Search Results (258)

Although particulate matter (PM) is strongly associated with allergic reactions, the potential risk of the ability of PM derived from poultry houses to induce allergic reactions remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of duck housing PM on allergic reactions in mice. PM samples and fungi were collected from a duck farm. Ovalbumin (OVA) was used as a positive control, with ambient-level concentrations of PM, high-concentration PM (HPM), and fungal experimental groups. Aerosol exposure was performed on the mice. Serum IgE, allergic mediators (histamines and leukotrienes), cytokines, and pulmonary histopathology were analyzed. Furthermore, HPM-induced metabolic profiles in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid were measured. The results revealed that all the treatment groups of mice presented allergic symptoms, including sneezing and coughing; higher concentrations of IgE, His, and LTs in the serum; upregulation of allergic reaction-related cytokines, such as IL4, IL5, and IL33; and microscopic lesions of the lungs characterized by inflammatory cell infiltration were observed in all the treatment groups, indicating that PM and fungi can cause allergic reactions. Notably, allergic reactions were more pronounced in the HPM and fungal groups than in the PM group. In addition, metabolomics analyses revealed that HPM exposure caused metabolic disorders in mouse lungs. The key pathway with the highest correlation to metabolite differences was pyrimidine metabolism, which is associated with allergic reactions. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that exposure to PM in duck houses can cause allergic reactions in mice and significant metabolomic changes in the lungs, especially HPM. Moreover, the contribution of fungal components in the PM cannot be ignored. These findings highlight the potential health risks associated with PM from the poultry industry. Full article

Fungal bioaerosols play a critical ecological and health role in intensive poultry production systems. However, their dynamic characteristics and community succession patterns in confined cage environments during winter remain poorly understood. This study investigated a typical confined broiler house in Hebei Province, China, during winter. A combined approach of Andersen six-stage sampling, colony counting, and Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) high-throughput sequencing was employed to comprehensively analyze the concentration, particle size distribution, diversity, and community composition of fungal bioaerosols across three key growth stages: 7 days (brooding phase), 21 days (growing phase), and 35 days (finishing phase). The results revealed a significant increasing trend in fungal aerosol concentration as the rearing cycle progressed, increasing from 1125 ± 125 CFU/m³ at day 7 to 3872 ± 565 CFU/m³ at day 35 (p < 0.001), reaching high-risk exposure levels in the later stages. Small-sized fungal bioaerosols (<4.7 μm) were dominant across all stages (54.35–65.50%), with the highest proportion observed at day 21, indicating their potential for deep respiratory deposition and long-distance airborne transmission. The number of Operational Taxonomic Units (OTUs), along with Chao1 and Shannon indices, increased significantly with bird age (p < 0.001), demonstrating a clear community succession from early-stage yeast-dominated forms (e.g., Diutina, Blumeria) to mid- and late-stage assemblages dominated by filamentous fungi (e.g., Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Alternaria). Notably, several zoonotic pathogenic genera were detected throughout all rearing stages, highlighting the potential risks of airborne fungi to animal health, occupational exposure, and environmental safety under winter ventilation restrictions. This study characterizes a stage-dependent pattern of increasing airborne fungal concentrations accompanied by shifts in particle size distribution and community composition under winter confined conditions. The findings provide a crucial scientific basis for optimizing winter ventilation and environmental management strategies, improving environmental control technologies, establishing airborne biosafety standards, and developing targeted fungal monitoring and prevention technologies. Full article

Cough sounds are a key acoustic indicator for detecting respiratory diseases in laying hens, which have become increasingly prevalent with the intensification of poultry housing systems. As an important early signal, cough sounds play a vital role in disease prevention and precision health management through timely recognition and spatial localization. In this study, an improved BiLSTM–TDOA method was proposed for the accurate recognition and localization of laying hen cough sounds. Nighttime audio data were collected and preprocessed to extract 81 acoustic features, including formant parameters, MFCC, LPCC, and their first and second derivatives. These features were then input into a BiLSTM-Attention model, which achieved a precision of 97.50%, a recall of 90.70%, and an F1-score of 0.9398. An improved TDOA algorithm was then applied for three-dimensional sound source localization, which resulted in mean absolute errors of 0.1453 m, 0.1952 m, and 0.1975 m along the X, Y, and Z axes across 31 positions. The results demonstrated that the proposed method enabled accurate recognition and 3D localization of abnormal vocalizations in laying hens, which will provide a novel approach for early detection, precise control, and intelligent health monitoring of respiratory diseases in poultry houses. Full article

