Search Results (46)

The poultry sector generates large amounts of feather waste every year, providing an abundant keratin-rich residue that is difficult to valorise due to its crosslinked and highly compacted crystalline structure. In the present work, with the aim of promoting its use in biodegradable plastic films, environmentally friendly processes, such as mechanical grinding (compactor grinder, CG), deep eutectic solvents (DES), and steam explosion process (SE) are being explored as alternatives to conventional chemical processes. Thus, biodegradable feather-based films were produced by compounding treated feathers in a torque rheometer at 40 wt.% with glycerol, ethylene glycol, and 1,2-propanediol (propylene glycol), followed by hot pressing. All formulations produced homogeneous and translucent films, which were characterized in terms of colorimetric properties and thermal and mechanical behaviour, as well as their degradation in soil conditions, revealing pronounced differences in properties as a function of the specific combination of feather treatment and plasticizer employed. Interestingly, soil disintegration tests revealed the fastest degradation of films of DES-treated feathers plasticized with glycerol. Overall, controlling feather treatment and plasticizer type enables tuning of mechanical performance and biodegradation, supporting keratin-based films as a viable route for feather waste valorisation. Full article

Electrical water-bath stunning remains the predominant method used in commercial poultry slaughter worldwide yet its effectiveness and welfare implications may vary among breeds. Taiwanese red-feathered chickens differ from commercial broilers in growth rate and body composition, which may influence their response to electrical stunning. This study investigated the relationships between electrical stunning conditions, electroencephalographic (EEG) indicators of unconsciousness, behavioural reflexes, and carcass quality in Taiwanese red-feathered chickens. A total of 200 female chickens were subjected to direct-current water-bath stunning at 80, 100, 120, 140, or 160 V for 7 s. EEG activity and physical indicators of consciousness were assessed during the first 40 s after stunning, and carcass defects were evaluated post-mortem. Of the 200 birds initially evaluated, EEG data from 153 birds met predefined signal quality criteria and were included in the final analysis. EEG-defined unconsciousness was more frequent and lasted longer at higher voltages (140–160 V), although intermediate voltage levels (e.g., 120 V) did not follow a strictly linear trend. Corneal reflex and spontaneous eye blinking were strongly associated with EEG-based unconsciousness, supporting their use as practical on-site welfare indicators. At the lowest voltage (80 V), birds with higher abdominal fat percentages were more likely to be effectively stunned. In contrast, no statistically significant associations between abdominal fat percentage and stunning effectiveness were observed at 100–160 V. However, higher voltages were also associated with an increased prevalence and severity of carcass defects. These findings suggest that stunning conditions or commercial broilers may not ensure effective unconsciousness in Taiwanese red-feathered chickens. Corneal reflex and spontaneous eye blinking provide reliable, welfare-relevant indicators of unconsciousness under field conditions. Electrical settings must be carefully balanced to achieve effective stunning while minimising adverse welfare outcomes associated with excessive neuro-muscular responses. Full article

The poultry red mite (PRM) feeds on hens’ blood at night, disrupting sleep, harming welfare, and reducing productivity. Effective control may lie in dynamic Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which relies on routine monitoring and adaptation to farm conditions. This study investigated how PRM infestations affect the night-time activity of hens. Three groups of eight hens, housed in enriched cages, were monitored with night-vision cameras over a two-month period, both before and after artificial PRM introduction, while PRM levels were simultaneously recorded. To quantify changes in behaviour, we developed an activity-monitoring algorithm that extracts both group-level and individual night-time activity patterns from video recordings. Group activity between 18:00 and 03:00 was analyzed hourly, and individual activity between 21:00 and 00:00 was classified into four activity categories. Before infestation, group activity declined after 19:00, remained low from 20:00 to 01:00, and peaked just before the end of the dark period. After infestation, activity remained elevated with no anticipatory activity peak towards the end of the dark period. Individual data showed an increase in time spent in the most active activity category from 24% to 67% after infestation. The rise in calculated activity was supported by a nearly 23-fold increase in annotated PRM-related behaviours, specifically head shaking and head scratching. These findings suggest that PRM mostly disrupted sleep from two hours after lights-off to two hours before lights-on and may have acted as a chronic stressor. Automated video-based monitoring could strengthen dynamic IPM in commercial systems. Full article

