Search

In order to avoid damaging viscera during poultry evisceration and enhance the economic value of poultry products, this paper proposes a predictive method for poultry carcass visceral dimensions based on 3D point cloud and a Genetic Algorithm-based Wavelet Neural Network (GA-WNN). In this study, a data set of poultry carcasses was obtained through the use of 3D point cloud scanning equipment combined with reverse engineering software. The inputs and predicted targets of the model were determined through correlation analysis of various carcass dimensions. Then, a prediction model of poultry visceral size (GA-WNN) was built by K-fold cross validation method, Genetic Algorithm and Wavelet Neural Network (WNN). By comparing the prediction results and analyzing Mean Absolute Percentage Error (MAPE) and Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of the six models, it was determined that the GA-WNN model had the best prediction results. Finally, in order to verify the generalizability of the method, generalizability experiments were conducted on different breeds of poultry, which proved that the method of this study had superior generalizability ability. In the comparative analysis of the six models, the MAPE and RMSE of the GA-WNN model for the prediction of the three visceral dimensions were the lowest except for the RMSE for the prediction of visceral length. Compared with the largest of the two kinds of errors, the MAPE and RMSE for the prediction of the position of the upper end of the left liver by the method of this study were lower by 5.56% and 0.915 cm, respectively, and the prediction effect had a significant advantage. The experimental results showed that the model built in this paper based on 3D point cloud and GA-WNN network can accurately predict the size of the viscera of poultry carcasses, thus providing theoretical references for the automated evisceration technology without damaging the viscera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As global demand for poultry products, environmental sustainability, and health consciousness rises with time, the poultry industry faces both substantial challenges and new opportunities. Therefore, this review paper provides a comprehensive overview of sustainable poultry farming, focusing on integrating genetic improvements, alternative feed, precision technologies, waste management, and biotechnological innovations. Together, these strategies aim to minimize ecological footprints, uphold ethical standards, improve economic feasibility, and enhance industry resilience. In addition, this review paper explores various sustainable strategies, including eco-conscious organic farming practices and innovative feed sources like insect-based proteins, single-cell proteins, algal supplements, and food waste utilization. It also addresses barriers to adoption, such as technical challenges, financial constraints, knowledge gaps, and policy frameworks, which are crucial for advancing the poultry industry. This paper examined organic poultry farming in detail, noting several benefits like reduced pesticide use and improved animal welfare. Additionally, it discusses optimizing feed efficiency, an alternate energy source (solar photovoltaic/thermal), effective waste management, and the importance of poultry welfare. Transformative strategies, such as holistic farming systems and integrated approaches, are proposed to improve resource use and nutrient cycling and promote climate-smart agricultural practices. The review underscores the need for a structured roadmap, education, and extension services through digital platforms and participatory learning to promote sustainable poultry farming for future generations. It emphasizes the need for collaboration and knowledge exchange among stakeholders and the crucial role of researchers, policymakers, and industry professionals in shaping a future where sustainable poultry practices lead the industry, committed to ethical and resilient poultry production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevention and controlled growth of pathogenic bacteria on eggs during storage and distribution at room temperature is important to ensure commercial eggs and egg products are safe for consumer. This study investigated the combined effects of orange oil (0.001%–0.004% v/w) and smoke for 10 min in paper egg tray packaging produce from the fungal pulp of Trametes versicolor. Eggs were kept in the developed paper egg tray at room temperature (30 ± 2°C). The mechanism of the combined antibacterial effects against Escherichia coli, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus and egg quality were investigated. The combination of orange oil (0.004%) and smoke delayed all bacteria and suppressed changes in weight loss and the quality factor of eggs (Haugh unit, yolk index, albumen index) for at least 14 d. It was found that the volatile orange oil smoke in the egg tray could be passed through the structure of the cell wall and membrane of bacteria, giving rise to loss of cell viability by irreversibly damaging the cell membranes of all the bacteria in this test. Moreover, higher antioxidant activity was found on the eggs than on the eggshells, which is linked to greater shelf-life of treated eggs. The study demonstrates an improved paper egg tray packaging system and the possibility of combining released essential oils and smoke, which can be extended to egg products. Smoke can also be modified on the surface of paper egg trays easily, which shows potential in functionalizing implanted materials with antibacterial properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need to develop novel alternatives to antibiotics gained prominence following the ban on sub-therapeutic antibiotic applications for livestock growth enhancement. This prohibition led to a surge in research papers exploring potential alternatives to antibiotics to promote growth and health in poultry. As a result, it has become imperative to synthesize information regarding research accomplishments and publication patterns in antibiotic alternatives, to assess research gaps and aid regulatory, funding, and research entities in making informed decisions. Consequently, our study aims to systematically analyze and comprehend the research and publication trends related to growth-promoting antibiotic alternatives in poultry. We identified all publications during the search period from 2009 to 2022, utilizing various bibliometric analysis datasets from Scopus, Web of Science/InCites, and Dimensions. The Rayyan web application was employed for manual deduplicating, labeling, and screening the relevant publications. From an initial pool of 2038 publications, we screened and categorized 816 based on factors such as alternative antibiotic categories, publication years, countries, species, journals, and institutes. Our findings reveal that the most prevalent publications are centered around probiotic (30.51%) and phytogenic (24.02%). Notably, the United States leads publication output, followed by China and Egypt. Among poultry species, broilers emerge as the most extensively studied category, followed by layer chickens. Universities emerge as the foremost contributors to antibiotic alternative research, while government institutes and industry occupy the second and third positions, respectively. Upon scrutinizing the journals responsible for the highest publication count and most cited papers, it became evident that the journal " Poultry Science " leads with the highest percentage (13.51%) and the most highly cited publications, accounting for five out of eleven highly cited articles. This comprehensive review outlines research trends concerning diverse antibiotic alternatives, taking into account poultry species and geographical distribution. The future trajectory in this domain is projected to encompass a blend of various antibiotic alternatives that could be administered as a single product and/or the innovative use of novel antibiotic alternatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Omics techniques, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics, analyze entire sets of biological molecules to seek comprehensive knowledge on a particular phenotype. These approaches have been extensively utilized to identify both biomarkers and biological mechanisms for various physiological conditions in livestock and poultry. The purpose of this symposium was not only to focus on how recent omics technologies can be used to gather, integrate, and interpret data produced by various methodologies in poultry research, but also to highlight how omics and bioinformatics have increased our understanding of poultry meat quality problems and other complex traits. This Poultry Science Association symposium paper includes 5 sections that cover: 1) functional annotation of cis-regulatory elements in the genome informs genetic control of complex traits in poultry, 2) mass spectrometry for proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics, 3) proteomic approaches to investigate meat quality, 4) spatial transcriptomics and metabolomics studies of wooden breast disease, and 5) multiomics analyses on chicken meat quality and spaghetti meat. These topics provide insights into the molecular components that contribute to the structure, function, and dynamics of the underlying mechanisms influencing meat quality traits, including chicken breast myopathies. This information will ultimately contribute to improving the quality and composition of poultry products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Careers in the poultry industry are ever evolving to address global challenges and include collaborations with others from diverse backgrounds and cultures from around the world. Employers are seeking college graduates who are prepared to use novel approaches to address local and global industry challenges. A primary goal of undergraduate animal and poultry science programs should be to focus on courses and opportunities for students to engage in activities that promote workforce and essential skill development. A symposium at the 2024 Poultry Science Association annual meeting included a unique perspective from academic and industry professionals on the essential