An artificial neural network model for the effects of chicken manure on ground water

In the areas where broiler industry is located, poultry manure from chicken farms could be a major source of ground water pollution, and this may have extensive effects particularly when the farms use nearby ground water as their fresh water supply. Therefore the prediction the extent of this pollution, either from rigorous mathematical diffusion modeling or from the perspective of experimental data evaluation bears importance. In this work, we have investigated modeling of the effects of chicken manure on ground water by artificial neural networks. An ANN model was developed to predict the total coliform in the ground water well in poultry farms. The back-propagation algorithm was employed for training and testing the network, and the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm was utilized for optimization. The MATLAB 7.0 environment with Neural Network Toolbox was used for coding. Given the associated input parameters such as the number of chickens, type of manure pool management and depth of well, the model estimates the possible amount of total coliform in the wells to a satisfactory degree. Therefore it is expected to be of help in future for estimating the ground water pollution resulting from chicken farms.     

A phosphorus budget of a poultry farm and a dairy farm in the southeastern U.S., and the potential impacts of diet alterations

Current and potential environmental problems associated with P transport from lands receiving high application rates of animal waste are a major concern. Phosphorus management strategies are needed to reduce P loading on land. This study was conducted to compare on-farm P budgets for a modern broiler farm and a dairy farm under traditional diets and management practices. Phosphorus inputs, recycling and outputs were assessed for both farms. A typical broiler and a dairy farmer from North Carolina were interviewed and pertinent information for the study was obtained, in cooperation with extension agents, and other professionals associated with the farms. The annual on-farm P surplus for the broiler farm was 6,380 kg, while that for the dairy farm was 1,141 kg. This corresponds to an annual application of 65 kg P ha^–1 for the broiler farm and 20 kg P ha^–1 for the dairy farm in excess of removal. The potential for reducing P surpluses by the addition of phytase enzymes and/or the use of low phytic acid corn (Zea mays L.) feed in the broiler farm diet was also assessed. Estimates by animal nutritionists indicate that feed supplementation with phytase enzyme can reduce the broiler farm's P surplus by 33%. The use of low phytic acid corn can reduce the surplus by 49% and a combination of the two can reduce the surplus by 58%. In this study, the incorporation of soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) and alfalfa (Medicago sativa) land into the waste utilization plan of the dairy farm decreases the annual P surplus from 20 to 9 kg P ha^–1. The use of new feed technology and expanding waste application to a larger land base can significantly alter the P budgets of broiler and dairy farms and reduce P surpluses, minimizing the risk of environmental problems.     

胶体金免疫层析法快速诊断禽流感

建立了一种简便、快速、准确检测动物禽流感病毒(AIV)的胶体金免疫层析法(GICA).具体内容包括制备胶体金标记抗AIV单克隆抗体和羊抗AIV抗体,结合垫和样品垫的处理,组装免疫层析试纸条.检测动物AIV,进行敏感性和特异性评定.结果表明:测试条灵敏度可达10 ng/ml.与进口禽流感胶体金免疫层析试剂条比较,符合率达100%.本方法具有特异性强、灵敏度高、简便快速的特点,可用于禽流感的早期诊断.     

Co-digestion of poultry manure and residues from enzymatic saccharification and dewatering of sugar beet pulp

This study investigates the co-digestion of poultry manure (PM) with sugar beet pulp residues (SBPR) obtained from saccharification and dewatering of sugar beet pulp. The laboratory-scale experiments were conducted under batch and semi-continuous conditions at mesophilic temperatures (35 °C). Batch tests gave specific biogas and methane yields of 590 dm³/kgVS_fed and 423 dm³CH₄/kgVS_fed, respectively for SBPR, whereas the corresponding values for PM were 434 dm³/kgVS_fed and 300 dm³CH₄/kgVS_fed. The co-digestion of PM with SBPR was found to increase biogas and methane yields compared to the manure alone. In semi-continuous reactor experiments, the highest methane yield of 346 dm³ CH₄/kgVS_fed was achieved for the mixture containing poultry manure with 50% SBPR (weight basis) and a solids retention time (SRT) of 20 days. However, when poultry manure was digested as a sole feedstock, the biogas production was inhibited by ammonia, whereas the co-digestion of PM with 25% SBPR was slightly affected by volatile fatty acids, which concentrations exceeded 4000 g/m³.     

Application of multivariate statistical analysis to quality control systems. Relevance of the stages in poultry meat production

The poultry meat production includes several stages. In this study, the whole process has been evaluated in order to determine the stages or processes which must be specially taken into account in the control system, and which other could be out of the routine controls. The study has been carried out in reverse by studying the relevance of every stages starting from the end of the process towards the initial point.A sequence of operations and consecutive statistical analyses has been performed to finally state the stages and/or operations that must be controlled.Based on the result of statistical studies, the plucking, gutting, washing and classifying stages should be considered Process Control Points. Air chilling and packaging stages are not considered checkpoints in the process verification system, although they should be included within the Good Hygiene Practices, since factors such as temperature, time, cleaning, disinfection or appropriate conditions of handling should be monitored.     

