Grants allow students to attend PSA meeting

As part of a yearly initiative to support emerging talent in the poultry science industry, the Jones-Hamilton Co. awarded travel grants to six undergraduate students so they could attend the 2015 Poultry Science Association Annual Meeting, which was held July 27-30 in Louisville, KY
Each year, Jones-Hamilton awards up to six travel grants to undergraduates enrolled in Poultry Science programs with the purpose of giving undergraduates a chance to present their research, interact with their peers and to see the breadth of career options available to them in the poultry industry. The grants are competitive and require the application include a letter of recommendation from the Department Chair, a resume and an abstract of their research. The selection is made by a committee of five or six Poultry Science professionals.
“As part of the scientific meeting experience, the award recipients are required to meet with poultry industry professionals to discuss their career plans, hear in-depth comments regarding the professionals’ career paths, ask questions about the industry, and see the breadth of skills the industry needs today and in the future,” said Jones-Hamilton President, Bernie Murphy.
The Jones-Hamilton Company is a long-time supporter of poultry science programs in universities across the country and is known for their ongoing research in the areas of poultry litter management, water management and feed additives.

UK study: Poultry protein as alternative to antibiotics?

A study in the U.K. that looks at a protein found in poultry that can control macrophage numbers has been given a grant of GBP951,944 (US$1.4 million).
Scientists at the country’s Roslin Institute will look at how the protein, known as CSF-1, can induce changes in the growth and development of the immune system, and test the possibility that it could improve both innate disease resistance, and the efficacy of existing and future vaccines.
The researchers will also use genomic technologies to find evidence of genetic variation in the functions of macrophages that could provide the basis for breeding birds with improved resistance to common pathogens.
The funding has been granted by the BBSRC, an academic research and training funding body, and the Scottish government, and forms part of a an almost GBP7 million initiative to support research into diseases affecting poultry, farmed fish, sheep, pigs and cattle.
Better IBV vaccine understanding
Also included in the grant giving round is funding for a project that will look at infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), which will be carried out by the Pirbright Institute.
The BBSRC notes that, while effective and economically viable vaccines against IBV are available, multiple combinations of vaccines are required due to the level of cross-protection that is needed against the various IBV strains.
Using novel “epitope fingerprinting” technology to determine the epitopes that are recognized by antibodies induced after infection, researchers will determine why certain vaccines do not induce cross protection, and how current vaccines may be used more efficiently.
In addition, the researchers will determine how pressure on the virus from the bird’s immune responses might drive the virus to change or mutate.
It is hoped that the results from the research will provide knowledge for the subsequent development of efficient cross-protective vaccines. 

Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply study released

American Humane Association has applauded the results of the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply's research into five areas of egg production sustainability. 
The Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply is a multi-stakeholder group which collaborated on the Laying Hen Housing Research Project. The goal of this commercial-scale study of housing alternatives for egg-laying hens in the U.S. was to understand the sustainability impacts of three laying hen housing systems – cage-free aviary, enriched colony and conventional cage.
The research assessed animal health and well-being, food safety and quality, environmental impact, worker health and safety, and food affordability. The final report, which was released to the public after being shared with stakeholders at the Midwest Poultry Federation annual convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, explores the sustainability interactions and tradeoffs for these hen housing systems.
The American Humane Association, a coalition member and animal welfare advocacy group, said that the report support its 2010 decision to endorse enriched colony (cage) housing for laying hens as an improvement over conventional cages.
Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane Association, said: “American Humane Association believes in science and this years-long research will help improve the lives of millions of laying hens on our nation’s farms. Our American Humane Certified farm animal welfare program was the first humane certification program to adopt enriched-cage housing as a humane way to house hens back in 2010, and the new findings strongly support the initial research that was considered to make this decision. The research identifies a sustainable egg supply by providing evidence to support attainable and affordable egg production that ensures animal welfare.”
“When animals are involved, evaluating their welfare is a crucial aspect of any production system,” said Dr. Marion Garcia, chief veterinary officer at American Humane Association. “But to truly achieve sustainability, a variety of other factors such as the environment, the health and safety of the workers, food safety and quality, and affordability of what’s produced should also be considered, effectively evaluating the entire system.”

