annual Meeting (Abstract). Taofeek, N., Ceron-Romero, K. Sanmartin, E Embden, T. Smith, A. Thomas, O. Cintron, E. Vroonland, M. Verghese, and J. Vizcarra. 2020. The effect of short term feed restriction and refeeding on ghrelin, growth hormone, glucose, insulin, and corticosterone concentrations in male broiler chickens. Poultry Science Annual Meeting (Abstract). Ceron-Romero, N., Taofeek, A. Thomas, K. Sanmartin, E. Vroonland, M. Verghese, and J. Vizcarra. 2020. The effect of corticosterone infusion on the concentrations of insulin, ghrelin and glucose in full fed and feed restricted birds (Gallus gallus domesticus). Poultry Science Annual Meeting (Abstract). Thomas, A., T. Smith, K. Muse, N. Merrell, B. Mosley, M. Paris, N. Ceron, N. Taofeek, P. Sanmartin, E. Vroonland, E. Cebert, J. Boateng, S. Ogutu, M. Verghese and J. Vizcarra. 2020. The effect of Hemp (Cannabis sativa) supplementation to the Skip-a-Day Feeding Method in Broiler Chickens: 1: Animal Behavior. STEM Day 2020. Alabama A&M University. Smith, T., A. Thomas, , K. Muse, N. Merrell, B. Mosley, M. Paris, N. Ceron, N. Taofeek, P. Sanmartin, E. Vroonland, E. Cebert, J. Boateng, S. Ogutu, M. Verghese and J. Vizcarra. 2020. The effect of Hemp (Cannabis sativa) supplementation to the Skip-a-Day Feeding Method in Broiler Chickens: 2: Animal Performance. STEM Day 2020. Alabama A&M University. Chimbetete, S. Willis, L. Shackelford, J. Vizcarra and M. Verghese. 2020. The Anti- Obesity and Anti-Diabetic Effect of Hibiscus Sabdariffa in Combination with Probiotics in Sprague Dawley Rats. Institute of Food Technologists (Abstract) Ceron-Romero, N, N. Taofeek, A. Thomas, J. Johnson, R. Winter, M. Verghese, and J. Vizcarra. 2020. The Effect of Feed Restriction on Pulmonary Pressure and Hormones Related to Energy Metabolism in a Galliform Model (Gallus gallus domesticus). Taofeek, N., N. Ceron-Romero, A. Thomas, E. Vroonland, M. Verghese, and J.A. Vizcarra. 2019. The effect of Short-Term Feed Restriction on Spatial Memory: Development of a Novel Galliform Model. 2019. Aging Symposium. The University of Alabama at Birmingham Abstract p41. Ceron-Romero, N, N. Taofeek, A. Thomas, H. Chance, E. Vroonland, M. Verghese, and J. Vizcarra. 2019. The Effect of ghrelin antagonist (D-Lys3) GHRP-6 on feed intake in broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). STEM Day 2019. Alabama A&M University. Abstract #18. Ceron-Romero, N, N. Taofeek, A. Thomas, J. Johnson, R. Winter, M. Verghese, and J. Vizcarra. 2019. The Effect of Feed Restriction and Mild Hypothermia on Concentrations of Ghrelin, Corticosterone and Pulmonary Arterial Pressure in Broiler Chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus). Association of Research Directors. Jacksonville, FL. CA – UC-Davis Belk, A. D., Duarte, T.L., Quinn, C., Coil, D. A., Belk, K. E., Eisen, J.A., Quinn, J.C., Martin, J.N., Yang, X., Metcalf, J. L. (2020). Air versus water chilling of chicken: a pilot study of quality, shelf-life, microbial ecology, and economics. Microbiome. Under Review Murillo, A.C., Abdoli, A., Blatchford, R.A., Keogh, E.J., Gerry, A.C. (2020). Parasitic mites alter chicken behaviour and negatively impact animal welfare. Scientific Reports, 10, 8236. Pullin, A.N., Temple, S.M., Bennet, D.C., Rufener, C.B., Blatchford, R.A., Makagon, M.M. (2020). Pullet rearing affects collisions and perch use in enriched colony cage layer housing. Animals. In Press. Tracy, L.M., Temple, S.M., Bennet, D.C., Sprayberry, K.M., Makagon, M.M., and Blatchford, R.A. (2019). The reliability and accuracy of palpation, radiography, and sonography for the detection of keel bone damage. Animals, 9, 894. Rufener, C. and M.M. Makagon. (2020). Keel bone fractures in laying hens: a systematic review of prevalence across age, housing systems and strains. INVITED REVIEW. J. An. Sci. doi: 10.1093/jas/skaa145 Abdelfattah, E., G. Vezzoli and M.M. Makagon. (2020). On-farm welfare assessment of commercial Pekin duck: A comparison of methods. Poult. Sci.99: 689-697 Belk, A.D., Duarte, T.L., Coil, D., Belk, K.E., Eisen, J., Yang, X., Martin, J., Metcalf, J.L. (2019). Utilizing microbiome and bioinformatic tools to reduce food waste in poultry. AMSA 72nd Reciprocal Meat Conference, Fort Collins, CO. Duarte, T.L., Belk, A., Martin, J.N., Belk, K., Eisen, J., Coil, D., Metcalf, J.L., Yang, X. (2019). A comparison of water chilling and air chilling on poultry shelf life. AMSA 72nd Reciprocal Meat Conference, Fort Collins, CO. Maja M. Makagon, Allison N. Pullin, Mieko Temple, Darin C. Bennett, and Richard A. Blatchford. Behavior of laying hens reared in cage versus aviary pullet systems. Poultry Science, 98(E-suppl. 1). Wood, B, Makagon, MM & Blatchford, RA. Is scatter feeding enriching for broiler chicks? Poultry Science, 98(E-suppl. 1). Wood, B, Rufener, C, Blatchford, RA, Makagon, MM. Scatter feeding as a viable form of enrichment for commercial broiler chickens. Poultry Science, 98(E-suppl. 1). Budeguer, Z, Rufener, C, Makagon, MM. Does wearing sensors affect perching behavior of laying hens? Poultry Science, 98(E-suppl. 1). Pullin, AN, Temple, M, Bennett, DC, Rufener, C, Blatchford, RA & Makagon, MM. Pullet rearing affects long-term perch use by laying hens in enriched colony cages. Proceedings of the 53rd Congress of the International Society of Applied Ethology (ISAE).Tracy, L.M, Temple, M, Bennett, DC, Srayberry, KA, Makagon, MM & Blatchford, RA. The reliability of palpation, x-ray, and ultrasound techniques for the detection of keel bone damage. Poultry Science, 98(E-suppl. 1). GA Kumar, S., Singh, M., Cosby, D.E., Cox, N.A. and Thippareddi, H., 2020. Efficacy of peroxy acetic acid in reducing Salmonella and Campylobacter spp. populations on chicken breast fillets. Poult. Sci. 99:2655-2661 Singh, M., Rama, E.N., Kataria, J., Leone, C. and Thippareddi, H., 2020. Emerging meat processing technologies for microbiological safety of meat and meat products. Meat and Muscle Biology, 4(2). Ramirez-Hernandez, A., Bugarel, M., Kumar, S., Thippareddi, H., Brashears, M.M. and Sanchez-Plata, M.X., 2019. Phenotypic and genotypic characterization of antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella strains isolated from chicken carcasses and parts collected at different stages during processing. Journal of food protection, 82:1793-1801. Sasikala Vaddu, Sudhir Yadav, Brian Jordan, Casey Ritz, and Harshavardhan Thippareddi. 2020. Effect of moisture content and holding temperature of poultry litter on the viability of Eimeria oocysts. PSA Annual Meeting, July 15-18, 2020. Virtual. Effect of pH on PAA efficacy in reducing foodborne pathogens on chicken wings. PSA Annual Meeting, July 15-18, 2020. Virtual. Sasikala Vaddu, Avani Gouru, Manpreet Singh and Harshavardhan Thippareddi. 2020. Microbiological quality and safety of chicken parts from salvage line during poultry processing. International Association for Food Protection, October 2020. Rama, Estefania Novoa, Matthew Bailey, Sanjay Kumar, Cortney Leone, Harshavardhan Thippareddi, and Manpreet Singh. Distribution and prevalence of Salmonella in conventional and no antibiotics ever broiler farms. International Poultry Scientific Forum, Atlanta, GA. January 2020. Rama, Estefania Novoa, Matthew Bailey, Sanjay Kumar, Henk C. den-Bakker, Harshavardhan Thippareddi, and Manpreet Singh. Characterizing the gut microbiome of commercial broilers raised with and without antibiotics. International Poultry Scientific Forum, Atlanta, GA. January 2020. Rama, Estefania Novoa, Cortney Leone, Sanjay Kumar, Matthew Bailey, Harshavardhan Thippareddi, and Manpreet Singh. Antimicrobial resistance of Salmonella and Campylobacter in conventional and no antibiotic ever broiler farms. Food Microbiology Annual Conference, Athens, Greece. October 2020.   Manpreet Singh and Harshavardhan Thippareddi. 2020. Biomapping:  An effective tool for pathogen control during poultry processing. C1200. Manpreet Singh and Harshavardhan Thippareddi. 2020. Biosecurity for on-farm pathogen control in poultry. C1195.  Manpreet Singh and Harshavardhan Thippareddi. 2020. Validating antimicrobial interventions in poultry processing. C1204. Harshavardhan Thippareddi and Manpreet Singh. 2020. Best Practices for Poultry Processing Safety. May 21, 2020. 11:00 am to 12:00 pm Webinar. HI – Jha Zhang, K. Cai, R. Mishra, and R. Jha. 2020. In ovo supplementation of chitooligosaccharide and chlorella polysaccharide affect cecal microbial community, metabolic pathways, and fermentation metabolites in broiler chickens. Poultry Science (accepted). Singh, K., U. P. Tiwari, J. D. Berrocoso, Y. Dersjant-Li, A. Awati, and R. Jha. 2019. Effect of a combination of xylanase, amylase, and protease and probiotics on major nutrients including amino acids and non-starch polysaccharides utilization in broilers fed different level of fibers. Poultry Science, 98:5571-5581. Yadav, B., R. Mishra, and R. Jha. 2019. 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Assessment of novel water treatment equipment (H2Oelite) on broiler performance, tibia ash and mineral digestibility, (E-Suppl. 1). Poult Sci. Wamsley, K. G.S., Pilgrims Feed Mill Manger Meeting, "Crumb Quality: Increasing Starter Average Feed Particle Size to Optimize Broiler Performance," Pilgrims Pride, Chattanooga, TN. (June 12, 2019). Wamsley, K. G.S., XXIth Massey/Industry Technical Conference, "Increasing Starter Average Feed Particle Size to Optimize Broiler Performance: Journey to Determining the Optimal Starter Feed Particle Size," Massey University, Palmerston North, NZ. (May 21, 2019). Wamsley, K. G.S. 80th Minnesota Nutrition Conference, “Response of broilers fed phytase enzymes alone or in combination,” University of Minnesota. Mankato, MN. (Sept 2019) NC Beckstead, R. B., K. Anderson, and L. R. McDougald (2020) Oviduct fluke (Prostagonimus macrorchis) found inside a chicken egg in North Carolina. Avian Diseases: Posted on line April 2020. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1637/aviandiseases-D-20-00021">https://doi.org/10.1637/aviandiseases-D-20-00021</a> Toomer, O.T., E. Sanders, T.C. Vu, M.L. Livingston, B.Wall, R.D. Malheiros, L.V. Carvalho, K.A. Livingston, P.R. Ferket,and K.E. Anderson, 2020. Potential Transfer of Peanut and/or Soy Proteins from Poultry Feed to the Meat and/or Eggs Produced. ACS Omega 2020, 5, 1080−1085. Jones, D.R., Gast, R.K., Regmi, P., Ward, G.E., Anderson, K.E., and Karcher, D.M. 2020. Pooling of laying hen environmental swabs and efficacy of Salmonella spp. detection. J Food Prot. 2020 Feb 6. doi: 10.4315/JFP-19-467. [Epub ahead of print] Gast, R. K., Regmi, P., Guraya, R., Jones, D. R., Anderson, K. E., & Karcher, D. M. (2019). Colonization of internal organs by Salmonella Enteritidis in experimentally infected laying hens of four commercial genetic lines in conventional cages and enriched colony housing. Poultry Science, 98(4), 1785–1790. