The access to open air and an outdoor lifestyle, which is a feature of free range chicken farming, may well be putting birds at a higher risk of an untimely death. Researchers have long understood that despite their more socially acceptable existence, free range chickens are exposed to more disease agents when compared to caged…
DetailsNew research supported by AgriFutures Australia is optimising the use of an alternative control measure for the lesser mealworm based on live fungi. The lesser mealworm, also known as darkling beetle, is a common insect-pest to the chicken meat industry, due to the damage it can cause to the structure of chicken sheds through tunnelling…
DetailsIn July 2020, Carolyn de Koning of the South Australian Research and Development Institute undertook a research project into the plants hens on free range farms prefer. The aim of the project was to consolidate available agronomic information and provide an up-to-date resource for free range egg farmers on what and how to plant on…
DetailsThe global poultry feed market is projected to register a compound annual growth rate of 4.1 percent during the forecast period 2021-2026. The COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions aiming to contain it, have led to the shutdown of poultry feed companies across the globe in the initial phase, which in turn resulted in the shortage of…
DetailsNot much can match the convenience and simplicity of buying a crispy freshly roasted chicken from the supermarket when you’re time-poor or simply not in the mood to cook. In response to a recent survey, 61 percent of respondents said they will buy a pre-cooked supermarket roast chicken as a lazy meal. And one in…
DetailsVeggie burgers aren’t new, but it’s only relatively recently that marketing of plant-based alternatives has shifted from targeting vegetarian consumers to targeting environmentally conscious meat eaters. Manufacturers of PBAs have not been shy in touting their products as disrupters and market leaders in terms of environmental impacts. The manufacturers of Quorn claim that it has…
DetailsAbout half of fresh shop-bought chicken tested positive for food poisoning bug campylobacter in a year-long study. Dr Ihab Habib from Murdoch University worked with the Department of Health of Western Australia to test bacteria levels in raw chicken sold in supermarkets around Perth. Dr Habib said this was the first survey of its kind…
DetailsAustralia’s Federal Government has heeded calls led by the National Farmers Federation to increase funding for biosecurity and innovation. The Australian Government announced a $371 million investment in biosecurity at Rockhampton on May 4. The package is slightly shy of the NFF’s ask for $400 million over four years to expand and modernise Australia’s ailing…
DetailsAustralians are being invited to take part in a large-scale research study to inform a national conversation about the egg industry. The research is being conducted by engagement science company Voconiq – spun out of Australia’s national science agency CSIRO in 2019 – and will explore community attitudes towards the egg industry across a broad…
DetailsFerdinand, an Indian runner duck from Dapto, ruffled a few feathers by winning best bird at the 2021 Sydney Royal Easter Show. In the show’s 199-year history, it was the first time a duck had taken the coveted prize, and with the spread of the news the accolades streamed in. Standing upright, Ferdinand does not…
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