Poultry Houses Research Articles

Study the effectiveness of using a complex of disinfectants and probiotics in the presence of poultry

In the industrial production of broiler meat, optimal housing conditions are created to increase productivity and meat quality. To maintain the natural resistance of poultry, the technology of poultry must use probiotics and quality, safe disinfectants. This article deals with the discussion due to the research results on the integrated use of two probiotics and two disinfectants in raising broiler chickens. The scheme, modes, and terms of using probiotics and disinfectants for broiler chickens during their cultivation are offered. Doses and concentrations of the studied preparations are also generalized. The influence of the investigated preparations on hematological parameters, growth, and safety of poultry was analyzed. The results of the research showed that feeding with probiotics and disinfectants did not significantly influence the daily feed consumption of chickens but caused a 6.2 % increase in average daily gain and a decrease of 0.1 feed conversion rate in chickens of the experimental group. Production investigation has determined the modes of disinfection of poultry houses in the presence of broiler chickens when using a disinfectant, “Biolide”, based on hydrogen peroxide, lactic acid, and lactic acid. The bactericidal effect of disinfection of walls, floors, and feeding troughs of the premises with aerosol use of disinfectant “Biolide” and spraying of probiotic powder “Biozapin” 2 days after treatment, at the rate of 10‒30 g/m2 1 time in 2 weeks. There was an increase in the productivity of the studied poultry for feeding with probiotic feed “Biomagn” at the rate of 0.5 kg per ton of feed according to the scheme: from one day of age – seven consecutive days and 22 days of age – seven days in a row with constant water treated with disinfectant preparation “Diolide” based on chlorine dioxide, which made it possible to get quality products and cost-effective production. According to the research results, it is set that the optimal mode of aerosol disinfection of poultry houses in the presence of broiler chickens using 0.2 % disinfectant “Biolide” is 50 ml/m3 of the room at an exposure of 60 minutes. The safe and optimal concentration of the disinfectant “Diolide” during water treatment in the water supply system at a dose of 1.0 mg/l of chlorine dioxide corresponds to 0.0004 % concentration. The bactericidal effect of disinfecting the room's surface in the presence of poultry during its rearing after disinfection with the disinfectant “Biolide” and probiotic “Biozapin” was almost 100 %, which confirms its effectiveness. Under the action of the investigated preparations, a stimulating influence on the gas transport function of the blood of broiler chickens was revealed, especially in the older age of their rearing. In particular, at the age of 34 days, the concentration of hemoglobin was higher by 10.7 % (P < 0.05), and the number of erythrocytes at the age of 34 and 41 days – by 41.7 (P < 0.01) and 24.1 % (P < 0.01), respectively. At the same time, likely changes in the number of leukocytes and the ratio of their species in the blood of chickens of the experimental group concerning the control were not detected. These data indicate that aerosol treatment of premises in the presence of chickens is non-toxic and has no negative influence on the physiological state, confirmed by investigations of morphological indicators of poultry blood.

Microencapsulated bacteriophages incorporated in feed for Salmonella control in broilers

Bacteriophage inclusion as a feed additive could offer the prospect of its en masse application and reduce the intestinal carriage of Salmonella by broiler chickens. The objective of this study was to evaluate the application of microencapsulated phages as a strategy to control Salmonella and assess the impact of their use during the broiler rearing period. One-hundred one-day-old chicks were randomly divided in two identical poultry houses according to the two experimental groups (control vs Φ-treated group) simulating field production conditions. Half of the animals in each experimental group, were challenged with 105 CFU/bird of Salmonella Enteritidis per os. In the Φ-treated group, microencapsulated Salmonella-phage encapsulated in Eudragit®L100 (a pH-responsive formulation) were incorporated in the starter diet feed. To assess Salmonella colonization, excretion and diffusion, cecum samples, cloacal swabs and boot swabs were taken weekly. Salmonella detection was based on ISO 6579-1:2017 (Annex D). Salmonella colonization was significantly reduced in most of the rearing period, meanwhile the excretion was significantly reduced on the 2nd, 4th and 5th week of rearing. Moreover, Salmonella contamination of the farm environment was eliminated at the end of the cycle. This study provides important insights into the potential use of phages as a preventative and biocontrol strategy against Salmonella infection from farm-to-table.

