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From beak trimming to keel bone damage, there is a huge range of topics an egg producer must be across if they are to manage birds effectively and get the most from their flocks

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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…

LAYERS

How farm raised welfare with switch to fully beaked birds

Managing a switch to white, fully beaked birds requires close attention to detail but can improve production and welfare, according to Powys-based farmer Phil Davies. Mr Davies and wife Helen…

LAYERS

Benefits of smart sensors for layer flock health

Ammonia levels have been cut by 75% and antibiotics use reduced to zero after a high-tech sensor system was installed at Wern Farm in Powys. Damp air affecting litter quality…

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 to take free-range layers to 100 weeks

Genetics and a programme of tailored nutrition have helped two Herefordshire farmers successfully lift the laying cycle of their flock of free-range hens beyond the UK’s 72-week average. As long…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Avian influenza: One farm's robust plans to combat the threat

Chief among the threats to any poultry business in the UK is the incursion of avian influenza (AI). It is possible to reduce the risk of it finding its way…

Practical advice

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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…

POULTRY

Expert tips to reduce poultry vet and medicine costs

Health challenges are inevitable on every free-range farm, but veterinary intervention can be expensive. The key to keeping margins in the black is to maximise the birds’ genetic potential by…

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…

LAYERS

How an egg producer tackled gut disease with bacteria spray

A no-antibiotics strategy to control necrotic enteritis in layers at one Welsh free-range unit has lifted egg production to 4% above target and reduced seconds. James Ford’s 12,000-bird Hyline flock…

LAYERS

8 management tips to help prevent severe feather pecking

Egg producers are reporting less severe feather pecking among hens since making key management and environmental changes to housing and ranges. Farmers have been working with the Laying Hen Welfare…

Insights

LAYERS

Advice on managing welfare issues in multi-tier layer systems

Multi-tier laying hen systems are growing in popularity, allowing more birds to be kept in a given shed footprint. However, it is important to understand the additional welfare considerations of…

LAYERS

What poultry sector is doing to address male chick culling

Every year 6.5 billion male chicks are culled worldwide. Hatched into the egg production sector, they have no value because the unsuitability of layer breeds for meat production makes them…

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…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

Why a tailored approach is key to good feather cover in layers

A major study has concluded there is no one-size-fits-all solution to feather pecking in flocks, and farmers should test a range of measures to assess which help control the problem. …

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…

POULTRY

How latest red mite treatments perform in poultry flocks

Red mite is a pervasive pest present on almost all commercial poultry farms with varying degrees of severity. Mites can drink up to 5% of a bird's blood every night, and…

POULTRY

What UK farmers can learn from German turkey beak trim ban

The laying hen sector in the UK is working hard to determine exactly how farmers might manage without beak treatments. But in Germany a ban has been extended to turkeys…

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…

LAYERS

Beak trimming is still a big issue for UK egg farmers

For years, the spectre of managing commercial layer units without the ability to beak trim hung over the poultry sector. Encouraged by animal rights organisations, the prospect of a ban…

HEALTH AND WELFARE

How stressed parents can cause layer offspring to peck

The link between a stressed parent flock and more anxious chicks has been identified for the first time, as Jake Davies discovers on a trip to Holland Our mothers all…

LAYERS

What causes vent pecking and cannibalism in layers?

Vent pecking and cannibalism are an ongoing concern for free-range egg producers. But what factors are causing them? Philip Clarke reviews a new study from Bristol University. Conventional wisdom about…

LAYERS

How wasps could help to control flies on organic egg farms

Poultry farms often come under fire for high levels of flies, and the challenge on organic farms is even greater. But there are alternative methods of control. Flies proliferate in…

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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