skills needed by graduates to be most successful in the industry. This paper is a summary of the symposium's presentations concerning workforce development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The meat industry has been significantly threatened by the risks of foodborne microorganisms and biofilm formation on fresh meat and processed products. A microbial biofilm is a sophisticated defensive mechanism that enables bacterial cells to survive in unfavorable environmental circumstances. Generally, foodborne pathogens form biofilms in various areas of meat-processing plants, and adequate sanitization of these areas is challenging owing to the high tolerance of biofilm cells to sanitization compared with their planktonic states. Consequently, preventing biofilm initiation and maturation using effective and powerful technologies is imperative. In this review, novel and advanced technologies that prevent bacterial and biofilm development via individual and combined intervention technologies, such as ultrasound, cold plasma, enzymes, bacteriocins, essential oils, and phages, were evaluated. The evidence regarding current technologies revealed in this paper is potentially beneficial to the meat industry in preventing bacterial contamination and biofilm formation in food products and processing equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the study was to analyze the aspects affecting broiler welfare with the use of Text Mining technique. This approach converts text into numerical data and analyzes word frequency distributions, enabling the extraction of useful information and the identification of relationships between elements. Text mining has limitations, i.e. ambiguity and context sensitivity, making it difficult to capture nuanced meanings. The search was carried out with Scopus using the term "Welfare" with the keywords "Chicken", "Broiler", "Broiler chicken", and "Chicken meat", to create a database of abstracts. Text Mining and Topic Analysis were performed on the abstracts (1228 documents) using the Software R 4.3.1., analyzing also the weight of bigram and trigram. Publications on broiler welfare are present in the bibliography since 1990′s, but in the last 10 years, for the interest of public opinion, the numbers of publications significantly increased (76.5% of all documents published). USA, Brazil, and Europe-27 published 60% of the documents found. The works were published in a high number of journals, but 37% of them are published in only 4 journals (Poultry Science, Animals, Applied Animal Behavior Science and Animal Welfare). Text Mining analysis identified key terms related to the slaughter phase, housing management, and environmental conditions such as light quality and quantity. Moreover, a high correlation was found between some terms, underlying the importance of the effects of rearing, slaughter phases and litter management on broiler welfare. Most of the countries focused their research on some specific topics identified by Topic Analysis, mainly genetic selection, feeding, stocking density, slaughter, and consumer perceptions. Poultry Science published the highest number of papers (18%) and the topics more investigated were growing performance, transport and slaughter, and litter management. In conclusion, the high number of publications on chicken welfare underlines the importance of broiler welfare both in Europe and in other countries, even if it is difficult to identify common research topics among the geographic areas and the evolution over the time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Campylobacter species, predominantly Campylobacter jejuni , remains a significant zoonotic pathogen worldwide, with the poultry sector being the primary vector for human transmission. In recent years. there has been a notable rise in the incidence of human campylobacteriosis, necessitating a deeper understanding of the pathogen's survival mechanisms and transmission dynamics. Biofilm presence significantly contributes to C. jejuni persistence in poultry and subsequent food product contamination, and this review describes the intricate processes involved in biofilm formation. The ability of Campylobacter to form biofilms on various surfaces, including stainless steel, plastic, and glass, is a critical survival strategy. Campylobacter biofilms, with their remarkable resilience, protect the pathogen from environmental stresses such as desiccation, pH extremes, biocides and sanitizing agents. This review explores the molecular and genetic mechanisms of C. jejuni biofilm formation, highlighting regulatory genes involved in motility, chemotaxis, and stress responses. Flagellar proteins, particularly flaA, flaB, flaG , and adhesins like cadF and flpA , are identified as the main molecular components in biofilm development. The role of mixed-species biofilms, where C. jejuni integrates into existing biofilms of other bacteria to enhance pathogen resilience, is also discussed. This review also considers alternative interventions to control C. jejuni in poultry production, in the context of increasing antibiotic resistance. It explores the effectiveness of prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, bacteriocins, bacteriophages, vaccines, and organic acids, with a focus on their mechanisms of action in reducing bacterial colonization and biofilm formation. Studies show that mixtures of organic acids and compounds like Carvacrol and Eugenol significantly downregulate genes linked with motility and adhesion, thereby disrupting biofilm integrity. It discusses the impact of environmental factors, such as temperature and oxygen levels on biofilm formation, providing insights into how industrial conditions can be manipulated to reduce contamination. This paper stresses the need for a multifaceted approach to control Campylobacter in poultry, integrating molecular and genetic insights with practical interventions. By advancing our understanding of biofilm dynamics and gene regulation, we aim to inform the development of more effective strategies to enhance food safety and protect public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zinc is one of the most prevalent trace minerals in both the environment and in the body. It was used as a component for industrial coatings dating back to the 18th century and toxicity in smelter employees was a concern. Zinc was first reported in plants in the mid 1800′s and later that century was the first report of zinc in the liver and muscle in mammals. At this point in nutrition history, there had been research interest in iron and copper with their visible, bright colors. The first series of experiments and publications on zinc in animal systems used the marine mollusc, Sycotypus canaliculatus, with the final paper reporting the storage of copper and zinc in the liver. One hurdle to recognizing zinc's importance to animal growth was the lack of easily observed deficiency symptoms as was the case with rickets (Vitamin D) and perosis (manganese). While zinc can accumulate in selected tissues (i.e., liver, bone), its role as a cofactor in the 2 key enzymes carbonic anhydrase and alkaline phosphatase will be the focus of this review as these enzymes are critically important to optimizing egg production, egg shell quality, skeletal development and embryonic development. These enzymes can occur as different isoforms and their biochemical importance was discovered prior to the recognition that zinc was an important co-factor. Over the last 20 yr, 3 factors have dominated the zinc literature: phytase, organic versus inorganic zinc supplements and the application of molecular techniques toward the discovery of previously ignored zinc containing proteins/enzymes. The objective of this review will be to discuss the history of zinc as an essential enzymatic co-factor regulating animal growth and development with an emphasis on the aforementioned poultry systems egg production, shell quality, and skeletal development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poultry farming generates significant poultry litter (broiler litter and laying hen manure), posing environmental and human health risks. Heat treatment, particularly through drying, can mitigate these adverse effects. This paper aimed to explore the impact of various drying methods of poultry litter on key process indicators. The literature review showed that the drying kinetics of the broiler litter in a hot air dryer is affected by the manure depth, air velocity, drying temperature, and air relative humidity. Nevertheless, the effect of the air relative humidity is insignificant on drying laying hen manure. Hot air drying, freeze drying, and oven drying have significant effects on the nutrient content of the broiler litter. In drying both broiler litter and laying hen manure, the specific energy consumption decreases as air temperature and relative humidity rise. Low temperatures cause poor bacteria destruction in poultry litter, but at temperatures over 50°C, Salmonella is completely destroyed. The ammonia release from laying hen manure and broiler litter is very sensitive to moisture content. Generally, air temperature, air velocity, manure depth, and air relative humidity positively correlate with ammonia emission. The average ammonia emission during belt drying of laying hen manure is about 209.3 mg NH 3 d-1 hen-1. Finally, the lack of comprehensive research on poultry litter drying with modern drying methods (ultrasound, microwave, infrared rays, and freeze drying) is evident. One approach that may offer new opportunities is hybrid methods, such as a combination of dryers that use hot air drying agents with these modern drying methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coccidiosis is one of the most significant diseases affecting the poultry industry, with recent estimates indicating that it causes annual losses exceeding £10 billion globally. Increasing concerns over drug residues and resistance have elevated the importance of safe and effective vaccines as the primary method for controlling coccidiosis and other animal diseases. However, current commercial live vaccines for coccidiosis can negatively impact the feed conversion rates of young broilers and induce subclinical