Performance of hilly and naked neck hilly chicken at Naikhongchari of Bangladesh

A study was conducted to evaluate the production and hatching performances of hilly chickens and naked neck (NN) hilly chickens at the hilly areas of Naikhongchari regional station research farm of Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute (BLRI). The experimental chickens were reared in an open-sided poultry house under an intensive management system for a period of 18 month. The birds were allowed to take feed and clean drinking water ad libitum. Data on productive and reproductive performances of hilly and NN hilly chickens were recorded regularly. Result revealed that no significant (P>0.05) difference on body weight of day old, 2nd weeks and 4th weeks of age but significantly (P<0.05) differ on 6th to 12th weeks of age on hilly and NN hilly chicken. Result also showed that average feed intake and mortality percentage at day old to 12th weeks of age were significantly (P<0.05) differ among hilly and NN hilly chicken. It was found that no significant (P>0.05) difference of egg weight and chick weight between hilly and NN hilly chicken but significantly (P<0.05) differed in hatchability percentage. On the other hand, result exhibited that average body weight (ABW) of cock and hen, feed intake and mortality were significantly (P<0.05) differed among hilly and NN hilly chicken. Hen days egg production was significantly (P<0.05) differed between hilly and NN hilly chicken but no significant (P>0.05) difference of average total egg weight and age at first egg. These findings imply that Hilly chicken performance was better than NN hilly chicken in terms of body weight (BW), age at first egg (AFE) and egg production. Both hilly (feathered) and NN hilly chickens need to be conserved and improved further through selective breeding and a better management system.
 Bangladesh Journal of Animal Science 51 (3): 133-137, 2022

Estimating production costs and retail prices in different poultry housing systems: conventional, enriched cage, aviary, and barn in Japan

For many producers, introduction of improved animal welfare systems is a turning point in their future production strategies as it increases production costs. The increase in egg retail prices is of growing concern not only for producers, but also for retailers and consumers. However, no report has calculated the estimated production costs or retail prices associated with introducing practices that support improved animal welfare in poultry farms in Japan. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate the production costs and table egg prices of 6 types of laying hen systems: conventional cage (CC): 8- and 12-tiers (CC8, CC12), enriched cage (EC): 8- and 12-tiers (EC8, EC12), aviary (AV), and barn systems (BR). Production costs include land purchases, construction costs of facilities, equipment and machinery, quantity of feed provided, farming materials invested, and wages.As a result, farm gate prices were estimated as CC8 = 12.19, CC12 = 12.19, EC8 = 14.52, EC12 = 14.52, AV = 21.14, and BR = 28.74 [yen/egg], and the production cost, including building the new farm, increased by EC8 = 19.1%, EC12 = 19.1%, AV = 73.4%, and BR = 135.7%, respectively, referring to the value of CC. The results show that the prices increase in systems between CC and BN. The retail price or table egg price was estimated to be CC8 = 24.68, CC12 = 24.68, EC8 = 28.07, EC12 = 28.07, AV = 37.27, and BR = 48.53 [yen/egg]. The retail price of BR is approximately twice that of CC. In addition, assuming that all of Japan's eggs were produced in the BR system, the soaring cost of eggs would likely affect the prices of factory eggs, such as liquid eggs and other products, thus affecting the prices of various food products.Understanding the significant management costs that affect the retail price of eggs would facilitate improved policies and practical approaches to support poultry farms and sustainable farming activities while addressing public concerns.

