Foodborne infections with antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter spp. remain an important public health concern. Publicly available data collected by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System for Enteric Bacteria related to antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Campylobacter spp. isolated from broiler chickens and turkeys at the slaughterhouse level across the United States between 2013 and 2021 were analysed. A total of 1,899 chicken-origin (1,031 Campylobacter coli (C. coli) and 868 Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni)) and 798 turkey-origin (673 C. coli and 123 C. jejuni) isolates were assessed. Chicken isolates exhibited high resistance to tetracycline (43.65%), moderate resistance to ciprofloxacin (19.5%), and low resistance to clindamycin (4.32%) and azithromycin (3.84%). Turkey isolates exhibited very high resistance to tetracycline (69%) and high resistance to ciprofloxacin (39%). The probability of resistance to all tested antimicrobials, except for tetracycline, significantly decreased during the latter part of the study period. Turkey-origin Campylobacter isolates had higher odds of resistance to all antimicrobials than isolates from chickens. Compared to C. jejuni isolates, C. coli isolates had higher odds of resistance to all antimicrobials, except for ciprofloxacin. The study findings emphasize the need for poultry-type-specific strategies to address differences in AMR among Campylobacter isolates.

It has been shown that, in small groups of intact male domestic turkeys, supplementary ultraviolet (UV-A) radiation, visual barriers, and added straw (environmental enrichment) minimize the incidence of injurious pecking under incandescent light at 5 lux. This paper describes two experiments, each involving eight groups of 100 non beak-trimmed birds up to 5 weeks of age, that assessed the effectiveness of these procedures at higher light intensities and with fluorescent light. Experiment 1 examined 5 or 10 lux of incandescent or fluorescent light. Experiment 2 studied responses to 5, 10, 36 or 70 lux of fluorescent light. Individual inspections of the birds, for wing, tail and head injuries due to pecking, were conducted daily.

Fluorescent light significantly reduced the incidence of tail injuries (P = 0.03), and tended to reduce those to the wings (P = 0.08), compared with incandescent light. No difference was observed between 5 and 10 lux for either tail or wing injuries. In Experiment 2, the incidence of tail and wing injuries was significantly and positively correlated with light intensity (tail, P = 0.05; wing, P = 0.02). Injuries to the head were minimal in all treatments. These results suggest that turkey poults may be kept with minimal injurious pecking, under fluorescent light at an intensity of 10 lux, with appropriate environmental enrichment.

The behavioural time budget of 140 turkey poults housed on litter in groups of 10-11 in small pens was recorded by individual scan sampling from 1-day-old to 12-weeks-old. Over this time period some behaviour (sitting/sleeping) remained relatively constant, some (feeding) declined and remained low, some (standing/walking, drinking) declined and rose again, while some (environmental pecking, bird pecking, preening) rose and then declined. By 12 weeks the incidence of some behaviours appeared to have stabilized, though others were still changing. A substantial proportion of their activity could be categorized as beak-related behaviour. Feather pecking and cannibalism are major behavioural and welfare problems in intensively-housed turkeys; it is postulated that one reason for this may be because a major proportion of their beak-related behaviour is strongly directed towards plumage, either their own or that of other birds, rather than towards food or environmental stimuli. One possible solution may be to seek ways of increasing the proportion of time they spend feeding.

Four aspects of lighting which may influence the behaviour and physiology of housed poultry are light intensity, photoperiod, light source and wavelength. These factors are frequently manipulated in an attempt to improve productivity and to facilitate management practices. This review examines the effects of such manipulation upon the welfare of the birds. The majority of papers on lighting in poultry houses deal with their effects upon performance, rather than on factors associated with behaviour and health which may impinge upon welfare. Data about the preferences of birds for different lighting conditions are almost entirely lacking, but the practice of housing birds in relatively low light intensity is considered likely to lead to sensory deprivation in species where vision is important. Tentative recommendations are given pending the results of future research as to appropriate light intensity, photoperiod and light sources for domestic poultry.