symptoms of coccidiosis, limiting their widespread adoption. Eimeria species, the causative agents of coccidiosis, exhibit unique biological characteristics. Their life cycle involves 2 or more generations of schizogony and 1 generation of gametogony within the host, followed by sporogony in a suitable external environment. Sporogony is crucial for Eimeria oocysts to become infectious and propagate within the host. Focusing on the sporogony process of Eimeria presents a promising approach to overcoming technical challenges in the efficient control of coccidiosis, addressing the urgent need for sustainable and healthy farming practices. This paper systematically reviews existing control strategies for coccidiosis, identifies current challenges, and emphasizes the research progress and future directions in developing control agents targeting sporogony. The goal is to provide guidance for the formulation of scientific prevention and control measures for coccidiosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterococcus cecorum (EC) infection is an emerging endemic disease in UK and global broiler poultry with major economic impact and welfare concerns. There are significant research gaps with regards to EC pathogenesis, source of infection, transmission routes and early detection of disease, which this study aimed to address. In this prospective study, 725 environmental samples were collected from 4 broiler farms (A–D) the day before chick placement (d 1) and through the subsequent crop (d 7, 14, and 21). Cecal swabs were collected from birds that died of natural causes during the study period. A sample of birds that had been found dead or were culled for health reasons, were presented for post-mortem and samples were taken from lesions for EC culture. DNA was extracted from all environmental samples and EC detected using a qPCR and MALDI-TOF. Two EC isolates from diseased birds were inoculated on concrete slabs and incubated at 23°C and 32°C followed by swabbing of concrete culturing and determination of EC cfu at defined time points. Alongside environmental and bird sampling commercially available, smart camera systems were installed in selected houses on each farm to monitor bird activity and distribution. No EC outbreak occurred during the study, however, it was detected by qPCR in 215/725 (29.7 %) of all samples collected. Also, EC DNA was detected on average in 37% of samples collected on d 1, with approx. 88% of samples from chick paper being positive. Despite this, it was only cultured from 3 ceca samples and joint fluids of two infected birds from farm B on d 14 and 21. The survival experiments using isolates from infected chickens showed EC can survive on concrete for at least 21 d. This study provides invaluable insights into transmission pathways and tenacity of EC. Further studies are needed to determine strain characteristics in relation to their ability to cause disease and to further elucidate the sources of infection on poultry farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to determine prevalence and perform genomic analysis of Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. isolated from different stages of an integrated NAE broiler complex. Environmental samples were screened with 3M-Molecular Detection System (MDS) and MDS positive samples were further processed for confirmation of results and identification. Core genome-based phylogenies were built for both bacteria isolated from this study along with selected NCBI genomes. The odds ratios and 95% confidence limits were compared among stages and sample types (α < 0.05) using multivariable model. Based on MDS results, 4% and 18% of total samples were positive for Salmonella spp. and Campylobacter spp. respectively. The odds of Salmonella detection in hatchery samples were 2.58 times as likely as compared to its detection in production farms' samples (P = 0.151) while the odds of Campylobacter detection in production farms' samples were 32.19 times as likely as its detection in hatchery (P = 0.0015). Similarly, the odds of Campylobacter detection in boot swabs, soil, water, and miscellaneous samples were statistically significant (P < 0.05) as compared with fly paper as reference group. The serovars identified for Salmonella were Typhimurium, Barranquilla, Liverpool, Kentucky, Enteritidis, Luciana, and Rough_O:r:1,5. For Campylobacter, the species identified were Campylobacter jejuni and Campylobacter coli. Phylogeny results show close genetic relatedness among bacterial strains isolated from different locations within the same stage and between different stages. The results show possibility of multiple entry points of such bacteria entering broiler complex and can potentially contaminate the final raw product in the processing plant. It suggests the need for a comprehensive control strategy with strict biosecurity measures and best management practices to minimize or eliminate such pathogens from the poultry food chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sensory characteristics of poultry products are crucial in defining their quality and widely influence consumer choices. Even though the scientific literature clearly indicates that for muscle foods the sensory profile is relevant in purchase decisions and overall acceptability, sensory evaluation has often been underestimated and considered complementary to instrumental and/or chemical assessments. Sensory analysis includes different types of validated tests (discriminative, descriptive, and affective), applied depending on the purpose of the research study, requiring special attention in the sample preparation phase, in particular for nonhomogeneous products such as poultry meat, requiring reproducible cutting, cooking and presentation to the tasters. The aim of this paper is to review, critically assess and discuss sensory methods, standardized procedures and sample preparation tailored for chicken meat, through the literature from 2000 to 2023, with a section dedicated to ethical aspects that must be carefully considered when designing a sensory protocol. The target readers are both the research and the business communities, as the information can be widely applied for quality control, to develop new food products, to understand or drive preferences or, for example, to assess potential sensory differences among chickens fed with different diets. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this review represents a useful first guide for those approaching the sensory analysis of chicken meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enclosed multistory poultry housing is a type of poultry enclosure widely used in industrial caged chicken breeding. Accurate identification and detection of the comb and eyes of caged chickens in poultry farms using this type of enclosure can enhance managers' understanding of the health of caged chickens. However, the accuracy of image detection of caged chickens will be affected by the enclosure's entrance, which will reduce the precision. Therefore, this paper proposes a cage-gate removal algorithm based on big data and deep learning Cyclic Consistent Migration Neural Network (CCMNN). The method achieves automatic elimination and restoration of some key information in the image through the CCMNN network. The Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) between the recovered and original images on the test set is 91.14%. Peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) is 25.34dB. To verify the practicability of the proposed method, the performance of the target detection algorithm is analyzed both before and after applying the CCMNN network in detecting the combs and eyes of caged chickens. Different YOLOv8 detection algorithms, including YOLOv8s, YOLOv8n, YOLOv8m, and YOLOv8x, were used to verify the algorithm proposed in this paper. The experimental results demonstrate that compared to images without CCMNN processing, the precision of comb detection of caged chickens is improved by 11, 11.3, 12.8, and 10.2%. Similarly, the precision of eye detection for caged chickens is improved by 2.4, 10.2, 6.8, and 9%. Therefore, more complete outline images of caged chickens can be obtained using this algorithm and the precision in detecting the comb and eyes of caged chickens can be enhanced. These advancements in the algorithm offer valuable insights for future poultry researchers aiming to deploy enhanced detection equipment, thereby contributing to the accurate assessment of poultry production and farm conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This systematic review aimed to compile the available body of knowledge about microbiome-related nutritional interventions contributing to improve the chicken health and having an impact on the reduction of colonization by foodborne pathogens in the gut. Original research articles published between 2012 and 2022 were systematically searched in Scopus and PubMed. A total of 1,948 articles were retrieved and 140 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Overall, 73 papers described 99 interventions against colonization by Escherichia coli and related organisms; 10 papers described 15 interventions against Campylobacter spp. ; 36 papers described 54 interventions against Salmonella; 40 papers described 54 interventions against Clostridium perfringens. A total of 197 microbiome-related interventions were identified as effective against one or more of the listed pathogens and included probiotics (n = 80), prebiotics (n = 23), phytobiotics (n = 25), synbiotics (n = 12), organic acids (n = 12), enzymes (n = 4), essential oils (n = 14) and combination of these (n = 27). The identified interventions were mostly administered in the feed (173/197) or through oral gavage (11/197), in the drinking water (7/197), in ovo (2/197), intra amniotic (2/197), in fresh or reused litter (1/197) or both in the feed and water (1/197). The interventions enhanced the beneficial microbial communities in the broiler gut as Lactic acid bacteria, mostly Lactobacillus spp., or modulated multiple microbial populations. The mechanisms promoting the fighting against colonization by foodborne pathogens included competitive exclusion, production of short chain fatty acids, decrease