Study on Seroprevalence and Associated Risk Factors of Newcastle Disease in Smallholder Poultry Farms in Sodo Zuria District, Wolaita Zone, Southern Ethiopia.

Newcastle disease (NCD) is a highly contagious viral disease of poultry and remains a constant threat in poultry farms that causes huge economic losses. The objective of this study was to estimate and assess the seroprevalence and associated risk factors of Newcastle disease in the Sodo Zuria district, southern Ethiopia. A cross-sectional survey followed by a simple random sampling technique was conducted from May to July 2021 on 384 apparently healthy nonvaccinated chickens on 30 smallholder poultry farms using commercial indirect ELISA kits and a questionnaire survey. The data were analyzed by using STATA for windows version 20 and a logistic regression reporting odds ratiowas applied to describe the seroprevalence of Newcastle disease with associated risk factors. The result of the study demonstrates that there was a high seroprevalence 48.7% (n= 187/384) of Newcastle disease in the study district. Information on associated risk factors were assessed using a semistructured questionnaire. The sex of the chicken showed a statistically significant difference (x2 = 4.842; p = 0.028) with the seroprevalence of the disease. The difference in seroprevalence among intensive, semi-intensive, and extensive management system was statistically significant (x2 = 3.84; p = 0.0001). There was also a statistical significant difference (x2 = 2.3854; p = 0.496) in the absence and presence of safe disposal of a dead chicken with the occurence of Newcastle disease. However, no statistically significant difference was observed among age groups (x2 = 4.335; p = 0.114), disinfection of poultry house (x2 = 0.0; p = 0.998), presence and absence of footbath (x2 = 2.969; p = 0.085), the breeds (x2 = 4.490; p = 0.106), type of chicken (x2 = 0.302; p = 0.583), and housing system (x2 = 1.926; p = 0.588). A high seroprevalence without vaccination history showed that the virus was circulating within the poultry. Therefore, further molecular study has to be conducted to identify circulating strains and develop an evidence-based control program.

Productive traits of chickens of the parent herd of broilers of the cross Ross 308 when using the drugs Emicidin and Apex

Drugs with a wide spectrum of action, including natural growth stimulants and antioxidants, which could provide an increase in the natural resistance, livability and productivity of poultry of the parental herd and broiler chickens and did not adversely aff ect the quality of hatching eggs and poultry meat, are of considerable interest for industrial poultry farming. Such drugs include the antioxidant Emicidin and the natural growth stimulator of plant origin Apex. The drug Apex 3010 is used for poultry. The purpose of the work was to study the eff ect of the antioxidant Emicidin and the natural feed additive Apex 3010 on the productive traits of chickens of the parental herd under the conditions of industrial poultry housing technology. Comparative comprehensive studies of productivity, reproductive traits, morphological indicators of the quality of hatching eggs, the microstructure of the shell was carried out, the results of brooding of eggs of chickens of the parental broiler herd using the drugs Emicidin and Apex 3010 separately and in combination with each other were analyzed. It was found as a result of the conducted studies that the egg production of chickens for the initial laying hen in the 1st (Emicidin), 2nd (Apex 3010) and 3rd (Emicidin+Apex 3010) experimental groups was 2,6 % (p ≤ 0,05), 3,2 % (p ≤ 0,01) and 5,8 % (p ≤ 0,001), respectively, are higher than in the control group. The use of the drugs Emicidin and Apex 3010 both separately and in combination with each other had a positive infl uence on the quality of brooding eggs obtained from chickens of experimental groups at the end of the productive period at the age of 52 weeks. The highest production and economic indicators for the housing of chickens of the parental broiler herd were achieved in the 3rd experimental group with the complex use of the drugs Emicidin and Apex 3010. The diff erence in the prime-cost of 1 head the daily chicken in the 3rd experimental group and the control group was 1,52 rubles or 8,32 %.

