AgSpeak Blog

Time to Spring into Action… I don’t know about you, but I can’t believe it’s already spring and we are nearly a quarter of the way through 2020. With parts of the South already having temps in the 80’s, it will be summer before we know it and this winter will be a distant memory.…

Male management for best performance Male management starts at placement of chicks. Floor temps need to be in the area of 98 degrees with chicks having access to heat, food, and plenty of fresh water. The caretaker must continually refresh food supply and water supply and maintain heat and ventilation, so birds are comfortable. House…

IS YOUR FARM ON “ALERT STATUS”? The current high-alert status within our country right now makes me think about how farms often go without being on “Alert” for signaling troubles before it’s too late.  Alarm systems are essential for keeping your poultry houses safe and are yet another step in preventing major losses. I’ve seen…

Chicken Basics…It Pays to go Green Without Water, everything withers… The watering system in a poultry house is one of, if not the, most important pieces needed to ensure you have a good, healthy flock. With the recent pandemic event, a lot of us have flocked (pun intended) to various stores to purchase good, clean…

Having clean, healthy, and abundant feed available to your chickens is crucial to their success. It's imperative that the pan feeding system is in good working order to ensure that feed is evenly and adequately distributed throughout the flock. Follow this maintenance guide to help you keep your feed lines working well and your birds…

We don’t often think much about how electricity on the farm might affect the livestock. Stray voltage, however, can challenge performance. Stray voltage is small voltage, typically less than 10 volts, measure between two points that can contacted simultaneously by an animal. The voltage itself indicates a problem, but the current flowing through the animal…

Preventative maintenance helps ensure the longevity of equipment in a poultry house. There're a few things to keep in mind when servicing equipment. Always disconnect electricity before servicing equipment. Check chain tension regularly, especially when the system is new and being broken in, and adjust the tension accordingly. After about the first three weeks, check…

Cannibalism is the consuming of all or parts of the same species.  This is a common occurrence in poultry barns of all different types including cage systems, aviaries, floor pens, outdoor, and free-range flocks.  Paying close attention to your flock’s health and behavior is vital to stopping what could be a widespread dilemma throughout your…

Over the past few years producers, integrators, and manufacturers have worked hard to develop an antibiotic-free poultry production system that works. The system uses a series of supplements such as probiotics, prebiotics, essential oils or additional electrolytes, vitamins, and minerals to encourage healthy intestinal flora and build resistance to disease. However, with time, we’ve started…

With consumers and welfare groups pushing for antibiotic free production of poultry products, farmers are faced with many obstacles. How can farmers reduce antibiotic dependence and still remain profitable? It's a challenge, for sure, but there has been a flood of research to solve the problem. Scientists and nutrition experts have found that the birds’ gut…

Practices of Agricultural Biosecurity Biosecurity is the prevention of spreading pests and diseases among livestock.   Not only is it the farm’s responsibility, but the responsibility of everyone who works in the industry, from the grower to employees, visitors, and service personnel.  Infectious disease can be spread from farm to farm though pathogens carried on objects,…

In cold weather, there are many factors that create a good environment for animals. Since one of the primary essentials for life is air, ventilation may be what immediately comes to mind. We must maintain the oxygen levels in the barn since oxygen is inhaled by the animals and used to produce energy needed to…