Bioaerosols are a major source of airborne microbial contamination in intensive poultry production systems. Their concentration and community structure can profoundly influence animal health, public health, and the overall safety of the farming environment. However, the dynamic characteristics of bacterial aerosols in enclosed poultry houses during winter remain insufficiently studied. Using Taihang chickens as a model, this study investigated three key production stages—brooding (15 days), growing (60 days), and laying (150 days)—under winter cage-rearing conditions. A six-stage Andersen sampler was employed alongside culture-dependent enumeration and 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing to analyze variations in bacterial aerosol concentration, particle size distribution, and community succession patterns. The results revealed a significant increase in the concentration of culturable airborne bacteria with bird age, rising from 8.98 × 10³ colony-forming unit (CFU)/m³ to 2.89 × 10⁴ CFU/m³ (p < 0.001). The particle size distribution progressively shifted from larger, settleable particles (≥4.7 μm) toward smaller, respirable particles (<4.7 μm). Microbial sequencing indicated a continuous increase in bacterial alpha diversity across the three stages (Chao1 and Shannon indices, p < 0.05), while beta diversity exhibited stage-specific clustering, reflecting clear differences in community assembly. The composition of dominant bacterial genera transitioned from potentially pathogenic taxa such as Acinetobacter and Corynebacterium during the brooding stage to a greater abundance of beneficial genera, including Bacteroides, Lactobacillus, and Ruminococcus, in later stages. This shift suggests a potential ecological link between aerosolized bacterial communities and host development, possibly related to the aerosolization of gut microbiota. Notably, several zoonotic bacterial species were detected in the poultry house air, indicating potential public health and occupational exposure risks under winter confinement conditions. This study is the first to elucidate the ecological succession patterns of airborne bacterial aerosols in Taihang chicken houses across different growth stages during winter. The findings provide a scientific basis for optimizing winter ventilation strategies, implementing stage-specific environmental controls, and reducing pathogen transmission and occupational hazards. Full article

Fungal aerosols are critical yet understudied bioaerosol components in enclosed poultry environments, particularly during winter when ventilation is restricted. This study investigated stage-specific variations in fungal aerosol concentration, size distribution, and community composition in Taihang chicken houses across three growth stages (15, 60, and 150 days). Culturable fungal concentrations significantly increased from 3.16 × 10³ CFU/m³ to 1.24 × 10⁴ CFU/m³ with bird age (p < 0.001, ANOVA). Respirable particles (<4.7 μm) consistently dominated the fungal size distribution. ITS sequencing revealed progressive increases in fungal richness and distinct community shifts among stages. Several fungi with zoonotic potential, including Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Cryptococcus, and Fusarium, were detected across all stages. These findings demonstrate that wintertime enclosed ventilation, while thermally beneficial, promotes the accumulation of respirable fungal aerosols and elevates occupational and environmental health risks. From a One Health perspective, stage-specific mitigation strategies—such as ventilation optimization, reduction in organic dust sources, and routine monitoring of respirable fungal fractions—are essential for reducing exposure risks in cold-season poultry production. Full article

Salmonella is a significant public health concern in Nigeria causing foodborne illnesses. Genetic diversity and prevalence of Salmonella is poorly understood in Nigeria. This study assessed the occurrence of Salmonella in various poultry houses in Nigeria and explored the evolutionary relationships among the isolates by analysis on invA gene. A total number of 314 samples (feces, feed, dust, waters, and palm swab) were collected from 49 farms in Abeokuta (18), Ibadan (20) and Oshogbo (11). Salmonella was detected with a prevalence of 2.75% in Ogun, 6.0% in Osun and 5.71%, in Oyo States, respectively. The overall prevalence of Salmonella in poultry farms sampled was 15/314 (4.78%). Sequence analysis revealed two sequences 01 and 02 to have 99.59% and 89.04 homologies with sequence of Paratyphi serovar (LC320032) and Enteritidis serovar (LC318423) in GenBank, respectively. Sequence 01 clustered with S. serovar Enteritidis from the USA, whereas Sequence 02 formed a distinct clade near S. serovar Typhimurium from Egypt. These findings underscore the public health significance of S. enterica in Nigeria, particularly in relation to food animals. The study highlights the need for improved farm management practices, stringent food safety regulations, and robust surveillance systems to mitigate the risk of Salmonella outbreaks. Full article