Poultry house as point source of intense bioaerosol emission

Poultry house as point source of intense bioaerosol emission

Influence of tunnel ventilation on the indoor thermal environment of a poultry building in winter

Tunnel ventilation systems are widely used to create thermal environments for poultry buildings in China. However, existing research mainly focuses on the indoor thermal environment in summer and rarely considers the winter season. A field test was conducted in a layer breeder building in Handan City, China to systematically investigate the characteristics and problems of the thermal environment in winter. Forty-two measuring points were set to analyze the indoor air velocity and temperature distributions, and the nonuniformity coefficient and temperature humidity velocity index (THVI) were adopted as the evaluation indices. Furthermore, the exhaust fan layout of tunnel ventilation was explored to improve the indoor thermal environment using a validated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. The results show that (1) the indoor air velocity distribution is quite nonuniform with a nonuniformity coefficient of 0.74, the maximum difference of which is as large as 0.62 m/s; (2) the nonuniformity coefficient of indoor air temperature distribution is 0.16, and the maximum temperature difference is as large as 12.9°C; (3) the indoor THVI is below the appropriate range of 18–25, making the thermal comfort zone only 61.4%; (4) separately installing exhaust fans at the front and end walls with the symmetrical locations and sizes can improve the distribution uniformities of indoor air velocity and temperature by 22.0% and 88.3%, respectively. The experimental results and parametric optimization of tunnel ventilation in this study will be beneficial for designing an appropriate thermal environment for poultry buildings during winter. • The non-uniformity coefficient of air velocity in experimental poultry house is 0.74. • The maximum difference of air temperature in experimental poultry house is 12.9 °C. • The thermal comfort zone in experimental poultry house is only 61.4% of entire space. • Separately installing exhaust fans on front and end walls improves the environment.

Molecular detection of zoonotic pathogens causing gastroenteritis in humans: Salmonella spp., Shigella spp. and Escherichia coli isolated from Rattus species inhabiting chicken farms in North West Province, South Africa.

Rodents are key carriers and reservoirs of various pathogens of public health importance to both human and animal diseases. This research was carried out in order to identify the selected pathogens, namely, Shigella spp., Salmonella spp. and Escherichia coli from rats that inhabit the poultry houses. A total of 154 samples from captured rats were examined for the zoonotic bacterial pathogens, of which 3.3%, 29.9% and 20.7% were harbouring Shigella spp., Salmonella spp., and E. coli, respectively. A total of 14 Shigella isolates expressed presence of ipaH gene, of which eight and five were positive for S. sonnei and S. boydii, respectively. For Salmonella, 68 isolates were positive for invA and other genes including spy with 26 (38%), sdfI 2 (18%), spvC 14 (20%), hilA 28 (41%), misL 43 (63%), orfL 31 (46%) and spiC 38 (56%). For E. coli, the aggR gene was the most prevalent (62 [42%]), followed by the eae gene, which was only detected in 21 (14%) isolates, while stx gene was not detected in any of the samples. This study shows that zoonotic pathogens with virulence genes are circulating in rodents from selected chicken farms in the North West Province of South Africa. Rodents must therefore be regarded as important carriers of zoonotic pathogens that can potentially infect both humans and animals.

ДОСЛІДЖЕННЯ ВПЛИВУ РОЗТАШУВАННЯ ВИТЯЖНИХ ВЕНТИЛЯТОРІВ ПО ВЕРХНІЙ ЛІНІЇ НА АЕРОДИНАМІКУ ПТАШНИКА З ВИКОРИСТАННЯМ CFD

The aerodynamic air ducts in the poultry house significantly affect the poultry keeping and ensure air quality. Stagnant zones ultimately worsen the quality of output and many other factors that contribute to this. To improve the aerodynamics in the poultry house, authors proposed to install exhaust ventilation equipment on the upper line – 2.18 m above floor level. New scientific and practical results of CFD modeling show improved aerodynamic characteristics near exhaust fans. On the plane of the room at a height of 0.7 m from the floor level, the average air velocity is 0.696 m/s. In certain areas the air velocity is kept at 1.5 m/s. When the exhaust fans are located on the upper line, the so-called "tunnel effect" is created, which allows, in the warm period of the year, not to use additional equipment of the microclimate system to create a tunnel ventilation system.