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pey541 Gast, R. K., Regmi, P., Guraya, R., Jones, D. R., Anderson, K. E., & Karcher, D. M. (2019). Contamination of eggs by Salmonella Enteritidis in experimentally infected laying hens of four commercial genetic lines in conventional cages and enriched colony housing. Poultry Science, 98(10), 5023–5027. https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pez222 Toomer, O. T., Hulse-Kemp, A. M., Dean, L. L., Boykin, D. L., Malheiros, R., & Anderson, K. E. (2019). Feeding high-oleic peanuts to layer hens enhances egg yolk color and oleic fatty acid content in shell eggs. Poultry Science, 98(4), 1732–1748. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pey531">https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pey531</a> Kidd, M T and K E Anderson. 2019. Laying hens in the U.S. market: An appraisal of trends from the beginning of the 20th century to present. JAPR 28: 8 (4), 771-784, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3382/japr/pfz043">https://doi.org/10.3382/japr/pfz043</a> Curtis, P. A., K. E. Anderson, and M. P. Herchler. 2019. Designing a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan for Shell Eggs. NC State Extension. NC State Extension Publication AG-862, October 21, 2019. <a href="http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/designing-a-haccp-plan-for-shell-eggs">http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/designing-a-</a><a href="http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/designing-a-haccp-plan-for-shell-eggs"> haccp-plan-for-shell-eggs</a> Anderson, K.E. 2019. Final Report of the Fortieth North Carolina Layer Performance and Management Test. Vol. 40, No.5. July <a href="http://poultry.ces.ncsu.edu/layer-performance/">2019; http://poultry.ces.ncsu.edu/layer-performance/</a> Benjamin N. Alig, Peter R. Ferket, Ramon Malheiros, Kenneth E. Anderson, 2020. The effect of housing environment on commercial white egg layer performance. Poultry Sci. Suppl. 99: 27 (Abstract 101) Kenneth E. Anderson, Benjamin N. Alig, Peter R. Ferket, Ramon Malheiros, 2020. The effect of housing environment and hen age on white shell egg solids and quality. Poultry Sci. Suppl. 99: 27 (Abstract 103) Benjamin N. Alig, Peter R. Ferket, Ramon Malheiros, Kenneth E. Anderson, 2020. The effect of housing environment on egg quality and solids of commercial brown egg layers. Poultry Sci. Suppl. 99: 27 (Abstract 104) Richard K. Gast, Deana R. Jones, Rupa Guraya, Kenneth E. Anderson, Darrin M. Karcher, 2020. Horizontal transmission of Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Kentucky in experimentally infected laying hens in indoor cage-free housing. Poultry Sci. Suppl. 99: 45 (Abstract 244) Alyssa Lyons, Prafulla Regmi, Kenneth Anderson, and Michael Persia, 2020 Estimating energy utilization in laying hens using imaging technology. Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia 2020 ISPF: Abstract M50. Benjamin Alig, Ramon Malheiros, Peter Ferket, and Kenneth Anderson, 2020. The effect of housing environment on commercial brown egg layer performance. Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia 2020 ISPF: Abstract M125. Emma Lund, Wendy Wakeman, Ken Anderson, 2020. The effects of oregano essential oil on pullet rearing. Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, Georgia 2020 ISPF: Abstract P291 Curtis, P. A., K. E. Anderson, and M. P. Herchler. 2019. Designing a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) Plan for Shell Eggs. NC State Extension. NC State Extension Publication AG-862, October 21, 2019. <a href="http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/designing-a-haccp-plan-for-shell-eggs">http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/designing-a-</a><a href="http://content.ces.ncsu.edu/designing-a-haccp-plan-for-shell-eggs"> haccp-plan-for-shell-eggs</a> PA – Boney Boltz, J.W. Boney, C. Shen, J. Jaczynski, and J.S. Moritz. 2019. The effect of standard pelleting and more thermally aggressive pelleting utilizing a hygieniser of feed manufacture and reduction of Enterococcus faecium, a Salmonella surrogate. J. Appl. Poult. Res. 28:1226-1233. V.B. Homan, J.W. Boney, and J.S. Moritz. 2019. The effects of steam conditioning temperatures on commercial phytases and subsequent broiler performance and tibia mineralization. Applied Animal Science. 35:298-303. J.W. Boney, J. Jaczynski, J.L. Weidhaas, A.N. Bergeron, and J.S. Moritz. 2018. The effects of Steam Conditioning and Antimicrobial Inclusion on Feed Manufacturing and Inactivation of enterococcus faecium, a Salmonella surrogate. Journal of Applied Poultry Research 27:472-482. J.W. Boney and J.S. Moritz. 2019. Effects of steam conditioning manipulations to feed manufacturing parameters and d1-28 poult performance. Poult. Sci. Vol. 98 (E-suppl. 1): 364 T.A. Sharafeldin and J.W. Boney. 2019. The reliability of different histological features in the evaluation of the intestinal health. WPDC/XLIV ANECA. N.W. Barrett, P.H. Patterson, F. Solis, and J.W. Boney. 2019. The effect of dietary inclusions of guanidinoacetic acid on broiler performance and carcass yield. Poult. Sci. Vol. 98 (E-suppl. 1):M78. J.W. Boney. 2019. How lighting programs and feed manufacturing strategies affect poult development and performance. Pennsylvania Sales and Service Conference. September 13, 2018. State College, Pennsylvania. J.W. Boney. 2019. Molds and mycotoxins: An animal feed ingredient outlook. Mid-Atlantic Nutrition Conference. April 10, 2019. Hunt Valley, Maryland. C.M. Poholsky, E.W. Mills, and J.W. Boney. 2020. A method for characterizing instrumental quality measures of turkey breast meat. Poult Sci. Vol. 98 (E-suppl. 1):P210 C.M. Poholsky, D.W. Hofstetter, and J.W. Boney. 2020. Improved pellet quality reduces on- farm nutrient segregation. Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting. Poul. Sci. 99:(E-Suppl. 1). July 21, 2020, Virtual PA – Patterson Acar, N., P. H. Patterson and C. J. Lamb. 2019. The impact of Agaricus bazei mushroom extract water supplement on broiler performance. International Poultry Science Forum. Poul. Sci. 98:(E- Suppl. 1). February 11, 2019, Atlanta GA. Adrizal, A., P. H. Patterson, C. R. Angel and A. Markant. 2019. Feeding Broiler Chicks Diets Containing Hydroxy- and Keto-Acids: Performance and Carcass Weight. Poultry Sci. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pez091">https://doi.org/10.3382/ps/pez091</a>. Barrett, N. W., P. H. Patterson, F. Solis, and J. W. Boney. 2019. The effect of dietary inclusions of guanidinoacetic acid (GAA) on broiler performance and carcass yield. International Poultry Science Forum. Poul. Sci. 98: (E-Suppl. 1). February 11, 2019, Atlanta GA. Burley, H.K. and P.H. Patterson. 2019. Updates on European Union (EU) strategies to meet Methionine needs of organic poultry. White Paper submitted to the USDA, National Organic Standards Board. Ferguson, A. D., L. D. Trimble, H. B., Sciubba, N. Acar, and P. H. Patterson. 2019. Black Soldier Fly Larvae and Meal as Dietary Ingredients for Laying Hens. Abstract and poster, Mid- Atlantic Nutrition Conference, Hunt Valley, MD. Trimble, L. D., A. D. Ferguson, H. B. Sciubba, N. Acar, and P. H. Patterson. 2019. Black Soldier Fly larvae oil and meal as dietary ingredients for laying hens. International Poultry Science Forum. Poul. Sci. 98: (E-Suppl. 1). February 11, 2019, Atlanta GA. Patterson, P. H., L. D Trimble, A. D. Ferguson, H. B. Sciubba and N. Acar. 2019. The impact of feeding Black Soldier Fly Larvae on laying hen performance and egg quality. International Poultry Science Forum. Poul. Sci. 98: (E-Suppl. 1). February 12, 2019, Atlanta GA. Trimble L. D., A. D. Ferguson, N. Acar, P. H. Patterson. 2019. The Impact of Agaricus Blazei Mushroom Extract Water Supplement on Hen Performance and Egg Quality. Abstract and poster, Mid-Atlantic Nutrition Conference. Hunt Valley, MD. Ouyang, B., A. Demirci, and P. H. Patterson 2019. Inactivation of E. coli in liquid egg white using a flow-through pulsed UV light treatment system. Northeast Agricultural and Biological Engineering Conference (NABEC) June 16 - 19, 2019. Lac Beauport, QC, Canada. Averós, X. Patterson, P.H., N. Acar, I. Pineda and I. Estevez 2020. Are Beak Growth and Pullet Performance Affected by Natural Beak Smoothing Feeders and Outdoor Vegetation Density. Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting. Poul. Sci. 99: (E-Suppl. 1). July 20, 2020, Virtual. Beining Ouyang, B., A. Demirci and P.H. Patterson. 2020. Inactivation of Escherichia coli K12 in Liquid Egg White by a Flow-Through Pulsed UV Light Treatment System. Journal of Food Protection, 83:418-425. Beining Ouyang, B., A. Demirci and P.H. Patterson. 2020. Pulsed UV Light Inactivation of Escherichia coli and Salmonella in Liquid Egg White and its Effects on Quality. ASABE National Meeting, paper no. 2000057, 15pp. <a href="https://doi.org/10.13031/aim.202000057">https://doi.org/10.13031/aim.202000057.</a> Bright, L., J. Cassar, P. Patterson, E. Mills and A. Demirci 2020. Fertile Hatching Eggs Response After Treatment of Pulsed Ultraviolet Light. Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting. Poul. Sci. 99: (E-Suppl. 1). July 20, 2020, Virtual. Patterson, P.H., X. Averós, N. Acar, I. Pineda and I. Estevez 2020. Impact of Vegetation Density on Outdoor Paddock Utilization and Behavior by Growing Pullets. Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting. Poul. Sci. 99: (E-Suppl. 1). July 20, 2020, Virtual. Stephenson, C., L. Trimble, P. Patterson and H. Lu. A Study on Avian Influenza Virus Destruction by Rapid Ensiling of Hen Carcasses Post-Depopulation 2020. In Proceedings of the 91st Northeastern Conference on Avian Diseases, page 26. Am Assoc of Avian Path. Trimble, L., A. Ferguson, B. Migdal, M. Pasquinelli, N. Acar and P. Patterson 2020. The Impact of Dietary Beta-Glucans on Poultry Health and Performance. Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting. Poul. Sci. 99: (E-Suppl. 1). July 21, 2020, Virtual 2020 summer ASABE meeting. Ali Demirci Abstract presentation + Beining Ouyang, B., P.H. Patterson. Inactivation of E. coli in liquid egg white using a flow-through pulsed UV light treatment system.

