How do HPAI outbreaks occur?

How do HPAI outbreaks occur? Usually with some type of contact with other birds. 

               Common biosecurity failures. 

 “People had some contact, whether wild birds and droppings, feathers or debris, or contact with backyard birds,” Rings explained. “Or it could be a lateral spread within a company where someone was not following procedures. 

Sometimes it isn’t direct, but accidental or indirect contact with birds or their products.” Then people fail to follow biosecurity procedures including the line of separation to divide the production side of a commercial poultry flock from the outside world. “It’s using dedicated farm clothing or footwear,” he continued. 

“Disposable coveralls and plastic boots are a form of dedicated clothing. It’s having inside and outside boots and using those exclusively in each location. “It can be improper house entry procedures like not doing a boot change; not using a proper foot bath, which may be dirty or empty; and not using hand sanitizer and equipment sanitation,” 

Rings said. Keeping HPAI out of a flock also includes monitoring visitors and service people, and making sure everyone follows biosecurity protocols. In the end, biosecurity is everyone’s job. “Every person has a place at the table,” he added. “But growers are the ultimate guardians of their farm. They are on duty 24/7…to prevent and block any disease coming on their farm that would devastate their flock and livelihood.”

HPAI prevention requires ‘buckle-up’ mentality to biosecurity.

 

HPAI prevention requires ‘buckle-up’ mentality to biosecurity.  The only option for poultry farms to prevent an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is 100% adherence to biosecurity rules. 

 “You can be doing 99% of [biosecurity] correctly and somebody does one thing wrong and brings the disease into the farm,” reported Bret Rings, DVM, Cobb-Vantress. “Think of biosecurity as a chain — it is only as strong as the weakest link.” 

 Strengthening biosecurity requires building a culture that makes following protocols second nature for everyone on the farm. “It’s like a seat belt; it is protection that you use and do all the time because you never know when you will need it,” Rings said. “You never know when you will be exposed to HPAI and you need to protect your flock.” 

                Build a biosecurity culture.

 A biosecurity culture must be built into how producers do business every day, Rings explained, during a recent HPAI risk webinar hosted by the University of Arkansas. He recommended using communications and training to help transfer the importance of biosecurity to growers and farm staff: Communications – Biosecurity protocols must be communicated to everyone on the farm, from the grower to hourly employees.

The protocols should be clear, simple and based on scientific data. It’s important for everyone to understand protocols are to be followed consistently and with no exceptions. “You need to find creative ways to share that information, whether by a personal conversation, a one-page document, poster or meeting where you discuss the importance of biosecurity in today’s environment with HPAI taking place,” he said. 

 Training, training, training — In addition, regular training helps build the culture while reinforcing the correct way to follow biosecurity protocols. Rings suggested using small meetings or get-together with farm staff for the training. 

The training also shows staff that biosecurity is a priority. “It comes down to some persuasion and motivation,” he added. “Emphasize to farm workers that biosecurity is of utmost importance. The threat is real; it can happen to anyone, and it does.

The rise of Avian Influenza.

 

So far, 2022 has been a deadly year for the world’s birds. Avian influenza continues to rise, and this is hot on the heels of two years that the U.S. CDC says saw more outbreaks than the previous four years combined. Each outbreak of avian influenza can have huge ramifications for animal and human welfare. And, of course, a devastating impact on the economy and global food security. 

Just a single outbreak in the Netherlands in 2003 cost an estimated 150 million euros and the culling of some 30 million birds. Right now, other countries – like the UK – are facing similar losses. A look at the current spread of avian influenza and the evolving discussion on vaccination. 

  Biosecurity and hygiene is currently the first line of defense against avian influenza in most countries. While this can limit exposure, this is not fool proof as outbreaks grow in size and scope each year. The U.S. CDC has reported that globally “there were more outbreaks reported in 2020-2021 than in the previous four years combined.” What’s more, viruses are cropping up in countries that have been clear of avian influenza for many years – like Canada. 

The CDC reports that, in December 2021, HPAI A (H5N1) viruses were detected in birds in Newfoundland. This is the first identification of this virus in the Americas since June 2015. Vaccines have been considered as a potential control measure against avian influenza, but these are often not widely available or used in many markets. There has been some recent discussion about re-evaluating vaccination though. 

 According to Julien Denormandie the French agriculture minister,There is “no other solution in the long term than to have vaccination.”  Vaccines are often not used due to concerns about trade disruptions. 

