AgSpeak Blog

Water is arguably the most important factor in raising healthy chickens, turkeys, or ducks. Water needs to be clean and fresh at all times, but the reality is that birds are dirty, and often water lines are, too. A little bit of maintenance can go a long way in making sure that the water supply…

[grid-2-3] The increasing influence of activist groups in the poultry sector has led to some recent modifications in broiler rearing. Groups, such as the Global Animal Partnership, have outlined welfare practices designed to create natural environments and have found increasing support as more businesses, integrators, and producers adopt these standards. The goal of welfare standards…

[grid-2-3] Have we underestimated the power of the circulation fan? You probably have circulation fans in your poultry house. Maybe about 8 or so that are 1/10 horsepower. They move a little bit of ceiling air, but you really don’t pay them much mind. You put them in to minimize fuel usage… it may or…

Over the past few years producers, integrators, and manufacturers have worked hard to develop an antibiotic-free production system that works. Many of these systems use 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…

[grid-2-3] Spring brings new life to swine barns, but it can also bring new challenges. Long, tough winters can wreak havoc on equipment and buildings, creating problems that often only emerge with the spring thaw. That’s why it’s important to pay special attention to your barns as things warm up. Being vigilant in your maintenance…

[grid-2-3] Spring sees the reemergence of new plants, animals, and insects alike. Unfortunately, it also brings with it the reemergence of diseases that we haven’t seen since fall. That makes early spring a good time to check your structural and operational biosecurity to protect your farm, flocks and family from diseases like Highly Pathogenic Avian…

[grid-2-3] Everyone has their opinion on which feed pan is the best feed pan. It creates a loyalty that is hard to shake, even in the face of evidence of something better. The reality is that it’s really hard to know what makes a great feed pan, because there are so many shared features. For…

If you haven’t seen it already, the Chicken Farmers of Ontario recently released a short video detailing some Best Management Practices of broiler brooding. Throughout the video, Dr. Scott Gillingham stresses the importance of stockmanship, biosecurity, and attention to detail. We’ll summarize some of his main points below, but strongly encourage you to check out…

Chicks are dependent on their environment to survive the early days of life. Because they cannot regulate their own body temperature, they require a warm brood chamber and easy access to food and water. The down feathers on chicks offer poor insulation and they will quickly lose heat through radiation (to the air), conduction (contact…

[grid-2-3] Winter is never easy, and from the look of it this week, this winter season will be no different. Bitter cold temperatures make it hard to keep positive, especially when you’re watching your fuel costs go up and up. Here’s some tips to keep you warm at night. Chickens can handle their own when…

Whether in commercial flocks or backyard coops, chickens are endlessly fascinating. While we might never understand what all those quirky head nods mean, we can get a better sense of how chickens see the world with these 10 interesting facts about chicken vision. A chicken’s eyes are about 10% the entire mass of its head.…

Stress on pigs during transport can cause losses; not just pig losses, but it can adversely affect the meat quality. Stress in transport can cause meat that’s too soft and pale or too dry and firm. This stress begins with the movement out of pens or barns so stress reduction should be front of mind…