Impact Statements

The research conducted by experiment stations associated with this multi-state research project was communicated to the poultry industry and university researchers via peer-reviewed articles and extension related material.

Date of Annual Report: 09/17/2021

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 07/23/2021 - 07/23/2021
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2020 - 09/30/2021

Participants

• John Boney (Penn State): Broiler, turkey nutrition and management
• Rajesh Jha (University of Hawaii): Poultry nutrition and gut health
• Birendra Mishra (University of Hawaii): Reproductive health
• Shawna Weimer (University of Arkansas): Poultry Welfare
• Indu Upadhyaya (University of Connecticut): Food Safety Ext Spec
• Pratima Adhikari (Mississippi State University) Laying hen nutrition, management, gut health
• Rich Gates (Iowa State University) – Layer production
• Li Zhang (Mississippi State University) -Bacterial genetics, genomic, gut health
• Kelley Wamsley (Mississippi State University)- Broiler nutrition, feed particle, amino acids
• Aditya Dutta (University of Delaware) -Reproductive biology
• Anthony Pescatore (University of Kentucky) – Extension Poultry specialist
• Lilong Chai (University of Georgia) Animal environmental engineering, poultry health and welfare
• Tayo Adedokun (University of Kentucky) Poultry nutrition
• Richard Blatchford (UC Davis) – Poultry welfare
• Lingjuan Wang-Li (North Carolina State University) – Air quality, ag engineering
• Abhi Upadhyay (University of Connecticut)-Poultry health and safety, nanoemulsions
• Sara Orlowski (University of Arkansas)- Poultry management, genetics
• Wilmer Pacheco (Auburn University) – Feed Milling
• Ken Macklin (Auburn University) – Poultry extension, food safety, genetics
• Tom Vukina (North Carolina State University) – Poultry economics
• Tim Boltz (Mississippi State University) – Poultry nutrition, broiler performance
• Dawn Koltes (Iowa State University) - Physiology
• Peter Ferket (North Carolina State University) – Turkey nutrition, extension
• Janice Siegford (Michigan State University) – Behavior and welfare
• Prafulla Regmi (University of Georgia) - Welfare
• Hong Li (University of Delaware) – Welfare, housing systems
• Scott Beyer (Kansas State University) – Poultry nutrition and managament
• Mary Amalaradjou (University of Connecticut) – Food safety, natural antimicrobials
• Reshma Ramachandran (Mississippi State University) – Reproductive physiology and microbiology
• Anuraj Theradiyil Sukumaran (Mississippi State University) – Pre-harvest and post harvest poultry safety.
• Colin Usher (Georgia Tech Research Institute) – Guest Speaker

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes Attachment:

2021 NE-1942 Minutes 7-23-2021.docx

Accomplishments

Objective 1. Integrating technological advances into poultry systems. This will include collaborative research on incorporating engineering and technology to enhance system efficiency and sustainability through infrastructure development of blockchain production. 1a. Engineering and Technology University of Georgia  Activities: Develop a deep learning-based method and tested it for monitoring poultry floor distribution. Funded projects: [1] 2021-2022: Precision Poultry Farming and Data Management: Oracle Research Award, Oracle America (PI). [2] 2021-2022: An Intelligent Imaging System for Animal Data Collection and Welfare Evaluation in Poultry Houses. UGA CAES Dean’s Research Grant (PI). Significant Findings and Impacts: We are the first team to optimize and apply the BP network model for poultry floor distribution monitoring. The new method will promote the animal welfare evaluation with artificial intelligence technologies by providing a new solution. Considering the contribution to the development and application of new technologies for poultry housing, PI Lilong Chai was selected to receive the 2021 Sunkist Young Designer Award by American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE). University of Maryland The Chicken Tracking project is a collaboration with the University of Maryland Computer Science department developing algorithms to detect and predict broiler chicken behavior using deep learning neural network computer vision models. Video labeling is complete and algorithms are undergoing validation. Michigan State University Siegford and Morris launched a pilot project in July 2021 to detect and track laying hens in the litter area of cage-free systems using computer vision. Depth and RGB cameras are being used to identify individual hens, their orientation and some key behaviors (e.g., feather pecking, piling, floor laying). <h2>Objective 2. Establishing and adopting husbandry practices to a changing industry landscape. This collaborative research will encompass a multi-disciplinary approach to create a resilient poultry production system through optimal management of inputs and outputs in an ethically responsible manner.</h2> 2a. Nutritional Strategies and Feed Manufacture University of Connecticut Project objective Researchers and extension specialist at the University of Connecticut worked on objective 2  “Establishing and adopting husbandry practices to a changing industry landscape. This collaborative research will encompass a multi-disciplinary approach to create a resilient poultry production system through optimal management of inputs and outputs in an ethically responsible manner” Specifically, research and extension activities were targeted towards: - Use of lactic cultures to promote performance and improve the microbiological safety of       poultry meat and eggs. - Enhancing poultry safety by novel phytochemicals, technology and farmer training.  Findings: - Novel lactic acid strains were characterized for their probiotic potential including their ability to    promote hatchability, growth and performance in broilers - Plant compounds can modulate virulence protein expression of Salmonella in poultry.  Outreach: <ul> <li>Survey conducted among poultry producers in New England to establish current practices on broiler and egg safety.</li> <li>Cooperative Extension activities with large- and small-scale poultry farmers.</li> <li>Training poultry processors in meat and poultry HACCP providing both virtual and in person trainings with certification, which will then help the poultry processors get a USDA certification.</li> <li>Work with USDA-FSIS to offer more counsel to poultry farmers as well on proper poultry slaughter and access to processing facilities.</li> </ul> University of Kentucky Because of the increasing use of alternative feed ingredients, including restaurant grease and bakery by-products, in poultry feed coupled with increasing environmental temperature, the potential for oxidative stress as a result of poor quality of some of the by-products used in poultry diets is high. Vitamin E is one of the nutrients that have been used to mitigate the effect of oxidative stress in poultry. In order to address this topic, we conducted a series of experiments to determine the effect of oil type (corn vs. soy oil), oil quality (normal and oxidized oil), and phytase and vitamin E supplementation, on broiler performance, lipid deposition, and fatty acid composition of liver and fat from different lipid depots. Under this objective, two experiments were conducted with broiler chickens. The first experiment assessed whether oil types and oil quality in the presence or absence of additional vitamin E supplementation would affect performance and fatty acid composition of the liver and subcutaneous and abdominal fat in 20-day-old broiler chickens. The second experiment evaluated the effect of oil quality (soy oil), phytase, and additional vitamin E supplementation on performance, nutrient and energy utilization, and fatty acid composition of the liver and subcutaneous and abdominal fat in 21-day-old broiler chickens. Results from these experiments showed that oxidized oil could negatively impact broiler chicken performance while fatty acid composition of fat depots were mostly similar, but differences were observed between the fatty acid composition of the different fat depot and the liver. A study was conducted to investigate the effect of supplementing low nutrient diets with a product that had multiply enzyme activity on the growth performance of broiler chickens. The broilers fed the low nutrient diets had lower body weight, poorer feed to gain ratio and similar feed consumption compared to the broilers fed supplemented diets. The results from this study indicated that the supplementation with a multiply enzyme activity product in diets having low ME, Ca and available P increased weight gain and improved the feed conversion of broilers. Penn State University Animal feed producers understand that improving feed quality can improve broiler performance. However, numerous hurdles often lead to reluctance in implementing techniques that improve feed quality. On-farm nutrient segregation may occur but understanding how the quality of the feed impacts the degree of nutrient segregation is not well understood. Four experiments were conducted in commercial broiler houses to investigate how pellet quality and feed line length impact nutrient segregation. Six amino acids and phytase segregated across eight regions of commercial broiler houses when poor pellet quality was augered long distances (152-m). When improved pellet quality feed was augered the same distance, only two amino acids varied across the eight regions of the house. Some broiler houses are centrally fed where feed is augered shorter distances from a central hopper to either end of the house. When poor pellet quality feed was augered shorter distances (76-m) threonine and phytase segregated across the eight regions of the commercial broiler house. Finally, when improved quality feed was augered 76-m, nutrient segregation was not apparent. These data offer further support for improving pellet quality as well as nutrient segregation mitigation strategies when implementing techniques to improve pellet quality are not possible. Soybean meal processors extract oil from beans and create a resulting soybean meal. Particle size of soybean meal and its effects to poultry performance has not been extensively studied. Three hammermill screens were used to reduce soybean meal particle size. Small particle size soybean meal required more energy at the hammermill and reduced apparent ileal amino acid digestibility in broilers fed mash diets. Small particle size soybean meal improved pellet quality in the feed mill but caused feed flow issues in the feed mill. Because of the reduced AIAAD, broilers consumed more feed. This resulted in heavier broilers but a worsened FCR. Using a 10/32” (large) hammermill screen may reduce cost at the soybean processing plant, improve amino acid digestibility, and allow broilers to be more feed efficient. Improving the performance of poor performing turkey flocks with a direct fed microbial was studied. Performance parameters and intestinal microbial populations were considered. When nutritional and environmental challenges are present, direct fed microbials can improve feed efficiency by eight points of feed conversion across a 19-week turkey production period. This improvement in performance was related to shifts in microbial populations in the gut. The presence of direct fed microbials improved the ratio of lactobacillus to total anaerobes, which is indicative of a healthy gut microflora. These strategies can be used to improve turkey performance in traditionally poor performing flocks or during challenging times of production. 2b. Disease Control and Management Auburn University Activities and Projects <ol> <li>Evaluation of Salmonella transmission in poultry house dust.</li> <li>Use of acidified peracetic acid or stabilized hydrogen peroxide for Campylobacter reduction on poultry meat</li> <li>Pathogen loads in poultry processing wastewater</li> <li>Pathogens in poultry feed</li> <li>Salmonella and Campylobacter persistence in the poultry house</li> <li>Insects as possible disease vectors</li> <li>Salmonella colonization in the broiler chicken</li> <li>In a field study, we evaluated the effect of conditioning temperature, retention time during conditioning, production rate during pelleting, on pellet quality and moisture content in finished feed</li> </ol> Significant Findings and Impacts <ol> <li>Salmonella is present in poultry house dust when birds are positive. However, transmission of Salmonella from litter to dust occurs at very low levels. This transmission can be mitigated through good litter management and dust reduction techniques.</li> <li>Treatment of poultry carcasses post-defeathering with acidified peracetic acid did not influence the presence of Salmonella on poultry parts post-deboning. Therefore, acidified peracetic acid antimicrobial treatment at this stage of poultry processing does not provide an adequate benefit to justify the cost of application. Stabilized hydrogen peroxide reduced the levels of Campylobacter on chicken wings by 2 log CFU/mL. This antimicrobial has potential for further investigation as an alternative to peracetic acid.</li> <li>Both Salmonella and Campylobacter can be detected in poultry processing wastewater before, during, and following treatment. These findings will be used to inform novel wastewater treatment train studies intended to allow for the reuse of poultry wastewater for agricultural production processes.</li> <li>No known pathogens were found in animal (poultry) feed; however Clostridium argentinense was found in several corn samples. What makes this finding interesting is that this bacterium is associated with producing botulism toxin. It is believed that these bacteria isn’t a concern to animal health, but more research is being performed to verify this.</li> <li>Salmonella persists in the poultry house for several flocks; however over time the serovars tend to shift. Favoring those that are more able to survive the time between flocks in the house. Campylobacter though easily found when birds are present rapidly becomes undetectable five days after bird removal; however after birds are brought back this foodborne pathogen reappears.6.</li> <li>Insects, namely litter beetles, had been shown to carry the parasitic eggs from Heterakis and This knowledge is useful in trying to prevent infection with these parasites in broilers by having in place a good insect control program. 7.</li> <li>Several studies were conducted to examine the effects of site of colonization and where the bacteria eventually colonize with two serovars of The results show that regardless of route, birds are easily colonized. Certain routes yielded higher colonization rates those being if this bacterium is inhaled, ingested, placed in the eye or near the cloaca. The site of colonization was high in all the tissue types sampled with the highest incidence being in the ceca and bursa. These results show that Salmonella once introduced into the bird can colonize throughout the animal, making control of these bacteria on the farm that more crucial. 8.</li> <li>The results of this project helped a large poultry integrator to change conditioning and pelleting parameters to improve pellet quality and reduce moisture in the finished feed, which can have an impact on feed conversion ratio.</li> </ol>  2c. Physiological Responses to Environment and Welfare University of Georgia Activities: Investigated methods for enhancing indoor air quality and animal welfare in broiler and cage-free layer houses. Funded projects: 1. 2020-2022: An Integrated Method for Improving Air Quality in Cage-Free Hen Houses. Egg Industry Center. (PI). 2. 2020-2021: Air Quality in Antibiotic-Free Broiler Production Environment. USDA-ARS contract to UGA. (PI). Significan Findings and Impacts: A new method was developed for monitoring airborne E. Coli concentration. The optimal mitigation strategies will be identified to enhance air quality and animal health/welfare in confined poultry facilities. Meanwhile, the air emission from the house to ambient environment will be reduced.  Michigan State University Activities and Projects: Siegford and Swanson (along with Tina Widowski of Guelph) are working with PhD Candidate Tessa Grebey to understand use of space and strain differences related to dust bathing and wing flapping of laying hens in the litter area. Significant Fingdings and Impacts: Capture of 3D images of wing flapping hens to describe vertical as well as horizontal space needed to perform this behavior will begin in August, 2021. Video decoding and analysis of wing flapping by four strains of hens housed in a commercial style aviary is underway. Analysis of dust bathing behavior by 4 strains of laying hens indicates differences in amount and timing of wing flapping during the day—with more dust bathing bouts observed in whiten hens compared to brown hens. Hens of all strains performed the most dust bathing in first 80 minutes after re-gaining access to the floor litter area following confinement in the tiered portion of the system to encourage egg laying in nests. 2d. Housing Systems University of Arkansas Acitvities and Projects Solar air heaters have the potential to reduce heating loads in commercial meat bird production, therefore, decrease the amount of fossil fuel such as natural gas or propane when brooding young chickens. The objective of this study was to evaluate a low-cost solar collector to pre-heat ventilation air in commercial broiler buildings in order to reduce supplemental heating and potentially improve air quality. Six black fabric-based solar collectors of 36 m2 each were installed on south-facing rooftops of a commercial-scale broiler house. The solar collectors provided a portion of fresh air into the buildings during the ON cycle of minimum ventilation. During the OFF cycle of minimum ventilation, when the temperature under the collectors was higher than the house target temperature, additional warm air under the solar collectors was delivered continuously into the house. Daily temperature rise of incoming air due to the collectors and captured heat was calculated. Significant Findings and Impact The daily cumulative duration of solar collectors in operation averaged 125 and 133 min during the first two or four weeks of brooding in the fall and winter flocks, respectively. When in operation, the solar collectors were able to raise 20ºC than the ambient temperature, reducing fuel usage of 7% in the fall and winter flocks. The biggest challenge of solar collector utilization was the collectors not enclosing the fresh air inlets, allowing majority of the air entering from the original sidewall vents. The limited airflow capacity and limited active operation of the solar collectors due to existing minimum ventilation scheme is another reason of a small amount of heating fuel savings. The solar collectors need to be better integrated into the building ventilation inlets to allow better performance. University of Maryland <ul> <li>The Winter Circulation Fan project is a collaboration between Dr. Moyle and Dr. Weimer to evaluate the effectiveness of circulation fans to improve winter ventilation in commercial broiler houses. Circulation fans were installed into 2 of 4 organic commercial broiler houses. Last winter season, environmental measures (ambient temperature and humidity) and welfare measures (body weight, hock burn scores, footpad dermatitis scores, feather dirtiness scores, transect method scans) were collected. We found that the hottest house (with no circulation fans) had the most litter moisture and the greatest number of observed small birds at week 6. The second trial replication will occur this winter season.</li> </ul>