In the past, export bans have been enforced on countries with vaccination policies. This is due to concerns such as not being able to differentiate vaccinated animals from infected animals, which occurs if a vaccine is not a 'DIVA vaccine'. DIVA vaccines and diagnostics :DIVA stands for Differentiating Infected from Vaccinated Animals. For Avian influenza, this can be achieved by using a vaccine based on a different strain (e.g. H5N2) than the current field strain (e.g. H5N1) and using a serological test that can differentiate between vaccine-induced antibodies (e.g. against N2) and antibodies against the field virus (N1).

  Current thoughts on whether there may be scope for vaccination in the future:

 The loss of millions of birds is a significant welfare issue that requires considering all avenues of prevention. 

 The Poultry Veterinary Study Group of the EU published a paper in October calling for an ‘open-minded evaluation’ of vaccines, saying it would ‘offer better protection to poultry'. 

 The French minister of agriculture sees vaccination as a long-term, viable solution in the face of rising losses. Though it may be too late to mitigate the impact of the current outbreaks, vaccination could become a future prevention measure alongside alongside biosecurity and other tools. 

 The info graphic below shows the impact of Avian Influenza in 2021.

Avian Influenza: Effective Biosecurity is Critical to Prevention.

 

Avian Influenza: Effective Biosecurity is Critical to Prevention.Avian influenza (AI) is a very important infectious disease of both poultry and other birds caused by influenza type A viruses. Although multiple viral strains exist, the disease appears in two forms, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and low pathogenic avian influenza (LPAI). 

 The distinction between pathogenicity of a particular avian influenza virus is based upon its potential to result in severe disease in poultry and the presence of specific genetic attributes that contribute to this virulence. 

 In both poultry and wild birds, LPAI may present either sub clinically or as mild respiratory disease. This form of the disease in poultry might be observed as sneezing, coughing, and nasal or ocular discharge with a negative impact on productivity despite mortality remaining low. 

 As a natural reservoir for avian influenza, wild birds in many cases may not exhibit any clinical signs, even in the event of HPAI infection. Poultry may experience mortality rates approaching 100% during a HPAI outbreak and exhibit clinical signs such as lethargy, severe respiratory distress leading to cyanosis, edema and hemorrhage in tissues of the head, legs, internal organs, muscles, neurologic deficits, and diarrhea.

 Avian influenza viruses have a predilection for the intestinal and respiratory tracts of the bird, therefore oropharyngeal and cloacal swabs are common diagnostic samples submitted to detect this pathogen.Get the guide.

Strategies for addressing biosecurity procedures and challenges: rodent clean out guide for poultry producers.

 Rodent clean out guide for poultry producers.

The following guide includes step-by-step recommendations for the control of mice, Norway rats, and roof rats in and around poultry facilities during the bird clean-out phase of production. 

The guide includes a full list of apparatus, personal protective equipment and rodent control products required to effectively control rodents at your facility. Neogen

Russians destroy US$8.5 million worth of MHP poultry.

 

A warehouse rented by Ukrainian poultry company MHP was destroyed by a fire caused by shelling from Russian forces, causing the company to lose about US$8.5 million worth of poultry products. 

 According to a press release published on the London Stock Exchange website, a fire broke out at the warehouse in Kvitneve, Ukraine, due to shelling by the occupying forces on March 12. 

Frozen chicken products from MHP were in the warehouse, which is the largest cold storage facility in Ukraine. The press release stated that no warehouse workers were injured. 

 According to the release, this is not the first food warehouse in the Kyiv and surrounding Ukrainian regions be destroyed by the Russian occupiers in recent days. In addition, the Russian forces are further jeopardizing food security in Ukraine by disrupting logistical operations. 

 Presently, around 8,500 metric tons of poultry, which has a potential financial impact of more than US$ 20 million, is at risk where MHP has a limited access to the warehouses in the southern regions of Ukraine and in the Kyiv region, primarily due to destroyed infrastructure supporting roads and railways. MHP stated that it continues to focus on the care and wellbeing of the people of Ukraine. 

Currently, MHP has a key responsibility in the food security of the country and it continues its operations despite substantial difficulties in supply chain and logistics. MHP said it fully understands how important poultry production is for Ukraine and its population at such difficult times.

UK researchers: Watch for emerging, more infectious strains of avian flu virus.

