Behavioural Response and Weight of Broiler Chickens Reared Under Different Artificial Light Sources

This study evaluated the behavioural response and weight of broiler birds at the 4th and 6th week of age when raised under incandescent (ICD) and compact fluorescent light (CFL). At 2 weeks of age, a total of 216 Arbor Acres birds were randomly allotted into 3 treatments: Control (no artificial light), ICD (60 watts, 800 lm) and CFL (40 watts, 2000 lm). Artificial lighting was provided from 8 p. m. to 4 a. m. daily. Data collected were subjected to One-way ANOVA using Minitab 17 through a general linear model (GLM) procedure and means were separated using Tukey’s test software. At 4 weeks of age, the presence of light significantly increased (P < 0.05) the weight, as well as the occurrence of feeding, drinking, sitting, standing, walking, running and jumping behaviour. ICD and CFL had similar effects on feeding and jumping behaviour. At 6 weeks of age, the presence of light had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on the frequency of drinking and jumping behaviour. However, the weight, the frequency of feeding, standing, walking and running behaviour increased (P < 0.05) under the two light sources compared to the control. Also, birds raised under CFL displayed a higher frequency (P < 0.05) of inactive/resting and locomotor behaviour compared to birds reared under ICD which had a higher frequency of drinking behaviour. From this study, the use of CFL throughout the production stages is encouraged in poultry facilities due to the resultant increase in the activity levels of broilers and the reduced energy cost.

Avian influenza A virus susceptibility, infection, transmission, and antibody kinetics in European starlings

Avian influenza A viruses (IAVs) pose risks to public, agricultural, and wildlife health. Bridge hosts are spillover hosts that share habitat with both maintenance hosts (e.g., mallards) and target hosts (e.g., poultry). We conducted a comprehensive assessment of European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris), a common visitor to both urban and agricultural environments, to assess whether this species might act as a potential maintenance or bridge host for IAVs. First, we experimentally inoculated starlings with a wild bird IAV to investigate susceptibility and replication kinetics. Next, we evaluated whether IAV might spill over to starlings from sharing resources with a widespread IAV reservoir host. We accomplished this using a specially designed transmission cage to simulate natural environmental transmission by exposing starlings to water shared with IAV-infected mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). We then conducted a contact study to assess intraspecies transmission between starlings. In the initial experimental infection study, all inoculated starlings shed viral RNA and seroconverted. All starlings in the transmission study became infected and shed RNA at similar levels. All but one of these birds seroconverted, but detectable antibodies were relatively transient, falling to negative levels in a majority of birds by 59 days post contact. None of the contact starlings in the intraspecies transmission experiment became infected. In summary, we demonstrated that starlings may have the potential to act as IAV bridge hosts if they share water with IAV-infected waterfowl. However, starlings are unlikely to act as maintenance hosts due to limited, if any, intraspecies transmission. In addition, starlings have a relatively brief antibody response which should be considered when interpreting serology from field samples. Further study is needed to evaluate the potential for transmission from starlings to poultry, a possibility enhanced by starling’s behavioral trait of forming very large flocks which can descend on poultry facilities when natural resources are scarce.

Ammonia Emission in Poultry Facilities: A Review for Tropical Climate Areas

Brazil is the largest broiler meat exporter in the world. This important economic activity generates income in different branches of the production chain. However, the decomposition of residues incorporated in the poultry litter generates several gases, among them ammonia. When emitted from the litter to the air, ammonia can cause several damages to animals and man, in addition to being able to convert into a greenhouse gas. Thus, the aim of this article was to carry out a review of the ammonia emission factors in the production of broilers, the methodologies for measuring, and the inventories of emissions already carried out in several countries. The main chemical processes for generating ammonia in poultry litter have been introduced and some practices that can contribute to the reduction of ammonia emissions have been provided. The PMU, Portable Monitoring Unit, and the SMDAE, Saraz Method for Determination of Ammonia Emissions, with the required adaptations, are methodologies that can be used to quantify the ammonia emissions in hybrid facilities with a natural and artificial ventilation system. An ammonia emission inventory can contribute to the control and monitoring of pollutant emissions and is an important step towards adopting emission reductions. However, quantifying the uncertainties about ammonia emission inventories is still a challenge to be overcome.

