AgSpeak Blog

Grower Spotlight – Brian Hamilton

Brian Hamilton began farming at just six years old. His grandparents raised beef cattle and poultry, and he helped by bottle feeding calves and cleaning chicken drinkers. The love of farming as deeply ingrained. After high school, he accepted a contract to raise hogs and eventually branched into poultry in 2014. Starting small, he bought […]

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broiler chicken feeder

Mitigation Key to Sustainability in Poultry Farming

Farmers are often in the spotlight as a target for sustainability practices, and indeed good farming practices across the agriculture industry are needed to ensure a balance between food production and environmental stability. Identifying the best mitigation practices can be challenging, but it certainly requires a holistic approach. These practices could be used across the […]

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Animal Mortality Disposal Options

Animal mortality disposal options Animal mortality losses are a normal part of poultry and livestock production. Mortality can occur due to disease, accidents, inter-animal competition or natural disasters such as flooding. It is crucial to have a mortality management plan in place before a death occurs. Disposal should take place as soon as possible in […]

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turkey production

Discovering light’s effect on turkey hens

There’s been abundant research on how lighting effects chicken reproductivity and behavior, but not much is known about how lighting effects turkey hen reproduction. A research project at Pennsylvania State University will use  advanced imaging technology  to pinpoint the brain areas responsible for regulating the seasonal cycle in turkey hen reproduction. “What we’re trying to […]

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Variable Speed Ventilation

Variable speed fans have been on the market for many years, but only recently have they become a flexible choice for poultry barns. We lay out some of their uses in this webinar, check it out!     Subscribe to our blog!

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HOW TO CONTROL AMMONIA IN POULTY BARNS

HOW TO CONTROL AMMONIA IN POULTY BARNS One of the biggest complaints at a poultry barn is ammonia in the bird area.  The ammonia in a poultry barns not only smells, but can also have harmful effects for both the birds in the barn and the workers who take care of the birds. Understanding how […]

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Infographic: Water Usage Vs. Water Consumption

Coming into spring and warmer weather, you should expect to see an uptick in water usage. Water is necessary for both the birds and the environmental regulation in the house, so it is important that growers are ready with adequate water supply and water quality. While water consumption is arguably the most important factor in […]

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NON-NEGOTIABLE POINTS FOR HEALTHY PIGLETS

NON-NEGOTIABLE POINTS FOR HEALTHY PIGLETS Several factors influence piglets’ health during lactation, making this a challenging phase. The present article will discuss the main points related to their development, presenting some non-negotiable actions that should be practice in routine. Colostrum and milk yield. Sows’ capacity to produce colostrum and milk and is related to genetic […]

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Photometric Flicker and the impact on poultry performance

Photometric Flicker and the impact on poultry performance Photometric flicker is the rapid change in light intensity from a light source and is caused by three effects. The first is light density flicker which is caused by changes to brightness levels caused by a light source such as a bulb, fluorescent tube, or LEDs, powered […]

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MAIN CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES, AND SOLUTIONS FOR POOR AIR QUALITY

Poor air quality impacts not only animals but also human health and welfare. Gases released by animals and equipment, dust, and airborne microorganisms, when in high concentration, may contribute to the occurrence of diseases. This article will discuss the leading causes, consequences, and solutions for poor air quality in swine production. Gases Ammonia, carbon monoxide […]

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Water Quality for Pigs

The swine industry recognizes that water requirement intake and flow rate are crucial to pig performance and farm management. Still, water evaluation is frequently based on subjective monitoring of physical properties like smell, color, temperature, and taste. However, water quality also includes chemical and microbiological characteristics that must be considered and assessed. Mineral composition, conductivity, […]

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5 Biosecurity Practices Everyone Should Follow

5 Biosecurity Practices Everyone Should Follow Biosecurity refers to procedures used to prevent the introduction and spread of disease-causing organisms in livestock farm sites. We need to undertake biosecurity measures to minimize the risk of disease to livestock, as well as spread of organisms of public health concern such as salmonella and campylobacter. Preventing disease […]

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Five Steps to Better Chick Brooding

Five Steps to Better Chick Brooding Improving chick brooding to get new baby chicks off to a good start can impact their growth and performance for their entire time spent on your farm. Chicks require feed and water within 24 hours to jump start their appetite. They also lack the ability to thermoregulate, so we, […]

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The IPPE Replacement

Normally this week of the year we would be wrapping up IPPE and we would be taking this time to showcase again all that we shared with you at the show. But of course, this tradeshow season is a little different. since we couldn’t see you in Atlanta, we didn’t get to share with you […]

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King’s Poultry Farm – Reuben King

Reuben King, a 29-year old poultry farmer and business owner, has made a name for himself in Bradford, OH. For 22 years, Reuben has helped out the family slaughtering chickens. His parents, William and Marilyn King, started raising and processing chickens by hand in the barnyard in 1983. They purchased an automatic picker and fixed […]

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Plumage & Performance

Feathering’s biggest role is to serve as protection from the elements. It’s an insulation factor that keeps birds’ bodies warm so that energy can be better used to lay eggs or grow muscle tissue. But why do birds lose their feathers? The answer is sometimes complex. Factors range from housing structures and equipment, to nutrition […]

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2020 – A Year in Review

This year has certainly been a tumultuous one. It started our normal enough. The International Production & Processing Expo took place in Atlanta, Georgia. We featured our newest addition to the VAL-CO fan line, the variable speed V-Fan. VAL-CO has stepped up to help achieve the ideal environment with the introduction of the versatile, highly […]

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broiler chicken feeder

What we know about woody breast

Woody breast syndrome has been an on-going concern for integrators. It’s not a modern problem; research has shown that it did exist in genetic lines from the 1950s, it was just less noticeable because the condition did not progress far enough. While not detrimental to the birds themselves, it does create a less-than-desirable end product […]

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