 

Poultry producers worldwide should be on the alert for emerging strains of avian influenza virus that are either more transmissible or cause more severe disease than prior strains. 

 According to researchers led by The Pirbright Institute in the UK, infection with two strains of avian flu also could lead to the emergence of a new virus strain with the potential to jump from birds to humans.

 One study, published in the Journal of Virology, was conducted after a low-pathogenic H7N9 strain of avian influenza virus emerged in 2013 through genetic reassortment between an H9N2 strain and other low-pathogenic strains. 

The new H7N9 strain caused inapparent clinical disease in chickens, but zoonotic transmission caused severe and fatal disease in humans. 

Pirbright researchers looked at a natural reassortment scenario between H7N9 and a G1-lineage H9N2 virus predominant in India and across the Middle East. 

 Shared genetic information.

 According to Pirbright researchers, the study shows that avian influenza virus strains H9N2 and H7N9 can share genetic information to create an H9N9 strain with the potential to cause more severe disease in poultry and pose a threat to human health.

The Circular Economy in Agriculture and Sustainable Development Goals.

  Circular economy, a new model of production based on the reduce,reuse and recycle but with emphasis on turning products/ by products to inputs in the cycle of production.

  The benefits of the circular economy are enormous but can be  to the sustainable development goals.(SDGS).

 The  circular economy results in more food production using sustainable methods, thus aligning with zero hunger .(sdg2)

 The recycling model of turning some products to inputs, reduces waste, provides new forms of clean and affordable energy.

This model reduces the pressure on the environment by turning waste to wealth, thus combating climate action while building sustainable cities and communities.(SDG 13 and 11).

The reuse of waste water by recycling also provides clean water while making environment clean by preventing run-off of waste water thus maintaining sanitation standards.(SDG 6).

 The circular economy is a paradigm shift from the linear economy by using innovative methods and strategies to improve production cycle to increase profit while curbing waste which translates to building sustainable industry,infrastructure with innovative models.(SDG 9)

 The production cycle in circular economy will open up opportunities creating decent work and economic growth. (SDG 8)

 The circular economy in  Agriculture aligns with the sustainable development goals also by ensuring life on land, below water are safe leading to responsible consumption and production. SDG14,15 and 12)

 The circular economy in the poultry sector:1) waste collected and turned to energy.

2) Feathers recycled, reused in fashion and construction industry reducing pressure of waste dumping in environment while creating wealth.

3)Feathers as raw materials for animal feed, feather meal.

4) Feathers as raw materials in creative industry, fashion and arts increasing opportunities for export of products while creating jobs and reducing climate action.

4)Innovative feeding methods that increases productivity without increasing cost of production by using feed stuff that are noncompetitive.

5) Eggs turned  egg powder an innovative product to curb egg glut, create a handy method to transport eggs while increasing shelf life.

6) Egg shells turned to calcium source for animals  and also shells used as raw material for scouring powder.

7)Egg shells also used as raw material in arts and crafts.

8)Egg shells turned to crockery,

 The opportunities are endless, the cycle continues. Food to waste and waste to food, energy and other products.

Franchising In Agribusiness :Leveraging on this model to create wealth.

  Franchising, in lay terms means jumping on the success train of an established brand to start a profitable business. Franchising works in various types of business ventures with the common goal of expansion and wealth creation.

 A wise man once said "if you want to go fast, go alone but if you want to go far, go with people."  How does this relate to franchising? lets see.. You are an entrepreneur,you are starting your business : brand creation, awareness and customer segmentation is no small feat. It will take time, lots of money and hours of twigging the strategy. 

   The result you desire will surely come but at what speed? at what cost? how about man power? im so sure you get the drift. Franchising on the other hand shortens this curve, you know the niche you are interested in, study the profile of the key players and then jump on the train.

  This model or the cloned version of  franchising is used by big organisations to grow their brands while creating wealth for those involved. Why is Dstv or Gotv big? yes! franchising and the cloned version of franchising is the agent close to you. This is a win-win situation.,how about KFC? same story.

 

 Franchising in agribusiness:  opportunities abound to jump on the train and forget about overcoming inertia issues. #Join the moving train.

 Lets look at the poultry industry: your dream is to sell processed chicken but dont have funds to start and reach your goal?  How about red meat value chain? 

Look at the giants in the industry, check the group with the widest coverage, check the brands that are on popular demand, visit stores/ malls/do market survey then join the moving train. Start out as a franchise to your chosen brand,and grow the business..