of gut pH, restoration of the microbiome after dysbiosis events, promotion of a more stable microbial ecology, expression of genes improving the integrity of intestinal mucosa, enhancing of mucin production and improvement of host immune response. All the studies extracted from the literature described in vivo trials but performed on a limited number of animals under experimental settings. Moreover, they detailed the effect of the intervention on the chicken gut without details on further impact on poultry meat safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Control of meat quality traits is an important goal of any farm animal production, including poultry. A better understanding of the biochemical properties of muscle fiber properties that drive muscle development and ultimately meat quality constitutes one of the major challenging topics in animal production and meat science. In this paper, the existing classification methods of skeletal muscle fibers in poultry were reviewed and the relationship between contractile and metabolic characteristics of muscle fibers and poultry meat quality was described. Finally, a comprehensive review of multiple potential factors affecting muscle fiber distribution and conversion is presented, including breed, sex, hormones, growth performance, diet, muscle position, exercise, and ambient temperature. We emphasize that knowledge of muscle fiber typing is essential to better understand how to control muscle characteristics throughout the life cycle of animals to better manage the final quality of poultry meat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eggshell quality is a significant characteristic that influences consumer preferences. Eggshell translucency is a common defect in the appearance of eggshells, which are characterized by gray spots that are visible to the naked eye under natural light. The presence of various defects resulting from eggshell translucency has caused a decrease in consumer willingness to purchase eggs, leading to considerable economic losses in the egg industry. Although the impact of eggshell translucency on food safety, egg quality, and hatchability has been extensively investigated, the classification and causes of eggshell translucency remain unclear and lack a systematic summary. In recent studies, new interpretations of evaluation methods and causes of eggshell translucency have been proposed, along with numerous innovative solutions. Therefore, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive review of the evaluation methods, classification, causes, effects, and influencing factors of eggshell translucency and to summarize the treatments for translucent eggs. We believe that this review will serve as a valuable reference for researchers involved in the study of translucent eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on "alternative methods for initial broiler processing" and exploration of alternative processing including slaughter at the farm immediately after catching. On-farm slaughter and transport (FSaT) is envisioned as a mobile unit that stuns, slaughters, and shackles the broiler carcasses at the farm. A separate trailer-unit then transports the shackled broiler carcasses to the processing plant. Once at the processing plant carcasses are mechanically transferred into plant shackle lines and moved into processing. The hypothesis is that the FSaT approach will dramatically improve overall bird welfare and well-being by reducing live handling and eliminating live transport from the farm to the processing plant. In addition, ancillary impacts could include: improving yield efficiencies by eliminating dead on arrivals, potentially reducing water and energy consumption, reducing labor requirements at the processing plant with the elimination of live rehang, and offering an economically sustainable alternative. The FSaT approach represents a radical change from traditional processing, and its effects on poultry processing need to be evaluated. This paper presents results of experiments conducted at a commercial poultry processor to evaluate feather picking efficiency, carcass bacteriological loading, and meat quality for delayed processed carcasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2015, an outbreak of an infectious disease in broilers caused by fowl adenovirus serotype 4 (FAdV-4) has occurred in China, resulting in substantial economic losses. Rapid, accurate, and specific detection are significant in the prevention and control of FAdV-4. In this study, an FAdV-4 detection method combining loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) and Pyrococcus furiosus Argonaute ( Pf Ago) was established. Specific primers, guide DNAs (gDNAs), and molecular beacons were designed to target a conserved region of the FAdV-4 hexon gene. After optimizing the reaction conditions, the minimum detection of this assay could reach 5 copies. It only amplified FAdV-4, and there was no cross-reactivity with other pathogens. The assay took about only 50 min, and the results could be visualized with the naked eye under ultraviolet or blue light, getting rid of specialized instruments. This novel LAMP- Pf Ago assay was validated by using 20 clinical samples and the results were identical to gold-standard real-time polymerase chain reaction method. In summary, the LAMP- Pf Ago assay established in the paper provides a rapid, reliable, convenient, ultra-sensitive and highly specific tool for the on-site detection and clinical diagnosis of FAdV-4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Routine antibiotic administration has been used in intensive animal industries for a long time for health and production benefits. There is now a concerted effort to limit antibiotics administration to only treatment of clinically affected animals and to look for other alternative solutions combined with better husbandry practices for the benefits routine antibiotic administration seems to provide in intensive farming systems. In this paper it is argued that the benefits from routine antibiotics in chickens administration in lay are from suppression of the effects of mycoplasma infections. Mycoplasma freedom has been recommended but is not always practical. Vaccination of mycoplasma negative chickens with live mycoplasma vaccines is now being used (with biosecurity) to decrease antibiotic dependence in lay of poultry in many parts of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccination is one of the most important control tools to reduce Salmonella in poultry production. In order for a live vaccine to be licensed for field use it should be provided with the detection methods to differentiate it from field strains. This paper aims to describe the validation of an alternative method for the differentiation of the Salmonella 441/014 vaccine strain from field strains, using a chromogenic Media, ASAP from bioMérieux. The ASAP-based differentiation method was compared with already authorized methods, namely the Anicon SE Kylt PCR DIVA 1 assay and Ceva S-Check Salmonella differentiation kit , following the ISO 16140-6:2019 validation method guidelines. A Generalised Linear Model was fitted to the data to determine the inclusivity and exclusivity of differentiation methods (PCR Kylt vs. S-Check vs. ASAPTM). Statistical differences were based on a P-value level of < 0.05 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). In this study, we show that the ASAP media was able to differentiate Salmonella Enteritidis vaccine strains from field strains, obtaining 100% agreement between the three differentiation assays. This differentiation approach is quicker, easier to deploy and cheaper as compared to alternative methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tons of keratin waste are produced by the poultry and meat industry which is an insoluble and protein-rich material found in hair, feathers, wool, and some epidermal wastes. These waste products could be degraded and recycled to recover protein, which can save our environment. One of the potential strategy to achieve this target is use of microbial biotreatment which is more convenient, cost-effective, and environment-friendly by formulating hydrolysate complexes that could be administered as protein supplements, bioactive peptides, or animal feed ingredients. Keratin degradation shows great promise for long-term protein and amino acid recycling. According to the MEROPS database, known keratinolytic enzymes currently belong to at least 14 different protease families, including S1, S8, S9, S10, S16, M3, M4, M14, M16, M28, M32, M36, M38, and M55. In addition to exogenous attack (proteases from families S9, S10, M14, M28, M38, and M55), the various keratinolytic enzymes also function via endo-attack (proteases from families S1, S8, S16, M4, M16, and M36). Biotechnological methods have shown great promise for enhancing keratinase expression in different strains of microbes and different protein engineering techniques in genetically modified microbes such as bacteria and some fungi to enhance keratinase production and activity. Some microbes produce specific keratinolytic enzymes that can effectively degrade keratin substrates. Keratinases have been successfully used in the leather, textile, and pharmaceutical industries. However, the production and efficiency of existing enzymes need to be optimized before they can be used more widely in other processes, such as the cost-effective pretreatment of chicken waste. These can be improved more effectively by using various biotechnological applications which could serve as the best and novel approach for recycling and degrading biomass. This paper provides practical insights about molecular strategies to enhance keratinase expression to effectively utilize various poultry wastes like feathers and feed ingredients like soybean pulp. Furthermore, it describes the future implications of engineered keratinases for environment friendly utilization of wastes and crop byproducts for their better use in the poultry feed industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The culling of day-old male chicks has caused ethical and economic concerns. Traditional approaches for detecting the in ovo sex of chicken embryos involve opening