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Heat stress has posed a significant threat to the laying hens inside the poultry houses in the Northwest region of China. Significant non-uniformities can be found in the thermal distribution and temperature variations in summer. The ventilation system has been the primary measure to regulate the thermal environment in the poultry houses. Excellent airflow arrangement and ventilation strategies are essential for the ventilation efficiency. Still, the continuous operation of fans can inevitably generate the excessive local cold air, thereby wasting the electrical energy for the high cost of environmental control. Alternatively, intermittent ventilation can serve as an efficient way to improve ventilation effectiveness with energy saving. However, it is notably limited to applying to the summer poultry houses so far. In this study, a novel intermittent ventilation was introduced to alleviate the significant temperature fluctuations and ensure the high stability of the thermal environment in the summer poultry houses. According to the internal air temperature, the fan operations were performed on the conventional tunnel-ventilated poultry houses (control house, CH) and sidewall inlets poultry houses (experimental house, EH). Specifically, the fans were regulated, when the temperature exceeded the upper limit. Once the temperature dropped below the lower limit temperature, the fans were deactivated simultaneously, which was different from the continuous operations of fans throughout the summer. The thermal environment was monitored in the operation periods of intermittent ventilation. The environmental conditions inside the poultry houses were also evaluated. The results revealed that the average internal temperatures of experimental and control poultry houses were 25.3 and 26.5 °C, respectively, under the same external environmental temperatures; While the average relative humidity were 65.8% and 62.7%, respectively. The temperature fluctuations during the EH and CH's intermittent and continuous ventilation were 0.6 and 0.7 °C, 1.2 and 1.0 °C, respectively. The maximal difference of temperature in the horizontal direction of EH and CH were 0.3 and 5.2, 0.8 and 4.7 °C, respectively. Temperature variations were assessed in the four-hour intervals. The EH consistently demonstrated more minor temperature fluctuations than the CH when the fans were operated intermittently. The horizontal temperature difference was less than that in the continuous operation in EH. There was no difference in pressure and air velocity under the intermittent and continuous ventilation in the same number of fans. The pressure difference between the interior and the evaporative cooling pad buffer room increased from 17 to 19 Pa from the fan opposite wall to the fan. Average air velocity at the sidewall inlets and along the aisles in the EH were 3.30 and 0.49 m/s, respectively, which were higher by 1.86 and 0.12 m/s, compared with the CH. Therefore, the intermittent ventilation was suitable for the sidewall inlets, to improve the thermal environment within the poultry house significantly. There was great potential for widespread adoption in the Northwest region of China in the summer. The lifespan of the fan was extended for the maximal economic benefits. The intermittent operation times of fans should be determined according to the local climate, poultry houses’ ventilation requirements and the poultry houses’ size. This finding can provide a foundational reference for designing and adjusting the intermittent ventilation in summer poultry houses in the Northwest region of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensured ammonia reduction by novel technologies and guaranteed low ammonia emission from livestock houses is essential for the granting and monitoring of legal permits. This study focuses on methods to underpin the long-term effectiveness of an air scrubber and was done in a commercial poultry house. The measured ammonia removal by an air scrubber with ammonia sensors (method 1) was compared to the acid use for ammonia binding (method 2) and the nitrogen balance over the process water (method 3). Also, the effect of the length of the time period used for the comparison was evaluated, as was the effect of the spatial variation of the ammonia concentration in the house. The overall weekly data showed a clear linear relation between method 1 on the one hand and methods 2 and 3 on the other hand, with regression coefficients close to 1 and a variation of +/- 20% on a 4-weekly basis. The 4-weekly data showed a clearly reduced variation compared to weekly data, due to leveling out of the impact of irregular time events like acid dosage and water discharge. The barn emission assessed by method 1 was significantly (12%) influenced by the spatial aerial concentration differences of ammonia in the house. Taking this into account, method 2 overestimated the emission reduction of method 1 with 16.8% and method 3 was in good agreement with method 1. For method 2, a revised value for acid use per kg of ammonia binding needs to be substantiated in further research. Possible measurement errors influenced calculated ammonia removal with a maximum of +/-2%, but the relative effect on remaining emissions was larger with +/- 15% for method 3. This study shows that monitoring acid use and/or the nitrogen balance can validate the ammonia reduction of air scrubbers and the remaining ammonia emission and support local authorities in granting environmental permits and their enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterizing electric energy use in a commercial broiler house--partitioned by bird age, season, and electric load type--can provide engineers with insight for designing energy conservation practices, as well as help to analyze and design on-site renewable energy production sub-systems. This study monitored electric energy consumption in a commercial broiler house in Arkansas, raising heavy broilers (with a capacity of 17,000 birds) during an 11-month period that included four, 8-week flocks. Average electricity use (RMS voltage and current) was measured at a sampling interval of 5 min for all of the major load types, including ventilation, lighting, feed motors, and well-water pump motor. Results indicated that electric consumption for ventilation fans was the greatest load, accounting for over 88% of the total. The endwall fans (for tunnel ventilation) contributed to the peak electric demand (VA) in nine of the 11 months. Over the 11-month monitoring period, broiler chicken production had an average electric energy consumption (per unit live-weight mass produced) of 43 kWh per metric ton of live weight (in a winter flock) to 184 kWh per metric ton (in a summer flock). The corresponding electric costs were $5 per metric ton and $22 per metric ton in winter and summer flocks, respectively (based upon an electricity unit cost of $0.12/kWh). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The literature lacks information on the distribution of microclimate parameters, which is necessary for designing the ventilation system in poultry houses in Nigeria to guarantee optimal microclimate conditions. This study looked into the distribution patterns of relative humidity (RH) and temperature in a typical local poultry house. The specific objectives were to: i) analyze the vertical and horizontal distributions of the microclimate parameters in battery cage poultry housing and deep litter poultry housing; ii) identify whether the distribution is homogenous or heterogeneous; iii) identify the data spread of parameters. For this study, a locally located experimentally intensive naturally ventilated poultry house was used. It was made up of air-walled poultry housing systems for deep litter (DL) and battery cage (BC) birds. The RH distributions and daytime, nighttime, rainy, and dry season temperatures in the BC and DL poultry housing were examined. Day and nighttime temperature differences of about 1.2°C were noted between the poultry house and surrounding air. The poultry housing had a heterogeneous distribution of both temperature and relative humidity. The optimal values were reached by about 5% and 67-73% of the daytime and nighttime temperature data, respectively, and 37-41% of the daytime relative humidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Algae, rich in proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals, stand out as valuable feed ingredients in animal nutrition. Recognizing their nutritional benefits and environmental potential, this study investigates the impact of poultry exhaust air and culture conditions on the amino acid profiles of various microalgae species. The research aims to reduce pollutant gases from poultry operations by producing algal animal feed. Results show that Synechococcaceae cultivated with BBM and DI water achieved the highest protein content, while Scenedesmus sp. cultivated with DI water exhibited the highest carbohydrate content. Synechococcaceae grown with DI water had the highest essential and nonessential amino acids, except for glutamic acid and glycine. These findings contribute to evaluating microalgae as a sustainable protein and amino acid source, emphasizing environmental and economic considerations in animal nutrition. Algae provide a rich source of proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals, making them valuable feed ingredients in animal nutrition. Beyond their nutritional benefits, algae have been recognized for their potential to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of poultry production. Poultry production is crucial for the global food supply but contributes to environmental concerns, particularly in terms of ammonia and carbon dioxide gas emissions. This study emphasizes the importance of reducing greenhouse gas and ammonia production in poultry operations by utilizing algae species suitable for animal consumption, highlighting the need for sustainable feed sources. This study investigated the effects of poultry exhaust air and culture conditions on the amino acid profiles of three microalgae species, namely, Scenedesmus sp. (AQUAMEB-60), Ankistrodesmus sp. (AQUAMEB-33), and Synechococcaceae (AQUAMEB 32). The experiments were conducted in a commercial broiler farm in Bursa, Turkey, focusing on reducing pollutant gas emissions and utilizing poultry exhaust air in algae cultivation. The highest protein content of 50.4% was observed in the biomass of Synechococcaceae with BBM and DI water. Scenedesmus sp. had the highest carbohydrate content of 33.4% cultivated with DI water. The algae biomass produced from Synechococcaceae growth with DI water was found to have the highest content of essential and nonessential amino acids, except for glutamic acid and glycine. The arsenic, cadmium, and mercury content showed variations within the following