    

 Dr.Henrietta Ojuri, Value chain strategist.

 You still have the dream to start your own brand? it gets better. Learn the ropes while selling another brand, accumulate wealth and come up with a new product also in the poultry value chain that popped up as a business idea from feedback from customers. The time to use the network you have created to increase your net worth is here. 

 Franchising in agribusiness : 1) reduce start up cost. 2) Labor is reduced. 3) cost of production is zero. 4) Cost advertisement is reduced. The company already has web presence, usually your shop address will just be included in the... available at following outlets. You will just link that to your own page and in comes customers with cash.

 Franchising in agribusiness is profitable but the franchisee must be innovative to ride on the brand's success.

 

How can investors in agribusiness use this model to empower youths while expanding the brand?  join me next time.

Promoting the poultry value chain.

Read

 

Early approach to managing new castle disease.

Early approach to managing new castle disease.Newcastle disease affects chickens and other captive and wild birds.Humans are not normally affected,

Humans are not normally affected, but cases of people in direct contact with infected birds that developed a very short-term eye infection, which passes without treatment has been reported.

 The disease is spread by direct contact with body fluids of infected birds, especially their feces,it can also spread indirectly through people and objects that have been in contact with infected birds, or their excretions (such as feces).

 The most common objects that can carry the disease are 1)vehicles. 2)equipment 3)clothing/work overalls 4)water and feed troughs.The disease can also spread from wild birds to domesticated birds. 


                                   SIGNS.
 1)respiratory distress such as gaping beak, coughing, sneezing, gurgling, rattling.

 2)Nervous signs such as tremors and paralysis and twisting of the neck(most common sign).

3) yellowish-green diarrhea

4)depression

.5)lack of appetite.

6) drop in number of eggs and eggs laid may be soft-shelled.


 Prevention is by vaccination of flock and enforcement of strict biosecurity protocols.
READ biosecurity protocols here.



 TODAY there are new strategies to tackle new castle disease. Join  the free webinar to learn more.

To have access to new strategies to tackle diseases or make money in agribusiness,  text vet to 35818.

FAO: Meat plant workflows must change to protect laborers.

Workplace dividers at meat and poultry plants may be an improvement as the industry seeks to protect its workers from COVID-19.


       The meat and poultry industry has taken a number of measures to protect its workers during the COVID-19 outbreak, more needs to be done, said Maximo Torero Cullen, assistant director-general and chief economist for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

 Cullen -- who is also a professor on leave at the University of Pacific, Peru -- noted that most processing plants are “labor-intensive” and were not laid out with a workflow that is conducive to social distancing guidelines.

 He showed a photo of a Tyson Foods plant where line workers were separated by plastic dividers, indicating that it is an improvement, but adding, “honestly, this doesn’t seem enough.”

 “A change needs to go deeper than  we are observing today, if we want to keep operating,” said Cullen.

COVID-19 AND MEAT PACKAGING PLANT.

COVID-19 AND MEAT PACKAGING PLANT. Although the identity of COVID-19's patient zero is still unknown, the virus is widely suspected to have originated in a Wuhan wet market. And one thing is crystal clear: These informal slaughterhouses, along with their more formal counterparts in the factory farming industry, are the perfect place to spread disease. Crowding animals into confined, unsanitary conditions to be slaughtered—mixing blood, guts and feces—creates a petri dish for pathogens. These informal and formal "flu factories" can quickly spread a bat- or bird-borne disease among intermediary animals that humans consume. Slaughterhouses and meat-packing plants are also among the worst COVID-19 hot spots for humans. Some of the largest outbreaks in North America occurred in meatpacking plants.

Poultry biosecurity plans prepared humans for COVID-19.

Poultry biosecurity plans prepared humans for COVID-19. As state lawmakers continue to put stay-at-home orders in place, people could learn to be safe by implementing some of the steps associated with poultry biosecurity.

I can't count the number of presentations I have seen or articles I have had regarding poultry biosecurity. I am sure the same could be said for many within the livestock industry, making them a knowledgeable source to some extent. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been many recommendations floating around about how individuals should protect themselves, many of which have reminded me of steps taken on a poultry farm. Is this a time where a company could be very transparent and help consumers relate to the farm, therefore generating credibility/trust between producers and the general public? Obviously, we have all been told to stay home and minimize gatherings. Poultry farms do this daily by documenting the number of people that come in and out of the barns or enter gated areas.