the eggshell and inner membrane, which are destructive, time-consuming, and inefficient. Therefore, noncontact optical sensing techniques have been examined for the in ovo sexing of chicken embryos. Compared with traditional methods, optical sensing can increase determination throughput and frequency for the rapid sexing of chicken embryos. This paper presented a comprehensive review of the different optical sensing techniques used for the in ovo sexing of chicken embryos, including visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging, Raman spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and machine vision, discussing their advantages and disadvantages. In addition, the latest research regarding different detection algorithms and models for the in ovo sexing of chicken embryos was summarized. Therefore, this paper provides updated information regarding the optical sensing techniques that can be used in the poultry industry and related research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Duck plague (DP) is one of the contagious diseases caused by Duck plague virus (DPV), which is a serious threat to the development of duck farming. Us3 is a PKA-like protein kinase in alphaherpesvirus, which can regulate the biological functions of many viral proteins, but whether Us3 regulates pUL48 protein has not been reported. In this paper, Western Blot, qRT-PCR, dual luciferase reporter system and Co-IP were used to investigate the relationship between pUL48 and Us3. The results showed that: 1) pUL48 interacted with Us3 at 138-256aa through its DBD region. 2) Us3 enhanced the protein expression of pUL48 in a dose-dependent manner. 3) Us3 promoted the mRNA level of pUL48 by activating its promoter activity. 4) Us3 inhibited the transcriptional activation function of pUL48. The results can provide scientific data for perfecting and supplementing the function of alpha herpesvirus Us3 and pUL48. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to study the interactive effects of the addition of soluble arabinoxylans (AX) and the particle size (PS) of soybean hulls (SBH) on digesta mean retention time (MRT) and nutrient digestibility in broiler chickens. A total of 288 one-day old Ross 308 female chicks were assigned to 32 pens (9 birds/pen) and fed a commercial starter diet for 10 d. At 10 d of age, pens were assigned to 1 of 4 dietary treatments (8 pens/diet) containing 120 g/Kg coarse or fine SBH, with or without addition of 50 g/Kg of soluble wheat AX, substituting maize starch. Titanium dioxide (4 g/Kg) and cobalt-EDTA (1 g/Kg) were added as inert markers. Excreta were quantitatively collected from d 22 to 25. Gastrointestinal tract and digesta were collected on d 28, 29, or 30. Arabinoxylans reduced the weight of the gizzard relative to body weight (RW) by 0.07% units (P = 0.005), and increased ceca RW (0.28 vs. 0.34%, P < 0.001) and length (10.45 vs. 11.21 cm/Kg BW, P < 0.001). Arabinoxylans increased digesta MRT in the crop (solids/liquids: +12 min, P < 0.05), small intestine (solids/liquids: +17 min, P < 0.01), and hindgut (liquids: +77.5 min, P < 0.05); and reduced apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and apparent total tract retention (ATTR) of DM (−5.4 and −3.9%, P < 0.001, respectively) and starch (−1.35 and −0.7%, P < 0.001, respectively). Particle size of SBH only affected the ATTR of non-starch polysaccharides, presenting higher retention values with fine SBH (−4.3%-units, P = 0.034). The addition of AX reduced AID of N by 4.3%-units, only in presence of fine SBH (interaction, P < 0.05). In conclusion, arabinoxylans greatly influenced digestion in the chicken GIT, while PS of SBH had marginal effects. Arabinoxylans reduced AID of N only with fine SBH, suggesting coarse SBH counteracted AX effects on N digestion, speculatively by modifying digesta viscosity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protein arginine methyltransferase 5 (PRMT5), a type II arginine methyltransferase, controls arginine dimethylation of a variety of substrates. While many papers have reported the function of mammalian PRMT5, it remains unclear how PRMT5 functions in chicken cells. In this study, we found that chicken (ch) PRMT5 is widely expressed in a variety of chicken tissues and is distributed in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus. Ectopic expression of chPRMT5 significantly suppresses chIFN-β activation induced by chMDA5. In addition, a prmt5 gene-deficient DF-1 cell line was constructed using CRISPR/Cas9. In comparison with the wild-type cells, the prmt5−/− DF-1 cells displays normal morphology and maintain proliferative capacity. Luciferase reporter assay and overexpression showed that prmt5−/− DF-1 cells had increased IFN-β production. With identified chicken PRMT5 and CRISPR/Cas9 knockout performed in DF-1 cells, we uncovered a functional link of chPRMT5 in suppression of IFN-β production and interferon-stimulated gene expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aimed to evaluate the effect of 3 kinds of TCM polysaccharides instead of antibiotics in preventing salpingitis in laying hens. After feeding the laying hens with Lotus leaf polysaccharide, Poria polysaccharide, and Epimedium polysaccharide, mixed bacteria (E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus) were used to infect the oviduct to establish an inflammation model. Changes in antioxidant, serum immunity, anti-inflammatory, gut microbiota, and serum metabolites were evaluated. The results showed that the 3 TCM polysaccharides could increase the expression of antioxidant markers SOD, GSH, and CAT, and reduce the accumulation of MDA in the liver; the contents of IgA and IgM in serum were increased. Decreased the mRNA expression of TLR4, NFκB, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL1β, IL6, and IL8, and increased the mRNA expression of anti-inflammatory factor IL5 in oviduct tissue. 16sRNA high-throughput sequencing revealed that the 3 TCM polysaccharides improved the intestinal flora disturbance caused by bacterial infection, increased the abundance of beneficial bacteria such as Bacteroides and Actinobacillus , and decreased the abundance of harmful bacteria such as Romboutsia, Turicibacter , and Streptococcus. Metabolomics showed that the 3 TCM polysaccharides could increase the content of metabolites such as 3-hydroxybutyric acid and isobutyl-L-carnitine, and these results could alleviate the further development of salpingitis. In conclusion, the present study has found that using TCM polysaccharides instead of antibiotics was a feasible way to prevent bacterial salpingitis in laying hens, which might make preventing this disease no longer an issue for breeding laying hens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to perform a meta-analysis comparing the biological efficiency of DL-methionine and L-methionine (DL-Met and L-Met) in broiler nutrition. This analysis was based on a dataset comprising experiment results published in peer-reviewed papers since 2007. All experiments investigated the response of broilers (aged 0–21 d) to different dietary concentrations of DL- and L-Met, achieved by supplementing crystalline Met. A graphical analysis was conducted on the database using ellipses coverage and nonparametric density techniques. Two methods of linear and nonlinear exponential meta-regression analysis were used to determine relative bioavailability based on average daily gain (ADG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) responses to dietary Met sources. The analyses of ADG and FCR obtained from both linear and exponential models showed a relative difference between the tested methionine sources. The results showed that both ADG and FCR were improved in L-Met compared to DL-Met supplemented diets. Linear regression analysis revealed that DL-Met was 94.97% (for ADG) and 95.63% (for FCR) as efficacious as L-Met (P < 0.01). In contrast, the analysis of the fitted nonlinear exponential model showed that the biological efficiencies of DL-Met were 91.33% and 76.57% of the values for L-Met for ADG (P = 0.01) and FCR (P = 0.09), respectively. Based on the meta-analytical results, an equivalence of relative biological efficiency of DL-Met in comparison with L-Met for young broilers could not be confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early embryonic exogenous feeding of bioactive substances is a topic of interest in poultry production, potentially improving gastrointestinal tract (GIT) development, stimulating immunization, and maximizing the protection capability of newly hatched chicks. However, the biophysiological actions and effects of in ovo administered bioactive substances are inconsistent or not fully understood. Thus, this paper summarizes the functional effects of bioactive substances and their interaction merits to augment GIT development, the immune system, and microbial homeostasis in newly hatched chicks. Prebiotics, probiotics, and synbiotics are potential bioactive substances that have been administered in embryonic eggs. Their biological effects are enhanced by a variety of mechanisms, including the production of antimicrobial peptides and antibiotic responses, regulation of T lymphocyte numbers and immune-related genes in either up- or downregulation fashion, and enhancement of macrophage phagocytic capacity. These actions occur directly through the interaction with immune cell receptors, stimulation of endocytosis, and phagocytosis. The underlying mechanisms of bioactive substance activity are multifaceted, enhancing GIT development, and improving both the innate and adaptive immune systems. Thus summarizing these modes of action of prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics can result in more informed decisions and also provides baseline for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Controlling Salmonella in poultry is an ongoing food safety measure and while significant progress has been made, there is a need to continue to evaluate different strategies that include understanding Salmonella -poultry interaction, Salmonella -microbiota interactions, Salmonella genetics and response to adverse conditions, and preharvest and postharvest parameters that enable persistence. The purpose of