Study to attract poultry companies to Virginia approved

Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe has approved a $10,000 grant to conduct an in-depth and independent feasibility study focused on attracting integrated poultry companies to Virginia’s Pittsylvania County. The funding for the study will come from the governor’s Agriculture & Forestry Industries Development Fund (AFID).
The study will inventory which companies are considering expanding, how and where a poultry complex could be located, which attributes of an area are attractive to poultry companies and how Pittsylvania County can enhance its profile and marketing strategies to lobby these poultry companies. This feasibility study and the data it produces will be utilized to develop promotional pieces and to assist the county in the manner best suited to invite an integrator to Southern Virginia. 
The grant for the poultry company feasibility study was one of three grants awarded through the AFID. The other two focus on making locally grown produce available all year. The three grants totaled $60,000.
“Supporting Virginia’s diverse agricultural and forestry sectors is a great way to expand and diversify our economy,” said McAuliffe. “Assisting localities in identifying potential new projects and implementing programs that strengthen agriculture and forestry in their communities will contribute to building a 21^st Century Virginia economy. Laying the foundation for possibly larger future projects in these communities, the relatively small, but important, amount of state support provided today allows localities to plan strategically and creatively about how to incorporate two of the state’s largest industries into their economic development efforts.”

Feed ingredient may manage coccidiosis in broilers, according to study

Independent studies found that Original XPC many help manage coccidiosis in broilers. Original XPC is a feed ingredient from Diamond V, a fermentation product manufacturer.
The effects of Original XPC and a coccidiostat (Salinomycin) were investigated individually and in combination at Southern Poultry Research during a coccidiosis challenge in broiler chickens. A total of 320 test birds were housed and lesion scores were conducted. Male broilers (Cobb X Cobb) were used from zero to 27 days of age. All birds received vaccinations at the hatchery for Marek's Disease (HVT:SB-1) and birds were weighed at zero, 21 and 27 days of age. Feed consumption was measured at 21 days and 27 days. The study included five treatments with eight birds per cage and eight replicate cages per treatment. Test articles were added to the feed of each treatment.
All birds except the negative controls were challenged orally with a coccidia inoculum at 21 days. The challenge dose per bird was designed to be much greater than a routine field challenge and to produce approximately 3.0 lesion scores for each species in the infected, non-medicated control group.
At 27 days, all birds from each cage were lesion scored. The upper, middle and cecal regions of the intestine were scored, using the system of Johnson and Reid where 0 is normal and 1, 2, 3, or 4 indicate increasing severity of infection.
E. acervulina coccidia lesions sores were reduced in the upper gastrointestinal tract when Original XPC was included in the feed. Salinomycin inclusion further reduced lesions compared to the non-medicated, infected group. E. maxima lesion scores in the mid gut were also significantly reduced with the addition of Original XPC to the diets, and the response was equivalent to that of Salinomycin and to the combination of products. Cecal lesions reflecting E. tenella were also significantly reduced when feeding Original XPC, and an even greater response was observed when Salinomycin was included.
Body weight gain during the coccidiosis infection was severely affected in the non-medicated, infected group. Adding Original XPC to the feed significantly improved body weight gain, and Salinomycin produced even greater gain. The combination of Original XPC and Salinomycin provided the greatest weight gain among the infected groups.
The treatment response for feed conversion ratio was similar to body weight gains. Significant improvement was seen both with Original XPC and Salinomycin. Combining Original XPC and Salinomycin resulted in feed conversion similar to that of non-infected controls.
Previous research had suggested that the metabolites in Diamond V Original XPC empower the bird's immune system by strengthening the instinctive immune response and supporting adaptive immunity within the gastrointestinal tract. In addition, chemical signals help suppress the inflammatory response during a challenge, and metabolites in Original XPC increase antibody production to commercial vaccines.
Previous work also demonstrated that feeding Original XPC can reduce the incidence and severity of intestinal lesions when birds are challenged with coccidiosis. Further evidence of reduced coccidiosis stress from feeding Original XPC is the improved body weight gain and feed conversion when birds are fed Original XPC during a coccidia challenge.

