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Know How / Broilers / Health and welfare

The single most important part of broiler production is ensuring the health and welfare of birds. Compromised flocks will rapidly become unprofitable, and with ever fewer medicines available for treating birds, prevention is becoming more crucial than ever.

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Case studies

POULTRY

How an organic egg producer eliminated nuisance flies in sheds

Tim Clarke has introduced controls on his 9,000-bird unit at Nantywellan, near Llandrindod Wells, to reduce fly populations. The flies are known carriers of diseases such as salmonella, pasteurella, campylobacter…

BROILERS

How poultry unit manages heat stress with misting systems

High-pressure water misting systems are playing a key role in preventing heat stress and performance dips in hot weather at one Derbyshire broiler business. The Adsetts family installed their first…

BROILERS

How a farmer reversed losses by improving chick start

A switch to strategic veterinary care has helped a poultry producer recover from two disastrous crops and save thousands of pounds a year. Broiler producer Henry Dent farms 270,000 birds…

POULTRY

How on-farm hatching can improve flock health and cut costs

On-farm hatching is delivering better broiler performance while improving welfare and cutting carbon emissions for one Hertfordshire producer. Tom Wornham’s family farm almost 200,000 birds for one of the UK’s…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How 'ethical' poultry producers can achieve £5.50/kg

A Devon poultry farmer is achieving as much as £5.50/kg through ethical production - so called because of the additional considerations for the environment and bird welfare. A high proportion…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How technology can help improve poultry flock uniformity

An uneven flock is a familiar frustration for poultry farmers. Not only does it make management harder, but it can lead to higher rejects at the processing plant if birds…

Practical advice

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POULTRY

How farmers can achieve better broiler leg health

Broilers are bred to be fast-growing, with average daily liveweight gains of about 68g and final kill weights typically exceeding 2.8kg, according to Aviagen Ross 308 performance objectives. This makes…

POULTRY

3 poultry diseases to look out for in 2022

Preventing disease and parasite outbreaks is always a major challenge for broiler and layer producers. But this winter’s avian influenza outbreak – the worst the UK has ever seen –…

POULTRY

Guide to managing infectious laryngotracheitis in poultry

Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT) is a respiratory disease caused by the virus Gallid herpesvirus type one (GAHV-1). Within the commercial production of broilers and layers, naive birds – those that have…

BROILERS

10 reasons for poultry carcass rejects and how to avoid them

Carcass rejects reflect directly on returns and indicate there could be a problem somewhere in the process, says British Poultry Council chief executive Richard Griffiths. It’s important to identify issues…

POULTRY

Avian influenza prevention tips and how to handle an outbreak

Avian flu is every poultry producer’s worst fear; infection can cause widespread mortality, and confirmation of the disease will usually trigger a cull of the flock, followed by stringent cleaning…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How to spot and treat infectious bronchitis in broilers

Infectious bronchitis (IB) is a highly contagious virus, and if it gets a hold on poultry flocks can cause severe production problems. Broilers affected by infectious bronchitis may perform poorly,…

Insights

BROILERS

Q&A: Guidance on avian flu with England's chief vet

As winter approaches migratory birds fly in, bringing the risk of avian flu in the UK. We ask the UK’s chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, about the disease and how…

BROILERS

What M&S move to slow-growing poultry means for farmers

Capitalising on the growing consumer awareness of ethically reared meat, M&S has announced plans to be the first major UK retailer to sell only slower reared fresh chicken. The move…

POULTRY

How the new poultry standards proposals will affect farmers

Earlier this year, two consultations on farm assurance standards for the UK poultry sector came to a close. Red Tractor and Defra propose changes that will help keep standards up…

BROILERS

What the 'Better Chicken Commitment' means for farmers

A campaign to radically change the way broiler chickens are produced has been gathering pace across Europe. It stipulates a change in breed type, stocking densities and lighting levels, among…

BROILERS

Expert insights on the latest poultry gut health science

Influencing gut populations to promote better health, reduce the use of antibiotics and improve performance has arguably become as important as bird genetics in recent years. Getting nutrition right –…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Global insights reveal secrets of better broilers

The South West Chicken Association annual meeting in Bristol focused on the practicalities of producing high-quality chickenmeat. Here, Poultry World reviews the speakers from the day, who covered health, prospects and…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How geneticists are breeding for better broilers welfare

As more and more is asked of the modern broiler, so genetics companies have to keep an even closer eye on health and welfare, as Frank Siewerdt, Cobb director of…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why vitamin D supplements are vital for good poultry health

An adequate supply of vitamins and minerals is necessary in poultry for boosting defences and allowing the bird to reach its full genetic potential, writes Ruth Fennell, poultry graduate trainee with…

BROILERS

How other countries are cutting use of antibiotics on poultry fa...

How are other countries controlling antibiotic use in their poultry and what lessons might the UK learn? Jake Davies delves into a new Nuffield Scholarship report on the subject. Across…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Welfare at centre of Aviagen broiler breeding programme

Leading genetics firm Aviagen recently invited customers from around the world for an update on company research and broiler breeder progress. Jake Davies provides an overview. When the first broilers were…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Dietary change to avoid wet litter in poultry

Research carried out over recent years has confirmed a strong link between poultry diets and the onset of wet litter syndrome, according to Professor Richard Ducatelle from Ghent University, Belgium.…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Dietary aid to counter campy in chicken

New research looking at controlling campylobacter within a chicken’s digestive system could lead to lower contamination in factories. Most of the work being done on this high-profile issue is currently…

Online resources

Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Cattle

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Sheep

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Pigs

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Nadis livestock disease A-Z - Poultry

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