How the poultry industry can use COVID-19 to its advantage.

How the poultry industry can use COVID-19 to its advantage.The novel coronavirus pandemic offers a number of lessons that could be to the long-term benefit of chicken and egg producers. When we emerge from the novel coronavirus crisis, the world, including the poultry industry, won’t go back to business as usual - that ought to be clear for all of us. What is the COVID-19 pandemic teaching us and how can be prepare for the post-virus world? We all make a number of assumptions about how the world is, or how it should be, but the current crisis requires us to question these assumptions if we are to flourish in a post-virus world. Nothing may ever be the same again, and it is worth thinking about how businesses might be run differently. There are a number of key areas that are worth consideration: Train and retrain In the COVID-19 world, those that have been home schooled start with an inherent advantage. Home working has also brought into focus the need to be fully computer literate. Are your employees fully computer skilled? We have been catapulted into a world where traditional education models are in trouble, and this could make continuous learning – online – essential, making educated staff the winners in the employment and salary stakes. The virus lockdown offers the ideal opportunity for the poultry and other industries to embrace courses, new languages and skills, and gain certification. Universities and institutes may be the obvious ports of call, but platforms such as Linkedin, YouTube and Wechat also offer free training and unbeatable opportunities. Every company’s maxim needs to be – don’t return to work post-corona without an increased skill set. Change is good What are the changes that your business could adopt to make it more effective and more resilient? Might robots in processing plants be the answer, or employing augmented- or virtual-reality to train specialized employees? Could machine vision and artificial intelligence be used to make better decisions in real time about our chickens, products or market positions? What will be the big investments in the post-COVID-19 world? What are you planning to change? #foodsecurity #foodpreservation “

What poultry producers are saying about the COVID-19 pandemic.

What poultry producers are saying about the COVID-19 pandemic.Disruptions caused the novel coronavirus have hit broiler and egg produces in a variety of ways.Poultry producers around the world are being affected by the impact of COVID-19, but the impacts vary markedly from market to market. Different countries are at different stages in the disease’s progression, with some already relaxing restrictions while others are yet to feel virus’ the full effects. Additionally, some governments have been reasonably successful in halting the disease’s spread, allowing economies to continue with a degree of normality while, in others, governments have failed to act at all or have inadvertently made production more difficult. A recent survey conducted by WATT Global Media attempted to directly find out how broiler and egg producer are being affected, and sought the sector’s views from around the world. Unsurprisingly, the results reflected the varying impact of the pandemic. How is the pandemic impacting costs, logistics and inputs? Again, there was a huge variety of response to our survey from market to market. Some producers bemoaned a lack of worker productivity, or of having to pay hourly bonuses to keep staff working while, for others, shortages of cleaning products for use at slaughter and in processing have been an issue. Yet illustrative of how different markets are experiencing the disease in different ways, one respondent noted that the disease was still not being taken seriously and preventative measures were not being followed. Fluctuating prices for additives, a build-up of inventory and, in one case, a complete inability to function, were also highlighted.

AGRIBUSINESS: FARMERS SHARE TOP LESSONS FOR PROFITABLE BUSINESS.

AGRIBUSINESS: FARMERS SHARE TOP LESSONS FOR PROFITABLE BUSINESS.Many people think farming is the easiest way to make money, away from a demanding office job. The reality couldn’t be farther from the truth. Farming is actually a school where farmers pick important lessons, some learnt the hard way. All through the year, we spoke to farmers who stood out in different ways. They are people who have excelled in poultry-keeping, livestock-farming, horticulture and even those who have found the trick of value addition on different products. They share the successes, failures, challenges learnt through 2018. Joseph Boit, maize and dairy farmer — Focus on a small unit and perfect it Joseph Boit, who won the BAKE Kenyan Blog award 2015 in Environment and Agriculture category. He tried horticulture on five acres of land but the huge farm was beyond what he could control. At harvest time, we went home empty handed. For years, Boit has perfected the art of maize-farming, a venture that has been passed on in his family for generations. Not long ago, Boit tried a hand in hay farming and allocated 100 acres for the same, reserving only 10 acres for maize. But Boit is always trying new things and last year, he ventured into horticulture. He set aside 5 acres for kales, onions and watermelons and trusted that rain water would supplement a water pan that was adjacent to the farm. But he was in for a rude shock when it failed to rain for a long time and the water pan dried. “I was unable to water the whole five acres and the onions failed to bulb. It was a total loss,” he says. When it finally rained, it was torrents that destroyed the whole crop of watermelons he had on 4 acres. The kales were in bad shape too and could not fetch much on the market. The loss taught him important lesson. “I should have focused on one acre and perfected it. I now understand why most horticulture farmers only do it on small plots that are easy to manage. I have learnt that horticulture is the most rewarding venture which also requires a lot of resources and dedication. It is not like maize farming. It needs proper planning and ensuring that everything is right.” Boit has not given up on horticulture. In fact, he has better plans for next year. “I am planting capsicum and cabbages on one acre next year. I have invested in a 3,000-litre tank near the farm as well as better irrigation system. I have fenced the whole farm because I also have many goats that may be a nuisance to my crops. I also have my market sorted since I have a motorbike and I will do deliveries on my own. I am not trusting middlemen and I will set my own prices. If all goes well, I am looking at Sh500, 000 profit just from horticulture by the end of next year.” continue

