Poultry Resources
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This publication provides factual information about three common myths of poultry farming: that poultry farms will ruin the environment, that they smell, and that the air exhausted from poultry houses will damage property and cause health concerns.
Casey W. Ritz
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High levels of dust in cage-free poultry house air can carry airborne microorganisms and endotoxins that, once inhaled, may trigger respiratory diseases in animals and/or their caretakers. Mitigating dust levels is imperative to protecting the health and well-being of the animals and their caretakers and improving the environmental stewardship of cage-free layer farms. Studies have concluded that good manure management and proper ventilation can alleviate dust problems. Mitigation strategies have various levels of effectiveness, but some are cost prohibitive. Selecting the right dust control strategy should consider poultry types, housing design, local climate, and litter/bedding management strategies.
Casey W. Ritz and Lilong Chai
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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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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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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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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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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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Human campylobacteriosis and salmonellosis are two of the most commonly reported gastrointestinal infections worldwide and poultry meat has been identified as the main source of infection. Controlling pathogen colonies of public health concern such as Salmonella and Campylobacter in poultry flocks on the farm is critical for a successful overall food safety program. Biosecurity on the farm can contribute significantly to reducing the potential for Salmonella and Campylobacter colonization in broilers.
Harshavardhan Thippareddi and Manpreet Singh
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