respective ranges: 1.076–3.500 mg/kg, 0.0127–0.1210 mg/kg, and 0.1330–0.0124 mg/kg. The overall operating costs for producing 1.0 g L−1 d−1 of dry algal biomass with the existing PBR system were $0.12–0.35 L−1 d−1, $0.10–0.26 L−1 d−1, and $0.11–0.24 L−1 d−1 for Scenedesmus sp., Ankistrodesmus sp., and Synechococcaceae, respectively. The operating cost of producing 1.0 g L−1 d−1 of protein was in the range of $0.25–0.88 L−1 d−1 for the three algae species. The results provide insights into the potential of algae as a sustainable feed ingredient in animal diets, emphasizing both environmental and economic considerations. The results demonstrated a considerable reduction in the production costs of dry biomass and protein when utilizing poultry house exhaust air, highlighting the economic viability and nutritional benefits of this cultivation method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Wild birds are considered reservoirs of poultry pathogens although transmission routes have not been conclusively established. Here we use camera trapping to study wild bird communities on commercial layer and red-legged partridge farms over a one-year timeframe. We also analyze direct and indirect interactions of other bird species with the house sparrow (Passer domesticus), a potential bridge host. Methods: We conducted camera trapping events between January 2018 and October 2019, in two caged layer farms, one free-range layer farm, and two red-legged partridge farms in South-Central Spain. Results and Discussion: We observed wild bird visits on all types of farms, with the significantly highest occurrence on red-legged partridge farms where food and water are more easily accessible, followed by commercial caged layer farms, and free-range chicken farms. The house sparrow (Passer domesticus) followed by spotless starlings (Sturnus unicolor) was the most encountered species on all farms, with the highest frequency in caged layer farms. On partridge farms, the house sparrow accounted for 58% of the wild bird detections, while on the free-range chicken farm, it made up 11% of the detections. Notably, the breeding season, when food and water are scarce in Mediterranean climates, saw the highest number of wild bird visits to the farms. Our findings confirm that the house sparrow, is in direct and indirect contact with layers and red-legged partridges and other wild birds independent of the type of farm. Contacts between house sparrows and other bird species were most frequent during the breeding season followed by the spring migration period. The species most frequently involved in interactions with the house sparrow belonged to the order Passeriformes. The study provides a comparative description of the composition and seasonal variations of bird communities in different types of layer/ poultry farms in Southern Spain i.e. a Mediterranean climate. It confirms the effectiveness of biosecurity measures that restrict access to feed and water. Additionally, it underscores the importance of synanthropic species, particularly the house sparrow, as potential bridge vector of avian pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essential oils are liquids containing non-toxic compounds that are unfavorable to the growth of microorganisms. They are sold globally at affordable or very high prices, depending on the availability and type of plant, the scale of production, the extraction method, costs associated with logistics and electricity consumption, among other variables. Each year, the quantity of research dedicated to the antimicrobial potential of essential oils in poultry farming is expanding. Researchers consensually relay that this increase is due to the growing resistance of microorganisms to traditional antimicrobials and concerns about the toxicity of these products. This review proposes an analysis of the antimicrobial feasibility of using essential oils to address microbial challenges in poultry farms, aiming to ensure the production and supply of microbiologically safe hatching eggs. Based on the findings in the literature, in addition to following other necessary precautions in the daily routines of poultry farming practices, developing an antimicrobial control program with essential oils that integrates poultry facilities, poultry and hatching eggs, adapted to the particularities of each context seems to be extremely effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The aim of this review is to provide researchers with a guide to simulating the environment of poultry houses using computational fluid dynamics. Through an extensive review of the literature in this area, it provides comprehensive insights into the common challenges encountered when applying this method, as well as a discussion of planned future research efforts. In recent years, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has become increasingly important and has proven to be an effective method for assessing environmental conditions in poultry houses. CFD offers simplicity, efficiency, and rapidity in assessing and optimizing poultry house environments, thereby fueling greater interest in its application. This article aims to facilitate researchers in their search for relevant CFD studies in poultry housing environmental conditions by providing an in-depth review of the latest advancements in this field. It has been found that CFD has been widely employed to study and analyze various aspects of poultry house ventilation and air quality under the following five main headings: inlet and fan configuration, ventilation system design, air temperature–humidity distribution, airflow distribution, and particle matter and gas emission. The most commonly used turbulence models in poultry buildings are the standard k-ε, renormalization group (RNG) k-ε, and realizable k-ε models. Additionally, this article presents key solutions with a summary and visualization of fundamental approaches employed in addressing path planning problems within the CFD process. Furthermore, potential challenges, such as data acquisition, validation, computational resource requirements, meshing, and the selection of a proper turbulence model, are discussed, and avenues for future research (the integration of machine learning, building information modeling, and feedback control systems with CFD) are explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a windowless poultry house raising layer chickens in Kanagawa prefecture, Japan, a slight increase in the mortality of chickens and a decrease in egg production were observed. Necropsy revealed numerous tapeworms and proglottids in chicken intestines. Histopathologically, gut-associated lymphoid tissues were observed in the lamina propria of the jejunum; however, no significant changes were observed in the other organs. Numerous hide beetles, Dermestes maculatus DeGeer, intermediate hosts of Raillietina cesticillus, were observed in the poultry house. Following a decline in beetle numbers, egg production increased and chicken mortality decreased. The life cycle of a tapeworm was easily established in a closed space, such as a windowless house, which led to severe infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the onset of cold weather, heat transfer through the walls and especially the roofs of bird rooms, unlike in the summer period, increases significantly, which leads to a sharp decrease in warm indoor air. Therefore, in order to maintain the regulatory conditions of the ventilation system, it is reduced to a transitional mode, and then to a minimum ventilation mode. Low ventilation repeatability limits inside the building determine the minimum volume of air supplied by the ventilation system. The economic and production efficiency of poultry farming is related to the premises and climatic conditions, which can seriously affect the well-being of broilers. Heat stress contributes to behavioral, physiological and biochemical changes in broilers, which leads to economic losses. The purpose of this study is to influence the annual efficiency of the poultry house ventilation system, mainly in summer, in order to evaluate the efficiency during the reconstruction of the cooling system, that is, to improve the ventilation system of the room, as well as to give an economic assessment of waste disposal technology. Energy- and resource-saving, environmentally friendly technologies and technological tools, plastic-type recuperators, a bird droppings removal system, as well as lighting and irrigation processes were taken as the object of the study. In conducting our research, let’s use classical and special methods, including a decomposition method for analyzing the functional use of recycling technology, a logical and linguistic method for assessing the safety of nitrogen during disposal, microclimate technology, nutrition and storage. Based on the mathematical model, a computer research methodology was developed to improve the energy efficiency of the poultry house. Using a computer program, the number of LEDs (α = 200, I0 = 20 cd) for an enclosure measuring 66×12 m is N = 273 pieces, and the number of LEDs (α = 200, I0 = 20 cd) for a building measuring 78×18 m is N = 259 pieces. The design parameters of the illuminators are justified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is continuously causing significant economic losses with massive poultry depopulations. Airborne transmission of HPAI was suspected, as initial bird mortalities were reported near air inlets of poultry houses. In addition, infected farms were distant, indicating that the viruses carried by dust particles might help the viruses travel for long distances in the environment. The objective of this study focused on simulating the airborne transmission of HPAI by using computational modeling to assess the risk of airborne and deposited avian influenza (AI) carried by poultry-litter dust particles. The Hybrid Single-Particle Lagrangian Integrated Trajectory (HYSPLIT) modeling was used in this study. Data from 168 infected cases in the Mid-Western area of U.S. were obtained from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and Watt Poultry. The concentration simulation modeling was performed to estimate the airborne and deposited AI concentration carried by PM2.5 dust particles. Results showed that concentrations of airborne AI, deposited AI, and combined AI transmitted to other farms in a day were lower than the minimal infective dose for poultry. In most of the scenarios, the predicted probability of infection showed that Iowa-infected farms and turkey poultry houses had the highest infection probability. The findings may provide an understanding of the risk of airborne HPAI virus carried by dust particles and suggest the factors that influence long-distance airborne transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was carried out to evaluate the influence of cage tiers height on