Contents

Series list

Introduction

Part 1 Health

Part 2 Welfare

Part 1 Animal health

Chapter 1 Monitoring trends in diseases of poultry

1 Introduction

2 Diagnostic laboratories

3 Diagnostic assays

4 Diagnostic sampling and submission

5 Epidemiology

6 Discussion and conclusions

7 Where to look for further information

8 References

Chapter 2 Gut health and susceptibility to enteric bacterial diseases in poultry

1 Introduction

2 Specific bacterial gut pathogens in poultry

3 Symbiosis between prokaryotes and the host in the gut

4 Impact of bacterial pathogens on host biology

5 Dysbiosis and disease in poultry

6 Inflammation and effects on anaerobiosis in poultry

7 Positive and negative effects of mucins

8 Gut infections and dietary disruption

9 Airborne infection by enteric bacteria among poultry

10 Future trends and conclusion

11 References

Chapter 3 Viruses affecting poultry

1 Introduction

2 Newcastle disease (ND)

3 Infectious bronchitis (IB)

4 Infectious bursal disease (IBD)

5 Marek’s disease (MD)

6 Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT)

7 Avian influenza (AI)

8 Summary

9 Where to look for further information

10 References

Chapter 4 Parasites affecting poultry

1 Introduction

2 Coccidiosis

3 Non-Eimerian Coccidia

4 Flagellates

5 Blackhead disease (histomonosis, histomoniasis)

6 Cochlosoma anatis

7 Spironucleus meleagridis (formerly Hexamita meleagridis)

8 Tetratrichomonas gallinae (formerly Trichomonas gallinae)

9 Blood-borne protozoan parasites

10 Roundworms (Nematoda)

11 Tapeworms (Cestoda)

12 Trematodes (flukes) in poultry

13 Ectoparasites and arthropod pests

14 Conclusion and future trends

15 Where to look for further information

16 References

Chapter 5 Disease management in poultry flocks

1 Introduction

2 Disease investigation techniques

3 Preventative measures

4 Monitoring of poultry health and performance

5 Management of sick birds

6 Emergency disease occurrence

7 Future trends and conclusion

8 Where to look for further information

9 References

Chapter 6 Understanding and boosting poultry immune systems

1 Introduction

2 Overview of the avian defence system

3 Coccidiosis

4 Probiotics and poultry

5 Conclusion and future trends

6 Where to look for further information

7 References

Chapter 7 Competitive exclusion (CE) treatment to control pathogens in poultry

1 Introduction

2 The CE principle

3 Development of treatment materials: undefined CE cultures

4 Development of treatment materials: defined CE cultures

5 Evaluation and administration of CE treatment materials

6 Pathogen and host specificity of CE treatment

7 Factors affecting the efficacy of CE treatment

8 Field experience of CE

9 Strategies for use, safety and licensing

10 Conclusions

11 Where to look for further information 

12 References

Chapter 8 Leg disorders in poultry: bacterial chondronecrosis with osteomyelitis (BCO)

1 Introduction

2 The pathogenesis of BCO

3 Understanding and treating BCO: the role of experimental models

4 Sources and routes of bacterial colonization

5 The role of probiotics

6 Summary and conclusions

7 Where to look for further information

8 References

Part 2 Animal welfare

Chapter 9 Understanding poultry behaviour

1 Introduction

2 Key methodological challenges: defining experimental unit, sample size and behaviour of interest

3 Key methodological challenges: selecting the most appropriate metric and sampling strategy

4 Case study: provision and design of perches 

5 Summary: notes on the contributions of applied ethology to enhanced and sustainable production

6 Future trends in research

7 Where to look for further information

8 References

Chapter 10 Ensuring the welfare of broilers: an overview

1 Introduction

2 Genetic selection

3 Stocking density

4 Case study: hatching environment and early feeding

5 Case study: alternative and free range systems

6 Summary: how research can contribute to enhanced and sustainable broiler production

7 Future trends in research

8 Where to look for further information

9 References

Chapter 11 Broiler breeding flocks: management and animal welfare

1 Introduction

2 Housing conditions and management in the rearing period

3 Housing conditions and management in the production period

4 Welfare issues: restricted feeding and water restriction

5 Welfare issues: excisions, mating behaviour and quality of feather cover

6 Environmental enrichment

7 Vaccinations

8 Transgenerational effects

9 Concluding remarks

10 Where to look for further information

11 References

Chapter 12 The effect of incubation temperature on embryonic development in poultry

1 Introduction

2 Establishing a temperature recommendation

3 Pre-incubation holding

4 Early incubation temperature outcomes

5 Late embryonic temperature outcomes

6 Immunology of poultry

7 Thermal manipulations and heat stress post-hatch

8 Future trends and conclusion

9 Where to look for further information

10 References

Chapter 13 The contribution of environmental enrichment to sustainable poultry production

1 Introduction

2 Structural complexity: an introduction

3 Structural complexity: cover panels

4 Structural complexity: perches, barriers and ramps

5 Other benefits of structural complexity

6 Visual enrichment through lighting

7 Foraging enrichments

8 Comfort behaviour enrichments

9 Enrichment and use of outdoor areas

10 Discussion

11 Conclusions 

12 References

Chapter 14 Hot weather management of poultry

1 Introduction

2 Sources of heat and heat loss mechanisms

3 Poultry house ventilation systems

4 Factors affecting hot weather management

5 Conclusions

6 Where to look for further information

7 References

Chapter 15 Transportation and the welfare of poultry

1 Introduction

2 Impacts on poultry welfare before and during transport

3 Containers and trailers used for poultry transport

4 Other factors influencing poultry welfare during transport

5 Lairage

6 Transporting chicks and EOL hens

7 Conclusions

8 Where to look for further information

9 References

Chapter 16 Developments in humane slaughtering techniques for poultry

1 Introduction

2 The physiological basis of stunning

3 Electrical stunning methods

4 Gas stunning systems

5 Other systems: maceration, manual neck dislocation, concussive stunning and low atmosphere pressure systems

6 Future trends

7 Where to look for further information

8 References

Index