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SUMMARY Campylobacter is a human food-borne pathogen frequently associated with poultry and poultry products and can be found in high numbers within the gut contents of colonized broilers. The number of Campylobacter on broiler carcasses increases markedly during automated defeathering as rubber picker fingers press on the abdomen and can force gut contents out of the cloaca. One method to prevent this increase is to plug the cloaca and prevent escape of gut contents. For a plug to be effective, it must resist expulsion during picking. In the current work, we test shredded sponge or paper as a means to plug broiler carcass cloacae during automated feather removal. Broiler carcass cloacae were plugged before scalding and carcasses were sampled to determine the bacterial numbers present on breast skin after scalding (before feather picking) and again after feather picking. Neither 50 cc of shredded paper nor 25 cc of shredded sponge was effective as a cloacal plug. However, a plug made of 50 cc shredded sponge material was effective to occlude broiler carcass vents during automated defeathering. Significantly fewer Campylobacter cells were detected on the breast skin of post pick carcasses plugged with 50 mL of shredded sponge than on post pick unplugged control carcasses.

Summary This study aimed to investigate the effects of modified-dietary fiber from cassava pulp (M-DFCP), mostly classified as insoluble dietary fiber (IDF), as a feed supplement on productive performance, nutrient digestibility, weight of digestive organs, abdominal fat storage, and cholesterol in meat and blood of broiler chickens. A total of 336 one-day-old male broiler chickens (Ross 308) were allocated to 4 groups in 7 replicate pens with 12 chicks each, based on a completely randomized design. Four dietary treatments composed of control and 3 M-DFCP inclusion levels: 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5%. The results showed that M-DFCP showed no negative effects on growth performance in broiler chickens. The inclusion of M-DFCP in diets at 1.0 to 1.5% had positive effects on increased gizzard weight, reduced gizzard pH, and reduced abdominal fat. The M-DFCP at 1.0% can also increase nutrient digestibility (dry matter, organic matter, and ether extract). In addition, the supplementation of M-DFCP at 1.0 to 1.5% in diets represented lower cholesterol in serum, breast and thigh meats, and liver of broiler chickens. In conclusion, these results indicate that M-DFCP can be used as an IDF source in broiler diets. The inclusion of 1.0% M-DFCP in broiler diet has positive effects on enhancing gizzard function, improving nutrient digestibility, and reducing abdominal fat and cholesterol in chicken meat, blood, and liver.

There are instances where shell eggs may be moved from refrigeration into ambient temperature with high humidity, such as before wash and during transportation. Under these conditions, it is of concern that bacteria on wet eggs can grow and migrate through the shell pores into the egg. Objectives of this experiment were: 1) to compare 3 methods of quantifying condensate on eggs and 2) to quantify condensate on refrigerated shell eggs at 2 temperatures (22°C and 32°C). For objective 1, 270 fresh shell eggs (3 replications, 90 eggs per replication) were stored at 4°C, 60% relative humidity (RH), then placed at 22°C, 60% RH for 1 h. After this time, 30 pre-weighed eggs were randomly selected and weighed. Thirty eggs were thoroughly wiped with pre-weighed paper towels to collect condensate. Thirty eggs were evaluated with a pinless moisture meter for quantifying egg condensate, which was found to be an ineffective method. There was no difference in quantifying egg condensation by egg weight or weight of moisture absorbed on a paper towel (0.2% vs. 0.19% percentage gain mL condensation/egg surface area) (P > 0.05). For objective 2, 104 fresh eggs formed condensation at 2 temperatures (22°C and 32°C, 60% RH). Each egg weight was continuously recorded from the beginning of condensation formation to the point where the egg reached a constant weight. There was a difference found in the time it took for an egg to reach maximum condensation (11 min at 32°C, 17 min at 22°C), as well as completely dry (25 min at 32°C, 34 min at 22°C) between the 2 temperatures (P

