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The poultry Hub has re-released its popular Anatomy of the Chicken online learning resource. It has been updated to be fully compatible with a range of tablet devices as well as all browsers. Check it out here.
Chickens are seen as humble creatures however their contribution historically and now is significant. For those in extreme poverty, chickens change families in need to empowering families with choices of food and creating a community small business for income. Recently, the Baptist World Aid shared that in some countries “women do not have a lot of access or control….. cows and goats are controlled by men. But with a chicken, a woman doesn’t need to ask permission…Some of the chickens and eggs are eaten and the [...]
Previous studies have demonstrated that presence of water on the shell surface can undermine the egg’s physical defences. Water contaminated with significant amounts of iron or organic matter enters the egg and the egg’s chemical defences can be compromised. The main line of egg defence is the presence of the cuticle layer that plugs pores and prevents bacterial penetration taking place. Washing eggs can erode the cuticle however the incidence of internal contamination may be reduced significantly provided certain basic rules are followed. [...]
The avian immune system begins in the embryo and continues for several weeks after hatch. Feed provides nutrients essential for the growth and development of both primary and secondary lymphoid organs. In commerical poultry operations, hatchery practices dictate sexing, vaccination and packaging for transaportation post hatch. Chicks spend considerable time without feed or water which affects bird growth. Oral feed intake is essential for rapid growth and the immune system of the hatchling. Residual yolk is internalised into the abdominal cavity and [...]