Poultry Resources
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Poultry farming is the number one agricultural enterprise in Georgia. It is important to protect this vital industry by developing prudently-devised and factually-based zoning ordinances. This publication discusses components and terminology when drafting ordinances related to poultry production.
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In commercial poultry houses, bird density and distribution in drinking, feeding, and
resting zones are critical factors for evaluating flock productivity, bird health, and well-being. Proper distribution of chickens in the house greatly influences animal well-being and house environmental management. Currently, routine daily inspection of broiler flock distribution in commercial grow-out houses is done manually, which is labor-intensive and time-consuming. UGA poultry science researchers currently are developing an automated imaging system for monitoring floor distribution of chickens.Ongoing studies are focusing on detection of individual chickens with different gait scores in the research facility. It’s challenging to track individual birds with early health or welfare concerns using a computer vison-based method, but it is necessary and critical for producers to identify birds with well-being concerns and address those issues quickly.
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One of the most important components of a zoning ordinance for poultry farms relates to the set-back distance required for the location of poultry production houses. It is important that set-back requirements for poultry houses be based on facts rather than emotions.
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Georgia poultry farmers are among the best in the world at growing chickens using state of the art technology, housing systems, and best management practices. To protect this vital business for Georgia farmers, it is important that agricultural zoning ordinances be prudently devised and factually based.
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Your coop is ready. You’ve built a covered run or exercise yard to keep your chickens safe from predators and wild birds that carry diseases. Your chicks are old enough to move outside, and you’re eagerly awaiting your first fresh eggs.
In the meantime, your chickens are producing something else on a daily basis: manure. How do you handle all of that poultry poop so that your neighbors don’t complain about the smell and the flies?
One good answer is composting. Properly composted poultry litter—manure mixed with bedding material, such as pine shavings—is a valuable soil amendment. However, just as it takes care and management to get your chickens into laying condition, it takes care and management to compost the litter from poultry housing environments.
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Feather coverage is important for both thermoregulation and disease prevention. Because feathers are made of protein, there are obvious nutritional factors that affect feather coverage in high yield broiler breeds. This publication summarizes the importance and structure of the feather and the feed-related factors that impact feather coverage.
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Providing the right nutrition for your chickens means ensuring that what they eat supplies all of the essential amino acids, fatty acids, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and water that they will need to produce the meat or eggs you hope to collect. This publication provides an overview of what you should look for when choosing poultry feed and how to choose a diet that is appropriate for various types of poultry.
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Amino acids are essential building blocks of proteins and are obtained from plant and animal products. Some amino acids can be synthesized by the chicken, while others (essential amino acids) must be supplied in the diet. In organic poultry production, the sources of these essential amino acids must be organic. This publication compares the amino acid content, digestibility, and availability of organic soybean meal with conventional soybean meal.
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Biosecurity refers to procedures used to prevent the introduction and spread of disease-causing organisms in poultry flocks. Because of the concentration in size and location of poultry flocks in current commercial production operations and the inherent disease risks associated with this type of production, it is imperative that poultry producers practice daily biosecurity measures.
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