SUMMARY Layer cage cleaning and disinfection are important for disease prevention; however, published research is limited. The objective of this study was to determine the efficacy of commonly used products on soiled layer cages. Trial one was conducted at a university poultry research farm, and trial two was completed in a commercial pullet house. All products were mixed according to manufacturer recommendations. Treatments consisted of a negative control, a low-pressure water rinse (LPWR, garden hose), a high-pressure water rinse (HPWR, power washer), a soap, a chlorinated cleaner, a quaternary ammonium, a glutaraldehyde, a peroxyacetic acid, a phenolic, a potassium peroxymonosulfate, a hydrogen peroxide, and a quaternary/glutaraldehyde blend product. Swabs of cage floors were collected post treatment to determine if bacterial loads were reduced (P

SUMMARY: Producers and consumers associated with small scale backyard egg production tend to reuse egg cartons. Egg cartons are also reused for arts and craft projects, gardening, and organization units for small items. The reuse of egg cartons is primarily driven by economic or ecological reasons. The ability of zoonotic bacteria, such as Salmonella Enteritidis (SE), to survive on the eggshell surface and a variety of food packaging materials makes the reuse of egg carton risky. This study was aimed at determining the scope of cross-contamination of SE between eggshell and different egg carton types using 2 experiments. Unwashed eggs from end-of-lay white Leghorn hens were used in the experiments. Two different SE strains were used with 3 independent tubes of inocula from each strain as replicates. In Experiment 1, 216 eggs from each SE strain (72/replicate) were inoculated with 10 μL of SE inoculum (~ 9.95 log cfu/mL), allowed to dry in room temperature, and placed in nonadjacent wells of noninoculated plastic, polystyrene foam, and pulp egg cartons. Egg cartons of each type were then stored either at refrigeration (4°C) or room temperature (25°C). After 24 h eggs were discarded and the carton-wells were swabbed for SE recovery. In Experiment 2, wells of egg cartons were inoculated with SE and uninoculated eggs were placed in them and stored similar to Experiment 1. A total of 216 wells within the egg cartons were inoculated for each SE strain (72/replicate). Eggshell samples were collected for SE recovery. Only 3 samples were detected positive for SE in Experiment 1 and no effect of carton type, SE strain, or incubation temperature was observed. In Experiment 2, 8 eggshell samples were SE positive – 6 from polystyrene foam and 2 from plastic carton. Statistical difference was observed for pulp versus polystyrene foam only (P < 0.05). These results indicate that transfer of SE between egg carton and eggshell surface is possible and that the risk of cross-contamination is associated with type of carton material.

SUMMARY Listeria monocytogenes can be present in poultry processing and further processing plants, where it can colonize floor drains. This is a concern as the potential exists for cross-contamination of product contact surfaces or even fully cooked product. Self-contained chlorine dioxide-generating and delivery pods were tested as a means to sanitize uninoculated floor drains and L. monocytogenes-inoculated model floor drains. Free-swimming and attached bacteria were enumerated in drains. Standing water and the inner surface of treated drains had significantly lower bacterial numbers than did untreated drains. Listeria monocytogenes numbers decreased by up to 8.7 log cfu/mL in standing water (>99.999999%) and 6.7 log cfu (>99.9999%) as attached cells. Commercially available chlorine dioxide pods may have practical utility for killing L. monocytogenes during periodic sanitization of floor drains in poultry processing facilities.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the potential use of dried cassava pulp (DCP) with reference to productive performance, nutrient digestibility, egg quality, egg yolk cholesterol, cecal microbial populations, and volatile fatty acids production in laying hens. In experiment 1, a total of 48 laying hens (Isa Brown) were placed in individual cages and assigned randomly to one of 6 dietary treatment groups consisting of a control and 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25% DCP for 10 d. Feeding laying hens with diets containing up to 20% DCP did not affect the dry matter (DM) and organic matter (OM) digestibility and nitrogen (N) retention (P > 0.05). In experiment 2, a total of 288 laying hens (Isa Brown) were randomly distributed to 6 dietary groups (one control and 5 DCP: 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25%) for 12 wk. The results show that diets containing up to 20% DCP had no significant effects on productive performance or egg quality (P > 0.05). The inclusion of DCP at levels of 20 to 25% showed a positive effect on decreased egg yolk cholesterol (P