Development And Testing Of Combined germicidal Recirculator

The important problem of the poultry farming is the prevention of infectious diseases causing poultry deaths and unplanned financial losses. The article authors represent an overview of the air disinfection methods and the selection criteria for the disinfection methods being the most effective among other methods applicable for poultry facilities. There were determined the main factors influencing the germicidal efficiency of the ultraviolet (UV) irradiance sources. Studies were considered, where influence on the germicidal efficiency was discussed in terms of the UV irradiation exposure time in poultry facilities with floor conditions. The theoretical parameters substantiation is given for the device combining the two main disinfection components; it is done by development of both the mathematical model for the average irradiance rate calculation and the calculation method of the highspeed air flow parameters. Also, the method has been developed for determination of the needed number of the combined germicidal aerosol units in poultry keeping premises. The authors present the results of the experiments conducted for determination of the germicidal efficiency of the disinfection fulfilled against such microorganisms as Coli bacteria, Kochii bacilli, etc. with use of the developed combined recirculator. The experimental comparison with a prototype was carried out for the decontamination efficiency achieved with aid of the newly developed combined germicidal aerosol recirculator used in the following mode: the exposure time made 1 hour of work, then 2 hours of break on condition of the process cycling throughout the entire daylight hours. Here presented is the recommended layout of a number of the combined germicidal aerosol units in box-type rooms with poultry keeping on floor in a case of the ideal air flow direction. The increase by 20 % was found in the disinfection efficiency as well as the growth by 7 % in the additional live weight gain of the poultry.

Evaluation of a Novel Poultry Litter Amendment on Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Gaseous emissions from poultry litter causes production problems for producers as well as the environment, by contributing to climate change and reducing air quality. Novel methods of reducing ammonia (NH3) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in poultry facilities are needed. As such, our research evaluated GHG emissions over a 42 d period. Three separate flocks of 1000 broilers were used for this study. The first flock was used only to produce litter needed for the experiment. The second and third flocks were allocated to 20 pens in a randomized block design with four replicated of five treatments. The management practices studied included an unamended control; a conventional practice of incorporating aluminum sulfate (referred to as alum) at 98 kg/100 m2); a novel litter amendment made from alum mud, bauxite, and sulfuric acid (alum mud litter amendment, AMLA) applied at different rates (49 and 98 kg/100 m2) and methods (surface applied or incorporated). Nitrous oxide emissions were low for all treatments in flocks 2 and 3 (0.40 and 0.37 mg m2 hr−1, respectively). The formation of caked litter (due to excessive moisture) during day 35 and 42 caused high variability in CH4 and CO2 emissions. Alum mud litter amendment and alum did not significantly affect GHGs emissions from litter, regardless of the amendment rate or application method. In fact, litter amendments such as alum and AMLA typically lower GHG emissions from poultry facilities by reducing ventilation requirements to maintain air quality in cooler months due to lower NH3 levels, resulting in less propane use and concomitant reductions in CO2 emissions.

Avian Influenza A Virus Associations in Wild, Terrestrial Mammals: A Review of Potential Synanthropic Vectors to Poultry Facilities

The potential role of wild mammals in the epidemiology of influenza A viruses (IAVs) at the farm-side level has gained increasing consideration over the past two decades. In some instances, select mammals may be more likely to visit riparian areas (both close and distant to farms) as well as poultry farms, as compared to traditional reservoir hosts, such as waterfowl. Of significance, many mammalian species can successfully replicate and shed multiple avian IAVs to high titers without prior virus adaptation and often can shed virus in greater quantities than synanthropic avian species. Within this review, we summarize and discuss the potential risks that synanthropic mammals could pose by trafficking IAVs to poultry operations based on current and historic literature.

A Review of Avian Influenza A Virus Associations in Synanthropic Birds

Avian influenza A viruses (IAV) have received significant attention due to the threat they pose to human, livestock, and wildlife health. In this review, we focus on what is known about IAV dynamics in less common avian species that may play a role in trafficking IAVs to poultry operations. Specifically, we focus on synanthropic bird species. Synanthropic species, otherwise known as peridomestic, are species that are ecologically associated with humans and anthropogenically modified landscapes, such as agricultural and urban areas. Aquatic birds such as waterfowl and shorebirds are the species most commonly associated with avian IAVs, and are generally considered the reservoir or maintenance hosts in the natural ecology of these viruses. Waterfowl and shorebirds are occasionally associated with poultry facilities, but are uncommon or absent in many areas, especially large commercial operations. In these cases, spillover hosts that share resources with both maintenance hosts and target hosts such as poultry may play an important role in introducing wild bird viruses onto farms. Consequently, our focus here is on what is known about IAV dynamics in synanthropic hosts that are commonly found on both farms and in nearby habitats, such as fields, lakes, wetlands, or riparian areas occupied by waterfowl or shorebirds.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling of Ventilation and Hen Environment in Cage-Free Egg Facility