cloaca temperature, performance and egg quality of Isa-Brown laying birds. A total of One hundred and eight (108) Isa-Brown laying birds were selected from a healthy stock. The poultry house contained conventional battery cages arranged in a three-tier design. One unit of the battery cage made up of three (3) tiers with three (3) cells per tier was setup to accommodate three (3) birds per cell and a total of 27 birds per unit cage. This setup was replicated for three additional cage units. The performance of the birds was evaluated in terms of the egg weight, egg mass, feed conversion ratio, hen day production, and total feed consumed. The results revealed no significant (P >0.05) difference among cage tiers in terms of egg weight and feed conversion ratio but egg mass, hen day production and total feed consumed were significantly influenced. Highest egg mass (38.96g), highest Hen Day production (78.66%) and highest daily feed intake (99.01g) were recorded in birds raised in the upper tier of the cage. For the period of the study, cloaca temperature ranged between 36 °C and 41 °C. Cloaca temperature was not significantly (P >0.05) affected by cage tiers height. In comparison to layers raised in low-tier cages, those raised in high-tier cages had higher egg production and better feed efficiency. These findings suggest that cage tier heights play an important role in the production performance of laying hens but cloaca temperature was not affected. However, further researches on the effect of cage tiers height on cloaca temperature should be carried out in a controlled setting [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acid spraying has been widely applied to remove ammonia and particle matter in the exhaust gas purification at the end of intensive livestock and poultry houses. Package material can be expected to serve as the reaction site between acid solution and exhaust gas. The performance of package material can also dominate the effectiveness of exhaust gas purification in practical engineering applications. Particularly, the installation of an exhaust gas purification system is ever-increasing as the resistance of the ventilation system. The pressure drop generated by the packing material can determine whether the exhaust gas purification system can be configured. Since the porosity of packing material is often fixed, it is difficult to adjust for the different livestock and poultry houses. This study aims to fully meet the requirements of pressure drop and purification efficiency of the exhaust gas purification system in the ventilation management of livestock and poultry houses. A new structure was developed for the package material with adjustable porosity. The configuration of the base cell was also optimized in the package material, according to the lattice structure. A lattice structure was also designed with zero Poisson's ratio using a two-dimensional lattice cell optimization model, according to the topology optimization theory. The Parametric Level-set-based topology optimization was used to construct the optimization model. The optimized structure was then obtained under a randomly selected initial configuration using the iterative solution, indicating the zero Poisson's ratio. The parameterized configuration was constructed to maintain the optimized structural topology using homogeneous bars. A two-dimensional lattice was constructed to form a three-dimensional one using the periodic arrangement of the two-dimensional parameterized configuration. A systematic analysis was implemented to determine the change in porosity, pressure drop and specific surface area of the package material using numerical simulation and experiments. The test results show that the porosity of the packing material was adjusted within the range of 91.1% to 98.7% when the vertical load was changed from a tensile load of 200 N to a compressive load of −200 N. Meanwhile, the pressure drop generated by the packing material decreased from 38.0 to 4.9 Pa with the increase of porosity, while the specific surface area decreased from 16.1 to 3.9 m²/m³. Therefore, the tunable porosity was achieved in the designed lattice structure with zero Poisson's ratio under the tension and compression load in a single direction to deform. The constant size was also maintained to ensure no leakage of exhaust gas in the adjustment process. Moreover, a series of tests were carried out to clarify the influence of porosity adjustment on the purification efficiency of ammonia and particle matters PM2.5 and PM10. The test results show that the pressure drop increased from 2.7 to 35.2 Pa, while the ammonia purification efficiency increased from 77.4% to 92.6%, and the purification efficiency of PM2.5, and PM10 increased from 69.2%, and 87.2% to 90.1%, and 97.7%, respectively, when the porosity of the packaging material decreased from 98.7% to 91.1%. The pressure drop of 30 Pa was produced for the ammonia purification efficiency of 85%, and particle purification efficiency of 40% to 45%, compared with the widely-used packing material with fixed porosity of 90% in existing purification systems. The designed package material with zero Poisson's ratio can be expected for an appropriate porosity, according to the pressure drop load requirements of the ventilation system of the breeding house, and the purification efficiency fully met the requirements of ammonia removal efficiency of 83% to 90%, and particle purification efficiency should not be less than 50% for the purification of livestock and poultry house exhaust gas. In conclusion, the structure of package material can meet the porosity requirements using the pressure drop and exhaust gas purification efficiency of livestock and poultry houses. The finding can provide a theoretical basis and design reference for the automatic regulation of the porosity of package material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate significantly impacts the temperature in different parts of the world. A moderate environment makes it simple to construct a chicken farm. Nevertheless, raising the birds in tropical places where typical temperatures can exceed 40-45°C is difficult because they can only survive at temperatures between 30°C and 35°C. As a result, the current study aimed to design a chicken house with a ventilation and cooling system to prevent excessive heat. The effectiveness of ventilation systems in maintaining liveable and constant conditions at the chicken house was assessed using computational fluid dynamics modeling to mimic internal and external airflows. In this study, a water evaporator-based cooling system and an exhaust fan-based ventilation system were built within a poultry house. ANSYS CFD was utilized to create the design and examine the flow of the model. The findings of each model were generated individually, and these results were compared to those of the other models to determine which model could decrease the temperature within the chicken coop. The proposed model's maximum temperature was around 30-32°C. A poultry house can be constructed using this idea to maintain chickens at a suitable temperature range of 30-32°C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Salmonella is a common bacterium that can cause foodborne illness in humans. Testing poultry for Salmonella helps us identify contaminated products and prevents them from reaching consumers, reducing the risk of outbreaks and protecting public health. This study aimed to assess the occurrence of Salmonella carry-over between successive flocks of laying hens using established testing techniques. A Salmonella prevalence rate of 25% in the samples after cleaning and disinfection (C&D) indicates areas for improvement in C&D procedures during the service period. The study found that infectious Salmonella (specifically Salmonella Enteritidis) can persist for a long time in floor-reared production systems, which are easier to clean than caged houses. It is crucial to implement thorough C&D procedures between cycles, assess cleanliness after C&D through targeted sampling before introducing new flocks, and consider the surroundings of poultry houses when implementing hygiene measures. By incorporating Salmonella testing into C&D practices, poultry producers can enhance overall hygiene protocols, prevent cross-contamination, reduce the risk of contamination, and maintain a safe environment for workers and consumers. The presence of Salmonella Enteritidis in poultry houses after cleaning and disinfection can pose a potential risk to public health, as Salmonella remains one of the most important causes of foodborne diseases. This study focused on ten German layer farms (including floor-reared and free-range systems) with a recent history of Salmonella Enteritidis, and samples were collected from July 2018 to March 2021 after the cleaning and disinfection process. A total of 244 swab samples were tested for the presence of Salmonella using real-time PCR, followed by a culture of positive samples. Results revealed that 61 out of the 244 swab samples tested positive for Salmonella, indicating a prevalence of 25% in the samples examined. Among the Salmonella-positive swab samples identified with the PCR assay, 65.6% (40 out of 61) were confirmed by the culture. Of the 40 isolates obtained from the culture, 36 were identified as Salmonella Enteritidis, while 4 were categorized as rough Salmonella strains. This study emphasizes the importance of both the surrounding area of the poultry houses in terms of infection carry-over and the meticulous implementation of cleaning and disinfection procedures to eliminate any remaining infection within the houses. To mitigate the risk of further Salmonella spread on layer farms, additional investigations are recommended to focus on the existing transmission pathways of Salmonella and their genetic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the high density of chickens housed within the same space in aviaries, a large volume of organic matter accumulates on the floor. This large supply of available resources allows the development of arthropods, including organisms that affect poultry productivity and health. This study aimed to evaluate the composition of the mite community associated with organic matter in poultry houses with different rearing systems and the verification of potential predators to be evaluated in clean management techniques, such as biological control. The study was carried out in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) in a total of six poultry houses, two of the 'Californian' system (SIG) and four of the 'cage free' system (SIF). In total, 839,459 specimens were collected, of which 358,044 were collected from SIF and 481,415 specimens from SIG. Fifty-two species/morphospecies were found and we observed a grouping of aviaries from the same rearing model. Species of medical veterinary importance were