WOS:000376435100013 This experimental study focuses on the changes to the physical and chemical characteristics of poultry slaughterhouse wastewater sludge exposed to varying microwave radiation energy levels, exposure time, and pH. Soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD), protein, and PO4-P releases obtained from the sludge were quantified as a function of irradiation energy, exposure time, and pH with the help of Box-Benhken statistical design. The maximum solubility values for SCOD (40.9 g/L), maximum protein (10.8g/L), and PO4-P (151 mg/L) were observed at the irradiation energy of about 1,002W with the exposure duration of 90 s at pH = 3. The sludge released 17% of its total COD and 12% of its total phosphorus. The temperature of the sludge sample was increased from 20 to 67 degrees C at exposure to 1,280W for 90 s. The capillary suction time (CST) of sludge samples decreased from an initial value of 200 s to 7.9 s at 1,280W at the exposure time of 50 s. The lowest specific resistance to filtration (SRF) value of 4.06 x 10(14) m/kg was measured at 50 s due to the existence of the dewatering properties in the sludge.

Poultry transportation coops are rarely washed and have been demonstrated to be a point of cross-contamination of broiler carcasses. Foaming disinfectants and cleaners, commonly used within processing plants, may be used to clean and disinfect poultry transportation coops. In this study, homogenized fecal material was evenly applied to the floors of precleaned broiler transportation coops and allowed to dry. Treatments consisted of a water rinse, a foam additive alone, foaming cleaner, and a disinfectant plus a foam additive. All foaming treatments were applied using a compressed air foam system (2,271 L/min; 600 gal/min), similar to what firefighters would use. A high-pressure water rinse (HPWR) was added prior to or following the treatments to determine whether rinsing prior to product application or rinsing after product application would improve efficacy. Based on our data, a compressed air foam system may be used in combination with a commercially available disinfectant or foam cleaner to reduce aerobic bacteria on the surfaces of commercial broiler transportation coops. Furthermore, the addition of a HPWR did not further reduce the level of aerobic bacteria on broiler transportation coop floors.

SUMMARY Recent years have seen commercial broilers reach market weights at systematically younger ages. These broilers have more efficient growth rates and higher meat yields due to advances in breeding programs and improvements in poultry husbandry, health, and nutrition. Nonetheless, some critics have voiced concerns with possible negative impacts on the skeletal integrity of broilers. To address these concerns, we provide in this paper time trends of breeding values for 11 to 14 yr for 5 skeletal (limb) health traits in broilers of 3 pedigree pure lines. Results presented are based on well over a million chickens per line. Of the 5 traits, 4 had low heritabilities with the other being low to moderately heritable. Yet through intense and persistent selection, incidence of limb issues has not worsened and has declined in 4 of the traits.

SUMMARY Development of a net energy (NE) system in poultry has been a topic of research for many decades, following its successful implementation in pigs. However, up to now, no such system for poultry is in use, as the added value of a NE system in poultry over the current AME system(s) has not yet been demonstrated. In this paper, the merits and limits of a NE system in poultry are discussed for fast-growing broilers.

SUMMARY Viral infections impose a great threat to backyard chicken production among poor rural households in developing countries. These infections limit the contribution of chicken production in improving the livelihoods of poor communities, particularly in Africa. Chicken viral infections lack treatment options; control and prevention depend primarily on adoption of vaccines and good farm management practice such as the institution of biosecurity measures. In backyard production systems, these control options are less practical and less feasible to implement. Research has demonstrated the role of genetic diversity of farmed animals and birds in explaining variation in resistance to infectious diseases and suggests that heterogeneous populations are less susceptible to disease than homogeneous populations. Local African chicken ecotypes have high genetic diversity and have demonstrated the ability to survive persistent exposure to pathogens and harsh environmental conditions. This suggests that local African chickens have the genetic potential to enhance breeding strategies for resistance to viral infections. Despite the ongoing threat of infectious disease and dynamic of diseases epidemiology attributed by climate change, little has been done to harness the genetic potential of local African chicken ecotypes to breed for resistant traits. To lay the foundation for future research, this review paper presents a summary of challenges facing current chicken viral infections control and prevention options in local African chickens, and gives an overview of documented information on the genetic diversity and population structure of local African chicken ecotypes.