Publications

Impact Statements

Poultry production was improved by analyzing poultry environments, including spatial density and environmental temperature control with solar heaters.

Date of Annual Report: 09/26/2022

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 07/28/2022 - 07/28/2022
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2021 - 09/30/2022

Participants

• John Boney (Penn State): Broiler, turkey nutrition and management
• Rajesh Jha (University of Hawaii): Poultry nutrition and gut health
• Birendra Mishra (University of Hawaii): Reproductive health
• Shawna Weimer (University of Arkansas): Poultry Welfare
• Indu Upadhyaya (University of Connecticut): Food Safety Ext Spec
• Pratima Adhikari (Mississippi State University) Laying hen nutrition, management, gut health
• Rich Gates (Iowa State University) – Layer production
• Li Zhang (Mississippi State University) -Bacterial genetics, genomic, gut health
• Kelley Wamsley (Mississippi State University)- Broiler nutrition, feed particle, amino acids
• Aditya Dutta (University of Delaware) -Reproductive biology
• Anthony Pescatore (University of Kentucky) – Extension Poultry specialist
• Lilong Chai (University of Georgia) Animal environmental engineering, poultry health and welfare
• Tayo Adedokun (University of Kentucky) Poultry nutrition
• Richard Blatchford (UC Davis) – Poultry welfare
• Lingjuan Wang-Li (North Carolina State University) – Air quality, ag engineering
• Abhi Upadhyay (University of Connecticut)-Poultry health and safety, nanoemulsions
• Sara Orlowski (University of Arkansas)- Poultry management, genetics
• Wilmer Pacheco (Auburn University) – Feed Milling
• Ken Macklin (Auburn University) – Poultry extension, food safety, genetics
• Tom Vukina (North Carolina State University) – Poultry economics
• Tim Boltz (Mississippi State University) – Poultry nutrition, broiler performance
• Dawn Koltes (Iowa State University) - Physiology
• Peter Ferket (North Carolina State University) – Turkey nutrition, extension
• Janice Siegford (Michigan State University) – Behavior and welfare
• Prafulla Regmi (University of Georgia) - Welfare
• Hong Li (University of Delaware) – Welfare, housing systems
• Scott Beyer (Kansas State University) – Poultry nutrition and management
• Mary Amalaradjou (University of Connecticut) – Food safety, natural antimicrobials
• Reshma Ramachandran (Mississippi State University) – Reproductive physiology and microbiology
• Anuraj Theradiyil Sukumaran (Mississippi State University) – Pre-harvest and post harvest poultry safety.
• Colin Usher (Georgia Tech Research Institute) – Guest Speaker

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes Attachment:

NE1942 Annual Meeting Minutes_July2022.docx

Accomplishments

Publications

Impact Statements

7. Research on partial-slatted flooring for raising turkeys has shown an advantage and helps improve growth efficiency and reduces the incidence of litter moisture. re

Date of Annual Report: 08/07/2023

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 06/07/2023 - 06/08/2023
Period the Report Covers: 10/01/2022 - 09/01/2023

Participants

• Pratima Adhikari – Mississippi State University – Laying hen nutrition, management, gut health – joined 2018
• Indu Upadhyaya – UConn – extension food safety – joined 2020
• Shawna Weimer – University of Arkansas – Animal welfare – joined 2018
• Kumar Venkitanarayanan– UConn, Dean – Food safety – Academic advisor
• John Boney – Penn State – Nutrition
• Doug Cosby – USDA-ARS Georgia – Microbiology– joined 2016
• Tayo Adedokun– University of Kentucky – swine & poultry nutrition– joined 2015
• Ken Koelkebeck – U of Illinois, extension –joined 35 years ago (NE127)
• Tony Pescatore – University of Kentucky – joined 35 years ago
• Wilmer Pacheco – Auburn University – extension feed milling
• Brett Ramirez – Iowa State – ventilation & environmental control
• John Linhoss – Auburn University – environmental management– joined in 2014-15
• Xue Zhang - Mississippi State University – meat quality– just joined
• Li Zhang- Mississippi State University – microbiology and food safety– just joined
• Reshma Ramachandran– Mississippi State University – reproductive physiology & health of breeders
• Anuraj Theradiyil Sukumaran – Mississippi State University – food safety & processing
• Bethany Baker-Cook – Auburn University – poultry welfare
• Dianna Bourassa – Auburn University – extension food microbiology & stunning
• Paul Patterson – Dean of Ag College & Alabama Experiment Station Director
• Brigid McCrea – Auburn University – poultry extension

Virtual Introductions:
• Ken Anderson – NC State –layer management – joined over 30 years ago
• Ken Macklin – Mississippi State University – Poultry Science Department head–extension microbiology and gut health –joined in 2006
• Hong-Wei Cheng – Purdue University (USDA) – poultry welfare
• Hong Li – U of Delaware – applied poultry research

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes Attachment:

2023.6.7-8 Minutes of the NE1942 Enhancing Poultry Production systems through Emerging Technologies and Husbandry Practices.pdf