Animal farming produces large volumes of underutilised by-products, such as poultry feathers (PF), often discarded in landfills or incinerated, causing environmental concerns. Transforming such residues into valuable energy carriers aligns with sustainable waste-to-energy (WtE) management. Pyrolysis represents a versatile thermochemical pathway for converting organic wastes into gaseous, liquid, and solid fuels. This study investigates slow pyrolysis of PF, lignite (LG), and their blends at pilot scale using a uniquely designed, patent-pending reactor bridging laboratory research with industrial practice. Experiments were conducted at 20 °C·min⁻¹, temperatures of 500–800 °C, and pressures from 0.1 to 1.0 MPa. PF pyrolysis produced mainly gas (70.1%), suitable for energy recovery, with smaller fractions of char (15.3%) and oil (14.6%). LG yielded predominantly char (59.9%), with lower gas (32.4%) and oil (7.7%) outputs. Co-pyrolysis revealed limited synergistic effects. Rising temperature promoted gas formation, reduced char, and improved its calorific value through carbon enrichment. Elevated pressure enhanced char yield and unexpectedly increased hydrogen content, suggesting complex thermochemical behaviour. The results confirm the scalability of laboratory findings and highlight pyrolysis as a practical WtE pathway for valorising protein-rich residues and low-rank coals, contributing to cleaner, more sustainable energy systems. Full article

About one third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted, leading to societal, economic and environmental challenges. This study identifies the most important food wastage (FW) leverage points and their interrelations with specific food chains. Semi-structured interviews were conducted across four different food chains (milk, poultry, potatoes and greenhouse-grown fruit and vegetables) from primary production to food service. The outcomes of the interviews were summarized via a systems approach and validated during co-creation sessions. A total of twenty-two FW leverage points were identified across the food chains, consisting of four major hotspots, six patterns of behaviours, six structures and six mental models. Common transformative leverage points across all food chains were damaged products, oversupply, regulations and standards that limit product use and a lack of prioritization of FW reduction. Additionally, this study found that co-creation sessions with stakeholders from across the food chains could facilitate the formation of coalitions of willing companies, encouraging collaborative efforts to reduce FW. Full article

Dermanyssus gallinae, Ornithonyssus sylviarum, and Ornithonyssus bursa are ectoparasitic bird mites that affect both avian hosts and humans, causing economic losses in poultry farming and dermatological issues in humans. Due to their small size and transient feeding behaviour, mite-induced dermatitis is often misdiagnosed. In this study, over 4900 cases of entomodermatoses, recorded at the Urania Research Centre and the Department of Veterinary Medicine of Perugia—Parasitology Section between 2010–2024, were analysed, selecting cases linked to bird mites. Data on lesion onset, timing, infestation location, environmental factors, lesion type, and symptoms were examined. Avian Dermanyssoidea mites were responsible for about 4% of dermatological cases, with D. gallinae and O. sylviarum being the most prevalent, while O. bursa was less frequent. Species identification was also based on the morphology of the chelicerae and palps, with cases peaking in spring and summer. These mites were widely distributed across Italy, and Ornithonyssus species caused more severe skin reactions than Dermanyssus. Infestations often involved both genera. This study provides the first large-scale analysis of bird mite infestations in Italy, offering new insights into their distribution, infestation dynamics, and clinical symptoms. The findings contribute to improving diagnostic accuracy, pest control strategies, and public health interventions. Full article