Effects of Feed-Through Sulfur on Growth Performance, Atmospheric Ammonia Levels, and Footpad Lesions in Broilers Raised Beginning with Built-Up Litter.

Simple SummaryDuring commercial farming of chickens, accumulation of feces and moisture in the litter on the floor of the chicken house can lead to ammonia production by natural bacteria in the litter that ingest the chicken feces. Excessive ammonia levels can lead to health problems for the chickens, which can inhibit their growth and cause sores on their breasts and paws. To mitigate this animal welfare issue, this experiment tested the use of sulfur as a feed additive (feed-through sulfur) to acidify chicken feces and prevent ammonia from being formed from bacterial action. In this experiment, feed-through sulfur was tested on three different flocks of chickens. The combination of feed-through sulfur with a traditional litter acidifier, sodium bisulfate, showed improved ammonia control over sodium bisulfate alone in one flock. For the other two flocks, ammonia control was similar between feed-through sulfur with sodium bisulfate and sodium bisulfate alone. In addition, litter acidification was best with the combination of feed-through sulfur and sodium bisulfate in 2 out of 3 flocks. These results indicate the possibility that adding sulfur to feed while also using sodium bisulfate litter treatment may work together to better control ammonia in the chicken house.To the poultry industry, ammonia accumulation within poultry houses can be a costly issue, as this can lead to problems with bird performance, damage to economically important parts such as paws, and customer disapproval due to animal welfare concerns. Common management practices for ammonia control can be quite effective; however, these methods are used variably from farm to farm, which necessitates ammonia control measures that poultry companies can more uniformly implement across all contract growers. One possible measure is ammonia control through feed additives, which would allow poultry companies more direct control over the treatment. This project explored the efficacy of elemental sulfur added directly to the feed (feed-through sulfur) in controlling litter ammonia levels, live performance, and paw quality of broilers raised on built-up litter over three successive flocks. Feed-through sulfur on its own showed inconsistent effects on performance or footpad lesions after 38 days of production compared to sodium bisulfate or control treatments. However, combination of feed-through sulfur and sodium bisulfate showed a potential synergistic effect on ammonia levels and litter pH, although there were few differences between treatments and controls; therefore, additional research must be explored to confirm these observations.

Energy analysis of poultry housing in Ghana using artificial neural networks

Global level improvement of resource use efficiency in agro-ecosystems has always been the target of experts who are keen on reducing the environmental impact emanating from agriculture. To this end, energy audit analysis in agro-ecosystems to determine the energy use at the various subsectors and levels of the agricultural sector, including poultry birds production is crucial. Most of the energy analysis works in Ghana in the past were in the area of commercial buildings using traditional energy analyses approach. Little work has so far been done on energy analysis for poultry houses. EnergyPlus simulation of the ambient conditions and energy inputs were analysed and compared to the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model to observe the performance of the ANN in predicting energy consumption. The annual energy consumption estimations were found to be 2,044 kWh and 1,452 kWh for lighting and equipment usage respectively. The model robustness checks showed that coefficient of determination values for training, validation, testing and overall were 0.95304, 0.9533, 0.9505 and 0.9527 respectively for each regression plot which shows that the ANN model was suitable for determining the energy consumption in a poultry production facility, and can be replicated for more refined predictions in Ghana.