Making things clear: Science-based reasons that chickens are not fed growth hormones

BackgroundGlobal public concerns about “industrial agriculture” have widely disseminated amongst consumers the myth that chickens are fed growth hormones to produce meat more efficiently. This misleading information regarding the use of hormones in chickens is now a growing health concern among consumer groups.Scope and ApproachWorldwide, the poultry industry relies on science and technology to define new strategies to improve the health, welfare and performance of animals in production. In this report, we performed a detailed analysis of the poultry science literature and provide the scientific bases explaining why chickens are not feed hormones.Key Findings and ConclusionsThe use of growth hormones in poultry meat production does not occur because: i) they are too expensive to be used in chickens, ii) they do not promote growth in poultry and iii) their use is illegal in many countries. Therefore, health providers, policy makers, food professionals, consumer advocates, food producers and veterinarians can use this information to educate consumers and eliminate negative concerns related to hormone use in the poultry industry.     

Specificity of a novel TaqMan PCR method for detection of poultry DNA

After the Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) crisis emerged in 1985/1986, all processed animal proteins (PAPs) were finally banned for use in animal feed in the European Union. To partially lift this feed ban, paths for re-introduction of PAPs from species other than ruminants e.g. pig and poultry, are described in the Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathies (TSE) Roadmap 2. Cannibalism, however, is still not allowed. Specific detection methods for pig and poultry meal and PAPs are prerequisites for reintroduction of pig and poultry processed animal proteins into animal feed. Developing a sensitive PCR method that specifically detects the taxonomically diverse and therefore artificial group ‘poultry’ and that does not detect other birds at the same time is a challenge. Here, a novel TaqMan PCR method for poultry detection is presented. The specificity of the poultry method against target and non-target species has been extensively investigated. The efficiency, linearity and sensitivity was tested using dilution series of chicken, turkey, duck and goose DNA isolated from meat and autoclaved meat as a model system for PAPs.     

Antimicrobial resistance in thermotolerant Campylobacter isolated from different stages of the poultry meat supply chain in Argentina

The objective of this study was to investigate the antimicrobial resistance in thermotolerant Campylobacter spp. isolated from different stages of the poultry meat supply chain in Argentina. Six poultry meat chains were studied from the reproductive farm to the chicken at the retail. Chickens sampled along each food chain were from the same batch. Samples collected were: a) cloacal samples from hens and chickens on the farm, b) chicken carcasses from the slaughterhouse and retail market. Samples obtained were examined for Campylobacter spp. Antimicrobial resistance was evaluated using the disk diffusion method. Almost all isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid (91.2%) and ciprofloxacin (88.2%). A large proportion of thermotolerant Campylobacter isolated from hens and broilers <1 wk showed resistance to erythromycin in comparison with the rest of the stages of the poultry meat supply chain (P = 0.031). Campylobacter isolated from broilers (both <1 wk and >5 wk) and carcasses at slaughterhouse and at retail showed a proportion of resistance to ciprofloxacin and enrofloxacin higher than isolates from hens (P = 0.015 and P = 0.031, respectively). One strain was resistant to all the antibiotics analyzed, and 46.1% of the isolates were resistant to three or more drug classes. Almost 50% of the isolates were resistant to all quinolones tested (ciprofloxacin, nalidixic acid, and enrofloxacin), and 13.2% were resistant to all quinolones and erythromycin. Campylobacter strains isolated from carcasses at retail showed higher resistance to all quinolones than strains isolated from hens (P = 0.016). These results reflect an alarming situation with potential serious consequences to the public health.     

畜禽粪便污染及治理技术

文章阐述了畜牧业生产中畜禽粪便等废弃物造成的恶臭气体污染,有害病源微生物污染、抗菌素污染、重金属污染、氮磷污染等环境污染问题,并根据国内外研究与实践,对治理畜禽粪便所采取的低等动物法、干燥法、生物技术和生态工程学等技术方法,进行了综合介绍和评价。     

Storage stability of poultry fat and diesel fuel mixtures: Part II - Chemical properties

This publication continues previously published work from the authors which evaluates the storage potential of poultry fat for its use as an unmodified biofuel in heat and steam generating systems [1]. The previous work examined the physical properties of these fats while this study is concerned with chemical properties. In this study poultry fat (biofuel) and its 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% mixtures with #2 pump diesel fuel were stored for 1 year at bench scale (1L) under controlled laboratory conditions at 4, 38, 54.4 °C and at 22 °C. One hundred percent of poultry fat was studied under these same conditions with and without an antioxidant additive. Twenty and eighty percent of poultry fat mixtures were also stored at pilot scale (250 gallons) under outdoor, ambient conditions. Chemical properties relevant to the use of these mixtures as a biofuel for industrial boilers were studied and tracked. These properties include Energy Values (BTU), Ultimate Analysis (carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, ash, nitrogen, and sulfur), moisture, impurities, unsaponafiables (MIU), and Free Fatty Acid Content. Energy content of the biofuel samples dropped over the course of the study with untreated biofuel losing 18.9% of its BTU value over the course of a year. Ultimate analyses showed an overall increase in carbon composition and a decrease in oxygen content. Hydrogen levels increased in most treatments as did overall ash and sulfur percent composition. MIU values increased, this overall increase was attributable to variable increases in insolubles and unsaponifiables. Free fatty acid levels increased in all treatments. Most of the chemical changes observed in this study were reduced by the addition of antioxidant to 100% biofuel.