Field experiments were conducted to determine the effects of organic andinorganic amendments on weed suppression in sweet maize cultivation (Zea maysL.). A randomized complete block design was employed with four replicates pertreatment with each organic amendment used at half (x/2), single (x=10 t ha-1) anddouble (2x) rates (organic fertilization: cow manure, poultry manure and barleymulch; syn...

Livestock represent a fundamental economic and nutritional resource for many households in the developing world; however, a high burden of infectious disease limits their production potential. Here we present an ecological framework for estimating the burden of poultry disease based on coupled models of infectious disease and economics. The framework is novel, as it values humans and livestock ...

The current highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) crisis has brought poultry production to the focus of public attention. Poultry production takes place in two basic systems: the industrial sector and the small-scale production system at village level. The level of involvement of veterinary services differs greatly between the two systems. While private veterinary services are important in t...

A study was conducted at five villages of Dzongu, North Sikkim in India to identify various constraints faced by the farmers during poultry production. Selection of respondents of poultry farmers was done on the basis of Simple Random Techniques. The data were collected from each respondent through structured questionnaire as well as self observations. The study indicated that the input (82.25%...

An important economic goal of the poultry industry is to increase the productivity. However, the productivity of this industry is threatened by climatic, physical, and social stressors [7]. High temperature in poultry-house reduces feed intake, body weight gain and feed efficiency. Furthermore, high ambient temperature causes the release of corticosterone and catecholemines. Corticoids depress ...

The effects of animal agriculture on the spread of antibiotic resistance (AR) are cross-cutting and thus require a multidisciplinary perspective. Here we use ecological, epidemiological, and ethnographic methods to examine populations of Escherichia coli circulating in the production poultry farming environment versus the domestic environment in rural Ecuador, where small-scale poultry producti...

Synthetic and natural toxicants are constituents of soil, air, water and foodstuffs. Their impact on animal agriculture has resulted from acute and chronic intoxication and residues transferred into meat, dairy and poultry products. Recent advances in analytical chemistry and the sciences associated with toxicology have allowed better assessment of the hazard of toxicants on animals including m...

Why is Poultry Welfare in develoPing countries a concern? The poultry sector is one of the most rapidly growing livestock sectors worldwide: between 1961 and 2001 the number of poultry slaughtered annually increased by 621 percent. Although industrialized countries have much higher average per capita consumption of most poultry products, production in developing countries is increasing rapidly....

Outdoor access is an important part of organic and free-range poultry production, yet limited information exists on the effect of various housing and production systems on growth performance and colonization of food-borne pathogens. Therefore, the primary purpose of the current study was to evaluate the influence of different housing systems, particularly fixed versus small, portable houses, wi...