Village and farm-level risk factors for avian influenza infection on backyard chicken farms in Bangladesh

A cross-sectional study was conducted with 144 small-scale poultry farmers across 42 Bangladeshi villages to explore risk factors associated with avian influenza H5 and H9 seropositivity on backyard chicken farms. Using mixed-effects logistic regression with village as random effect, we identified crow abundance in garbage dumping places and presence of migratory wild birds within villages to be associated with higher odds of H5 and H9 seropositivity. At farm-level, garbage around poultry houses was also associated with higher odds of H5 and H9 seropositivity. In addition, specific trading practices (such as, purchase of chickens from live bird markets (LBM) and neighboring farms to raise them on their own farms, frequency of visits to LBM, purchase of poultry at LBM for consumption) and contact of backyard chickens with other animals (such as, feeding of different poultry species together, using pond water as drinking source for poultry, access of feral and wild animals to poultry houses) were associated with higher odds of H5 or H9 seropositivity. Resource-constrained small-scale poultry farmers should be able to address risk factors identified in this study without requiring large investments into poultry management, thereby reducing the likelihood of avian influenza virus transmission and ultimately occurrence of avian influenza outbreaks.

Rearing of quails for meat when over intermittent lighting different modes

Poultry farming is currently the most dynamic and important branch of agricultural production in most countries of the world, including Russia. It is necessary for the development of the poultry industry to fi nd ways to increase the effi ciency of the use of production resources. The rejection of natural lighting and the widespread use of windowless poultry houses in industrial poultry farming by increasing the role of artifi cial lighting, made it possible to develop modes for regulating the puberty of poultry, manage the daily rhythm of egg laying, increase poultry productivity by reducing energy costs. The purpose of the research was to determine the best variant of intermittent lighting mode when testing two modes with decreasing light day and with decreasing-increasing light day when rearing meat and egg quails. The results of studies of intermittent lighting during the day during the rearing of the meat-egg quails up to 6, 7 and 8 weeks of age have been presented in the experiment. It was found that the most effective lighting mode with a decreasing-increasing light day at the age of quails of 3–4,4–5 and 5–8 weeks according to the scheme 10L:1D:10L:3D, 7L:2D:7L:8D, 9L:2D:9L:4D (L is the period of light, D is the period of darkness). As has been shown by the productivity index, depending on the fi nal live weight, livability, feed intake per 1 kg of gain and the age of the quails at slaughter, in the group with the specified light mode, the production effi ciency was the highest, in comparison with other groups. The level of profi tability of quail meat production was 73,2 % observed when rearing quails with the specified light mode up to 6 weeks of age, 53,0 and 31,7 % when rearing for 7 and 8 weeks, respectively. Rearing quails up to 6 weeks of age is economically more efficient than rearing up to 7 and especially up to 8 weeks of age.

Stocking density as a possible etiological factor in the development of keel “bubbles” in turkeys