this symposium is to discuss different strategies to consider from feed milling to the farm to the processing environment. This Poultry Science Association symposium paper is divided into 5 different sections that covers 1) immunological aspects of Salmonella control, 2) application of Salmonella genetics for targeted control strategies in poultry production, 3) improving poultry feed hygienics: utilizing feed manufacture techniques and equipment to improve feed hygienics, 4) practical on farm interventions for controlling Salmonella —what works and what may not work, and 5) monitoring and mitigating Salmonella in poultry. These topics elucidate the critical need to establish control strategies that will improve poultry gut health and limit conditions that exposes Salmonella to stress causing alterations to virulence and pathogenicity both at preharvest and postharvest poultry production. This information is relevant to the poultry industry's continued efforts to ensure food safety poultry production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Broiler breeders are subjected to feed restriction programs to control excessive growth. However, current levels of feed restriction and concomitant growth restriction are becoming severe, raising welfare and suboptimal reproductive performance concerns in underfed breeders. To circumvent the issue, our previous studies investigated the effects of new strategic growth curves, with various degrees of relaxed growth restrictions, on broiler breeders and their progeny's performance. The broiler breeder study was conducted with 40 Ross 708 broiler breeder pullets reared on 1 of 10 target growth trajectories using a precision feeding (PF) system. The growth trajectories were designed with 2 levels of the amount of prepubertal BW gain and 5 levels of pubertal growth timing. The prepubertal BW gain (g 1) was estimated from the breeder-recommended standard BW gain (Standard g 1) target, or 10% higher (High g 1). The pubertal growth timing (I 2) was advanced such that it happened at I 2 -0% = 22.29 wk, I 2 -5% = 21.16 wk, I 2 -10% = 20.05 wk, I 2 -15% = 18.94 wk, I 2 -20% = 17.82 wk of age. Two broiler experiments with different maternal ages (35 and 42 wk) were conducted as the extension of the breeder experiment to evaluate the intergenerational effects of a reduced degree of maternal prepubertal phase growth restriction and earlier maternal pubertal phase growth on offspring growth and development. The current paper investigated the economic aspects of implementing the growth curves using the partial budget analysis. Increasing prepubertal BW gain by 10% and advancing the pubertal growth phase by 20% (scenario 10) could increase margin over feed and chick cost for the hatching egg producers by CDN$1.97/hen. For broiler chicken supply chain as a whole, the highest differential margin over feed and chick cost was for maternal growth scenario 10 from 42-wk-old hens. The latter margin over feed and chick cost was greater than that of breeder-recommended maternal growth (from 35-wk-old hens) by $0.1053/kg live chicken under the current economic situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An infection by protozoa Eimeria spp. can cause coccidiosis, which negatively affects broiler chicken performance and causes economic and production losses. To understand the effect of coccidiosis on broilers' performance, we evaluated the independent variables and their interactions on the severity of coccidiosis in broilers that cause variation (Δ) of average daily feed intake (ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), and gain per feed (G:F) of broiler chicks using a meta-analysis approach. A database of 55 papers describing 63 experiments was gathered; broilers were challenged by Eimeria species (E. acervulina, E. maxima, E. tenella , and mixed) and at least 2 variables among ADFI, ADG, and feed conversion ratio (FCR) were studied. The variation induced by the challenge was calculated relative to the control group of each experiment. The indirect factors evaluated were days postinfection (DPI), Eimeria type and dose, infection age (IA), bird's mean age in the analyzed period, genetic line, sex, and whether they were raised in a cage or a pen. Graphical, correlation, and variance analyses were performed to evaluate the form of the responses. Then, a linear plateau model was adjusted for each response variable as a function of DPI to determine the consequences of the disease on the variation of performance over time after infection. The impact of the infection challenge on the variation of performance vs. nonchallenge broilers was only impacted by DPI (P < 0.05). The adjustment of the data with the linear plateau model allows us to determine the host response to the coccidiosis disease at different stages. At 5 DPI (acute phase), ΔADFI, ΔADG, ΔG:F were of −19.0; −39.8, and −25.5, respectively. After almost 13 DPI birds achieved the recovery phase for all variables with Δ varying from −19 to −3.75% for ADFI, from −39.8 to −10.5% for ADG, and from −25.5 to −7.24% for G:F. The Eimeria impact was higher in ADG than ADFI in all periods due to Eimeria aggressive action form causing lesions in gut epithelial reducing the use of nutrients and energy. The results can be used as a quantitative approach to determine the consequences of Eimeria spp. on broiler performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella represents a food safety concern worldwide. Despite the application of National Control Programs (NCP) against Salmonella, regulated by the European Union, every year the European Food Safety Authority reports new cases. On the look for new alternatives to antibiotics, bacteriophages, or phages, rise as a promising alternative to treat multidrug resistance infections. Although they are known to be ubiquitous in the environment, their high specificity to host cells hinders their isolation and usage for phage therapy. The ISO 6579-1:2017 is performed as a reference method in the NCP and uses an unspecific media to enrich the sample the same way most phage isolation protocols do. Later, the protocol uses a more selective media to isolate the Salmonella , Modified Semisolid Rappaport Vassiliadis (MSRV). This paper aims to find out whether, due to the similarity between phage isolation protocols and the ISO 6579-1:2017, this last one could be used as a protocol to also isolate phages against the same bacterium that is being simultaneously isolated. To do so, 2 experiments were performed to assess phage isolation from MSRV media in in-vivo conditions. The results from experiments 1 and 2 proved that the MSRV media was usable for simultaneous phage and pathogen isolation through a single procedure. Additionally, there is a correlation between the antigenic formulae from the bacteria and the phage's host range, seeming to be effective against bacteria with similar antigenic formulae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aimed to evaluate the effects of dietary inclusion of green tea powder (GTP) on laying performance, egg quality, and blood biochemical parameters of laying hens. A total of 240 Jingfen No. 6 laying hens (age, 24 wk) were randomly allocated into 4 groups: control group (CON , basal diet), GTP0.5, GTP0.75, and GTP1.0 (basal diet included 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0% GTP, respectively). Each group has 5 replicates with 12 birds each. The feeding trial lasted 8 wk. The results showed that the hen-day egg production rate in GTP0.5 and GTP 0.75 group was higher than that of GTP1.0 group (P < 0.05), hen-day egg production rate in the GTP1.0 group was lower compared to the CON group (P > 0.05), the feed conversion ratio (FCR) in the GTP0.75 group was lower than that in CON and GTP 1.0 group (P < 0.05) during the entire experimental period. Albumen height and Haugh unit were higher in the GTP0.75 and GTP1.0 group compared to the CON group at d 56 (P < 0.05). At the end of experiment, plasma TG content in the GTP0.75 and GTP1.0 group was lower than that in the CON group (P < 0.05), the T-CH concentration in the GTP0.5 and GTP0.75 group was lower compared to the CON group (P < 0.05), plasma LDL-C and CORT concentrations were decreased by dietary GTP supplementation (P < 0.05), the HDL-C and BUN concentrations in the GTP0.75 and GTP1.0 group were higher than that in the CON group (P < 0.05). The antibody titers of H5N1 in the GTP0.75 and GTP1.0 group, and H7N9 in the GTP1.0 group were lower than that in the CON group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary GTP inclusion could affect laying performance, regulate lipid metabolism, and have no favorable influence on antibody titers of H5N1 and H7N9, herein, dietary 0.5% GTP inclusion is suggested for Jingfen No. 6 laying hens during the peak laying period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spotty Liver Disease (SLD) is a serious problem in laying hens farmed in cage-free systems. The causative organism, Campylobacter hepaticus , is regarded as having a fecal-oral method of transmission and hence may build up and spread readily in housing systems which allow ease of direct contact of hens with the flock's fecal material. The epidemiology of SLD has not been thoroughly investigated. An initial cross-sectional analytical epidemiological survey of SLD in free range and barn layer systems was conducted in Australia over 2019 to 2021.The survey involved rearing flocks (n = 32) which were then followed through into laying flocks (n = 24) up to 40 wk of age. Cloacal swabs were collected during rearing and lay for C. hepaticus detection by PCR. Flocks were classified as "Cases" (n = 18) where clinical SLD according to the case definition was observed or "Controls" (n = 6) which were clinically unaffected. No C. hepaticus was detected in cloacal swabs from rearing houses whereas the organism was detected in 18 Case flocks in lay and from 2 Control flocks in lay. All layer houses that incorporated a scratch area (n = 13) were categorized as Cases. Thus, having a scratch area is a key determinant for SLD and no analyses of further contributory factors from these flocks were able to be made. Of the remaining 11 flocks which had floors fully covered by slats, 5 were