found, such as Dermanyssus gallinae, Megninia ginglymura, Ornithonyssus sylviarum and Tyrophagus putrescentiae. The results demonstrate that the organic matter present in the aviaries harbors a high diversity of mites of medical-veterinary importance and predators, which are influenced by the rearing system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two poultry Confined Animal Feeding Units (CAFUs), "House A" and "House B", were selected from the TAMU poultry facility for the study, and samples were collected over a five-day period. Bioaerosol sampling was conducted using a Wetted Wall Cyclone (WWC) bioaerosol collector at the two CAFU houses, in which House A housed approximately 720 broiler chickens and roosters, while House B remained unoccupied and served as a reference. Both houses consisted of 24 pens arranged on either side of a central walkway. Bacterial content analysis was conducted using microbial plating, real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR), and Fatty Acid Methyl Ester (FAME) analysis, while ambient temperature and relative humidity were also monitored. The concentrations of microorganisms in House A showed a highly dynamic range, ranging from 4000 to 60,000 colony forming units (CFU) per cubic meter of air. Second, the WWC samples contained approximately ten-fold more bacterial DNA than the filter samples, suggesting higher levels of viable cells captured by the WWC. Third, significant concentrations of pathogens, including Salmonella, Staphylococcus, and Campylobacter, were detected in the poultry facility. Lastly, the WWC system demonstrated effective functionality and continuous operation, even in the challenging sampling environment of the CAFU. The goal of this study was to characterize the resident population of microorganisms (pathogenic and non-pathogenic) present in the CAFUs and to evaluate the WWC's performance in such an environment characterized by elevated temperature, high dust content, and feathers. This knowledge could then be used to improve understanding microorganism dynamics in CAFUs including the spread of bacterial infections between animals and from animals to humans that work in these facilities, as well as of the WWC performance in this type of environment (elevated temperature, high content of dust and feathers). A more comprehensive understanding can aid in improving the management of bacterial infections in these settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing broiler demand due to overpopulation and meat imports presents challenges in poultry farming, including management, disease control, and chicken observation in varying light conditions. To address these issues, the development of AI-based management processes is crucial, especially considering the need for detecting pathological phenomena in intensive rearing. In this study, a dataset consisting of visual and thermal images was created to capture pathological phenomena in broilers. The dataset contains 10,000 images with 50,000 annotations labeled as lethargic chickens, slipped tendons, diseased eyes, stressed (beaks open), pendulous crop, and healthy broiler. Three versions of the YOLO-based algorithm (v8, v7, and v5) were assessed, utilizing augmented thermal and visual image datasets with various augmentation methods. The aim was to develop thermal- and visual-based models for detecting broilers in complex environments, and secondarily, to classify pathological phenomena under challenging lighting conditions. After training on acknowledged pathological phenomena, the thermal YOLOv8-based model demonstrated exceptional performance, achieving the highest accuracy in object detection (mAP50 of 0.988) and classification (F1 score of 0.972). This outstanding performance makes it a reliable tool for both broiler detection and pathological phenomena classification, attributed to the use of comprehensive datasets during training and development, enabling accurate and efficient detection even in complex environmental conditions. By employing both visual- and thermal-based models for monitoring, farmers can obtain results from both thermal and visual viewpoints, ultimately enhancing the overall reliability of the monitoring process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environment in livestock and poultry houses plays an important role in the growth and reproduction of livestock and poultry. In order to obtain the environmental conditions of livestock and poultry houses in a timely and reliable manner, and eliminate adverse environmental factors, scholars have been exploring various methods to obtain and predict environmental factors. This paper reviewed the literature from the last 10 years, specifically focusing on technologies for detecting environmental factors in livestock and poultry houses, which can be mainly divided into three categories: research on the environmental monitoring and control of livestock and poultry houses based on detection equipment and wireless sensor technology; research on the distribution and regularity of environmental factors in livestock and poultry houses based on a mathematical model; research on the environmental simulation and detection of livestock and poultry houses based on computer technology. The current testing methods have their advantages and disadvantages. When studying environmental factors, researchers should choose the most appropriate method for data acquisition according to the actual situation. The proposed recommendations for achieving this goal are as follows: (1) The control of environmental factors should be combined with the physiological response of livestock and poultry. The needs of animals should be considered; (2) Novel approaches need to be developed to integrate energy requirements into the environmental regulation of livestock and poultry houses; (3) It is necessary to research and develop control models and strategies that can predict the environment in the houses, and the transient simulation method should be further explored; (4) Improve environmental detection and control accuracy through the coupling of different technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been multiple types of research focusing on the relationship between feed ingredients and metal content in the egg white due to their role in human nutrition. The aim of the present study is to determine the metal concentration in hens' eggs and, in particular, to compare the metal concentration in egg albumen originating from industrial poultry farms with that of backyard and free-range hens. All samples were collected in Romania from five separate counties and 10 different farms, over a period of two weeks and, as a result, a total of 50 were collected, 10 from each housing system (batteries/cages, litter/soil, freerange, organic and backyard). The measurements of the metals were taken by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP-OES), with a wide range of elements reported. For the essential elements, we measured Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn; Al, Cd, Ni and Pb for the heavy metals and, in addition, we measured B, Ba, Sr, Ca and Mg. The present study revealed that the metals in eggs from free-range hens are richer in essential elements with mean concentrations as follows: 1.528 mg/kg for Fe, 3.278 mg/kg for Zn, 0.058 mg/kg for Mn and 1.362 mg/kg for Cu. We concluded that the egg quality is closely connected with the housing system and nutrition. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that eggs from backyard housing are no better than those from free-range hens in terms of essential metal composition. The heavy and non-essential metal contents, present in the albumen of all the examined eggs, were much lower than the maximum allowed concentration and, therefore, egg consumption does not pose any risk to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A number of communities, most of which have distinctive long-established knowledge and know-how base, populate Kerala state. Indigenous technological knowledge can be encouraged through a scientific approach as one of the means of sustainable agricultural practices, which will be environment-friendly. ITK that are in practice all over rural India is little acknowledged and there is a threat of loss of this knowledge. Hence some of the local knowledge and technologies were studied and the importance of the same has been evaluated. The study was carried out within the scaffold of poultry farming and allied activities. A broad range of varied sectors including poultry housing, feeding and disease management were taken into account for the purpose of the study. It is observed from the study that farmers adopt traditional knowledge in every aspects of poultry farming including housing, brooding, feeding management, hatching process, seasonal management, poultry health management etc. The documented ITKs showed the richness of the time-tested traditional knowledge applied to animal husbandry in the region specified under the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piling behavior (PB) is a common issue that causes negative impacts on the health, welfare, and productivity of the flock in poultry houses (e.g., cage-free layer, breeder, and broiler). Birds pile on top of each other, and the weight of the birds can cause physical injuries, such as bruising or suffocation, and may even result in death. In addition, PB can cause stress and anxiety in the birds, leading to reduced immune function and increased susceptibility to disease. Therefore, piling has been reported as one of the most concerning production issues in cage-free layer houses. Several strategies (e.g., adequate space, environmental enrichments, and genetic selection) have been proposed to prevent or mitigate PB in laying hens, but less scientific information is available to control it so far. The current study aimed to develop and test the performance of a novel deep-learning model for detecting PB and evaluate its effectiveness in four CF laying hen facilities. To achieve this goal, the study utilized different versions of the YOLOv6 models (e.g., YOLOv6t, YOLOv6n, YOLOv6s, YOLOv6m, YOLOv6l, and YOLOv6l relu). The objectives of this study were to develop a reliable and efficient tool for detecting PB in commercial egg-laying facilities based on deep learning and test the performance of new models in research cage-free facilities. The study used a dataset comprising 9000 images (e.g., 6300 for training, 1800 for validation, and 900 for testing). The results show that the YOLOv6l relu-PB models perform exceptionally well with high average recall (70.6%), mAP@0.50 (98.9%), and mAP@0.50:0.95 (63.7%) compared to other models. In addition, detection performance increases when the camera is placed close to the PB areas. Thus, the newly developed YOLOv6l relu-PB model demonstrated superior performance in detecting PB in the given