Japan researchers study LED lights in poultry houses

LED lighting in poultry facilities is cost-effective and could reduce aggressiveness in birds, according to the Aichi Agricultural Research Center in Nagakute, Japan, which is studying the use of LED lights in raising the country's Nagoya Cochin breed of chickens.
Japan's government put out an order in 2008 for manufacturers to stop producing incandescent lightbulbs by the end of 2012 as part of energy-saving efforts, causing poultry producers to look for alternative ways of lighting their facilities. The center conducted tests on four-week-old birds for three months using four different colors of LED lights: red, yellow, green and blue. Researchers found that birds raised under yellow LEDs consumed the least amount of food but still grew the most during the test period. In addition, birds raised under yellow bulbs exhibited no signs of aggressive behavior, as opposed to the 10 percent that showed aggressive behavior under incandescent bulbs.
"So far, we haven't found any downside to switching to LED lights," said Yuzo Ida, an engineer in the research center's animal husbandry laboratory. "But I hope to carry out further research with different colors to help farmers (make a more informed decision)." 

Kurdistan agriculture ministry lends aid to poultry projects

The Kurdistan regional government's Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources has announced subsidy plans to support poultry projects in the region, according to reports, allocating IQD 3 billion (US$2.5 million) to encourage an increase in domestic poultry products.
"The Kurdistan Region has 983 animal meat projects, 28 egg hatcheries and eight poultry slaughterhouses, in addition to 13 projects that provide eggs for the hatcheries," said Azad Khoshnaw, media secretary of the directorate of animal resources in the Ministry. He said there is a significant demand for poultry projects in the Kurdish region, especially egg projects, and many investors have already filed bids with the Ministry showing their willingness to open new projects for egg production.
"By the time all these projects reach their production level, the egg production will increase to 700 million eggs per year — just enough for the local consumption," said Khoshnaw.

Fiji to study poultry production sustainability in rural communities

The Fiji National University's College of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry is planning to conduct research on the sustainability of poultry production in the country's rural communities.
Fiji is 97 percent self-sufficient in poultry meat and 100 percent self-sufficient in eggs, according to research, and the markets are largely dominated by a few large companies. The poultry industry is held by two broiler companies, Goodman Fielder (60 percent) and Rooster Chicken (40 percent); and the egg market is controlled by Ram Sami and Sons (85 percent), said the college's department of animal science. The companies operate out-grower schemes — small poultry units — to which they provide chicks and feed and then buy back and market the final products.
The industry remains self-sufficient due to a 27 percent duty on imported poultry and eggs, said the department's proposal. Imports of poultry meat amount to about $3 million to $4 million per year, and comprise mainly chicken portions.

Study on poultry producers and energy resources gains UK funding

Research into the role of the poultry industry in supplying food to a growing population while enjoying only limited resources has won funding from the UK’s Harper Adam’s University College Temperton Fellowship.
The study is being carried out by Julian Morgan and Mike Tyers from country store group Countrywide and looks at how the poultry industry can help supply quality proteins when traditional energy sources are in decline. “Our research will focus on how the poultry industry needs to adapt to cope with increasing demand and new challenges in an environment where energy is likely to become a limiting resource," said Morgan. “High production efficiencies, animal welfare standards, food quality and security need to be maintained using minimum energy inputs, taking advantage of renewable energy opportunities and other emerging technologies."