SUMMARY Microbiome plasticity in chickens provides an attractive target for future potential therapeutic platforms. However, a better understanding of the chicken microbial ecology and how interventions such as xylanase addition can modulate this is needed. Interest in xylanase as an essential additive for livestock in manipulating growth performance has been reported as early as 1980s. In this paper, we describe how a new xylanase leads to an array of benefits in broilers, not only by improving broiler performance and nutrient digestibility, but also by clearly improving gut health. Gut health improvements are demonstrated by better intestinal morphology, different volatile fatty acid profile in the gut and even promotion of beneficial over pathogenic micro-organisms in the intestinal tract. Our study confirms that supplementation of xylanase at the lowest dose of 30,000 U/kg (10 g/t) and above significantly improves broiler performance and digestibility. Furthermore, the observation that xylanase can modulate broilers’ intestinal morphology and microbial content beneficially, by stimulating Lactobacilli growth and thus exerting a prebiotic effect, provides novel and useful insights for future applications.

SUMMARY In order to identify the gender of chicken eggs at the early stage of incubation, a machine vision image acquisition system was constructed. Under the light source of LED, the images of 2 batches (186 and 180) of chicken eggs were respectively obtained on d 3, d 4, d 5, d 6, d 8, and d 10 of incubation. Considering the clarity and the integrity of blood vessels in the field of machine vision, the image of d 4 was determined as the basis for gender identification of chick embryos. After image processing, the 11 dimensions of feature parameters depicting the chick's embryonic development were extracted. In this paper, the genetic algorithm (GA) was used to optimize the initial weights and thresholds of backpropagation neural networks (BPNN) with different hidden layers. Then the GA-BPNN with single hidden layer, as well as, double hidden layers was established respectively. According to the research, the comprehensive accuracy of GA-BPNN model with double hidden layers reached 89.74% for the prediction set, which was higher than that of the model with single hidden layer, indicating that optimizing the initial weights and thresholds of BPNN by GA and adding the hidden layer had a certain effect on improving the recognition accuracy. Meanwhile, the results showed that the machine vision technology provided a feasible method for gender identification of chicken eggs at the early stage of incubation.

SUMMARY The immune system is complex, with redundant and overlapping functions. Identifying the correct immune parameters to study the immune status of an animal is challenging. Nutritional immunologists often measure different isotypes of antibodies, hematological parameters, parasite loads, functional assays of macrophages and T cells, pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, phosphorylation status of proteins involved in signaling pathways, and several other parameters to identify the immune status of birds. Papers in which authors misinterpret immune parameters are common. This article discusses the drawbacks of some of the common interpretations of several immunological assays available for nutritional immunologists.

SUMMARY The supply of dietary energy is of critical importance to all animals and is of large economic impact for the poultry industry. Over time, livestock nutritionists have refined the measurement of dietary energy, and the expression of energy requirements from digestible energy (DE), to metabolizable energy (ME), and ultimately to net energy (NE), subdivided into NE for maintenance and NE for production. Commercial dairy, beef, and swine nutritionists have largely moved to expressing energy in terms of NE, but the poultry industry has not been as quick to make the transition from ME. The symposium papers explore the benefits and limitations in the use of NE for broilers, strengths and limitations of various sources of feedstuff energy values, the partitioning of dietary energy into retained energy and heat production, and the utilization of synthetic amino acids for energy by the bird.

Summary A ban on using antibiotics as growth promoters in the diet of commercial poultry and swine in most developed countries and the public trend in consuming organic animal products have resulted in increasing the use of natural substances in feeding farm animals. Among different available alternatives, the beneficial impacts of phytogenic feed additives (PFA) and organic acids (OA) on the performance of poultry—and specifically broiler chickens—have been proven by previous researchers. Mostly it has been reported that PFA and/or OA improve the performance of animals by modulating the intestinal microflora in favor of beneficial bacteria like lactobacilli. There are also some published papers showing that the addition of PFA and/or OA is not significantly beneficial on broiler chickens’ performance. It has been suggested that rapid absorption or metabolism of these additives upon entering the duodenum is the reason. Therefore, protecting the additives from early metabolism and absorption can be an approach to increase their effectiveness.