A significant increase in demand among the population for turkey meat makes turkey farming one of the most competitive and economically profitable agribusinesses and the fastest growing segment of poultry farming. The investment attractiveness of growing turkeys increases annually by 20–30 %, and the profitability is from 20 to 25 %. Consumer demand, which ensures a constant sales market, sufficient fodder base, availability of labor resources, and several other factors became prerequisites for the transformation of turkey farming from small homestead enterprises into large industrial complexes, which, as a rule, implement intensive production technology. The desire of the owners to increase profits, using the minimum amount of production space for this purpose, quite often leads to the violation of established sanitary and hygienic requirements, which regulate the density of poultry planting per 1 m2 of area. An increase in the number of animals or birds in a specific territory leads to a deterioration of the body's physiological state and a decrease in resistance. It is also the cause of the emergence and development of diseases, both infectious and non-infectious etiology. With the intensive technology of growing turkeys, there is a rapid growth of muscle tissue, in particular, the sternum, which is much more likely to be injured due to a high density of planting, which can be one of the etiological factors of the formation and development of keel "bubbles."The research was carried out at “Indykat” LLC and “UPG-Invest” LLC, which are located in the village of Kadubivtsi and village Mamaivtsi, Chernivtsi region, as well as the “Dobrobut” MPP of the village. Berezdivtsi of the Lviv region on turkeys of the Big-6 breed, in which the density of planting turkeys was different. To establish the dependence of the number of cases of damage to the bird by the keel "bubbles" on the density of its landing on 30, 60, 90, 120, and 150 days of cultivation, an examination of the entire flock was carried out, which included an examination and palpation of the sternum. During the final period of both females and males rearing, the number of lesions was determined based on the post-mortem examination of the carcasses. It was established that in all experimental farms, the density of poultry housing was more significant than the established sanitary and hygienic norms. The slightest deviation from the regulated indicators, which ranged from 16.7 to 37.5 %, in all age groups, was in the form of LLC “UPG-Invest”, and the largest, from 30.2 to 39.4 %, was in the MPP “Welfare”. The pathology of the keel in turkeys in the form of “bubbles” was clinically manifested from the 61st day of their rearing. The most minor incidence, which ranged from 5.2 to 13.9 %, was in the age group of 61–90 days, increased with age and, in the period from 91 to 120 days, ranged from 15.4 to 20.9 %, and from 121 to 150 days – from 18.4 to 23.9 %. According to such indicators, the average incidence of the indicated age groups in experimental poultry farms was 10.3, 17.4, and 20.6 %, respectively. The least affected (13.1 %) was the poultry at UPG-Invest LLC, where the stocking density exceeded the maximum permissible values by only 0.7–1.2 birds/m2, and the most (18.9 %) was at the MPP farm “Dobrobut”, in which the density of accommodation was more significant than the established sanitary and hygienic standards by 1.3–2.6 birds/m2.

Airborne bacterial communities in the poultry farm and their relevance with environmental factors and antibiotic resistance genes

The accelerating occurrence and environmental dissemination of bacteria, gas pollutants and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in aerosols of poultry farms have become emerging environmental issues due to their potential threat to animals, workers, and the communities located near such farms. Here, aerosol samples were gathered from inside and outside of the chicken house in winter with a transportable high-flow bioaerosol sampler. Then, 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing was used to categorize the bacteria in air samples, and the abundance of 12 ARG subtypes was researched via the real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Results indicated that the bacterial richness and diversity and total absolute abundance of ARGs were similar in the bioaerosols from indoor and downwind site of the poultry farm. The zoonotic pathogens, Staphylococcus and Corynebacterium, were detected both inside and outside of the chicken house, and the four most abundant target genes were blaTEM, tetQ, ermB and sul1 in aerosols. Moreover, the correlation between the bacterial communities and environmental factors, such as NH3 and H2S concentrations, wind speed, temperature and relative humidity, was analyzed. The result revealed that the indoor bacteria community was positively associated with temperature and concentrations of air pollutants (NH3 and H2S), and could spread from confinement buildings to the ambient atmosphere through wind. In addition, the network analysis result showed that the airborne bacteria might significantly contribute in shaping the ARGs' profiles in bioaerosol from inside and outside of the poultry house. Overall, our results revealed the airborne bacterial communities and their associated influencing factors in the micro-environment (inside of the chicken house and nearby the boundary of the farm), and brought a new perspective for studying the gas pollutants and bioaerosol from poultry farms in winter.

Investigation of the lateral ventilation system in a poultry house using CFD

Maintaining a normalised microclimate in a poultry house is one of the main factors. It is the quality indicators of air parameters that ultimately determine the quality of product output. Keeping poultry requires considerable efforts and technological solutions. In this regard, the purpose of the study is to improve the microclimate system in the poultry house by installing ventilation equipment on the side wall. A powerful tool for predicting the air flow pattern in a poultry house is Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modelling using ANSYS Fluent. This is an alternative to experimental research. CFD modelling results have shown that the valves operate most efficiently at 330 mm from the ceiling. The pressure drop of the supply valves is 45.85 Pa. The air velocity at the inlet of the supply valves is 9.17 m/s. The air velocity at a height of 0.7 m from the floor level varies within 0.57 m/s, the temperature – 9.91°C

