Welcome to another edition of eChook! In this edition, we are highlighting some of our research projects related to environmental management. The first project is led by Dr Angus Crossan from AECL, who is developing a best practice manual for on-farm euthanasia of spent hens. The treatment of hens at the end of their laying

For egg producers, nothing is more important than the welfare of their birds; it is their livelihood. This extends to their treatment at the conclusion of their productive life. With some depopulating methods becoming economically unviable, farmers are looking for alternatives. As there are a number of methodologies that can be utilised to euthanise layer

Poultry farmers are consistently looking at ways to reduce costs, increase farm efficiencies and maximise their return on investment. For many, the management of poultry litter is one aspect of their operations that presents its own challenges. For fertiliser use, spent litter is commonly perceived as bulky, having an inconsistent nutrient content, and there are

Traditionally, our interaction with bacteria has been viewed in terms of disease, although most bacteria are however either benign or beneficial. Evidence has been gathering about the fundamental role bacteria play in the development of the immune system, and the general health of animals. Indeed, humans are estimated to carry 10 times as many bacterial

Welcome to another edition of eChook! In this edition, I would like to highlight our efforts to mitigate poultry waste streams, in particular through the use of anaerobic digestion (AD) technology to add value to waste. Disposal of waste from poultry production is a major cost to industry. Poultry producers are not only facing increased

Avian Pathogenic Escherichia coli – Leena Awawdeh Traditionally, Escherichia coli has not been regarded in Australia as a primary pathogen of poultry. Typically, in the Australian context, E. coli is often regarded as a secondary agent that exploits opportunities provided by other disease agents and/or environmental stresses. However, this traditional view is now being challenged. It is

The first two projects completed under the second round Poultry CRC have now been joined by a third. Dr Margaret Sexton’s To improve the efficacy and safety of egg washing has just reached completion. The aims of this project were to improve the recovery of dirty and so-called ‘black eggs’ and to reduce microbial contamination

In September and October of 2012, the Poultry CRC published two new text books, aimed at filling a gap in VET sector training. The texts, titled “Feeding Commercial Poultry” and “The Poultry Growing Environment”, relate directly to units AHCLSK310A – Implement Feeding Programs for Intensive Production, and AHCLSK313A – Monitor Livestock Growing Environments. “Knowledge in

In this edition, I would like to talk about some of the highlights of Ideas Exchange 2012. Ideas Exchange is our Poultry CRC annual conference, which is designed to enhance communication amongst our researchers, students, board members and industry experts in a relaxed environment. Ideas Exchange 2012 was held between 23-25 September on the Gold

With an increasingly discerning public and a demanding regulatory requirement, it is important that the poultry industry clearly understand its environmental footprint. Life cycle assessment tells us the environmental impacts and resource usage by an industry throughout its supply chain. At Ideas Exchange 2012, Stephen Wiedemann from FSA Consulting, a partner of the Poultry CRC,

According to researchers at The University of Sydney, free-range broilers and layers are less efficient converters of feed into saleable meat and eggs, and generally have higher mortality than conventionally-reared poultry. In broilers, the performance gap has been quantified as a 10-12 point increase in Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR). This does not consider the intake,

Prior to making the move to South Australia in late 2009, Dr Arif Anwar enjoyed a successful career in his native Bangladesh, working with the country’s largest breeder company (Kazi Farms Group), largest pharmaceutical company (Square Pharmaceuticals Ltd) and with the Department of Livestock Services. In Australia, Arif has worked with Rohde’s Free Range Eggs

Again we have had an great response to this year’s photo competition, with 44 entries received (school entries counted as one)! This gave us a total of 324 images from which to choose the place-getters, with a great deal of effort being put in by staff of the Poultry CRC in finalising the following major