Accomplishments

Objective 1. Integrating technological advances into poultry systems. This will include collaborative research on incorporating engineering and technology to enhance system efficiency and sustainability through infrastructure development of block chain production. 1a. Engineering and technology University of Arkansas - Orlowski The Orlowski lab has looked into improving technology in order to measure water intake on a small pen or individual bird basis. This technology will be of use to primary breeder and allied companies for small scale water intake research. Primary breeder companies will be able to gain individual and accurate data for use in selection indexes while allied companies can gather insight into how their product may impact water intake in broilers. Significant Findings and Impact A manual system has been established and is available for purchase. The manual system consists of a box, containing an internal processor unit, connected to 4 reservoir units. Each reservoir unit can be attached to a standard water line. Water reservoirs are detachable and easily weighed for measurement of water intake. Drip free connectors are used to detach the water reservoir so no water is wasted. A real-time system is still being tested. The model uses water displacement and records to an SD card for accurate and real time water intake system. This would be the most useful to the industry as it is the most time efficient and accurate system for measuring water intake. University of Georgia - Chai Activities: Innovated deep learning-based methods for monitoring poultry welfare indicators. Funded projects: [1] 2023-2026: Precision farming practices for sustainable egg productions. USDA-NIFA AFRI (PI). [2] 2022-2024: Imaging systems for tracking individual poultry and welfare evaluation. Georgia Research Alliance (PI). Significant Findings and Impact We are the first team to optimize and apply the BP and YOLOv5 network models for poultry floor distribution monitoring and pecking behavior analysis. The new method will promote the animal welfare evaluation with artificial intelligence technologies by providing a new solution. Michigan State University - Siegford Activities and Projects PI Siegford and PI Morris are working with colleagues at Clemson University (Ahmed Ali and Bulent Koc) to combine computer vision and robotics to help reduce floor laying in cage-free hens. Work continues related to developing a computer vision approach to detecting eggs (both brown and white) laid in the litter. A robot prototype has been developed to run in the litter area of aviary housing systems. Automated interventions are being developed to be deployed when a hen is detected performing pre-lay behaviors. Significant Findings and Impact The egg detector software is performing well. 12 robot prototypes have been deployed at the MSU Laying Hen Facility. Hens do not panic when presented with robots and initial fear of the robots has turned into habituation—or even positive acclimation. Many hens approach the robots and some perch on them while moving and still. Work is needed to perfect the tracks/wheels moving the robot as well as strategies to encourage hens to move from the robot’s path without causing panic. 1b. Nutritional Management of Poultry Auburn University - Pacheo Activities and Projects <ol> <li>Evaluate the dose response effect of an exogenous xylanase on performance and nutrient digestibility of broilers from 1 to 42 days of age.</li> <li>Evaluate the effects of phytase, butyric acid, and their combination as AGP alternatives on broiler intestinal health and physiology.</li> <li>Evaluate the effect of corn origin on broiler performance, processing yield, and nutrient digestibility from 1 to 35 days of age.</li> </ol>  Significant Findings and Impact <ol> <li>A research trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of exogenous xylanase in wheat-soybean meal-based diets on broiler performance, nutrient digestibility, and intestinal viscosity of broilers from 1 to 42 days of age. Broilers exhibited gradual improvements in growth performance when incremental levels of xylanase were included in the NC up to the highest dose throughout the experiment. Broilers fed the NC + 4,800 U/kg had a higher (P ≤ 0.05) BW and lower (P ≤ 0.05) FCR than broilers fed the NC at 28 d of age, and a comparable performance than broilers fed the PC. Upon completion of the experiment at 42 d of age, improvements (P ≤ 0.05) were observed in FCR for broilers fed diets with xylanase in comparison to the NC. Broilers fed diets supplemented with xylanase regardless of the level, exhibited lower (P ≤ 0.05) ileal digesta viscosity in comparison to the broilers fed the NC without xylanase supplementation and PC. Although not statistically significant (P > 0.05), 111 and 95 kcal/kg improvements were observed for apparent ileal digestible energy with the inclusion of 2400 and 4800 U/kg of xylanase, respectively, compared to the NC.</li> <li>Another study evaluated the effect of phytase level and inclusion of butyric acid (BA) on intestinal health and physiology. Broilers fed a diet with 500 FTU/kg of phytase had a higher d 28 villus length (VL) and crypt depth (CD) compared to 1,500 FTU/kg. Dietary inclusion of 0.5 g/kg of BA increased d 28 and d 42 villus length and lowered d 42 crypt depth compared to 0 g/kg. Broilers consuming a diet with BMD had a lower d 42 VL, CD, and VL:CD ratio compared to broilers fed a diet without BMD. Regardless of phytase inclusion, broilers fed a diet with BA had a higher d 42 VL and VL:CD ratio compared to BMD. Broilers fed a diet with BMD had a higher Pielou’s evenness of cecal microbiome compared to those consuming diets devoid of BMD on d 28. Day 28 tight junction genes (CL-1, CL-4, CL-5, and ZO-2) were upregulated when broilers were fed a diet with BA combined with 1,500 FTU/kg of phytase compared to 500 FTU/kg. The combination of BA and 1500 FTU/kg of phytase can increase evenness of the cecal microbiome and upregulate jejunum tight junction gene expression.</li> <li>Another trial evaluated the effect of corn origin (US. Brazil, and Argentina) on performance and nutrients digestibility. Corn origin did not influence body weight, body weight gain, and feed intake from 1 to 35 d of age among the treatments. However, broilers fed diets with inclusion of corn from the USA and BRA had better FCR compared to broilers fed diets with corn from ARG from to 1 to 35 d of age (1.434 and 1.434 vs 1.452 g:g; P = 0.002). Broilers fed diets with inclusion of corn from BRA had a higher breast weight compared to broilers fed diets with inclusion of corn from ARG (575 vs 553 g; P = 0.036), but did not differ from the breast weight of broilers fed diets with corn from the USA (575 vs 556 g; P > 0.05). Corn origin did not influence (P > 0.05) crude protein and fat digestibility. However, broilers fed diets with corn from the USA and BRA had greater phosphorus (P) (63.37, 62.23 vs 55.26%; P = 0.0003), calcium (Ca) (41.59, 43.85 vs 30.23%; P = 0.0003), and potassium (K) (88.98, 87.97 vs 86.04%; P = 0.001) digestibility compared to broilers fed diets with corn from ARG. Overall, corn origin influenced FCR, breast weight, and P, Ca, and K digestibility of broilers from 1 to 35 d of age.</li> </ol>  Penn State University - Boney We continue to investigate the impacts of feed quality to nutrient distribution throughout poultry houses. The original published work considered one point in time. We continue to investigate how time influences these changes. Our work highlights the importance of providing high pellet:fine feed in feed pans throughout the house. This supports uniform flock growth and performance. When feed quality worsens, nutrients segregate in various regions of the house. Bird movement and activity is reduced as feed intake and bird weight increase. Considering that most integrators use migration fences in barns, these data highlight the importance of on-farm feed quality.   Objective 2. Establishing and adopting husbandry practices to a changing industry landscape. This collaboratve research will encompass a multi-disciplinary approach to create a resilient poultry production system through optimal management of inputs and outputs in an ethically responsible manner.  2a. Nutritional Strategies and Feed Manufacture Alternative Ingredients and Feedstuffs. University of Hawaii - Jha Dr. Jha’s lab works are focused on “Nutrition programming to improve the performance and gut health of monogastric animals,” and “Evaluating novel feedstuffs and feed additives for their nutritional value and functional properties in pigs and poultry” using both in vivo and in vitro models. His particular interest is “Early nutrition programming in broiler chickens” using an in ovo inoculation model.  Mississippi State University - Wamsley Activities and Projects Determination of optimal feed particle size for starter phase broilers; evaluating the relationship behind starter phase broiler feed particle size selection and performance as influenced by bird beak capacity; amino acid digestibility as influenced by feed form Significant Findings and Impact Chick size influenced beak capacity, but similar feed particle size consumed.  While chick performance was maximized feeding at least a crumble of at least 2800 microns, chicks fed ~3700 microns performed similar and performance was not hindered from 0-18 d of age.  In a preference study, chicks consumed crumbles of ~1600 microns from 0-6 d and up to ~2800 microns from 0-14 d.  Carryover performance of broilers throughout a 56 and 63 d growout and processing was not negatively impacted by feeding increased feed particle size in the starter phase.  Mississippi State University - Boltz Activities and Projects The main activity my lab has been working on overall improving the hygiene of feed, both mash and pelleted. We are doing this by: <ol> <li>investigating and modeling the thermal inactivation of three strains of Escherichia coli (a non-pathogenic, an APEC strain, and a strain of O157:H7) in mash broiler feed.</li> <li>Determine the efficacy of various chemicals in controlling Salmonella serotypes in complete mash feed.</li> </ol> Significant Findings and Impact Limited work has been conducted investigating the thermal inactivation of Escherichia coli in broiler feed, so we hope to add to the overall body of knowledge with this work. Both listed above projects are currently ongoing. The results of these studies should be reported by the end of 2023, if not in the early months of 2024. 2b. Disease Control and Microbiology Bactrerial Infections of Poultry During Processing. Auburn University - Bourassa Activities and Projects <ol> <li>Use of prebiotic feed additives on the reduction of Campylobacter during broiler production</li> <li>Survey of Salmonella and Campylobacter present across the poultry production chain from breeders through processing</li> <li>Cleaning and sanitation of poultry transport containers for the reduction of Salmonella and Campylobacter</li> <li>Isolation of Salmonella Infantis bacteriophage from poultry production and processing sources</li> <li>Relationship of Campylobacter levels between cecal and gall bladder samples</li> <li>Impact of carton type on the transfer of Salmonella Enteritidis between eggs and cartons</li> </ol> Significant Findings and Impact <ol> <li>Mannan oligosaccharides and yeast cell wall feed additives did not significantly influence the levels or prevalence of Campylobacter contamination in broiler ceca or processed carcasses.</li> <li>Salmonella and Campylobacter were most frequently detected within the poultry production and processing chain beginning at the hatchery and proceeding through broiler growout and processing. Isolated pathogens will be sequenced to determine the relationships between pathogens isolated from different sample types at each sampling location.