dataset compared to other tested models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of fiber-rich vegetables on the quality characteristics of poultry slaughterhouse byproducts incorporated in pet food. Poultry byproducts incorporated in pet food were treated with different fiber-rich vegetables, viz. carrot and French beans powder separately at three suitable concentrations i.e. 5%, 10%, and 15% replacing freshly grated cruciferous vegetables and baked in a hot air oven at 1500 C for 20-25 minutes. Carrot powder @10% (CR) and French bean powder @10% (FB) were found optimum based on the palatability test. Finally, CR and FB were compared with control (BP) pet food for various physico-chemical properties and palatability tests. The pH values of BP and CR were significantly (p<0.05) higher than FB, whereas the baking yield values of CR were significantly (p<0.05) higher than BP and FB. Moisture, ash content, and water activity values of CR and FB were significantly (p<0.05) higher, and protein, as well as fat content, were significantly (p<0.05) lower than BP. There were no significant differences in springiness, cohesiveness, and resilience values between control and treatments. Hardness values of BP were significantly (p<0.05) higher whereas gumminess and chewiness values were significantly (p<0.05) lower than CR and FB. There was no significant difference in any textural parameter between CR and FB. Lightness and yellowness values of CR were significantly (p<0.05) higher whereas redness values of FB were significantly (p<0.05) lower than BP and other treatments. The scores of all palatability attributes of FB were significantly (p<0.05) lower than BP and CR, whereas no significant difference was observed between BP and CR. Therefore, Poultry byproducts incorporated with pet food with 10% carrot powder were selected as the best treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The object of the study was concrete floors in a poultry house with different types of litter. The paper addressed the problem of reducing microorganism contamination of concrete floors in poultry houses to prevent biological corrosion. Corrosion of the surface of the concrete floor in the form of the formation of calcium oxalate monohydrate crystals was established by scanning electron microscopy; microscopic fungi: A. pullulans, F. sporotrichioides, and A. niger were detected. The TPD MS method established that concrete samples obtained in a room with straw lose moisture by 51.52 % more, with granules – by 342.42 % (р≤0.05), with shavings by 6.06 %, compared to control. CO from concrete samples is released less with sawdust litter by 86.40 %, with straw – by 83.49 %, with shavings – by 76.69 %, with granules – by 69.90 % (р≤0.05). The CO2 content in concrete samples from the room with sawdust was lower by 86.88 % (р≤0.05), with straw – by 55.73 %, with shavings – by 38.52 %, with granules – by 23.77 %, compared to control without litter. Microbiological studies have established that 48 hours after disinfection, the total number of colonies of microorganisms on a concrete floor with a sawdust litter likely decreased by an average of 90.19 %, straw – by 91.62 %, shavings – by 79.76 %, granules – by 82.88 % (р≤0.05), in the control – by 83.73 %. It can be argued that the disinfectant destroys microorganisms on the concrete surface regardless of the type of substrate. The peculiarity of the experiment was the use of scanning electron microscopy and TPD MS methods to study structural changes in concrete. The research is distinguished by the use of a powdered disinfectant to reduce microbial damage to a concrete floor with different types of litter. The results of the experiment could be used in the aggressive environment of poultry houses to reduce the impact on concrete structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock-scale breeding is the inevitable trend of future livestock and poultry husbandry. Closed breeding requires an excellent environment and livestock and poultry housings contain a lot of dust, pathogenic microorganisms and harmful gases, affecting the health of livestock and poultry and breeding personnel. Most of the common sterilization and dust collection devices for livestock and poultry housings on the market are too high energy consumption, and easy to cause secondary pollution. Therefore, an environmental purification device was designed to absorb dust in the air and kill harmful bacteria by using high-voltage pulsed electric field. The device was designed using phase control principle and bundled conductor. COMSOL Multiphysics was used to simulate the layout of single conductor, twin bundled conductor and quad bundled conductor. It was found that when the conductor was designed as twin bundled conductor or quad bundled conductor, the gradient distribution of spatial electric field intensity was more uniform and the downward trend of the electric field was slower, which could effectively improve the dust collection and sterilization efficiency of the device. At the same time, a variety of electric field environments can be set up by using phase differences to meet different environmental requirements of livestock and poultry. The compound dust collection and sterilization device with phase-controlled bundled conductor for livestock and poultry housing space includes a high voltage pulse generator, bundled conductor, high voltage special timer, insulator and other parts, which can effectively reduce the dust content in the air, the concentration of pathogenic bacteria, harmful gases, etc. after assembly test and can also reduce the humidity in the livestock and poultry housings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial aerosols in intensive broiler houses whose species and concentrations are closely related to human health are ubiquitous. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the aim of this study was to investigate the spatial distribution and diversity of bacterial aerosols in the air of broiler houses. Significant spatial variations in airborne bacterial concentrations were observed inside the poultry farmhouse. The results indicated that bacteria in the air samples could be grouped into a total of 1,674 OTUs. Alpha diversity analysis showed that the diversity of the microbial community at the entry of the broiler house was higher than that at the middle or the rear (p < 0.01). The Sankey diagram illustrated species dynamic changes in Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Actinobacteria among the different locations. From the aspect of LEfSe (LDA Effect Size) analysis, we discovered that the abundance of Planctomycetes was significantly higher in the entry than in the rear and middle. This study shows the spatial distribution of the entire bacterial community in intensive broiler houses, which offers a new perspective for studying airborne total bacteria in those environments. Implications: The bacteria contained in air aerosols from poultry houses are closely connected to animal health and production. This study aimed to investigate the spatial distribution and diversity of bacterial aerosols in the air of broiler houses. The results observed that bacterial aerosol concentrations in the examined broilers house varied greatly at different positions, and a significantly higher exposure to bacterial aerosol was observed at the middle than at the other positions (p < 0.05). The alpha diversity analysis showed that the diversity of the microbial community at the entry of the broiler house was higher than that at the middle or the rear (P<0.01). Sankey diagram illustrated species dynamic changes of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria among the different locations. The microbial communities in genus level in the samples of entry and rear were closer, while the species diversity of middle and rear samples in chicken house was highly similar (P>0.05). Altogether, results revealed that the effects of spatial factors on the diversity and abundance of bacteria in the air of closed-cage broiler houses, which poses a potential threat to the health of animals and workers in those environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, a numerical model was developed to predict the flow pattern inside a broiler building. The model was intended to predict the velocity fields inside the domain and the ammonia (NH3) emitted or released by litter from poultry housing. The numerical model was developed in computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) commercial code and intended to represent a commercial broiler building and to simulate the 3D and heat transfer in steady-state flow. The evaporative cooling pads were also included in the model. The validation of the model was based on experimental measurements obtained in previous studies. The simulations were focused on the summer, winter, and mid-season conditions. Numerical measurements of NH3 concentration were compared with the experimental measurements, and a quite good agreement was verified. The numerical results allowed the characterization of: the inside flow pattern developed for the summer and winter periods and the NH3 and velocity field distributions inside the broiler building. It was found that NH3 concentration increased along the tunnel, as a result, especially, of the low flow rate of the exhaust fan. It was verified that the low velocities inside domain were not sufficient to remove the gaseous pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we study the first level of poultry network which contained several farms (poultry houses) dedicated to broiler breeding. For breeding the necessary conditions must be respected, using good feeding, veterinary care, adequate ventilation and ambient heating which may be gas or electric etc. The problem of this network is the installation of the heating system, more precisely the main problem is to choose between a gas or an electric heater. Knowing that the gas heating has a low cost but a rather high emission of carbon dioxide which is harmful for the liveliness of chickens and the environment in general, on the other hand, the electric heating is very recommendable because of the low rate of resignation of CO2, that said its high cost hinders considerably the breeders. To find an intermediate solution that minimizes the different costs while respecting the environmental aspect we propose in this work a multi-objective mathematical modelling that minimizes the heating costs and minimizes the carbon dioxide emissions. Both objectives are optimized independently, then after LP-metric aggregation is used to combine them to find the optimal solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: One of the major problems in broiler production management is the lack of uniformity in the size of meat chickens. In this study, we assessed the use of feeders equipped with light-emitting