Animal Production
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The USDA-Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) indicated that if water is to be reused in a poultry processing facility, then this reuse water must be accounted for in the plant’s HACCP program.
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Researchers have investigated the issue of mislaid eggs in cage-free housing and the possibility of reducing the incidence of floor eggs through management of lighting, litter and bedding, and nesting space, and the use of robotics. Methods with potential for managing mislaid or floor eggs in cage-free layer houses can be summarized as follows: 1. House-lighting time management: In cage-free aviary systems, lighting management is used to help control floor-access time. According to observations in commercial cage-free layer houses, most floor eggs are laid at first light. Delaying floor access time in the morning may help reduce floor eggs by keeping the birds near the nests for the first few hours of light. 2. Light intensity and distribution: Make sure to provide sufficient light intensity evenly across the litter floor. Increasing the light intensity under the aviary system has been tested to be effective at reducing over 80% of floor eggs. 3. Bedding depth: Scratch areas covered with litter help reduce the risk of feather pecking and cannibalism, and minimize flightiness, for hens living in large flocks. However, deep litter attracts birds to lay eggs on the litter itself. According to research conducted at Iowa State University, reducing litter depth discourages hens from laying eggs on floor of commercial cage-free houses. 4. Nesting space: Nesting behavior is a key priority and important welfare indicator for egg production, so providing hens with safe and secure locations to lay eggs is critical. A good nesting design in cage-free systems facilitates egg collection, minimizes the risk of cloacal cannibalism, and assists food safety and sanitation.
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This bulletin is an educational reference for those who are interested in animal feeding and nutrition. It defines common terms used when discussing or reading about animal feeding and nutrition.
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The nutrients and organic materials found in poultry litter/manure are extremely beneficial by-products, as evidenced by the fact that years of application have transformed north Georgia from a severely depleted landscape in the 1920s and 1930s to a productive and green one today. Over-application or improper storage of poultry litter, however, can cause nutrient contamination of the state’s waters. Given the size and economic importance of this key agricultural industry, poultry producers must properly use this material to obtain maximum economic value of its fertilizer qualities while assuring protection of the environment.
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C 859
Selecting a Beef Breed
New cattle producers frequently ask, “Which breed should I choose?” This question brings cold chills to many knowledgeable cattle producers and excitement to just as many enthusiastic breeders. The diversity of resources and management capabilities of any operation makes this question difficult to answer.
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This Excel workbook will allow you to fit data from nutritional experiments to several models. It includes a PowerPoint presentation that shows you how to use the Excel workbook to fit several regression models to experimental data. The models may be used to estimate nutritional requirements or the most economical feeding levels of critical nutrients. All you need is Microsoft Excel (with macros enabled), the downloadable Excel file, and some input/output data.
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In recent years, global climate change has been one of the most frequently discussed scientific ideas in the popular press. Terms like “global warming” and “greenhouse gas” have been politicized with little discussion of what they really mean, shedding more heat than light on scientific discussions of changing climate. Concerns about the relative contributions of greenhouse gases from different industries have caused much finger pointing without making it clear how the gases are produced and what options are available for management of the gas emissions. In particular, agriculture has been identified as one of the major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, and this has caused consumers to question the production practices used in modern agricultural systems. Specific focus has been placed on cattle production because these animals digest feed by a process called “enteric fermentation,” which produces methane as a by-product. The purpose of this bulletin is to explain the basic debate surrounding methane production from livestock, in particular how it is produced in the rumen.
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This publication gives a procedure to calculate the value of broiler litter based on prevailing retail selling prices of commercial fertilizers containing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium.
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Disposal of dead birds can be a problem for poultry growers. Typical methods of mortality disposal include burial, incineration, rendering, and composting. Many states have banned the use of burial pits that historically have been used to dispose of dead birds. Incineration can be costly and raise air quality concerns, and the decreasing number of renderers further complicates disposal. Composting is considered a positive alternative method of processing dead birds in an environmentally sound manner. This relatively inexpensive method of using dead birds has gained wide acceptance throughout the poultry industry.
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