Windrowing litter can reduce pressure from poultry viruses, insects and bacteria.

Poultry producers looking to improve litter quality and flock health should consider windrowing — a practice that not only works to control ammonia in the reconditioned litter but also reduces pathogen and insect pressure. Windrowing involves raking or rolling the litter into even rows. The moisture present in the rows increases litter temperature, which releases ammonia while reducing pathogens including bacteria, viruses and pests. Producers interested in windrowing should begin incorporating it into their litter-management program during moderate or warm weather, according to Casey Ritz, PhD, poultry-waste management, University of Georgia. Ammonia levels will likely increase following the windrowing process, requiring the use of a litter treatment. The intense heat generated by windrowing inhibits microbial and viral growth while allowing the floor to dry between rows of piled litter. The windrow also traps insects, which can make insecticide treatments more effective. It is critical for windrowed litter to reach a temperature of at least 130° F (54° C) for 3 to 4 days to effectively reduce pathogen levels, the specialist said. Ritz also stressed that the windrow process requires 12 to 14 days of downtime between flocks. He also emphasized the need for time to heat the windrows, treat litter for ammonia and pests, and then level the material allowing it to cool and dry before the next chick placement. He shared these 10 additional tips for effective windrowing: 1)Schedule a minimum of 12 to 14 days of downtime between flocks. 2)Start with a litter depth of 3 to 6 inches.3)Form windrows within 2 days after bird catch. 4)Maintain a temperature in windrow of 130° F or higher for 3 to 4 days to ensure that pathogens are killed. 5) Turn windrows every 3 to 4 days (2 to 3 turns is optimal). 6) Shift entire windrow when turning to allow the floors to dry.7) Level material at least 4 days before chick placement to decrease litter temperature, litter moisture and ammonia levels. 8) Apply litter amendment to control release of ammonia.9) Utilize moderate weather conditions primarily in spring, summer, fall. 10)ventilate during windrow process to decrease ammonia levels. “Windrowing is not for everyone,” Ritz insisted, “but it can provide economic benefits to many average and below-average producing flocks through improved feed conversion and weight gain and reduced mortality.” Poultry producers need to evaluate the time, equipment and labor costs associated with windrowing before committing to the system. contributed by poultry health.

E. coli in broilers: Its costly impact on condemnations and mortality.

Early feeding, housing affect broiler response to immune challenges.

A study in Netherlands from Wageningen University, shows that early feeding after hatch and housing type can affect the response of broilers to immune challenges later in life.In the study, broiler chicks received feed and water either immediately after hatch or after a 72-hour delay, and were reared either on the floor or in a cage system. At 4 weeks of age, researchers challenged the chicks intratracheally with Escherichia coli lipopolysaccharide/Human Serum Albumin (HUSA) — a non-infectious lung challenge — or a placebo. They then measured antibody titers up to 14 days after the challenge. Chicks with delayed access to feed and water and that were housed on the floor had the highest antibody titers against HUSA, and showed the strongest sickness response and poorest performance in response to the challenge. The findings indicate that chicks with delayed access to feed might be more sensitive to an environment with higher antigenic pressure, thus early feeding and housing should be taken into account when striving for a balance between disease resistance and performance in poultry.

Improving Rapid Detection Methods for Foodborne Pathogens.

Researchers at Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have developed a microfluidic device that exploits cell movement to separate live and dead bacteria during food processing. The food processing industry is interested in technologies or methods that can quickly and accurately detect viable (live) bacteria, as these are the pathogens that can cause illness.Common foodborne pathogen screening methods like polymerase chain reaction (PCR) use DNA-based methods to perform the detection. However, because both viable (live) and non-viable (dead) bacteria contain the same DNA and other properties, it is difficult to distinguish between them without performing additional time-consuming incubation and culturing steps. Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) have developed a microfluidic device that exploits cell movement to separate live cells from dead ones for real-time pathogen detection.The phenomenon known as chemotaxis is the movement of an organism in response to a chemical stimulus. For example, live bacteria naturally sense nutrient molecules such as sugars and amino acids and move toward them. Dr Jie Xu, GTRI research scientist and project director, explained: “The hypothesis is that by changing the local environment of the cells, their movement can be manipulated so all the viable cells can be separated and concentrated. This would improve the probability of detection and also provide a high level of confidence that viable cells are being detected.” GTRI’s chemotaxis-based microfluidic device consists of a 100-micrometre thick nitrocellulose membrane layer engraved with a micron-sized centre channel to contain the bacteria-laden sample. Two additional side channels are engraved into the same membrane layer that contains nanometer-sized pores that allow the formation of a chemical gradient across the center channel. The bacteria interact with these chemicals in the centre channel and then move based on the nature of these interactions, either toward it if it is a food source or away if it is a repellant. The separated bacteria are then collected in the channel’s respective outlets In recent experiments, E. coli 0157:H7 was used as the model bacterium, and aspartic acid (an attractant) and nickel ion (a repellent) were used as the chemotactic effectors. Researchers found the chemical gradients inside the channel can be maintained for an extended period. They also observed the cell population shift toward the side channel with attractant when live cells flowed inside the center channel, while the dead cells remained in the primary flow stream and exited the center channel.continue