diodes and their effects on the productivity of broiler chickens under productive conditions. This particular feeder has been installed at the end of each feeding line to attract broilers and stimulate feed distribution along the entire line. At the end of the cycle, the improvement in uniformity in the poultry house where this equipment was tested, compared to the control poultry house, encouraged the use of this system to improve the production of meat chickens. This study assessed the use of feeders equipped with light-emitting diodes and their effects on the productivity of broiler chickens under productive conditions. A total of 87,200 ROSS 308 chickens, 1-day old, were housed in two poultry houses (CONTROL, F-LED). In CONTROL, 20,000 females (mean body weight 41.12 ± 3 g) and 25,000 males (mean body weight 41.56 ± 3 g) were housed, while 19,200 females and 23,000 males of the same genetic make-up and mean body weight were housed in F-LED under the same environmental conditions. In F-LED, to encourage chickens to feed and to redistribute more feed down the feeding line, a feeder equipped with a LED light has been installed at the end of each line. In CONTROL, no light was located on the feeders. At the end of the cycle, the average body weight never showed significant differences both for females (1345 g in CONTROL; 1359 g in F-LED) and for males (2771 g in CONTROL; 2793 g in F-LED). Uniformity improved in F-LED, at 75.2% in females and 54.1% in males, compared to CONTROL, at 65.7% and 48.5%, respectively, for females and males. The feed conversion ratio followed the same trend, being more favorable in chickens reared in F-LED (1.567) compared to those raised in CONTROL (1.608). The application of a single F-LED at the end of each feeding line demonstrated its utility in improving size uniformity and feed conversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chickens in commercial production are subjected to constant interaction with their environment, including the exchange of microbiota. In this review, we therefore focused on microbiota composition in different niches along the whole line of chicken production. We included a comparison of microbiota of intact eggshells, eggshell waste from hatcheries, bedding, drinking water, feed, litter, poultry house air and chicken skin, trachea, crop, small intestine, and cecum. Such a comparison showed the most frequent interactions and allowed for the identification of microbiota members that are the most characteristic for each type of sample as well as those that are the most widespread in chicken production. Not surprisingly, Escherichia coli was the most widely distributed species in chicken production, although its dominance was in the external aerobic environment and not in the intestinal tract. Other broadly distributed species included Ruminococcus torque, Clostridium disporicum, and different Lactobacillus species. The consequence and meaning of these and other observations are evaluated and discussed. Estudio recapitulativo- Microbiota de pollos y su entorno en producción comercial. Los pollos en producción comercial están sujetos a una interacción constante con su entorno, incluido el intercambio de microbiota. Esta revisión, por lo tanto, se enfoca en la composición de la microbiota en diferentes nichos a lo largo de toda la línea de producción de pollos. Se incluye una comparación de microbiota de cascarones de huevo intactos, desechos de cascarones de huevos de plantas de incubación, cama, agua potable, alimento, cama, aire de gallinero y piel de pollo, tráquea, buche, intestino delgado y ciego. Tal comparación mostró las interacciones más frecuentes y permitió identificar los miembros de la microbiota más característicos para cada tipo de muestra, así como los más extendidos en la producción de pollos. No en vano, Escherichia. coli fue la especie más ampliamente distribuida en la producción de pollos, aunque su dominio fue en el ambiente aeróbico externo y no en el tracto intestinal. Otras especies ampliamente distribuidas incluyeron Ruminococcus torque, Clostridium disporicum y diferentes especies de Lactobacillus. Se evalúan y discuten la consecuencia y el significado de estas y otras observaciones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing global emergence of zoonoses warrants improved awareness of activities that predispose vulnerable communities to greater risk of disease. Zoonotic disease outbreaks regularly occur within Myanmar and at its borders partly due to insufficient knowledge of behavioral risks, hindering participatory surveillance and reporting. This study employed a behavioral surveillance strategy among high-risk populations to understand the behavioral risks for zoonotic disease transmission in an effort to identify risk factors for pathogen spillover. To explore behavioral mechanisms of spillover in Myanmar, we aimed to: (1) evaluate the details around animal contact and types of interaction, (2) assess the association between self-reported unusual symptoms (i.e., any illness or sickness that is not known or recognized in the community or diagnosed by medical providers) and animal contact activities and (3) identify the potential risk factors including behavioral practices of self-reported illness. Participants were enrolled at two community sites: Hpa-An and Hmawbi in Southern Myanmar. A behavioral questionnaire was administered to understand participants' animal exposures, behaviors and self-reported illnesses. From these responses, associations between (1) animal contact activities and self-reported unusual illnesses, and (2) potential risk factors and self-reported unusual illness were tested. Contact with poultry seemed to be very frequent (91.1%) and many participants reported raising, handling and having poultry in their houses as well as slaughtering or being scratched/bitten by them, followed by contact with rodents (57.8%) and swine (17.9%). Compared to participants who did not have any unusual symptoms, participants who had unusual symptoms in the past year were more likely to have sold dead animals (OR = 13.6, 95% CI 6.8–27.2), slaughtered (OR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.7–3.3), raised (OR = 3.4, 95% CI 2.3–5.0) or handled animals (OR = 2.1, 95% CI 1.2–3.6), and had eaten sick (OR = 4.4, 95% CI 3.0–6.4) and/or dead animals (OR = 6.0, 95% CI 4.1–8.8) in the same year. Odds of having reported unusual symptoms was higher among those involved in animal production business (OR = 3.4, 95% CI 1.9–6.2) and animal-involved livelihoods (OR = 3.3, 95% CI 1.5–7.2) compared to other livelihoods. The results suggest that there is a high level of interaction between humans, livestock and wild animals in communities we investigated in Myanmar. The study highlights the specific high-risk behaviors as they relate to animal contact and demographic risk factors for zoonotic spillover. Our findings contribute to human behavioral data needed to develop targeted interventions to prevent zoonotic disease transmission at human–animal interfaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inhaling particulate matter (PM) poses a potential risk on the health of workers and chickens for long-term exposure to highly contaminated air in buildings, while the exceedance of PM concentration limit is still unclear for lack of direct measurement data covering the annual production cycle of laying hen farms. This research investigated the indoor PM characteristics in three typical laying hen building systems of natural mating colony cage (NM), conventional cage (CC), and aviary (AV) in China based on a year-round field measurement of PM concentrations using the Internet of Things. Results suggested that the average PM 2.5 and total suspended particulate (TSP) concentrations in NM were 0.042 ± 0.016 and 0.345 ± 0.143 mg m−3, respectively. The corresponding results were 0.048 ± 0.021 and 0.305 ± 0.171 mg m−3 in CC, 0.025 ± 0.012 and 0.786 ± 0.875 mg m−3 in AV, respectively. During the working period, PM 2.5 concentrations in 3% and 6.5% of the monitored days exceeded the threshold of 0.075 mg m−3 in NM and CC, meanwhile about 11% of the daily mean TSP concentrations in AV were higher than the recommended limit of 2.4 mg m−3. Generally, the average PM concentrations in three building systems with appropriate system designs and management were maintained at relatively low levels, which were beneficial to the health and production performance of laying hens. Occasional exceedance of PM concentration thresholds may chronically impair the respiratory health of the workers, and preventive measures should be therefore taken while working in laying hen houses. • An IoT system was developed to long-term monitor PM concentration in poultry houses. • The PM 2.5 and TSP concentrations of laying hen building systems in China were low. • Occasional exceedances of PM concentration limit were found during working period. • The PM exposure risk on the respiratory health existed but lower than other systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Ammonia (NH3) is recognized as the most abundant toxic gas in poultry houses, and broilers subjected to elevated NH3 levels have exhibited negative effects on their growth, immunity, and respiratory systems. The objective of this research was to investigate the in ovo feeding of L-ascorbic acid (L-AA) on the post-hatch performance and corneal erosion incidence in Ross 708 broilers exposed to 50 ppm of atmospheric NH3. The 4 in ovo treatments that were applied at 17 days of incubation were: non-injected (control), saline-injected (control), or saline containing 12 or 25 mg of L-AA. It was found that the in ovo injection of 12 mg of L-AA improved live performance and lowered corneal erosion incidence relative to those injected with saline. In conclusion, the in ovo administration of 12 mg of L-AA may overcome the negative effects of high atmospheric NH3 concentrations on broiler live performance and corneal erosion incidence. Further research is needed to determine the physiological and immunological mechanisms that may be involved in the aforementioned improvements in broilers subjected to chronic exposures to elevated levels of atmospheric NH3. Effects of the in ovo injection of various levels of L-ascorbic acid (L-AA) on the performance and corneal erosion incidence in Ross 708 broilers exposed to 50 parts per million (ppm) of atmospheric ammonia (NH3) after hatch were determined. A total of 1440 Ross 708 broiler embryos were randomly assigned to 4 treatments: non-injected (control), 0.85% sterile saline-injected (control), or saline containing 12 or 25 mg of L-AA. At hatch, 12 male chicks were randomly assigned to each of 48 battery cages with 12 replicate cages randomly assigned to each treatment group. All birds were exposed to 50 ppm of NH3 for 35 d and the concentration of NH3 in the battery cage house was recorded every 20 