Maryland chicken farmers face tougher standards

Maryland Department of the Environment rules would limit chicken farmers' manure storage.

What are These White Spots on my Boneless, Skinless Breast Fillets and Thighs?

White Spots on boneless, skinless breast fillets and thighs

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• May experience product recalls due to white spots on boneless, skinless breast fillets or thighs often long before the product has reached its expected shelf-life
• This can be accompanied by foul odours (sulfur-like, sour, or putrid).
• Poultry production may have difficulty understanding this sudden appearance and differentiating it from common product spoilage, contributing production factors and how to prevent and correct this problem.
• First, identify the causative agent/organism by picking the white spots off the spoiled meat, spreading it on a microscope slide and examining the appearance of the predominating organism on the slide. If it is rod-shaped without small protuberances, they may be lactobacilli. This organism is gram-positive for confirmation. They produce acids (“sour” spoilage odour).
• If the organisms is large, and budding i.e with small protuberances on the cells' surfaces, they are most likely to be yeast.
• It is important to determine the causative agent because their origin and solution will vary depending on the culprit.

Vaccination, hygiene key to Marek’s control

Vaccination, hygiene key to Marek’s control

Poultry now a third of all meats

Poultry now a third of all meats

Portioning options

Portioning options

Brazilian broiler firms vie for top spot

Brazilian broiler firms vie for top spot

On-farm egg storage: Avoid pre-incubation

Temperature fluctuation lowers hatch rate by as much as 3.5%.

Betaine in broiler diets increases yield

Betaine in broiler diets increases yield

The boom in clean-room slicing

The boom in clean-room slicing

Using biofuel by-products in poultry feed

Although biofuel by-products present challenges to poultry nutritionists, they also offer opportunities.

Offering a choice based on science

Offering a choice based on science

Aviaries: alternative housing for layers

The European Union’s forthcoming ban on conventional cages for laying hens is stimulating aviaries to develop alternatives.

Low-pathogenic avian flu: learning from experience

Lessons learned from two outbreaks of low pathogenic avian flu in the USA last year.

Uniformity equals profitability

An uneven broiler flock can cause losses at each stage in the processing plant.

Regain consumer confidence

Insights into optimizing global egg production from the IEC spring meeting.

Global egg uptake to grow by 12mt by 2015

Global egg uptake to grow by 12mt by 2015 forecasts future egg consumption around the world and highlights that most of the increase in demand will come from six Asian countries.

Buyers Guide

All the equipment, services and supplies needed by poultry producers and processors by category, and lists the name and location of each company offering that particular item or service.

Latest advances in poultry health

Latest advances in poultry health covers the highlights of the recent Southern Conference of Avian Diseases in Atlanta, USA.

IPE reflects trends in further processing

IPE reflects trends in further processing looks at the ways that new poultrymeat further processing equipment on show at the International Poultry Expo in Atlanta meets growing demand for processed products.

Clear Sign of Poultry Industry Groeth in Russia and eastern Europe

The Eastern European poultry output exceeds world average highlights how developments in the poultrymeat and egg industries are inconsistent across the countries in the region. This article highlights the most promising areas for the future.

Ostrich production struggling in Botswana

21 Apr 2008

The sole ostrich abattoir in Botswana is still unable to reach its target of slaughtering 1,160 birds per month.

The plant re-opened in October 2007 and managed to slaughter a total of 1182 birds from October last year to February.

According to abattoir manager Freeman Mogaga, farmers are unable to meet the target due to limited infrastructure, unreliable feed supply and unavailability of chicks.

He went on to say that few ostrich farms, inadequate training and high start-up costs were among the problems affecting ostrich production in the region. However, he said the Ministry of Agriculture should aid this industry with more funding, subsidise ostrich farming start-up cost and adequate infrastructure and training.

He also called on farmers to invest more, devote more time and efforts in ostrich farming as well as liaise with the ministry officials on better and profitable farming techniques.

It is reported that the ostrich meat is sold locally, as well as to countries such as Belgium, and the skins sold to Asia and South Africa.

Distribution of Poultry

Poultry are widely distributed and are very adaptable and do well under a wide variety of climatic conditions. More people are angaged in some form of poultry keeping especially in the developing countries than any other single agricultural enterprise. The reasons for this are as follows:

1. Poultry thrive under a wide variety of climatic conditions.
2. They are well suited to different scales of production.
3. They require less land and are easy to manage.
4. They have a quick turnover of capital.
5. Poultry production may be a full-time or part-time production/occupation.
6. Poultry meat and eggs are essential foods.
7. Egg yolk is used for nourishment of sperms when semen is prepared for artificial insemination purposes.
   

Introduction to Poultry Production

Poultry refers to domesticated birds that are kept for eggs and meat production. The domesticated birds are Quail (Japan), Pheasants, Turkey, Geese, Ducks, Guinea Fowl, Ostrich and Domestic Fowl (Chicken).