Despite concerns about animal welfare, and health and environmental issues associated with eating meat, meat consumption has continued to increase worldwide, including in Australia. One exception to this is Germany, with 2021 meat consumption levels being the lowest in the last 30 years. This pre-registered study investigated socio-cultural variables associated with meat consumption in Germany (n = 399) and Australia (n = 399) in a cross-sectional online survey. Participants reported levels of current and intended meat consumption, and they completed measures of speciesism, motivations to eat meat, empathy, animal farming perceptions, perceived behavioural control (PBC) over meat eating, and avoidance and dissociation regarding the animal origins of meat. In both Australia and Germany, enjoying the taste of meat positively predicted consumption and empathy towards farmed animals negatively predicted consumption. PBC was a strong positive predictor of intentions to reduce meat consumption in both countries. Empathy and liking the taste of meat were among the best predictors of red meat and poultry consumption, suggesting that interventions to reduce meat consumption may work best by targeting these factors while also increasing people’s sense of control over their food choices. Full article

This pre-registered study investigated beliefs about climate change, the impact of meat consumption on the environment, and willingness to reduce meat intake in a large community sample of Australian social media users (N = 740). It also conceptually replicates Lea and Worsley’s (2003) study on Australians’ perceptions of the benefits and barriers to a vegetarian diet. Although most participants indicated a belief in climate change, only half agreed that agriculture and animal husbandry are a leading cause of climate change. Participants believed reducing and eliminating meat intake to be some of the least effective actions against climate change, contributing to a low willingness to change meat intake. Compared with Leah and Worsley, a significantly greater proportion of participants agreed with most of the benefits (11 of 15) and barriers (12 of 14) to vegetarianism. Both perceived benefits and barriers to vegetarianism significantly predicted participant meat consumption (red meat, poultry, and seafood). Overall, results indicate an increase in the number of people who are aware that meat-eating has environmental impacts, although they believe its impact to be significantly less than other pro-environmental behaviours (e.g., using public transport, recycling things more, and using more energy from renewable sources). Full article

Ensuring the welfare of commercially kept animals is a legal and ethical responsibility. Sleep behaviour can be sensitive to environmental perturbations and may be useful in assessing welfare state. The objective of this study was to use behavioural and electrophysiological (EEG) measures to observe the effects of 24 h stressors followed by periods of no stressors on laying hen sleep behaviour, and to investigate the use of sleep behaviour as a means of welfare assessment in commercial poultry. Ten laying hens surgically implanted with EEG devices to record their brain activity over four batches were used. Hens were subjected to undisturbed, disturbed and recovery periods for 24 h. Disturbed periods consisted of either feed deprivation, increased ambient temperature (28 °C) or simulated footpad pain via injection of Freund’s adjuvant into the footpad. Sleep state was scored using behaviour data from infrared cameras and EEG data. Over all periods, hens engaged in both SWS (average 60%) and REM sleep (average 12%) during the lights-off period. Feed deprivation and footpad pain had little to no effect on sleep states, while increased ambient temperature significantly reduced REM sleep (to near elimination, p < 0.001) and SWS (p = 0.017). During the lights-on period, footpad pain increased the proportion of time spent resting (p = 0.008) and in SWS (p < 0.001), with feed deprivation or increased ambient temperature (p > 0.05) having no effect. Increasing ambient temperatures are likely to affect sleep and welfare in commercially-kept laying hens in the face of global climate change. Full article

The optimisation of poultry meat quality attributes at the industrial level requires getting to know the changing customer needs and expectations to justify further measures taken in the future to improve the production process. This article was aimed at the following: (1) to identify and assess consumer expectations and behaviour in relation to the quality criteria for poultry meat offered on the market in Poland, and (2) to identify the significance of the sensory characteristics of poultry meat, mainly variegated colours on its surface, as a criterion for creating the expected quality in a shop. The study results showed that the attributes which significantly lower the quality and commercial value of meat are the defects noticeable on the fillet surface, namely discolouration and hematomas, which are mainly caused during the poultry stunning. The absence of noticeable bruising or hematomas and a uniform colour on the fillet surface are the main attributes of high-quality poultry meat retail cuts, which are expected by consumers. A recommendation for poultry meat producers is that bruising and hematomas need to be eliminated and that the offer should be adjusted to Polish consumers’ expectations about the quality attributes of the meat offered on the market. The elimination of these meat defects will be possible, e.g., through the introduction of innovative technical solutions into the poultry stunning process, which will improve meat quality at its production stage. Full article