s. Mortality was determined daily, and mean body weight (BW), BW gain (BWG), average daily BW gain (ADG), and feed intake, as well as feed conversion ratio (FCR), were determined weekly. From 0 to 35 d of post-hatch age (doa), six birds from each cage were selected and sampled for eye erosion scoring. Incidences of corneal erosion were significantly higher at 21 and 28 doa in comparison to those at 14 and 35 doa, and at 21 doa, birds in the saline-injected group exhibited a higher incidence of corneal erosion compared to all other treatment groups. The in ovo injection of 12 mg of L-AA increased BWG (p = 0.043) and ADG (p = 0.041), and decreased FCR (p = 0.043) from 0 to 28 doa in comparison to saline-injected controls. In conclusion the in ovo administration of 12 mg of L-AA may have the potential to improve the live performance of broilers chronically exposed to high aerial NH3 concentrations, but further study is needed to determine the physiological and immunological factors that may contribute to this improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The diverse types of cage-free systems require an understanding of the differences between them in terms of the welfare of the laying hens. One of the methods for assessing the welfare of laying hens is an assessment based on the plumage condition. In the conducted study, the plumage condition of laying hens raised in various types of alternative (non-cage) housing systems was assessed, i.e., in deep litter, free-range, and organic systems. The study included hens of the native Green-legged Partridges (Z-11), Rhode Island Red (R-11) hens covered by a genetic resource protection program, and hybrids of Hy-Line Brown at 20, 36, and 56 weeks of age. The type of cage-free system implemented had an effect on the condition of the plumage in the laying hens. Smaller losses of plumage were found in hens raised in free-range and organic farming conditions than in the litter system. As the age of the birds increased, the condition of the hens' plumage deteriorated. Rhode Island Red hens were characterised by the best plumage condition in litter housing conditions, while the native Green-legged Partridge hens showed the best plumage condition in the free-range and organic systems. The study covered a total of 810 hens in 3 groups (housing systems) of 270 hens each. The plumage condition of laying hens raised in various types of alternative housing systems, i.e., in deep litter (B), free-range (FR), and organic systems (O), was assessed at 20, 36, and 56 weeks of age. The indoor stocking density was 6 hens/m2. The study included hens of the native Green-legged Partridge breed (Z-11), Rhode Island Red (R-11) hens covered by a genetic resource protection program, and hybrids of Hy-Line Brown. The plumage of the head, neck, back, tail, and abdomen was assessed on a 5-point scale. The assessment of individual hens' plumage was calculated as the sum of the scores of the head, neck, back, tail and abdomen and could range from 0 (no cover) to 20 points (full plumage). The type of alternative housing system implemented and the age of the laying hens had an effect on the plumage status of all body parts assessed (p < 0.05), while the genotype had an effect on the condition of the neck, back, and tail plumage (p < 0.05). In both the FR and O systems, the plumage status was similar and superior to that in B (p < 0.05). As the age of the birds increased, the condition of the hens' plumage deteriorated. The better state of the plumage in FR and O than in B may indicate improved levels of welfare in housing systems with access to outside runs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large-scale poultry houses can often emit the large amounts of dust and feathers via the exhaust fans, leading to the environmental pollution and potential biosafety. The air filter net can usually set outside the exhaust fans to intercept the feathers and filter dust, in order to reduce the impact of exhaust air on the environment and biosafety of the field. But, the accumulation of feathers and dust on the filter net can be reduced the ventilation efficiency of the poultry house after a period of use. The manual cleaning regularly is then time-consuming and harmful to the respiratory tract health of the cleaning personnel. In this study, a filtration and cleaning device was designed to realize the automatic and efficient purification of air that emitted from the large-scale poultry houses using validation tests, operation energy consumption, and cost calculation. The developed device mainly included four parts: filtering, cleaning, driving, and control mechanism. According to the characteristics of the exhaust pollutants in the poultry house and the industrial requirements of filtering/cleaning, the key parameters were optimized, such as the material and aperture of the filter net, the nozzle arrangement of the flush rod, the motor of the self-propelled trolley, and the diameter of the wheel. Besides, the operation control program of the device was written. The air in the poultry house was firstly discharged by the end fans, and then entered the dust removal room. The feathers and dust were intercepted by the filter net, and then adhered to the inner surface of the filter net, when the discharged air passing through the filtering mechanism. Part of the airflow was changed to the vertical direction after encountering the filtering mechanism. Specifically, the pollutants (such as feathers and dust) hit the top of the dust removal room and fell back again. Meanwhile, the self-propelled trolley was moved back and forth along the guide rail after the device running. The vertical flush rod and collecting trough were connected with the trolley, and then arranged on the outside and inside of the filter net. Once the device was cleaned the filter net, the flush rod was reversely sprayed the water to wash the filter net, while the collection trough was gathered the cleaning wastewater and dust at the same time. Wastewater was then discharged to the poultry farm wastewater collection system for the centralized treatment in the farm. A regular automatic cleaning of the filter net can be expected to ensure the filtering effect with the less manpower input. The validation test indicated that the device was reliable easy to control. Correspondingly, the improved device can realize to filter, intercept, and collect the feathers from the air that emitted from the poultry house. The removal rate of dust reached 55.0% in the air that emitted from the large-scale poultry houses. Operation energy consumption and cost accounting showed that the water consumption, the power consumption, and operation cost were 2.17 L/m², 0.001 7 kW·h/m², and 0.020 6 Yuan/m² in a single operation, indicating a clear economic cost of the filtration and cleaning device. The finding can provide a significant reference to develop the air purification techniques for the air emitted from the poultry houses in engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the main factors in the poultry house is maintaining a standardized microclimate. The quality of the product output in the final result depends precisely on the quality indicators of the air parameters. Poultry during its maintenance requires significant efforts and technological solutions. In this regard, authors improved microclimate system in air environment of the poultry house by installing exhaust fans on the side wall in a total number of 8 units. CFD modeling using ANSYS Fluent is a powerful tool for predicting the air flow scheme in a poultry house and is considered an alternative to experimental studies. Based on the obtained results of CFD modeling, it was established that the valves located at a height of 210 mm from the ceiling work most efficiently. Pressure drop for the inlet valves is 45.85 Pa. Air velocity at the inlet of the supply valves is equal to 9.17 m/s. Air velocity at a height of 0.7 m from the floor level varies within 0.57 m/s, the temperature is 9.91°С. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new automatic simple heating technique was established to improve performance within poultry houses using renewable energy sources (Biogas energy). Four different heating systems were used in the work as follow: H.S1; Conventional heating system using the cylinder of Liquefied Petroleum Gas LPG with open direct fire flame. H.S2; Heating system using Biogas energy and the cylinder of LPG with open direct fire flame manual converting. H.S3; Heating system using the cylinder of LPG with the automatic manufacturing heater and air distribution perforating tube. H.S4; Heating system using Biogas energy and the cylinder of LPG with the automatic manufacturing heater and air distribution tube. The obtained results revealed that using Biogas increase poultry body weight/bird after 6 weeks by about 3%, and by about 4% approximately in total body weights, and increase production efficiency factor (PEF) by about 10.3% compared to conventional system. Also, applying H.S4 increase poultry body weight/bird about 175 and 163% after first and second week respectively compared with the initial stage. In addition, increase the poultry weight/bird after 6 weeks by about 30%. Applying new system, also increase feed intake ranging about 6-8%, and decrease Feed conservation ratio ranging 29- 33%. Applying a new system and using biogas increasing the survival ratio by about 6%, sequent decrease mortality rate. In addition, increase PEF by about 85% comparing with conventional. Applying H.S4 the total energy decreased by about 53%, Also the specific energy requirements (SER) highly improving where decreased by about 66% comparing with H.S1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a procedure for selecting the optimal heat-accumulating material based on phase transitions for the economical maintenance of poultry farms by applying ANOVA to complex solid bodies' thermodynamic parameters is described. The relevance of the topic is due to its importance for the development of an energy-saving technology based on the release or absorption of significant heat during the crystallization or melting of materials. The applicability of one-way ANOVA for the selection of the optimal material with a specific functional purpose was demonstrated. As result, the best composition for maintaining a normal temperature regime in poultry farms that could meet all the requirements imposed on heat-storage materials was determined. It was found that magnesium sulphate heptahydrate is such a material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing the productivity of poultry farms relates to the need to create an optimal, regulated microclimate in poultry houses. This issue becomes of primary importance due to the decrease in the productivity of poultry farming caused by the imperfection of the existing systems. The purpose of this study