Cases (45%). Further risk factor analysis was compromised by this small sample size and identification of other significant associations was not possible. A larger survey investigating flocks laying in houses with fully slatted floors was undertaken to further the understanding of SLD epidemiology and is reported in a companion paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Necrotic enteritis (NE) is a widespread infectious disease caused by Clostridium perfringens that inflicts major economic losses on the global poultry industry. Due to regulations on antibiotic use in poultry production, there is an urgent need for alternative strategies to mitigate the negative effects of NE. This paper presents a passive immunization technology that utilizes hyperimmune egg yolk immunoglobulin Y (IgY) specific to the major immunodominant antigens of C. perfringens. Egg yolk IgYs were generated by immunizing hens with 4 different recombinant C. perfringens antigens, and their protective effects against NE were evaluated in commercial broilers. Six different spray-dried egg powders were produced using recombinant C. perfringens antigens: α-toxin, NE B-like toxin (NetB ; EB), elongation factor-Tu (ET), pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase, a mixture of 4 antigens (EM-1), and a nonimmunized control (EC). The challenged groups were either provided with different egg powders at a 1% level or no egg powders (EN). The NE challenge model based on Eimeria maxima and C. perfringens dual infection was used. In Experiments 1 and 2, the EB and ET groups exhibited increased body weight gain (BWG ; P < 0.01), decreased NE lesion scores (P < 0.001), and reduced serum NetB levels (P < 0.01) compared to the EN and EC groups. IgY against NetB significantly reduced Leghorn male hepatocellular cytotoxicity in an in vitro test (P < 0.01). In Experiment 3, the protective effect of the IgYs mixture (EM-2) against C. perfringens antigens (NetB and EFTu) and Eimeria antigens (elongation factor-1-alpha: EF1α and Eimeria profilin: 3-1E) was tested. The EM-2 group showed similar body weight, BWG, and feed intake from d 7 to 22 compared to the NC group (P < 0.05). On d 20, the EM-2 group showed comparable intestinal permeability, NE lesion scores, and jejunal NetB and collagen adhesion protein levels to the NC group (P < 0.05). In conclusion, dietary mixture containing antibodies to NetB and EFTu provides protection against experimental NE in chickens through passive immunization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Passive radio frequency identification (RFID) can advance poultry behavior research by enabling automated, individualized, longitudinal, in situ, and noninvasive monitoring; these features can usefully extend traditional approaches to animal behavior monitoring. Furthermore, since the technology can provide insight into the visiting patterns of tagged animals at functional resources (e.g., feeders), it can be used to investigate individuals' welfare, social position, and decision-making. However, the lack of guidelines that would facilitate implementing an RFID system for such investigations, describing it, and establishing its validity undermines this technology's potential for advancing poultry science. This paper aims to fill this gap by 1) providing a nontechnical overview of how RFID functions; 2) providing an overview of the practical applications of RFID technology in poultry sciences; 3) suggesting a roadmap for implementing an RFID system in poultry behavior research; 4) reviewing how validation studies of RFID systems have been done in farm animal behavior research, with a focus on terminologies and procedures for quantifying reliability and validity; and 5) suggesting a way to report on an RFID system deployed for animal behavior monitoring. This guideline is aimed mainly at animal scientists, RFID component manufacturers, and system integrators who wish to deploy RFID system as an automated tool for monitoring poultry behavior for research purposes. For such a particular application, it can complement indications in classic general standards (e.g., ISO/IEC 18000-63) and provide ideas for setting up, testing, and validating an RFID system and a standard for reporting on its adequacy and technical aspects. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Computer vision technologies have been tested to monitor animals' behaviors and performance. High stocking density and small body size of chickens such as broiler and cage-free layers make effective automated monitoring quite challenging. Therefore, it is critical to improve the accuracy and robustness of laying hens clustering detection. In this study, we established a laying hens detection model YOLOv5-C3CBAM-BiFPN, and tested its performance in detecting birds on open litter. The model consists of 3 parts: 1) the basic YOLOv5 model for feature extraction and target detection of laying hens; 2) the convolution block attention module integrated with C3 module (C3CBAM) to improve the detection effect of targets and occluded targets; and 3) bidirectional feature pyramid network (BiFPN), which is used to enhance the transmission of feature information between different network layers and improve the accuracy of the algorithm. In order to better evaluate the effectiveness of the new model, a total of 720 images containing different numbers of laying hens were selected to construct complex datasets with different occlusion degrees and densities. In addition, this paper also compared the proposed model with a YOLOv5 model that combined other attention mechanisms. The test results show that the improved model YOLOv5-C3CBAM-BiFPN achieved a precision of 98.2%, a recall of 92.9%, a mAP (IoU = 0.5) of 96.7%, a classification rate 156.3 f/s (frames per second), and a F1 (F1 score) of 95.4%. In other words, the laying hen detection method based on deep learning proposed in the present study has excellent performance, can identify the target accurately and quickly, and can be applied to real-time detection of laying hens in real-world production environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High fearfulness in commercial laying hens can negatively affect production parameters and animal welfare. Brown and white egg layers differ in several behavioral characteristics, though reported differences in fearfulness are inconsistent. A meta-analysis was conducted to determine whether there are systematic differences in measures of fearfulness between brown and white layers. Twenty-three studies that examined either 1 or both of 2 behavioral tests were included: tonic immobility (TI) (longer duration = higher fearfulness, 16 studies) and novel object (NO) test (lower approach rate = higher fearfulness, 11 studies). The 2 tests were analyzed separately. TI analyses: A generalized linear mixed effect model (GLMM) with a lognormal distribution was fitted to describe the data with experiment nested in study as a random effect. Explanatory (X) variables were considered through backward selection, where potential X-variables included color (brown vs. white layers), decade (1980s, 2000s, 2020s), age (prelay vs. in lay), genetic stock (hybrid vs. grand-/parent stock), and methodology (back vs. side position). NO test analyses: univariable GLMMs with a beta distribution were fitted with approach rate as the Y-variable and color, decade, age, stock, or 2 methodological factors (test duration, single vs. group testing) as X-variables. Models were evaluated by assessing information criteria, residuals/random effect normality, significance of X-variables and model evaluation statistics (mean square prediction error, concordance correlation coefficient). TI duration was best explained by a color-by-decade interaction (P = 0.0006). Whites in the 1980s had longer TI durations (709.43 ± 143.88 s) than browns in the 1980s (282.90 ± 59.70 s), as well as in comparison to browns (208.80 ± 50.82 s) or whites (204.85 ± 49.60 s) in the 2020s. The NO approach rate was best explained by color (P ≤ 0.05 in 3 models), age (P < 0.05 in 3 models), and decade (P = 0.04). Whites had a higher approach rate (0.7 ± 0.07) than browns (0.5 ± 0.11), birds in lay a higher rate (0.8 ± 0.07) than birds prelay (0.4 ± 0.12), and approach rate for papers published in the 2000s (0.8 ± 0.09) was higher than in the 2020s (0.2 ± 0.12). The phylogenetic difference in the 1980s was no longer detectable after enforcing an upper limit on TI durations (10 min), as became common practice in later studies. Our findings suggest that phylogenetic differences in fearfulness and changes over time are test dependent, and this raises important questions and potential consequences for assessing hen welfare in commercial egg production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this systematic review is to investigate the applicability of the results from existing life cycle analysis (LCA) and environmental assessments studies in informing nutritional strategies for environmentally sustainable poultry meat production. This paper reports on a Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) of articles published between 2000 and 2020. The studies reviewed were conducted in developed countries including UK, France, Germany, Sweden, Norway, The Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Canada, and USA. All articles were written in English. The REA includes studies on LCA of differing strains of meat poultry and production systems, studies on poultry manure emission and studies on environmental assessments of plant-based feed ingredients. The review covered studies on soil carbon dynamics associated with plant-based ingredients. Web of Science, Scopus, and PubMed were used to obtain the 6,142 population articles. The multistage screening process resulted in 29 studies from which 15 studies included LCA while the rest 14 studies analyzed NH 3 emission of broilers. All studies based on LCA were descriptive and did not include replications. Only 12 studies assessed the effect of interventions to reduce NH 3 emission of broiler litter using replicated layout designs. It is concluded that the broiler industry in UK, EU, and North America cannot rely on results of existing LCA and environmental assessments