</li> <li>Cleaning and sanitation of broiler transport flooring using steam and hot air was just as effective at reducing Salmonella and Campylobacter as pressure washing and sanitizer application. However, neither washing system could eliminate the transfer of Salmonella from transport flooring to broiler carcasses.</li> <li>Bacteriophage specific for Salmonella Infantis were best isolated from liquid samples including scalder water and dissolved air flotation water. Litter, ceca, and dissolved air flotation solids yielded some phage isolation success while no bacteriophage were isolated from carcass rinses.</li> <li>Higher levels of Campylobacter in broiler ceca are related to higher prevalence of bile positive samples. Additionally, Campylobacter positive bile exhibited a color difference compared to negative samples during the Campylobacter isolation process.</li> <li>Foam and polystyrene egg cartons are more likely to harbor Salmonella for extended periods of time when compared to plastic cartons.</li> </ol>  Mississippi State University - Macklin Activities and Projects The main activities that my lab has been working on are: 1. Feed additives to control/reduce Campylobacter during poultry production as well as how this impacts the final processed product. 2. The impact of nutrition on hatching egg shell quality and if it relates to hatchability. 3. Perform a survey of on farm potential risk factors for Campylobacter and Salmonella and what can be performed to mitigate these risks. 4. The role litter beetles have in transporting poultry pathogens from flock to flock as well as to other neighboring farms. Significant Findings and Impact By helping to provide a safe and nutritious food we can help ensure the health of the public. Our activities in pre- and post-harvest food safety have helped in identifying possible reservoirs of Campylobacter and Salmonella on and around commercial poultry live operations and to help identify possible methods to combat these pathogens. There is an effect of egg shell quality and hatch, with less translucent eggs having a better percent hatch then less translucent eggs. This can impact poultry operations that if there is a method to improve translucency this may improve hatch which would help the industry and in turn help the consumer. Litter beetles have been shown to carry Salmonella for over 2 months as well as spores and parasite eggs for several years. With this knowledge it should spur the poultry producers to better manage these pests. Significant Findings and Impact By helping to provide a safe and nutritious food we can help ensure the health of the public. Our activities in pre- and post-harvest food safety have helped in identifying possible reservoirs of Campylobacter and Salmonella on and around commercial poultry live operations and to help identify possible methods to combat these pathogens. There is an effect of egg shell quality and hatch, with less translucent eggs having a better percent hatch then less translucent eggs. This can impact poultry operations that if there is a method to improve translucency this may improve hatch which would help the industry and in turn help the consumer. Litter beetles have been shown to carry Salmonella for over 2 months as well as spores and parasite eggs for several years. With this knowledge it should spur the poultry producers to better manage these pests. Mississippi State University - Adhikari Activities and Projects: <ol> <li>Interaction between phytase superdosing and limestone particle ratio types in early and late lay of hens</li> <li>Evaluation of almond hulls and exogenous enzymes in pullets and hens.</li> <li>Use of precision – biotics in laying hens on Salmonella Enteritidis challenge model.</li> </ol> University of Connecticut - Amalaradjou and Upadhyay Research initiatives: Dr. Amalaradjou’s lab is focused on developing a probiotic and postbiotic based approach to i) promote performance in broilers and layer and ii) reduce Salmonella on table and fertile eggs. Multiple trials were conducted in the last year that demonstrated that early and sustained supplementation of probiotics significantly improved muscle growth and overall productivity in broilers. Similarly, spray application of probiotics was found to significantly reduce Salmonella population sin hatching eggs and embryos. Further, these treatments did not affect the viability and growth of the embryos. Results of these studies were presented to the poultry community at the Spring Poultry outreach workshop and 2023 PSA annual meeting. Dr. Upadhyay’s lab investigated the potential of phytochemical nano emulsions for controlling foodborne pathogens in poultry and on poultry products. Their initial results demonstrate that incorporation of trans-cinnamaldehyde nano emulsions significantly reduced Salmonella populations and biofilms in poultry drinking water. Further, it was also effective in reducing Salmonella survival and trans-cell migrations on eggs without any negative impacts to egg color or embryo development. Results of aforementioned studies were presented to the scientific community at the 2023 PSA annual meeting. Extension/Outreach Activities (Dr. Upadhyaya): <ul> <li>Outreach provided to poultry producers in New England to establish current practices on broiler and egg safety.</li> <li>Stakeholder discussion on alternative methods to improve broiler and layer production, including use of fish meal, natural antimicrobials.</li> <li>Workshop conducted for farmers to learn more about sustainable poultry production and use of alternative approaches to improve food safety.</li> <li>Cooperative Extension activities with large- and small-scale poultry farmers.</li> <li>Training poultry processors in meat and poultry HACCP</li> <li>Outreach for enhancing the safety of eggs by ultra-fine bubble technology</li> </ul> Bacterial Infections of Poultry and Control. Mississippi State University -- Zhang Activities and Projects The main activities that my lab has been working on are: 1. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms of bacterial pathogenicity by comparative genomics analysis. 2. To control bacterial pathogen colonization through a sustainable, proactive vaccination strategy. 3. To evaluate the bactericidal effects of 405 nm visible light on the survival of different foodborne pathogens. Significant Findings and Impact The 405 nm light can effectively reduce C. jejuni growth by approximately 2 log10 CFU without affecting meat quality. This knowledge enables us to use light as a control method for lowering C. jejuni levels in chicken meat. Utilizing short- and long-read sequencing techniques, we obtained high-quality genome sequences of four diverse C. jejuni strains from poultry sources, providing valuable insights into unique gene characteristics. Chicken macrophage cells show immune response and interaction with C. jejuni during infection, suggesting the potential for a successful vaccine against C. jejuni colonization in poultry. Through reverse vaccinology and host-pathogen interaction assays, we identified three potential vaccine candidates that may reduce C. jejuni and C. coli colonization in the poultry gastrointestinal tract, potentially leading to decreased infections in humans. Avian E. coli isolated from clinical samples demonstrated greater adhesion to the avian macrophage cell line, indicating its potential role in colibacillosis, a respiratory and systemic disease in chickens. Mississippi State University - Sukumaran Activities and Projects Conducted 2 studies to characterize the biofilm formation of Salmonella on processing surfaces. Another study was conducted to characterize the impact of freezing and refrigeration on Campylobacter present in broiler drumsticks. Significant Findings and Impact We found significant downregulation of certain genes during Salmonella biofilm formation and an upregulation of those genes when deprived of nutrients. Also, we noted that refrigeration and freezing significantly decreased the Campylobacter counts on broiler meat. Mississippi State University - Xue Zhang Activities and Projects The main activities that my lab has been working on are: 1. investigating the causes of woody breast development and mitigating incidence. 2. studying spoilage bacteria in chicken breast during processing and storage. 3. chicken product evaluation and advancement. Significant Findings and Impact Section 1: Impact of genetic selection on broiler growth and muscle myopathies Genetic selection for enhanced broiler growth has led to an increased incidence of breast muscle myopathies, particularly woody breast (WB). To evaluate the potential role of dietary amino acids in this phenomenon, we investigate the interaction between a reduced amino acid diet and its impact on muscle gene expression. Our findings reveal that breast myopathy has a more significant effect on differentially expressed genes and gene co-expression patterns than the diet itself. The observed co-expression patterns and differentially expressed genes are largely associated with changes in muscle composition and immune system activity. Section 2: Identifying and controlling spoilage bacteria using nanopore sequencing Microbial growth is a primary cause of spoilage in refrigerated fresh chicken breast meat. In our pursuit of combating spoilage, we employ Nanopore sequencing, a rapid and cost-effective long-read sequencing technique. This approach enables us to identify species-level spoilage bacteria, including elusive unculturable species that are often overlooked using conventional methods. To do this, we collected bacterial samples from chicken breasts at various processing steps and during storage. The gDNA samples of bacteria were sequenced in fall, 2023. Armed with knowledge of the composition and abundance of species-level spoilage bacteria, we aim to develop strategies to inhibit or slow the growth of specific spoilage bacteria. Ultimately, our efforts seek to extend the shelf-life of chicken breast meat and reduce food waste. Section 3: Gluten-free product development for health-conscious consumers The market demand for gluten-free products has surged in response to rising rates of celiac disease in western nations and increasing consumer preference for health-conscious choices. As part of our commitment to food innovation, we examine the effect of xanthan gum (XG) on the rheological and sensory properties of various gluten-free chicken nugget batters. Our investigation includes a comparison with gluten-containing batters. The gluten-free recipes, particularly those using rice flour and chickpea flour, present promising alternatives to the traditional all-purpose flour batter. 2c. Physiological Responses to Environment and Welfare Management of Cage-Free Aviaries. University of Georgia - Chai Activities: Investigated sensing system and advanced sensors for enhancing indoor air quality and animal welfare in broiler and cage-free layer houses. Funded projects: [1] 2022-2024: A novel lightweight ammonia sensor. USDA-NIFA (Co-PI). [2] 2020-2023: An Integrated Method for Improving Air Quality in Cage-Free Henhouses. Egg Industry Center. (PI). Significant Findings and Impact A new method was develped for monitoring airborne E. coli concentration and a new low-cost sensor is under innovation for monitoring ammonia. The optimal mitigation strategies will be identified to enhance air quality and animal health/welfare in confined poultry facilities such as layer and broiler houses. Meanwhile, we aim to mitigate greenhouse gas and ammonia emissions from poultry houses to environment and ecosystem. Laying Hen, Broiler, and Turkey Management Welfare University of Arkansas - Weimer Activities and Projects The Weimer lab has worked on several projects on broiler, turkey, and laying hen welfare projects. Results and impact will be reported on 3 projects. 