Poultry facilities are going through an evolution in design due to growing demands for cage-free eggs and egg products without unified guidelines to accommodate these transitions. The goal of this study was to help builders and egg producers assess current ventilation design within cage-free production facilities for conditions that impact hen comfort and welfare. The method of evaluation was simulation of the indoor environment of a hen house via computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling with individual hens modeled at a typical stocking density. This paper describes the development of a three-dimensional model of a commercial floor-raised cage-free hen house that is cross-ventilated to document current environmental conditions. A one-eighth section of the barn was modeled at full-scale using existing ventilation schemes with each bird represented by a hen-shaped, heated, solid body. A conventional top-wall inlet, side-wall exhaust (TISE) ventilation configuration was modeled for this study. The simulated ventilation rate for the hen house was approximately 3 m3/h (1.77 ft3/min) per hen resulting in 7092 m3/h (4174 ft3/min) for the 2365 birds, which falls at the higher end of the desired cold weather (0 °C) ventilation range. Contours of airflow, temperature, and pressure were generated to visualize results. Three two-dimensional planes were created at representative cross-sections to evaluate the contours inside and outside the barn. Five animal-occupied zones within each of the model planes were evaluated for practical hen comfort attributes. The simulation output suggested the TISE standard ventilation system could limit air speed to a comfortable average of 0.26 m/s (51 ft/min) and the temperature could be maintained between 18 and 24 °C on average at the bird level. Additionally, the indoor static pressure difference was very uniform averaging −25 Pascal (0.1 inches of water), which falls in the normal range for a floor-raised hen house with negative-pressure ventilation during cold weather conditions. Findings confirmed that CFD modeling can be a powerful tool for studying ventilation system performance at the bird level, particularly when individual animals are modeled, to assure a comfortable indoor environment for animal welfare in poultry facilities.

DIAGNÓSTICO AMBIENTAL PARA AVES DE CORTE NO MUNICÍPIO DE CAMPINA GRANDE (PB)

DIAGNÓSTICO AMBIENTAL PARA AVES DE CORTE NO MUNICÍPIO DE CAMPINA GRANDE (PB) RAÍSSA GONÇALVES CAVALCANTI¹, JOSÉ WALLACE BARBOSA DO NASCIMENTO¹, DERMEVAL ARAÚJO FURTADO¹, JOELMA VIEIRA DO NASCIMENTO DUARTE¹, POLYANA MARTA DA SILVA¹ 1 Departamento de Engenharia Agrícola, Universidade Federal de Campina Grande, rua Aprígio Veloso, 882, Bairro Universitário, 58429-900, Campina Grande, Paraíba, Brasil. [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] RESUMO: A pesquisa teve como objetivo realizar o diagnóstico ambiental para frangos de corte com três semanas de vida no município de Campina Grande (PB), região do Agreste Paraibano. Onde foram sistematizados os dados climáticos do município, comparando com as exigências dos animais, determinando os limites de aceitabilidade ambiental, identificando os pontos críticos e por fim, foram disponibilizados soluções construtivas e energéticas para correção das instalações. Foram utilizados os dados de série histórica de temperatura do ar, umidade e ITGU para o município, obtidos por meio do software Estima_T, disponibilizado pelo Departamento de Ciências Atmosféricas da Universidade Federal de Campina Grande. Observou-se que o ITGU, apenas na primeira semana, obteve um índice inferior ao ITGU ideal. Já para as demais semanas, o valor do ITGU permaneceu confortável em todos os meses do ano. Assim, o presente diagnóstico indica que há necessidade de correções nas instalações para proporcionar aos animais um maior conforto térmico, para que os mesmos possam expressar todo seu potencial dentro das instalações que estão inseridos. Palavras-chave: Avicultura, Instalações, Conforto térmico, Diagnóstico. ENVIRONMENTAL DIAGNOSIS FOR BROILERS CHICKENS IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF CAMPINA GRANDE ABSTRACT: The research aimed to carry out the environmental diagnosis for broilers chickens with three weeks of life in the municipality of Campina Grande (PB), region of Agreste Paraibano. Where the municipality climatic data were systematized, comparing with the requirements of animals, determining the limits of environmental acceptability, identifying the critical points and finally, constructive and energetic solutions were made available to correct the installations. Historical data on air temperature, humidity and ITGU for the municipality were used, obtained using the Estima_T software, made available by the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the Federal University of Campina Grande. It was observed that the ITGU, only in the first week, obtained a lower index than the ideal ITGU. For the other weeks, the ITGU value remained comfortable in all months of the year. Thus, the present diagnosis indicates that there is a need for corrections in the facilities to provide animals with greater thermal comfort, so that they can express their full potential within the facilities that are inserted. Keywords: Poultry, Facilities, Thermal comfort, Diagnosis.