studies to inform their nutritional strategy and poultry meat production due to a shortage of reliable in vivo data assessing interventions in controlled studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the antagonism and synergy among environmental factors in the poultry house, the influence process becomes extremely complex. As a result, it is difficult to predict and evaluate the degree of such influence accurately. In this paper, we study the poultry house environment factor and its relationship with poultry production performance, using the gray relation analysis (GRA) to filtrate the main factors that influence the evaluation of the poultry house environment. Put forward using the gray relation degree (GRD) to improve the method for structuring the judgment matrix, and weights are more objective and reasonable. The evaluation index system and evaluation model are constructed through the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). It is expected that the comprehensive evaluation of the indoor environment status of the poultry house can guide the optimization of the environmental control in the poultry house and obtain better production indicators of the poultry. In this study, the experimental broiler house was enclosed in autumn. Because of the ventilation system, the indoor environment is still affected by the outdoor environment. The top 3 in the calculation of weights were outdoor environment (0.4315), indoor temperature (0.2384), and indoor air quality (0.1687), which were consistent with experience. From October 24 to 27, the environmental evaluation values of the experimental broiler house were {2.4367, 2.8149, 2.3857, 2.5669}, that is, the evaluation results were {good, good, good, good}; consistent with the expert manual judgment. The correctness and practicability of the proposed method were verified. This paper provides a scientific basis for environmental evaluation and environmental control in the poultry house. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pickled eggs enjoy a long processing history with unique flavor and rich nutrition but suffer from long pickling cycle due to the limitations of traditional processing methods. In terms of quality, salted egg whites have the disadvantage of high sodium content, and salted egg yolks have problems such as hard core and black circle around outer layer. Likewise, the quality of preserved eggs is challenged by the black spots (dots) on the eggshells and the high content of heavy metals in the egg contents. The sustainable development of traditional pickled eggs are hindered by these defects and extensive research has been carried out in recent years. Based on the elaboration of the quality formation mechanism of salted eggs and preserved eggs, this paper reviewed the processing principles and applications of rapid pickling technologies like ultrasonic technology, magnetoelectric-assisted technology, water cycle technology, vacuum decompression technology, and pulsed pressure technology, as well as the quality optimization methods such as controlling the sodium content of the salted egg whites, improving the quality of salted egg yolks, promoting the quality of lead-free preserved eggs, and developing heavy metal-free preserved eggs. In the end, the future development trend of traditional pickled eggs was summarized and prospected in order to provide theoretical guidance for the actual production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In broiler breeder production, up to 2% of hatching eggs are rejected because of cracked or broken shells. Eggs with cracks give a reduced hatchability and a lower chick quality and cause economic loss. The main goal of this study was to determine the effect of sealing eggshell cracks with surgical tape on hatching parameters. A total of 3,000 eggs from a 34 weeks old Cobb 500 broiler breeder flock was used in the experiment. Six hundred intact eggs represented a positive control. Other eggs were artificially cracked by the operator either on the first day of storage (1,200 eggs) or on the fourth day of storage (1,200 eggs). In both groups, cracks on 600 eggs were sealed by the adhesive surgical tape while the other 600 eggs remained untreated and were used as a negative control. Within each experimental group, eggs were assigned randomly to 4 setter trays representing 4 replicates of 150 eggs. The egg weight loss during incubation was the highest (P < 0.01) in groups of nonsealed cracked eggs. The egg weight loss in sealed groups was higher compared to the control group (P < 0.01). Percentage of egg contamination was not different between groups. Embryonic mortality was higher in non-sealed groups in all stages of embryonic development (P < 0.01) compared to groups of sealed cracked eggs and the control group. Hatching percentage was significantly lower in non-sealed groups (P < 0.01) compared to sealed groups and positive control. No significant difference in hatching parameters was observed between sealed groups and positive control, indicating that surgical tape can be used for sealing cracks on the eggshell to support embryonic survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identification and quantification of stress and stress inducing factors are important components of animal welfare assessment and essential parts of poultry management. Measurement of the autonomic nervous system's influence on cardiac function using heart rate and heart rate variability (HR/HRV) indices can provide a non-invasive assessment of the welfare status of an animal. This paper presents a preliminary study showing the feasibility of continuous long-term measurement of HR/HRV indices in freely moving chicken. We developed and evaluated an electrocardiography (ECG) based HR/HRV recording system that can be used as a poultry wearable backpack for research studies. The backpack system was first validated against a commercial ECG amplifier, and the corresponding estimations of HR values matched well with each other. Then, an in vivo proof-of-concept experiment was conducted on floor-reared chickens to collect ECG data for 2 weeks. The extracted HR/HRV values show strong alignment with circadian patterns and well-defined sleep cycles. Wearable devices, like the backpack ECG system used in this study, may be best suited for application in freely moving poultry to get an insight into circadian abnormalities and sleep quality for stress and welfare management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The combination of increased genetic potential and changes in management strategies (i.e., antibiotic-free, no antibiotics ever, and every day feeding of replacement pullets) influences the nutritional needs of poultry. Traditionally, nutritionists have focused on meeting the amino acid needs for production performance and yield however, increasing specific amino acid concentrations can benefit gastrointestinal development and integrity, enhance immune response potential, influence behavior, and benefit sustainability. Commercialization of additional feed grade amino acids beyond methionine, lysine, and threonine, enables targeted increases to achieve these benefits. As such, this paper addresses the functional roles of amino acids in meeting poultry production, health, and sustainability goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poultry production is linked with the use of veterinary medicinal products to manage diseases. Ionophore coccidiostats have been permitted for use as feed additives within the European Union (EU) for the prevention of coccidiosis in various species of poultry with except of laying hens. The presence of chemical residues in eggs is a matter of major concern for consumers' health. Despite such prohibition of use in laying hens, they were identified as the most common non-target poultry species being frequently exposed to these class of coccidiostats. Many factors can influence the presence of residues in eggs. Carryover of these class of coccidiostat feed additives in the feed of laying hens has been identified as the main reason of their occurrence in commercial poultry eggs. The physicochemical properties of individual compounds, the physiology of the laying hen, and the biology of egg formation are believed to govern the residue transfer rate and its distribution between the egg white and yolk compartments. This paper reviews the causes of occurrence of residues of ionophore coccidiostats in eggs within the EU with special emphasis on their disposition kinetics in laying hens, and residue transfer into eggs. Additional effort was made to highlight future modeling perspectives on the potential application of pharmacokinetic modeling in predicting drug residue transfer and its concentration in eggs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing environmental enrichments that increase environmental complexity can benefit poultry welfare. This Poultry Science Association symposium paper is structured around four themes on 1) poultry preferences and affective states 2) species-specific behavior, including play behavior and the relationship between behavior, activity level and walking ability, 3) environmental enrichment and its relationship with indicators of welfare, and 4) a case study focusing on the application of enrichments in commercial broiler chicken production. For effective enrichment strategies, the birds' perspective matters most, and we need to consider individual variation, social dynamics, and previous experience when assessing these strategies. Play behavior can be a valuable indicator of positive affect, and while we do not yet know how much play would be optimal, absence of play suggests a welfare deficit. Activity levels and behavior can be improved by environmental modifications and prior research has shown that the activity level of broilers can be increased, at least temporarily, by increasing the environmental complexity. However, more research on impacts of enrichments on birds' resilience, on birds in commercial conditions, and on slow(er)-growing strains is needed. Finally, incorporating farmers' expertise can greatly benefit enrichment design and implementation on commercial farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]