Poultry litter digestion: how to turn poultry waste to wealth.

Poultry litter digestion: how to turn poultry waste to wealth.The anaerobic digestion of animal and organic wastes has long been known to reduce odors and to have the capability of CH4 production, with the subsequent conversion of the CH4 into electricity, bioCNG or heat. This has been accomplished on thousands of digesters utilizing cow, pig, and human wastes throughout the world. DVO has developed a digester system that uses the processed waste (digestate) after the digester, and after this digestate has gone through a solids separation system. The solids separation system reduces the total solids content of the digestate so that this effluent water is suitable for dilution of the high solids content poultry manure. The practice of solids separation is well-proven on DVO digesters.

How to turn chicken waste to clean energy.

How to turn chicken waste to clean energy. For years, poultry farmers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed have trucked manure to fields where it is used as a fertilizer. But a great concentration of animals means excess nutrient runoff that goes into streams and rivers and eventually ends up in the Chesapeake Bay. These nutrients increase the growth of algae and deplete oxygen that disrupts the aquatic ecosystem, making it difficult for marine life to survive.

 In an effort to reduce the nutrient load that drains from a 64,000-mile area into the Chesapeake Bay, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandates an annual cap restricting the amount of nitrogen and phosphorous that can enter each tributary. And many states are challenged to stay beneath the cap. Here’s how Bühler Aeroglide supported a project that reduces the nutrient load by refining chicken manure into valuable products at the same time.

To address nutrient load, one of Pennsylvania’s largest egg production businesses partnered with EnergyWorks North America in Annapolis, MD. The result is a bioenergy program that uses gasification technology to transform egg layer manure into renewable energy and mineral byproducts, processing manure produced by five million layer hens. 

A Bühler Aeroglide high performance conveyor dryer is a key part of the process, used to reduce the moisture content of the manure prior to its gasification.

Turning chicken poop and weeds into biofuel.

Turning chicken poop and weeds into biofuel. Chicken is a favorite, inexpensive meat across the globe. But the bird’s popularity results in a lot of waste that can pollute soil and water. One strategy for dealing with poultry poop is to turn it into biofuel, and now scientists have developed a way to do this by mixing the waste with another environmental scourge, an invasive weed that is affecting agriculture in Africa. Poultry sludge is sometimes turned into fertilizer, but recent trends in industrialized chicken farming have led to an increase in waste mismanagement and negative environmental impacts, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. Droppings can contain nutrients, hormones, antibiotics and heavy metals and can wash into the soil and surface water. To deal with this problem, scientists have been working on ways to convert the waste into fuel. But alone, poultry droppings don’t transform well into biogas, so it’s mixed with plant materials such as switch grass. Samuel O. Dahunsi, Solomon U. Oranusi and colleagues wanted to see if they could combine the chicken waste with Tithonia diversifolia (Mexican sunflower), which was introduced to Africa as an ornamental plant decades ago and has become a major weed threatening agricultural production on the continent. The researchers developed a process to pre-treat chicken droppings, and then have anaerobic microbes digest the waste and Mexican sunflowers together. Eight kilograms of poultry waste and sunflowers produced more than 3 kg of biogas — more than enough fuel to drive the reaction and have some leftover for other uses such as powering a generator. Also, the researchers say that the residual solids from the process could be applied as fertilizer or soil conditioner.