Animal Production Resources
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Mortality disposal following a natural disaster or catastrophic disease event can become a major challenge for poultry producers. Disposal decisions must balance animal health goals with those of environmental protection and safeguarding public health. In the event of catastrophic disease, humane destruction of infected or exposed poultry and proper disposal is needed to stop further spread of infectious organisms. Establishing pre-emptive culling and controlled slaughter programs for suspect cases may be feasible and can assist in limiting the potential spread of disease. At times healthy birds may need to be slaughtered prematurely to create a safe buffer zone.
Casey W. Ritz
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Composting is a natural process where beneficial microorganisms decompose and transform organic materials into a useful and biologically stable end-product that is safe for the environment. This process has worked well for many poultry producers nationwide as a means of processing their daily poultry mortality.
Casey W. Ritz
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Poultry production facilities must deal with the disposal of farm mortalities on a daily basis. Death loss in animal production is an unfortunate reality that requires appropriate handling to prevent the spread of disease, the potential for odor and pest problems, and the possible contamination of surface and ground water. Each disposal method has advantages and disadvantages. Regardless of the method used, Georgia law requires disposal of dead poultry within 24 hours of death or discovery.
Casey W. Ritz
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B 1270
Poultry Litter Sampling
Poultry litter is a mixture of poultry manure, feathers, wasted feed, and bedding material that contains nitrogen, phosphate, potash, and other nutrients essential for plant growth. Poultry litter can vary considerably in nutrient content due to bird type, feed composition, bedding materials used, clean-out frequency, storage and handling practices, use of litter amendments, and other factors. Therefore, sampling poultry litter to obtain a nutrient content analysis is an important step for managing manure nutrients appropriately.
Casey W. Ritz
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Horses have relatively long life spans compared to other livestock and companion animals, often living into their late 20s and early 30s. Many horses have productive careers into their 20s. In fact, in many disciplines, horses do not peak until their teenage years. Good nutrition, maintenance and veterinary care allow horses to lead longer and more productive lives. However, as horses age, their needs change and additional care may be required to keep them as healthy as possible. This publication addresses changes in the aging horse’s body that impact its requirements, possible ways to meet these requirements, and solutions to problems that may occur.
Kylee Jo Duberstein
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Disease prevention is much less stressful and costly than disease control and recovery. Biosecurity measures are a critical component of disease prevention. Use this list to rate your disease prevention practices and preparedness.
Casey W. Ritz
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A good grazing management plan is essential to producer success for any grazing livestock production system. One of the keys to building a grazing management plan is to have a good understanding of the stocking rate on your farm and how this relates to forage availability. Stocking rate is a critical factor in all grazing operations, no matter the livestock species. By accurately determining stocking rate, understanding their grazing management options, and measuring forage availability producers can develop an effective grazing management plan for their operation. Additional author: Justin Burt, Postdoctoral Research Associate, UGA CAES Department of Crop and Soil Sciences
Steve Morgan, Jennifer J. Tucker, and Lisa Baxter
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This publication provides suggestions regarding the proper tuning of a poultry processing plant to meet the USDA-FSIS standards for Salmonella levels, regardless of incoming Salmonella levels.
Casey W. Ritz
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This circular is for property owners who have unwanted honey bee swarms on their lands or colonies nesting inside walls. It explains these natural processes and gives options for dealing with them.
Keith S Delaplane
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