Keeping poultry feet clean, dry and healthy helps improve overall health and well-being of the flock. Footpad dermatitis (FPD) is a condition that causes necrotic lesions on the plantar surface of the footpads in growing broilers and turkeys. Recent research suggests there are a myriad of interacting factors that lead to FPD.

Remember when you were a kid on those hot summer days you went to the back yard and got to turn on the sprinkler? Oh, the refreshing joy! Well, it turns out that cooling broilers with sprinkler systems in their houses just may provide the chickens that same type of refreshing experience.

May is considered the official kick off to the outdoor grilling season for many Americans. Statistics provided by the United States Agriculture Department estimate that in 2019, the average American will consume 220.5 pounds of red meat and poultry, up roughly 2 pounds per person as compared to 2018, and 6 pounds per person higher than as recent as 2014.

The 2017 ag census was recently released, and it shows that the highest percentage of total farm expenditures – 15.3 % – is spent on animal feed and that livestock, poultry and related expense take another 11.7 %. Remarkably, tractors and self-propelled farm machinery only account for 3.5 %.

Considering cage-free egg production? Here are five tips to help producers address costs and new challenges of switching to a cage-free production environment.

Many U.S. food companies have pledged to move to sourcing eggs raised in cage-free houses by 2025. Consumer demand has influenced many companies including the likes of Wal-Mart, McDonalds, Burger King, Starbucks, Subway, etc., to make the commitment.

A lot of livestock producers we meet tell us they are ready to build. Some say they have been for a long time. They have talked with family. They have set goals. They have reviewed personal assets. They have considered succession. They see a future in growing their operation.

Being equipped in a fire department in a fire protection district means two things: hardware and adequate training. Is your rural fire protection district or fire department firefighters properly trained to fight fires in special circumstances that include livestock?