1) To determine the effects of late-stage incubation humidity on broiler chick quality. On ED 18, eggs were candled, and viable eggs were distributed between 3 commercial hatchers set to a constant temperature of 36.7°C and one of 3 relative humidity settings: 1) low relative humidity (LRH = 45%), 2) high relative humidity (HRH = 80%) and 3) Control (CRH=65 %). The hatch window, starting from first chick pull (472 hours) to last chick pull, was recorded every 4 hours. Temperature (°C) and RH (%) were recorded from ED 0-21. Hatchability (%) was recorded and chicks were weighed (g) and scored for feathering, navel, and leg issues. 2) To determine poult foraging activity and preference for a novel hydration product, AquaBeads®, when supplemented in the diet. A total of 360 poults were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups in 12 pens containing two feed flats: 1) non-treated control with no AquaBeads®, 2) AquaBeads® on both feed flats, and 3) AquaBeads® preference with AquaBeads® on one feed flat but not the other. Video recordings were collected during the first hour after placement and behavior was determined using instantaneous scan sampling. Behavior was calculated as the percentage (%) of active (foraging, moving, or standing on feed flats), passive (sitting or sleeping on feed flats), and total poults on each feed flat. 3) To evaluate if 24h of thermal conditioning early in life can build resilience in broilers to potential heat stress environments later in life. On D4-5, broiler chicks were and randomly assigned to 12 pens. Half of the pens were not thermally conditioned (thermal neutral, TN) and maintained at 28°C or subjected to 37.8°C for 24h (thermal conditioned heat stress, TC). Following TC, all groups were maintained at age appropriate temperatures until the beginning of the heat stress (HS) treatments at D28. From D28-D35, birds were exposed to cyclic heat stress (HS) conditions (35°C) from 0800-1600 each day. Behavior was observed using 30-minute instantaneous scan sampling at 1000 (2h into HS), and 1400 (6h into HS) on D28 and D35. The behavior of all birds in each pen were categorized as either standing, walking, sitting, drinking, panting, or wing spreading. Significant Findings and Impact 1) The average temperature and RH during the treatment period (ED 18 to 21) for each treatment were as follows: LRH (39.5°C; 41.6%), HRH (36.9°C; 79.0%) and CRH (37.5°C; 62.8%). Peak hatch for all treatments was between hatch hours 480 and 484, when hatchability for LRH was 67.1%, HRH was 58.7%, and CRH was 70.9% of total hatched. Chick body weight at-hatch was lower for LRH (38.02g) compared to HRH (39.26g) and CRH (39.13g; P<0.05). Leg issues (red or swollen hocks and protruding veins) were higher for LRH (47.6%) and HRH (40.32%) compared to CRH (25.5%; P<0.05). These results suggest that relative humidity during late-stage incubation could influence chick quality traits, hatch weight and uniformity, which may have a cascade effect on welfare and performance later in the growing stages. 2) Our study suggests that a greater percentage of poults were observed on the feed flats for both AquaBeads® (27%) and AquaBeads® preference (28%) groups compared to the non-treated control group (21%; P<0.0001). Further, a greater percentage of active poults was observed for the AquaBeads® group (25%) and AquaBeads® preference group (23%) than the control (15%; P<0.0001). Similarly, the percentage of passive poults on feed flats was greater for the non-treated control group (6%) compared to the AquaBeads® (2%) and AquaBeads® preference groups (5%; P<0.0001). Interestingly, within the AquaBeads® preference group, a greater percentage of total poults was observed on the AquaBeads® treated feed flat (16%) than the non-treated flat (12%; P<0.0001). Compared to the non-treated flats within the Aquabeads® preference group, the percentage of active poults was greater when they were on the AquaBeads® flats (9% vs. 14%, respectively; P<0.0001) and this was reflected in the percentage of passive poults being greater for the non-control treated groups (3%) than for the flats with AquaBeads® (2%; P=0.01). These results suggest that the presence of AquaBeads® stimulated poult foraging activity and exploration and could stimulate feeding behavior and improve poult health and welfare. 3) At D28, compared to TN, fewer TC birds were panting 2h into HS (67% vs 64%, respectively) but the opposite was found 6h into HS, where more TC birds were panting than TN (71% vs. 63%, respectively; P<0.0001). Drinking behavior of TC birds did not change from 2h and 6h into HS (5.4%), while TN drinking increased from 2h (4.9%) to 6h (5.8%) into HS on D28 (P=0.03); however, on D35, drinking behavior of TC birds increased from 1.7% to 4.6% and TN increased from 3.2% to 6.2% from 2h to 6h into HS, respectively (P<0.0001). These results suggest that 24h of thermal conditioning may be limited and inconsistent in its effectiveness to reduce broiler’s HS behaviors during HS events later in life. University of Hawaii - Misra Dr. Mishra’s lab is focused on 1) Genetic and hormonal regulation of egg production in the hens, and 2) Mitigation of heat stress in poultry. His research identified the novel genes and biological pathways involved in egg production in the oviduct of laying hens. Further, he evaluated the mitigating effects of antioxidants and polyphenolic compounds in the birds under environmental heat stress. 2d. Housing Systems and Economics Iowa State University - Ramirez and Gates Activities and Projects Evaluated draft EPA emission models for laying hen and broiler facilities. Significant Findings and Impact In general, EPA’s models are too complicated for most producers to use and large extrapolative effects in emission factors for inventories outside of the NAEMS data. Cannot and should not be used for cage-free systems. For broilers, of the five criteria air pollutant models presented, only ammonia is found to be potentially limiting in terms of exceeding the EPA 100 US ton yr-1 threshold. University of Maryland - Moyle Activities and Projects Continued on farm demonstration of high capacity circulation fans to improve bird welfare. Michigan State University - Siegford Activities and Projects PhD student Tessa Grebey and PIs Siegford and Swanson with help from Rob Tempelman (MSU) and Tina Widowski (Guelph) have finished a series of projects related to strain differences in the behavior of hens housed in aviary systems with a focus on two of the most space intensive behaviors occurring in the litter area, dust bathing and wing flapping. Significant Findings and Impact <ul> <li>Fewer brown hens were found in the litter area after they first gained access compared to white hens, suggesting brown hens acclimated to litter access more slowly.</li> <li>Hens of all strains dust bathed most often soon after gaining access to litter, and counts of white hens dust bathing were overall higher than counts of brown hens dust bathing.</li> <li>Brown-feathered hens flapped their wings more than white-feathered hens in the open litter area.</li> <li>More wing flapping events were observed when hens first gained litter access compared to any other time of day, suggesting hens’ daily confinement within wire enclosures may have influenced their motivation to wing flap once they had room to do so.</li> </ul> Activities and Projects PI Siegford assisted PhD student Ana Rentsch and her advisor Widowski (both Guelph) to examine influence of rearing environment complexity and laying hen strain on pullet’s spatial cognitive and physical abilities. Three styles of rearing aviaries with varying degrees of rearing complexity (A1 = least; A3 = most) were compared to conventional rearing cages (CC). Significant Findings and Impact <ul> <li>Pullets reared in the most spacious and complex rearing housing (A3) were best at moving upwards in a complex vertical spatial task, and both A3 and A2 pullets were quicker to learn a location in a horizontal spatial task than CC pullets. A1 and A2 pullets were flightier in a novel object test than CC or A3 pullets, though all aviary-reared pullets were more likely to approach the novel object than CC. A3 birds showed the lowest motivation for social reinstatement and a less reactive involuntary fear response than A1 or A2.</li> <li>Strain differences were found in all traits at all ages, with white chicks and pullets performing better in vertical and horizontal spatial tasks. White birds, but not browns, had improved vertical navigation skills when reared with higher early life complexity and performed more wing-involved behaviour post-brooding in aviaries A2 and A3 than in A1.</li> </ul> University of Kentucky - Pescatore and Sunday Our Dept. will be having a need Chair starting July1, 2023. Dr. Scott Radcliffe, from Purdue University has accepted our offer to become the next Chair of our Dept. He will be taking over from Dr. Anthony Pescatore, who has been serving in an acting capacity since 2022. Construction work on our new poultry research facility has been completed. However, work is ongoing on the floor pen. Our new facility has the capacity for floor pen and cage study (broiler and laying hen). Furthermore, we have 5 rooms that are dedicated to heat stress related studies.  Completed Studies <ol> <li>One heat stress-related study was conducted with broiler chickens. This was done to evaluate the effect of dietary supplements performance, gut health, immune function of broiler chickens exposed to heat stress</li> </ol> <ol start="2"> <li>Effects of dietary postbiotic on the performance, immunity (cytokine concentrations) and intestinal tissue injury of broiler chickens challenged with LPS</li> </ol>       3. Evaluation of the effects of naturally contaminated corn (DON) on performance, intestinal health, and blood chemistry in            21-day-old broiler chickens. University of Arkansas - Liang The Liang lab has monitored electric energy consumption for the major load types in a commercial broiler house in Arkansas raising heavy broilers during 11-month growout period that included four, 8-week flocks in order to characterize the diurnal and seasonal electric energy use and demand in a commercial broiler house. The loads included ventilation, lighting, feed motors, and well-water pumping and are partitioned by bird age, season, and electric load type and data were recorded at 5-minute interval. Liang. Ventilation electricity is the most variable component of electricity use owing to the bird age, hence bird heat production, and growing season. Electric consumption for ventilation fans was the greatest load, accounting for over 88% of the annual total, while lighting contributed approximately 3%. The endwall fans for tunnel ventilation cooling contributed to the peak electric demand (VA) in nine of the 11 months. Energy efficiency improvement to the fans will reduce overall electricity consumption and lower peak demand, a saving to both poultry growers and power suppliers. Electricity cost of raising 1,000 kg live weight of heavier weight broiler chickens is higher in the summer ($20) than in the winter ($11). Results of this study can provide engineers with insight for designing energy conservation practices and on-site renewable energy production sub-systems (e.g., photovoltaic arrays).

Publications

Impact Statements

5. Several research stations focused on enhancing housing techniques to improve poultry performance. This research will provide the poultry industry with increased knowledge in effective management techniques to improve production and bird welfare.