Scientists respond to report linking chicken, antibiotic-resistant infections

Scientists and members of the veterinary and food safety fields are responding to a report linking the E. coli found in chicken and the E. coli that causes human urinary tract infections, saying that chicken is safe and that the claims made may be misleading.
“Bacteria move dynamically, not just in one direction from animals to humans; all pathways must be considered,” said Randall Singer, DVM, Ph.D., associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Minnesota’s Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences. “The studies in question make the assumption that humans carrying these E. coli acquired them from poultry. The strains did not originate in poultry and likely entered these farms from sources originating in human communities. Perhaps most importantly, the potential transmission of antibiotic-resistant E. coli to humans says nothing about why these E. coli are antibiotic resistant in the first place. The resistances observed in these E. coli are common globally and are unlikely to be attributed to chickens given the few antibiotics available for use in poultry in the U.S.”
The report also said that, according to the Food and Drug Administration, 80 percent of all antibiotics sold in the U.S. are fed to livestock and even healthy chickens — a statistics the National Chicken Council said is not attributable to the FDA and isn't accurate. "Fully 40 percent of the animal antibiotics counted are compounds not used in human medicine, and therefore, their use in animals cannot be compared with those used in humans," said the council.
“While we question the overall conclusions of these findings, the study’s researchers point to improper food handling during meat preparation for food-borne urinary tract infections,” said Ashley Peterson, Ph.D., National Chicken Council vice president of science and technology. “So it is always pertinent to remind consumers about the importance of safe food handling and cooking — washing of hands, cutting boards and utensils, cooking chicken to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F and preventing cross contamination in the kitchen.”

Study finds fluoroquinolones in poultry feather meal

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has responded to the results of a recent study that found fluoroquinolones, a class of antibiotics banned for use in poultry, in feather meal, a poultry production byproduct that is made from poultry feathers and is a common additive to chicken, swine, cattle and fish feed.
Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Arizona State University said they found the antibiotics in eight of 12 feather meal samples from different states, suggesting that the poultry received the fluoroquinolones before they were slaughtered. But USPOULTRY said that the U.S. commercial poultry industry hasn't used the class of antibiotics since they were banned by the Food and Drug Administration in 2005. In fact, ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and ofloxacin found in this study — albeit at extremely low levels — have never been used in the U.S. poultry industry," said Dr. John Glisson, DVM, director of research programs for USPOULTRY. "The fact that they are evident in this study calls into question the source of the feather meal that was tested, potential cross-contamination with other products, and ultimately the scientific objectivity of the research since it implies continued use of fluoroquinolones that were never used by the poultry industry in the first place.”
Researchers said their results may explain why there are still high rates of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter found on commercial poultry meat products. "With such a ban, you would expect a decline in resistance to these drugs," said study co-author Keeve Nachman. "The continued use of fluoroquinolones and unintended antibiotic contamination of poultry feed may help explain why high rates of fluoroquinolone-resistant Campylobacter continue to be found on commercial poultry meat products over half a decade after the ban."
But the National Chicken Council questions this conclusion. "Antibiotics are used sparingly in chicken production, and only those that are approved for use by the FDA," said the organization. "A majority of the antibiotics used to treat and prevent disease in chickens are not used in human medicine, meaning the threat of creating resistance in humans is essentially reduced to zero." The group also said that they "and many in the medical, veterinary and agricultural fields question any substantive link or scientific basis between veterinary use of antibiotics and resistance in humans." 

Incubation may influence broiler leg strength

The study examined the impact of differing sets of incubation conditions on early growth rate, bone composition and leg weakness measurements in a pure line broiler breed. / Photo courtesy Poultry CRC