This study examined the effects of Ag-NPs and AgNO₃ on silver accumulation in the blood, feathers, eggshells, and egg contents of Japanese quails, as well as their potential to cause DNA damage. A total of 480 (fourteen-day-old) quails were divided into five groups of 96 birds each, arranged into six replicates of sixteen birds with a sex ratio of four males to twelve females. Birds were housed in cages measuring 120 × 60 × 50 cm, and the trial lasted for 65 days. At the end of the trial, six birds per replicate (36 birds per group) were randomly selected and slaughtered for sample collection. Blood was collected via wing vein puncture, feathers were plucked from the breast region, and eggs were collected daily for analysis of eggshell and internal contents. The first group served as a control and was fed a basal diet, while the second and third groups received Ag-NPs at doses of 10 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg, respectively. The fourth and fifth groups were given AgNO₃ at the same concentrations. The results showed that the highest silver accumulation occurred in all tissues in quails fed the higher dose of Ag-NPs. The greatest accumulation was observed in the eggshells, likely due to their porous structure, which facilitates metal deposition. Both Ag-NPs (20 mg/kg) and AgNO₃ (10 and 20 mg/kg) induced DNA damage, although the damage was more severe in the groups exposed to Ag-NO₃. A positive correlation was observed between treatment groups and comet assay parameters, indicating increased DNA fragmentation in exposed birds. In conclusion, the study demonstrated that although Ag-NPs resulted in higher silver accumulation, they caused less DNA damage compared to silver nitrate. These findings highlight that nanoparticulate silver may present a less genotoxic alternative to ionic silver forms for use in poultry systems. Future studies should focus on long-term exposure effects, molecular pathways of oxidative stress and DNA repair, and the safe threshold levels of Ag-NPs to optimize their use in animal nutrition. Full article

We analyze how to perform accurate time series forecasting for monitoring poultry health in a complex pen environment. To this end, we make use of a novel dataset consisting of a collection of real-world sensor data in the housing of turkeys. The dataset comprises features such as food intake, water intake, and various environmental values, which come with high variance, sensor defects, and unreliable timestamps. In this paper, we investigate different state-of-the-art forecasting algorithms to predict different features, as well as a variety of deep learning models such as different transformer models and time series foundational models. We evaluate both their forecasting accuracy as well as the efforts required to run the models in the first place. Our findings show that some of these aforementioned algorithms are able to produce satisfactory forecasting results on this highly challenging dataset while still remaining easy to use, which is key in a tech-distant industry such as poultry farming. Full article

There is an energy deficiency during the later stage of embryonic development, as the metabolic demands show an “explosive increase”. Vegetable oils are already used for in ovo feeding in poultry to provide energy for the embryos. What would be the effectiveness of animal oils used as alternative energy sources for the chicken embryo? To find out more, BSF larvae oil was used for in ovo feeding of the chicken embryo in this study. A total of 2300 Arbor Acres chicken eggs were used for incubation. On the tenth day of incubation, 2268 eggs were selected after candling and then divided into three groups for in ovo feeding in the yolk sac on the 11th, 14th, and 17th days of incubation. Each group was divided into seven lots, such as CON−, CON+, L0.1, L0.2, L0.3, L0.4, and L0.5. The CON− and CON+ were not injected. L0.1, L0.2, L0.3, L0.4, and L0.5 were pierced and then received the injection of 0.1 mL, 0.2 mL, 0.3 mL, 0.4 mL, and 0.5 mL of BSF maggot oil per egg, respectively. After hatching, 48 chicks from each lot of each group were housed in cages and then fed the same diet for six weeks. A better hatch rate and growth performance were observed for lots L0.1 and L0.2 compared to the other lots on the 14th and 17th days of incubation (p < 0.05). The injected lots showed reduced levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol (p < 0.05). The injection of 0.1 mL BSF maggot oil on the 17th day of incubation had 0% embryonic mortality and 100% hatching success. In conclusion, BSF larvae oil can be used as an energy source for in ovo injection, with a dose of 0.1 mL on the 17th day of incubation being most effective and recommended. 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

Airborne bacterial aerosols are a significant yet understudied component of intensive poultry farming, particularly in cold climates. This study characterized the concentration, size distribution, and community composition of airborne bacteria in closed-cage broiler houses during winter in Hebei Province, China. Air sampling was conducted at three growth stages (7, 21, and 35 days) and analyzed using culture-based methods and 16S rRNA sequencing. Culturable bacterial concentrations increased significantly with broiler age, from 1.1 × 10³ to 1.6 × 10⁴ CFU/m³. The particle size distribution shifted from a predominance of large particles (≥4.7 µm) at day 7 to a dominance of small, inhalable particles (<4.7 µm) thereafter. Sequencing revealed increasing bacterial richness and diversity with age, alongside significant community structural shifts. Predominant genera included Stenotrophomonas, Lactobacillus, and Ruminococcus. Notably, potential zoonotic pathogens (Shigella and Acinetobacter) were detected in later stages. This study provides critical insights into winter bioaerosol dynamics, highlighting implications for animal welfare, occupational health, and public health. Full article