was to develop and numerically model a shelland-tube heat exchanger of an innovative design for cooling supply air as an element of the air conditioning system used in ventilation systems of distinct types in the summer period. CFD modelling using ANSYS Fluent software was used to simulate hydrodynamic processes and heat exchange processes in channels with compactly arranged pipes in a bundle. Two types of ventilation systems were considered, namely tunnel and side. For them, heat exchangers designed to cool incoming air in summer were developed. A total of 80 automatic inlet valves measuring 0.3×0.85 m were installed in the side walls. Furthermore, evaporative cooling systems 5.3×1.1 m were located on the front-end walls. Numerical modelling of hydrodynamics and heat transfer was performed, as well as an analysis of the operation of heat exchangers of two distinctive designs for tunnel and side ventilation. Velocity, temperature, and pressure fields in the channels under study were obtained. The conditions of the hydrodynamic flow in the channels of the heat exchangers were analysed. In the case of the tunnel ventilation system, the pressure drop is 991 Pa, which is 3.3 times less compared to the side ventilation system. The outlet temperature is +23°C, which meets the design requirements. The main disadvantage is the financial costs for the purchase, cutting of pipes and their welding. To ensure standardized conditions of the air environment in the poultry house, considering all aspects of technical and economic analysis, it is proposed to choose a heat exchanger for the tunnel ventilation system. In practice, such heat exchange devices can be used not only in microclimate systems of poultry houses, but in the industrial, energy sector, and critical infrastructure facilitie. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hot and dry climate of countries with arid and semi-arid zones is the main reason that poultry products are less available and more expensive than elsewhere. Investing in livestock in these regions requires the use of suitable cooling systems that humidifies the dry air and lowers its temperature. Thermal environment control in poultry houses is greatly recommended to ensure good productivity. In the present work, a cooling solution was proposed with very low energy consumption and that did not use harmful refrigerants, for economic, ecological, and sustainable farming. It consists of a two-stage indirect/direct evaporative cooling system that reduces the temperature and increases specific humidity to maintain animal comfort conditions inside the poultry house. Biskra City in Algeria with a hot and dry climate was employed as a case study. The evaporative cooling system used the outside air, for air circulation needs in the poultry houses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica (Salmonella) shows disinfectant resistance by forming biofilms on solid surfaces. However, efficient disinfection methods to eliminate Salmonella biofilms from farms have not yet been examined in detail. In this study, more than 80% of Salmonella strains from farms in Yamagata prefecture, Japan, were biofilm producers. Regardless of the extent of their biofilm formation ability, their biofilms were highly resistant to hypochlorous acid on plastic surfaces. To establish efficient disinfection methods in farms, we developed in vitro Salmonellacontaminated poultry house models by depositing dust on ceramic and stainless-steel carriers in poultry houses for one month and culturing a representative Salmonella strain on the carriers. Biofilm-like structures, including Salmonella-like cells, were observed on the models by scanning electron microscopy. Salmonella was not efficiently removed from the models even by cleaning with a surfactant at 25/65°C and disinfection with quaternary ammonium compound or hypochlorous acid at 25°C; on the contrary, viable Salmonella cells increased in some tests under these conditions, suggesting that these models successfully simulate the highly persistent characteristics of Salmonella in farms. However, the persistent bacterial cells were markedly decreased by soaking in 65°C surfactant followed by rinsing with 80°C water, additional cleaning using chlorine dioxide or disinfection with dolomitic lime, suggesting the effectiveness of these methods against Salmonella in farms. Since many different disinfection conditions may be easily tested in laboratories, our models will be useful tools for establishing effective and practical disinfection methods in farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wind-supported transport of particle matter (PM) contaminated with excreta from highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIv)-infected wild birds may be a HPAIv-introduction pathway, which may explain infections in indoor-housed poultry. The primary objective of our study was therefore to measure the nature and quantity of PM entering poultry houses via air-inlets. The air-inlets of two recently HPAIv-infected poultry farms (a broiler farm and a layer farm) were equipped with mosquito-net collection bags. PM was harvested every 5 days for 25 days. Video-camera monitoring registered wild bird visits. PM was tested for avian influenza viruses (AIV), Campylobacter and Salmonella with PCR. Insects, predominantly mosquitoes, were tested for AIV, West Nile, Usutu and Schmallenberg virus. A considerable number of mosquitoes and small PM amounts entered the air-inlets, mostly cobweb and plant material, but no wild bird feathers. Substantial variation in PM entering between air-inlets existed. In stormy periods, significantly larger PM amounts may enter wind-directed air-inlets. PM samples were AIV and Salmonella negative and insect samples were negative for all viruses and bacteria, but several broiler and layer farm PM samples tested Campylobacter positive. Regular wild (water) bird visits were observed near to the poultry houses. Air-borne PM and insects—potentially contaminated with HPAIv or other pathogens—can enter poultry air-inlets. Implementation of measures limiting this potential introduction route are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of different levels of crude protein (CP) and two rearing systems (cage and floor), on blood parameters and digestive and reproductive organ development of brown laying hens. Methods A total of 400 Hisex Brown laying hens between 30 and 45 weeks of age were distributed in a completely randomized design and a 2×4 factorial arrangement, with main effects including two rearing systems (cage and floor) and levels of CP (140, 150, 160, and 180 g/kg), in a total of eight treatments and five replicates of 10 birds each with initial body weight of 1,877 g (laying hen in cage) and 1,866 g (laying hens in floor). The parameters evaluated were plasma total protein, albumin, uric acid, total cholesterol, relative weights of oviduct, abdominal fat, liver, gizzard, crest and dewlap, length of small intestine and oviduct. Results The blood parameters were similar in birds reared in cage and floor systems. The birds reared on the floor showed greater small intestine and oviduct weight (%) and lower liver and pancreas weight (%). A significant interaction was observed between factors for the relative gizzard, crest and dewlap weight, serum protein, uric acid, and total cholesterol (p

Chickens' behaviors and activities are important information for managing animal health and welfare in commercial poultry houses. In this study, convolutional neural networks (CNN) models were developed to monitor the chicken activity index. A dataset consisting of 1,500 top-view images was utilized to construct tracking models, with 900 images allocated for training, 300 for validation, and 300 for testing. Six different CNN models were developed, based on YOLOv5, YOLOv8, ByteTrack, DeepSORT, and StrongSORT. The final results demonstrated that the combination of YOLOv8 and DeepSORT exhibited the highest performance, achieving a multiobject tracking accuracy (MOTA) of 94%. Further application of the optimal model could facilitate the detection of abnormal behaviors such as smothering and piling, and enabled the quantification of flock activity into 3 levels (low, medium, and high) to evaluate footpad health states in the flock. This research underscores the application of deep learning in monitoring poultry activity index for assessing animal health and welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) have resulted in severe economic impact for national governments and poultry industries globally and in Sweden in recent years. Veterinary authorities can enforce prevention measures, e.g. mandatory indoor housing of poultry, in HPAI high-risk areas. The aim of this study was to conduct a spatiotemporal mapping of the risk of introduction of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAIV) to Swedish poultry from wild birds, utilising existing data sources. A raster calculation method was used to assess the spatiotemporal risk of introduction of HPAIV to Swedish poultry. The environmental infectious pressure of HPAIV was first calculated in each 5 km by 5 km cell using four risk factors: density of selected species of wild birds, air temperature, presence of agriculture as land cover and presence of HPAI in wild birds based on data from October 2016-September 2021. The relative importance of each risk factor was weighted based on opinion of experts. The estimated environmental infectious pressure was then multiplied with poultry population density to obtain risk values for risk of introduction of HPAIV to poultry. The results showed a large variation in risk both on national and local level. The counties of Skåne and Östergötland particularly stood out regarding environmental infectious pressure, risk of introduction to poultry and detected outbreaks of HPAI. On the other hand, there were counties, identified as having higher risk of introduction to poultry which never experienced any outbreaks. A possible explanation is the variation in poultry production types present in different areas of Sweden. These results indicate that the national and local variation in risk for HPAIV introduction to poultry in Sweden is high, and this would support more targeted compulsory prevention measures than what has previously been employed in Sweden. With the current and evolving HPAI situation in Europe and on the global level, there is a need for continuous updates to the risk map as the virus evolves and circulates in different wild bird species. The study also identified areas of improvement, in relation to data use and data availability, e.g. improvements to poultry registers, inclusion of citizen reported mortality in wild birds, data from standardised wild bird surveys, wild bird migration data as well as results from ongoing risk-factor studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]