Salmonella prevention requires teamwork between production and processing.

Identifying the pathways of Salmonella contamination has poultry producers and processors looking for answers in every step of the process from the farm to table.Chuck Hofacre, PhD, University of Georgia, told poultry health today that we know Salmonella occurs naturally in the bird’s intestinal tract and lives there without harming the bird. In processing plant, USDA/FSIS routinely samples processed poultry for the presence of Salmonella. While numerous strains of Salmonella have been identified, not all pose a human-health hazard. “Either Salmonella is present or it’s not,” Hofacre said. “FSIS testing doesn’t identify the strain or the relative amount of Salmonella present in a sample.” Contamination often occurs through a broken intestinal tract or feather follicles in the wings. Poultry processors are working on environmental interventions in the plant to reduce bacterial contamination on whole birds and processed poultry parts. Producers with high levels of Salmonella at the processing plant should work to reduce levels on their farms. “We know that Salmonella is passed from the hen to the chick so a strong vaccination program at the breeder level is an important first step,” Hofacre said. In addition to vaccination, environmental interventions including rodent and insect control, water sanitation and dust control help to reduce Salmonella levels. Research shows that the bacteria can survive in dust and litter for several years potentially infecting new flocks of broilers. While Salmonella itself is not necessarily a bigger threat in antibiotic-free production, uneven bird size at processing — a problem often seen in ABF flocks — may contribute to higher contamination levels of processed poultry. According to Hofacre, studies show that increased variation in bird size at processing results in higher levels of Salmonella contamination. Processing machines are standardized for a particular size and weight of bird, he explains that when birds outside those parameters are processed, it is more likely to see intestinal or crop breakage allowing for Salmonella contamination of the carcass. contributed by http://poultryhealthtoday.com/

National dog day!!!

Antibiotics the cornerstone of modern and veterinary medicine .

A familiar public education campaign uses the catch phrase “Not all bugs need drugs.” It has been around for the last few years in an effort to get the public to think about the need for prescription drugs to treat minor ailments. This program has been largely brought out by our health care profession and the government agencies that administrate health care. Why is this important and how does this relate to us and our pets and our farm animals? To start, let’s look at the history of antibiotic use in medicine. Penicillin and sulfonamide antibiotics were discovered in the period between the First and Second World Wars. The first use of these drugs was at the time of the Second World War. They were miracles! Lives previously lost to infections were saved by the hundreds and thousands. A great rush to find more of these bacteria fighters was soon undertaken and new families of antibiotics came forth. Soon these wonderful medical tools were brought into the veterinary world to save our pets and our livestock animals as well. However, bacteria adapt. By chance mutation, under pressure from the antibiotics that wipe out the weaker sensitive bacteria, stronger resistant bacteria developed. In the space of one human lifetime, the infections that penicillin and sulfonamides used to easily treat have developed resistance to nearly every known antibiotic. They are now called “superbugs.” They are kind of scary. Antibiotic use has been a cornerstone of modern medicine and, secondarily, veterinary medicine. In fact, some of the largest volumes of antibiotics are used in animals to maintain health and even prevent health problems in our food production systems. First, the health of human patients is at risk and superbugs are very difficult to treat with the antibiotic tools we have. We do not want to lose the last tools that work to save lives. At the most recent Canadian Veterinary Convention, there was a full day summit about antimicrobials in animal health. One speaker compared antimicrobial resistance on the scale with the current war on ISIS. Potentially many more lives could be lost than by a war displacing millions of people from their homes as they flee to safety! continue -