This paper cites an issue related to problems faced in poultry packaging. The poultry processing industry has used waxed corrugated containers for many years to ship their products to market. However, the wax on the boxes proved to be a major issue because it prevented the retail supermarket industry from...
Since many structural changes began in the poultry industry, it is common for changes in the beef and pork industries to be compared with the poultry industry. Questions are raised as to how likely coordination in the beef and pork industries will resemble poultry. This fact sheet provides a perspective...
Bacteria are microscopic living organisms. Successful control of bacterial diseases entails isolating and identifying disease-producing species, if present, and preventing multiplication and spread of the organism within the animal's body or to other animals. This fact sheet discusses the symptoms, prevention, and treatment of various bacterial diseases prevailing in poultry.
The practice of electrically stunning poultry, which is standard in North American slaughterhouses, results in both welfare and carcass-quality problems. In terms of welfare, the many variables and frequent process failures associated with electrical stunning methods make it difficult to ensure adequate stunning and result in pain and suffering for...
This paper results from the first national survey of the types and amounts of food safety investments made by meat and poultry slaughter and processing plants since the late 1990s provide evidence that market forces have worked in conjunction with regulation to promote the use of more sophisticated food safety...
In emergency disease outbreaks, large numbers of poultry may be needed to be killed for control, containment or eradication purposes. Live poultry present the major risk of spreading infectious agents, so their slaughter must be completed as humanely with minimal pain and distress to the poultry and quickly as possible....
Processing is the final step in the production of broiler chickens. As the saying goes "last, but certainly not the least." The quality of the final product is dependent on proper processing. This fact sheet describes the steps involved in processing chickens starting from preparing the chicken for slaughter to...
Heat stress can result in significant losses to producers with all types of poultry. The most obvious loss is due to mortality. Dead birds can be counted and a dollar value assessed. Unfortunately, there are other losses in production efficiency, such as reduced growth rate, egg production, shell quality, and...
Ownership of poultry litter may be considered an advantage as well as a disadvantage because farmers face a conflict between owning and using the poultry litter as a resource (i.e., fertilizer), and having to manage excessive quantities of poultry litter. Historically, growers have taken responsibility for all poultry litter generated...
Small farm flocks of poultry are common in Oklahoma. Disease control and prevention is essential in order to maintain a healthy, productive flock. This fact sheet discusses various bacterial and viral diseases diagnosed in poultry from small farm flocks. The causes and symptoms of diseases like Infectious Coryza, Fowl Cholera,...
This fact sheet contains information on how to control flies, species of flies, and management of flies in the poultry house. Fly control should be an integral part of every poultry producer's management program. Flies spread disease and filth, is a nuisance to employees, and can become problems for nearby...
Although the major supply of eggs and poultry meat in the U.S. is produced by commercial producers, many people prefer to produce their own. A variety of reasons can be given for home production, not the least of which is the desire to care for and be around growing animals....
The presence of Salmonella or Campylobacter in poultry litter may contribute to contaminated processed carcasses by increasing the bacterial load of skin and feathers or by providing a source for upper gastrointestinal contamination during pre-harvest feed withdrawal. This paper evaluates the effect of added lime on survival of Salmonella enteritidis...
The poultry and egg industries reject the paper written by WTO Agriculture Chair Stuart Harbinson, as it represents an attack on farmers, both in Canada and throughout the world. In particular, the paper is widely being considered a devastating blow to Canadian agriculture, when it should be the vehicle for...
This fact sheet discusses research results indicating a direct correlation between the appearance of a poultry farm and the performance inside the chicken house. Being proud of a farming enterprise is easy if the farm and related buildings are kept looking nice and orderly. Pride of ownership is important to...
This report discusses the 1998 report by the Oklahoma Conservation Commission dealing with poultry litter. The report's results suggest that important considerations for litter analysis are moisture, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and calcium. Variations occur in litter due to bird type, feeding regimen, and house management. This summary recommends more standardized...
In 2001, U.S. red meat and poultry production stabilized as lower beef production was partially offset by higher pork and poultry production. In 2002, slightly larger projected growth in meat production (2 percent) and lower exports are expected to result in lower wholesale prices for cattle, hogs, and poultry. Recovery...
The poultry, egg, and pork industries have taken significant steps to improve the control of production either through contracting and/or vertical integration. These improved controls were motivated by the emergence of new specialized large-scale production technologies that placed a premium on quality control and the efficient use of information. The...
As is the case with any industrial process, the manufacture of poultry feeds is subject to considerable sources of variation. If requirements for key nutrients are not met, bird performance in the field will likely be negatively affected. As a result, most poultry companies and feed manufacturers establish quality control...
Raising poultry on pasture isn't exactly new. Most broilers, layers and other domesticated fowl were raised outdoors before the advent of the now-dominant confinement method in the late 1950s. Since then, large corporations have become the primary producers of poultry in the United States developing "vertically integrated" practices that allow...
