ABOVE: An Australian free range egg farm. Some diseases lead to the destruction of entire flocks and can spread to neighbouring properties. During the first half of this year, we saw outbreaks of various diseases in laying flocks in some parts of Australia that had unwanted consequences for egg producers. Quite a few diseases lead…
ABOVE: Traceability is mission-critical for the egg industry. A project designed to further the adoption of traceability in the Australian egg industry has concluded, providing Australian egg farmers with a raft of new tools to trace the path of eggs across their farms. Traceability improves food safety outcomes, enabling farmers to quickly identify the sources…
ABOVE: Conventional cage eggs have the least risk of being impacted by disease. Photo: Klaus Nielsen In July 2023, a joint meeting of the federal and all state agriculture ministers is expected to endorse an updated version of the Australian Animal Welfare Standards and Guidelines for Poultry. This document applies to all industries that work…
ABOVE: The Fook Wong chicken name comes from a merging of the Chinese words ‘fook’ meaning happiness and ‘wong’ meaning to feel royal. Australia’s taste for specialty poultry is undergoing a transformation with home-grown Asian-inspired chickens, cockerel and game birds making their way into more restaurants, retail spaces, and home cooks’ kitchens than ever before.…
ABOVE: The age of broilers has a significant effect on how well they digest and absorb energy-yielding nutrients and amino acids. meat The age of broilers has a significant effect on how well they digest and absorb energy-yielding nutrients and amino acids. The capacity of the digestive tract to digest and absorb nutrients is limited…
ABOVE: Scientists versus farmers – lab-grown meat could soon be legally sold in Australia, but it’s not without opposition. After a Sydney company’s application to produce quail, Australia’s food regulator is deciding whether laboratory-grown meat can be sold to consumers. In a Sydney warehouse, with no animals, producers are trying to grow enough meat to…
ABOVE: While the researchers were able to replicate necrotic enteritis for research purposes. Their next challenge lies in fully understanding how clostridium perfringens infects poultry and causes its devastating effects. Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan’s Western College of Veterinary Medicine are working to develop a vaccine for necrotic enteritis, a devastating disease that causes enormous…
ABOVE: Staff will care for the turkey poults during their mandatory 13-week stay in quarantine. Australia’s state-of-the-art avian quarantine facility is filling the role of midwife to nearly 3000 turkey poults in Victoria. The team at the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry’s Post Entry Quarantine facility in Mickleham together with industry experts have nurtured…
ABOVE: A new video produced by Humans of Agriculture showcases what higher animal welfare standards look like on Australian free range and conventional chicken farms under the RSPCA Approved Farming Scheme. HUMANS of Agriculture has produced a new video featuring some Australian Chicken Meat Federation members, which showcases what higher animal welfare standards look like…
ABOVE: Newly hatched chicks may carry disease-causing bacteria but biosecurity and hygiene practices can prevent the spread of infection. Photo: NDSU GOOD biosecurity and hygiene practices can reduce the risk of contamination and illness from hatchlings. When preparing for hatching season, backyard poultry owners and educators may also plan to take precautions against the spread…