New poultry research in Australia has suggested that the leg strength of broiler chickens can be affected by the conditions of temperature and humidity applied during the incubation of the eggs, reports Australia's Poultry Cooperative Research Centre. The work has the potential to further reduce the incidence of leg weakness in broilers and improve the welfare of birds worldwide.
Poultry CRC funded the study at the University of Sydney, which examined the impact of differing sets of incubation conditions on early growth rate, bone composition and leg weakness measurements in a pure line broiler breed. The idea of carrying out such an examination came after a field report of an unusually high incidence of leg deformity in two separate hatches of pure-line grandparent chicks at a primary broiler breeder facility. Both problem hatches were hatched in the same incubator, which had suffered a sudden drop in temperature for two days and which, despite correction, had run with a lower relative humidity throughout the incubation period.
A preliminary study to compare chicks hatched under test and control incubation conditions failed to reproduce the deformities seen in the field report. However, the results did demonstrate that the test chicks at hatch had lower bone ash (mineral deposits in their bones) and higher levels of calcium and phosphorus in their blood than the control chicks. At 13 days of age, the test chicks had higher bone ash levels and equivalent amounts of calcium and phosphorus in their blood.
Importantly, at 41 days, the test birds had a shorter "latency to lie" (how quickly they choose to sit rather than stand) than did the control birds. This indicated that the test birds, compared with the controls, were not as comfortable standing for as long. Says Poultry CRC, the researchers suspect that the test incubation conditions compromised bone development before hatch, possibly causing leg weakness later in life.

Ptarmigan study may help poultry farmers breed heavier, stronger birds

A University of Manchester team studying the Svalbard rock ptarmigan hopes to adapt its findings to benefit poultry farmers interested in breeding heavier, stronger birds.
The ptarmigan, an arctic relative of the grouse, can put on up to 32% of its body weight in fat during the winter, yet according to the study the birds become more efficient in their movements during this time, able to easily handle the extreme weight gain. “We are hoping that the knowledge we gain from our studies will eventually help the poultry meat industry to breed birds that can put on weight quickly but have the necessary physiological features so that they don’t suffer as a result,” said Dr. Jonathan Codd, who leads the research team.
The Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council funded the study. “It is really important that we increase food production, and that includes meat," said BBSRC Director of Research Janet Allen. "Our aim is to do this sustainably and with the same or improved welfare of the animals that are farmed. Studies such as this that tell us about the basic underlying biology of animals that operate in extreme environments...[can] tell us a great deal about how to breed farmed animals that are fit, healthy and productive.”

New findings on infectious laryngotracheitis

A study conducted at the University of Georgia Poultry Diagnostic and Research Center and funded by the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association has revealed new insights into infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT).
The study found that combination live Newcastle disease and infectious bronchitis vaccines interfered with the immunity produced by tissue-culture-origin ILT. Both tissue-culture- and chick-embryo-origin ILT vaccines depressed antibody response to infectious bronchitis and Newcastle disease, suggesting mutual interference.
The ILT virus designated strain 63140 persists in the trachea longer than a U.S. Department of Agriculture standard challenge strain. The incubation period for the prevalent North Georgia field strain is only two to three days. There is a high degree of correlation between antibody title level against ILT and the geographic distribution of the infection in North Georgia. Protection is adversely affected when dilution of vaccine viruses is carried out.
The emergence of strain GA63140 ILT has resulted in significant losses in the regional broiler industry. Health professionals involved with egg production flocks should be aware of the variants of this strain, which require diligent application of chick-embryo-origin vaccine. The protective ability of ILT vector vaccine has yet to be determined.

Chicken genetics could provide understanding of human disease

Scientists at Uppsala University in Sweden conducted a review of eight populations of domestic chickens and the red jungle fowl using high-throughput sequencing of genetic composition. The study conducted identified more 30 genetic loci that were attributed to domestication. Breeding of domestic chickens has resulted in 1,000 deletions from the wild progenitor. The study also identified more than 7 million single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNIPs), which are used by breeders in advanced selection programs as predictors of desirable traits.
Several selective sweeps representing changes in the genome were noted and were attributed to breeding for desirable phenotype. One mutation is in the gene coding for thyroid-stimulating hormone, common to all domestic chickens. The Swedish researchers are evaluating this finding since it is involved in the regulation of insulin-mediated glucose uptake in muscles. This has direct application to obesity and diabetes in humans.
Domestic chickens are emerging as important research subjects since they are diurnal and have embryonic development in an egg, which facilitates study compared with mammals.