Broiler production efficiency: An analysis using thermal infrared images

The study objective was to evaluate the efficiency of using technology focusing on the thermal comfort of broilers in two poultry houses located in the metropolitan region of Teresina, Northeast Brazil, with different technological levels. One level uses cooling control of the housing and adopts high management of good production practices (Tech 1), while the second (Tech 2) was considered to use deficient technology during production. We analyzed the birds' surface temperature and the environment using infrared surface temperature data. Data were collected at a mean distance of 1 m from the birds using an infrared camera to construct the thermograms on the targets (broilers and surroundings). Data were processed using thermograms, and Boxplot graphs were built. It was found that broilers housed on the farm with higher environmental control (Tech1) obtained a better feed conversion and had more significant weight gain and greater profitability. This indicates that the greater the investment to mitigate heat stress, the better the producer's economic performance in this activity.

Effects of Harmful Gases Emitted from Poultry Houses on Productive and Health Performance

Air pollution in the environment in which poultry is raised is one of the most serious problems facing the poultry sector across various aspects of production. Perhaps the most dangerous gas emitted from poultry houses is ammonia. The high concentrations of this gas in the air above the permissible limits (15 ppm) will have disastrous consequences. Ammonia directly affects the health and safety of birds, as it is a cause of ammonia blindness in birds accompanied by many respiratory diseases that destroy production and increase breeding costs. In addition, high concentrations of ammonia (above 20 ppm) contribute to enhancing the infection of birds with Newcastle and the bronchitis virus. In general, the greenhouse gases emitted from poultry houses included four main gases (carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and hydrogen sulphide). Studies regarding their direct effects on the health and productivity of birds have been insufficient. In the direct form, as the concentrations of greenhouse gases rise to very high limits, they cause suffocation and death., the behaviour of the greenhouse gases in the indirect effect is reflected being a source of nutritional stress and a group of diseases and parasites which lead to a decrease in productivity levels. The intensity and concentrations of gas emissions are directly related to many factors such as geographic location, the season of the year, ventilation technologies, humidity, litter quality, nutritional status and stocking density. The advances in ventilation technologies have played a key role in expelling all harmful gases, especially those that depend on negative pressure. However, greenhouse gases remain a real threat to the poultry industry in particular and to the planet’s environment in general.

Effect of storage duration on the hatching egg quality, embryonic parameters and post-hatch performance of Cherry Valley ducks

Abstract Storage of incubating eggs is a normal and important practice after egg collection from the poultry house and often a necessity in hatchery management. However, egg storage duration and storage environmental conditions can affect egg quality and hatching parameters. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of egg storage duration on egg quality, hatching parameters, and post-hatch performance of meat-type ducks. A total of 756 eggs were collected from a 32 weeks old breeder duck flock. Before incubation, the eggs were divided into three groups and were stored for 2, 7 or 14 d. At the end of the storage period, 7 eggs per treatment were examined to assess egg quality traits. Eggs were incubated for 28 d and hatching parameters were recorded. After hatching, the ducklings were reared according to their respective storage duration groups with 4 replicates and 15 birds per pen using a completely randomised design. Results showed that egg weight loss during storage was negatively influenced (p < 0.05) by prolonged duration. Storage of eggs for 14 days resulted in a decrease (p < 0.05) in Haugh unit and albumen weight and adversely affected embryo viability and hatchability. Extended egg storage duration did not affect (p > 0.05) egg weight loss during incubation. Embryo mortality was significantly higher (p < 0.05) for the eggs stored for 14 days. Post-hatch performance revealed that weight gain, feed conversion ratio, liver weight, and leg muscle were negatively affected (p < 0.05) by storage duration. It was concluded that the effect of egg storage duration on hatching trends in ducks are similar to that reported in chickens.