This study evaluated the nutritional effect of dried olive pulp (OP), on broilers’ thermal comfort, growth parameters and welfare in a commercial poultry farm during the hot season. A number of 108 Cobb male broilers, 19 d olds were allocated into three dietary groups: controls (CON), OP3 and OP6, based on the level of OP added to their diet (0%, 3% and 6%). The thermal comfort of broilers was assessed using the temperature–humidity index (THI). Broilers’ body temperature (BT) was determined weekly. OP beneficially affected the growth performance of broilers undergoing very severe heat stress, as indicated by the increased body weight gain (BWG) recorded in OP groups compared to CON during the first week of the experiment and the higher body weight (BW) of OP fed chickens at 26 d of age (p < 0.05). At 26 d of age, OP6 broilers had lower BT (40.55 ± 0.06 °C) than CON (40.78 ± 0.09 °C) (p < 0.05). A positive dietary effect of OP in welfare parameters like feather cleanliness and panting behaviour of chickens fed 6% OP was also recorded. Using OP as feedstuff is a promising feeding strategy for alleviating the adverse effects of heat stress; it also offers the potential to recycle olive by-products, leading to an efficient waste-based circular economy. Full article

Machine learning approaches are alternative modelling techniques to traditional modelling equations used in predictive food microbiology and utilise algorithms to analyse large datasets that contain information about microbial growth or survival in various food matrices. These approaches leverage the power of algorithms to extract insights from the data and make predictions regarding the behaviour of microorganisms in different food environments. The objective of this study was to apply various machine learning-based regression methods, including support vector regression (SVR), Gaussian process regression (GPR), decision tree regression (DTR), and random forest regression (RFR), to estimate bacterial populations. In order to achieve this, a total of 5618 data points for Pseudomonas spp. present in food products (beef, pork, and poultry) and culture media were gathered from the ComBase database. The machine learning algorithms were applied to predict the growth or survival behaviour of Pseudomonas spp. in food products and culture media by considering predictor variables such as temperature, salt concentration, water activity, and acidity. The suitability of the algorithms was assessed using statistical measures such as coefficient of determination (R²), root mean square error (RMSE), bias factor (Bf), and accuracy (A_f). Each of the regression algorithms showed appropriate estimation capabilities with R² ranging from 0.886 to 0.913, RMSE from 0.724 to 0.899, B_f from 1.012 to 1.020, and A_f from 1.086 to 1.101 for each food product and culture medium. Since the predictive capability of RFR was the best among the algorithms, externally collected data from the literature were used for RFR. The external validation process showed statistical indices of B_f ranging from 0.951 to 1.040 and A_f ranging from 1.091 to 1.130, indicating that RFR can be used for predicting the survival and growth of microorganisms in food products. Therefore, machine learning approaches can be considered as an alternative to conventional modelling methods in predictive microbiology. However, it is important to highlight that the prediction power of the machine learning regression method directly depends on the dataset size, and it requires a large dataset to be employed for modelling. Therefore, the modelling work of this study can only be used for the prediction of Pseudomonas spp. in specific food products (beef, pork, and poultry) and culture medium with certain conditions where a large dataset is available. Full article