National Flock Performance Study shows improvements

Part No. 27 of the National Flock Performance Study compiled by Don Bell, poultry specialist emeritus at the University of California–Riverside, documents a steady improvement in performance parameters for the industry.
The National Flock Performance Study data denotes genetic progress and advances in disease prevention, nutrition and management from 1997 to 2009. Average U.S. hen performance shows a 6.6% improvement in contribution margin—the difference between egg revenue (a function of egg price, feed conversion and egg mass) and feed costs per hen housed (influenced by feed conversion efficiency, daily intake and cost of feed).
The study showed a 37.5% increase in post-peak persistence. Hens averaged 31 weeks over 90% in the 2009 survey compared with 19 weeks in 1997. This increase was attained despite a 2.5% decrease in average hen-day peak, which attained 97.7% in 1997 and 95.1% in 2009. Total egg mass increased by 6.6%, which was attributed to a combination of a 4.8% increase in hen-housed production through 60 weeks and a 2.6% improvement in livability. Feed conversion improved by 1.1% from 1.84 (pounds of feed per pound of egg) in 1997 compared with 1.82 in 2009.
Feed cost expressed in cents per dozen was almost static, demonstrating that the escalation in feed cost was offset by improvements in production efficiency.Within the limitation of the sample size, the data shows a steady improvement. In 1997, 203 flocks with an average of 66,000 hens amounting to 13.4 million birds comprised the sample. In 2009, this number was reduced to 165 flocks averaging 48,000 hens for 7.9 million in total.

Bob Evans Farms to participate in hen housing study

Bob Evans Farms announced its plans to participate in a commercial-scale U.S. study of laying-hen housing alternatives, including cage-free housing. The study will look at the effects of different housing environments on hen health and well-being, safe and affordable food, the environment and worker welfare.
The goal of the study is to understand the viability of alternative housing systems in the United States, including cage-free and "enriched housing," which includes nests and perches. Another goal is to provide scientific research that will assist Bob Evans Farms and other companies in making more informed decisions on sustainable egg purchases.
"There are many compelling reasons for a study of this kind," said Sommer Mueller, a veterinarian and director of food safety and regulatory compliance at Bob Evans Farms. "Current research offers conflicting evidence regarding the well-being of animals in a cage-free environment. We recognize the gap in commercial-scale research on sustainable egg production and are very interested in further data to guide our decisions at Bob Evans Farms."
The study is sponsored by the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply, of which Bob Evans is a member. Experts at Michigan State University and the University of California-Davis are determining the design, timeline and costs of the study, as well as standards for each housing type, which include cage-free aviary, free-range and enriched housing.

Study: Bacteria transferred from humans to chicken

Reports say a strain of bacteria has jumped from humans to chickens, according to researchers at the Roslin Institute of the University of Edinburgh. This is believed to be the first evidence of a crossover of a bacterial pathogen from humans to animals.
The bacteria staphylococcus aureus was shown via genetic testing to have crossed over from humans to animals approximately 40 years ago when intensive poultry farming practices began. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences published the study.

Study explores viability of avian influenza in water

A recent article from scientists at the University of Georgia investigated the survival of avian influenza virus in water.
Viability is affected by pH, but with values of 7.4 to 8.2 supporting survival. A low temperature (approximately 50 F) and low to moderate salinity also extended the time over which viruses retained infectivity. The results of this study are important in understanding the transmission of avian influenza from free living water fowl to commercial flocks.

Soft water fights bacteria better than hard water

Microbiologist Arthur Hinton, Jr., and chemist Ronald Holser of the ARS Richard B. Russell Research Center in Athens, Ga., conducted studies comparing the ability of very hard, moderately hard, and "soft" water to rinse away bacteria like campylobacter, staphylococcus and pseudomonas from the skin of broiler chicken carcasses.
Study results indicate that processing water hardness may be a characteristic that should be monitored by poultry processors. After five rinses in each water type, soft water removed up to 37% more bacteria from the chicken skin than the hard water types.
Very hard water was prepared by dissolving calcium chloride and magnesium chloride in distilled water, while moderately hard water was prepared by diluting one part very hard water with one part soft water. Potassium citrate was used to reduce water hardness.
For more detailed information on this study, visit the USDA Web site.