Environmental enrichment, such as lighting, has affected the behaviors, welfare, and production of commercial broiler chickens. However, most studies have focused on constant light intensities to determine their effect on welfare and performance. Research indicates that the significant contrast of light intensities in broiler houses promotes pronounced daily patterns of behavior and activity, impacting broiler chicken health. Birds exhibited preference behaviors in bright-intensity light during active behaviors, such as eating and drinking, but in darker areas when resting. Light intensity preferences may be associated with the voluntary instinctive movement of birds by providing choices for birds. Increasing broiler chickens’ movement may boost welfare, especially leg health, which is a leading cause of culling and late mortality in commercial production. In this review, we discuss the progress and results of practical environmental enrichments, enrichment lighting, and huts in commercial broiler houses. We briefly address interpretations of improved welfare and performance and suggest directions for future research that may interest poultry scientists. Full article

Small-scale poultry farms often lack access to advanced monitoring tools and rely heavily on manual observation, which is time-consuming, inconsistent, and insufficient for precise flock management. Feeding and drinking behaviors are critical, as they serve as early indicators of health and environmental issues. With global poultry production expanding, raising over 70 billion hens annually, there is an urgent need for intelligent, low-cost systems that can continuously and accurately monitor bird behavior in resource-limited farm settings. This paper presents the development of a computer vision-based chicken behavior monitoring system, specifically designed for small barn environments where at most 10–15 chickens are housed at any time. The developed system consists of an object detection model, created on top of the YOLOv8 model, trained with an imagery dataset of laying hen, feeder, and waterer objects. Although chickens are visually indistinguishable, the system processes each detection per frame using bounding boxes and movement-based approximation identification rather than continuous identity tracking. The approach simplifies the tracking process without losing valuable behavior insights. Over 700 frames were annotated manually for high-quality labeled data, with different lighting, hen positions, and interaction angles with dispensers. The images were annotated in YOLO format and used for training the detection model for 100 epochs, resulting in a model having an average mean average precision (mAP@0.5) metric value of 91.5% and a detection accuracy of over 92%. The proposed system offers an efficient, low-cost solution for monitoring chicken feeding and drinking behaviors in small-scale farms, supporting improved management and early health detection. Full article

Plesiomonas shigelloides, a Gram-negative bacterium prevalent in aquatic environments and also frequently isolated from livestock and poultry, was investigated through integrated whole-genome sequencing and functional analyses. We deciphered the pathogenic mechanisms of P. shigelloides CA-HZ1, a highly virulent strain isolated from a novel piscine host, revealing a complete genome assembly with a 3.49 Mb circular chromosome and 311 kb plasmid housing 3247 predicted protein-encoding genes. Critical genomic features included 496 virulence factors and 225 antibiotic resistance genes. Pathogenicity analysis indicated that P. shigelloides was responsible for disease outbreaks. Antimicrobial susceptibility tests showed resistance to various drugs, such as kanamycin, erythromycin, and penicillin. Histopathological examination showed significant alterations in the infected hosts. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was carried out to analyze immune-related gene (IL-6, IL-1β, IL-21, STAT1, and HSP70) levels in liver and intestinal tissues, demonstrating the potent immunity triggered by P. shigelloides infection. An analysis of the liver transcriptome revealed that P. shigelloides has the potential to influence the cellular composition, molecular functions, and biological processes. Collectively, this study describes the genomic basis underlying both the pathogenic potential and hypervirulence of P. shigelloides CA-HZ1, establishing a foundational framework for investigating its broad host tropism and immune response. Full article

Peanuts and poultry production predominate within the southeast US. Hence, the objective of this study was to determine the dietary effects of unblanched (skin-intact) high-oleic peanuts (HOPNs) and peanut skins (PN skins) on layer performance, egg quality, and fatty acid profile. To meet these objectives, 200 hens were randomly assigned to four treatments, housed in floor pens, and fed ad libitum for 8 weeks a control, HOPN (24%), PN Skin (3%), or 2.5% oleic acid (OA) diet. All empirical data was statistically analyzed for variance at the p < 0.05 level. Hens fed the HOPN and PN Skin diets had heavier body weights relative to the controls at week 8 (p < 0.05). Layers fed the HOPN treatment had poor FCR and smaller egg weights with lower levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids relative to the controls (p < 0.05). Hens fed the PN Skin treatment had similar performance parameters, egg quality, and egg chemistry relative to the controls over the 8-week study. These results imply that PN skins may be an acceptable poultry feed additive without adverse effects on performance, egg quality, or egg lipid chemistry. Also, these results demonstrate the potential value-added utilization of PN skins, a waste by-product of the peanut industry, as a layer feed ingredient. Full article