North American Edition (#1)
Read the Special Report on Intestinal Health 2007, where scientists presented new ideas for managing gut disease.
Plus: Oklahoma research yields new strategies or optimizing bird nutrition and immunity; Canada's Fisher Feeds eliminates all antibiotics from its broiler program;
Eimeria mivati may affect 35% of US poultry flocks
Special Report
Special Report: Intestinal Health 2007Combining hard work in the laboratory with hard data from the field, poultry researchers, veterinarians and nutritionists are gaining new insights into gut diseases that affect commercial birds.
Hofacre: 'Necrotic enteritis...a big performance issue':It's no secret that necrotic enteritis is a big problem in poultry. The ubiquitous disease, caused by the soil-borne organism
Clostridium perfringens, costs the world's poultry producers some $2 billion every year or as much as 5 cents per bird, according to published reports.
Schrader: 'Incidence of necrotic enteritis was significantly lower'In response to increasing consumer and
regulatory pressures to get drugs out of the
food chain, broiler companies are reducing
or even eliminating antibiotics and growth
promoters.
Collett: 'Avoid perfect conditions for necrotic enteritis to develop'Poultry producers who want to improve bird performance through natural means should bone up on the chicken's anatomy, says Dr. Stephen Collett, a nutritionist and professor at the University of Georgia.
Broussard: 'Progeny from the vaccinated hens had 72% less chance of mortality'The world's first vaccine for managing
necrotic enteritis in broilers is designed to
combat a toxin produced by
Clostridium
perfringens type A - the toxin that is associated
with development of the disease.
Alfonso: 'We showed improvements in livability and feed conversion'Although some broiler producers are
backing off ionophore antibiotics for
controlling coccidiosis in broilers, a good
number still rely heavily on the use of
those agents - at least for now.
Is GD skin or gut related? Probably both...Following the presentations by Collett and Roney, the symposium's moderator, Dr. Rick Phillips of Schering-Plough Animal Health, noted that "two lines of thought have developed" about gangrenous dermatitis.
Roney: 'We've faced challenges with gangrenous dermatitis'Researchers are making significant
strides in understanding the mechanisms
behind gangrenous dermatitis in poultry.
But while researchers continue experimenting
in their labs and making observations
at posting sessions, broiler growers
are learning about GD, too-practical
and sometimes tough lessons from
their day-to-day operations.
Collett: 'We've seen GD lesions develop from damage to intestinal mucosa'In recent years, poultry growers have been seeing an increase in the incidence of gangrenous dermatitis (GD) - a subcutaneous infection in poultry that may be caused by clostridial bacteria of various species.
Spotlight
Energy ConservationNew research-driven insights on how chickens utilize
feedstuffs can help broiler producers develop new strategies
for getting the biggest bang from nutritional programs
while improving flock health.
Adding More ValueNearly 3 years ago, Dr. Rae Fischer made what some
people in the broiler industry might have called a very brave
decision. Others might have said it was foolhardy.
Leaving Its MarkPoultry producers should take a second look at their control
strategies for coccidiosis following reports that the parasite
Eimeria mivati is indeed a distinct species found in about
35 percent of broiler flocks, says Steve Fitz-Coy, PhD, of
Schering-Plough Animal Health technical services.
Opinion
"New Look, New Comitment"Dr. Charlie Broussard says the
poultry industry is developing
an even greater understanding
of nutrition's role in promoting
intestinal health.
Postcard
CocciForum Brazil 2007: FlorianopolisCocciForum Brazil 2007 challenged vets, nutritionists and producers to find new management strategies for enteric disease.
Innovations
Red poultry mites may hold key to reducing Salmonella in poultry and peopleBacteria that live inside red poultry mites
might provide a new and effective way to
prevent the spread of salmonella and other
pathogens in chickens, says Dr. Olivier
Sparagano of Newcastle University,
United Kingdom.
New nutritional strategies, vaccines will be 'wave of the future' for broilersModernized nutritional strategies designed
to suit the changing needs of broilers will
be the wave of the future in broiler production,
predicts Dr. José Ignacio Barragán
Professor, University of Valencia, Spain.
Research Watch
Dietary lactose reduces lesions from necrotic enteritis in broilersIncluding lactose in the diet of broilers
might help control the clinical signs of
necrotic enteritis, which has been on
the rise in countries and commercial
companies no longer using antibiotic
growth promoters, say investigators.
Risk factors for necrotic enteritis identifiedNecrotic enteritis, a growing problem
in the poultry industry, is not only linked
to coccidiosis and wet litter, it is also
associated with the use of ammonia
and the presence of plasterboard walls,
according to researchers from the
University of Liverpool.
Impact of new, used litter on Eimeria maxima immunity studied*Using new or used litter appears to make little difference in the acquisition of immunity to
Eimeria maxima among newly hatched chicks, according to a University of Arkansas study.
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