Research background and Objectives: Age is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), but CVD risk factors are preventable, and lack of awareness of its risk factors is a contributing factor to CVDs. Middle-aged people may be more likely to engage in unhealthy lifestyle behaviours which can increase the risk of CVD. Health self-assessment is crucial for early detection and management of health issues and early lifestyle intervention for better personalised health management. This study aims to determine the self-assessment of INTERHEART risk classification among the middle-aged community in Malaysia. Method: Local community members aged 40–60 years and who are currently residing in Malaysia were recruited via non-randomised sampling. Sociodemographic characteristics and dietary pattern related to salt, fibre, fat (deep fried/snacks), poultry/meat intakes, and other cardiovascular risk factors (waist-hip ratio, medical history related to diabetes/hypertension, history/exposure of tobacco use, psychosocial status, and level of physical activity) were assessed; INTERHEART risk scores were then computed and stratified into low, medium and high risks. Results: Approximately 45% (n = 273/602) of middle-aged respondents in Malaysia are at moderate-to-high risk of cardiovascular events, with men being more likely to develop CVD compared to women. The results of the survey indicated that poultry/meat intake (61%), physical inactivity (59%), and second-hand smoke (SHS) exposure (54%) are the most prevalent risk factors among the respondents. One-third of the respondents consumed excessive salty food and deep fried foods/snacks/fast food, and only one-third of them consumed vegetables/fruits at a recommended level. It is worrying that about a quarter of the respondents felt several periodical/permanent stresses and even felt sad/blue/depressed for two weeks or more in a row. Males, labour workers, and those with lower educational levels are more likely to develop CVD events. Conclusions: This study found that 45% of the middle-aged respondents were having moderate-to-high risk for cardiovascular events with multiple risk factors related to unhealthy lifestyle habits and environmental factors. In addition to non-modifiable factors such as gender and age, sociodemographic factors, i.e., educational level and occupation, are equally important factors to determine CVD risk. Overall, the findings of this study emphasize the clinical relevance of assessing multiple factors in the determination of CVD risks for early prevention and management of cardiovascular diseases. Full article

The application of manure-based fertilisers (MBFs) is considered an important practice for achieving agricultural sustainability. However, the potential losses of nutrients to the environment need to be thoroughly evaluated. This study aimed to assess nutrients’ potential leachability from a sandy soil, fertilised with MBFs produced by mixing manure from one single animal species with N- or P-mineral fertilisers, to achieve target N:P ratios (1:1, 2:1 and 0.5:1). MBFs were prepared by combining pig slurry, cattle slurry or poultry manure with N- and P-mineral fertilisers, or slurry-derived materials, obtained by solid–liquid separation. A leaching experiment was set-up in soil columns treated with MBFs, for 59 days, with seven leaching events. Poultry manure application to soil led to higher potential N leaching, while pig slurry induced higher P leaching. All 2:1 MBFs decreased P leaching, relative to the original manure, with the higher reduction (52%) being observed for pig slurry with urea. The addition of urea to poultry manure also diminished its potential for N leaching. The behaviour of P-enriched materials, pig slurry solid fraction and both 0.5:1 MBFs obtained with phosphoric acid addition showed a higher risk of P leaching, while the use of superphosphate as a P-mineral source decreased the risk of P leaching. Concluding, it is possible to use specific MBFs, enriched with N and P from mineral sources, and have lower N and P leaching potential, reducing the risks associated with manure soil application, while increasing their interest as alternative fertilisers. Full article

The rapid growth of the Malaysian poultry and palm oil industries has led biomass waste generation in abundance specifically chicken manure and empty fruit bunch (EFB). Anaerobic digestion (AD) is a circular economy-based approach which converts chicken manure and EFB into biogas which can be utilized for heating and power generation. Operating temperature is an imperative consideration for AD hence the objective of the study is to evaluate the effect of different temperature profiles namely, psychrophilic (20 °C), mesophilic (35 °C) and thermophilic (50 °C) on AD of chicken manure and EFB. The kinetic parameters are also evaluated using five kinetic models to enable readers to comprehend the kinetic behaviours of the systems. The volume and composition of biogas is measured every five days for a 50-day retention time. The findings observed that mesophilic condition is the most favourable with cumulative methane, CH₄ composition of up to 17.07%, almost two folds that of thermophilic (9.12%) and five folds that of psychrophilic (3.49%). The CH₄ generation rate, R_b based on the modified Gompertz model which is deemed the best fit further supports these findings as the R_b under mesophilic condition is significantly higher (0.330 mL/g_vs day) compared to psychrophilic (0.088 mL/g_vs day) and thermophilic (0.120 mL/g_vs day) conditions. Full article