One challenge with animal welfare assessment programmes is that standards that make a meaningful difference to welfare can be difficult for a broad spectrum of producers to meet, thereby preventing many from engaging at all. Global Animal Partnership's (GAP's) 5-Step™ Animal Welfare Rating Standards are unique in that they are designed as a multi-tiered system that encourages continuous welfare improvement. The 5-Step program allows for a wide variety of production models — from small farms raising fewer than 50 animals in extensive, outdoor systems to larger, indoor operations raising tens of millions — and allows producers to move up the Steps as they choose. Each additional Step provides a four-fold benefit: the animals have improved welfare, the producer has the opportunity of greater rewards and more accurate representation of her or his farming practices, retailers can provide wider product selection to meet their customer demands, and consumers have the guarantee of ever-increasing, welfare-friendly choices as well as a transparent source of information on how their meat was raised. GAP began piloting its 5-Step program in 2008 with comprehensive on-farm/on-ranch and transport standards for meat chickens, pigs and beef cattle in an exclusive, two-year partnership with Whole Foods Market (WFM), North America's largest natural-foods grocer. The variety of farms and ranches supplying WFM provided a thorough testing ground for the programme. Chicken, pork, beef and turkey products ranging from Step 1 to Step 5+ are available regionally in WFM stores in the USA and Canada. Having successfully completed this pilot phase with WFM, GAP is now negotiating with other retailers, both restaurants and grocers, as well as further-processors, in North America and beyond. The essence of the Steps is captured by the following phrases: Step 1 — no crowding, cages or crates; Step 2 — an enriched environment; Step 3 — enhanced outdoor access; Step 4 — pasture centred; Step 5 — animal-centred: bred for the outdoors; and Step 5+ — animal-centred: entire life on the same farm. As of 1 December 2011, more than 1,740 third-party audited and certified farms and ranches are raising more than 140 million animals annually according to GAP's 5-Step Animal Welfare Rating Standards.

Foot-pad dermatitis (FPD) is an important indicator of animal welfare in turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo). The present study aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of a commonly used five-point visual score (VC), assessing FPD based on lesion size by implementing histopathological analysis. In 100 turkey feet (20 per scale scored by the VC), the size of both the foot-pad and the alteration were measured. Subsequently, a histopathological analysis was performed, examining the occurrence and severity grade of different parameters. The study addressed three main goals: (i) examining the reliability of the scoring system concerning the evaluated size of FPD; (ii) assessing histopathological parameters to analyse patterns, reflecting the categories of the scoring system; and (iii) finding threshold values to avoid the occurrence of ulcerations. The study found good observer reliabilities for the VC, but measuring the relative size of alterations resulted in divergent values according to the original specifications With regard to the histopathological parameters, no clear patterns were found in the respective VC scoring levels. However, ulcerations revealed a significant effect on the size of the alteration, showing a greater grade of severity with increasing lesion size. Regarding the occurrence of ulcerations, optimum threshold values could be identified even in very small lesions. This study helps contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology of FPD. It also raises the question as to whether, in light of animal welfare concerns, threshold values of visual systems should be adjusted to avoid ulcerations, considering the outcome of our histopathological assessment.

Stunning with carbon dioxide gas (CO2) is used in turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo var domesticus) as an alternative to electrical water bath stunning. Investigations were carried out to assess the behavioural and clinical responses of turkeys stunned in a V-shaped CO2 tunnel while sitting in their transport crates as part of the usual slaughter routine in a commercial abattoir. The CO2 concentration in the tunnel rose from 27% at the first observation point (A) to 74% at point D and the transport time was 180 s. At window 1, 37.1% of the birds showed head shaking, 3.7% deep breaths and 2.9% intensive wing-flapping and at window 2 the respective figures were 2.2, 18.4 and 6.2%. All birds appeared to have lost consciousness at the point of leaving the tunnel. Prior to shackling, 15 s after leaving the tunnel, 230 animals were tested for both interphalangeal reflex and eyelid closure; 20.4% had an incomplete eyelid closure but none displayed an interphalangeal reflex. It would appear that the tunnel system we investigated stuns turkeys effectively within 180 s. However, the initial stunning phase of 40-105 s appears to cause the animals distress, which is demonstrated by head shaking, deep breaths and wing flapping.

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a complex problem that is a threat to global public health. Consumption of turkey meat may be an important source of foodborne exposure to resistant bacteria; recent outbreaks of multi-drug-resistant Salmonella Reading in Canada and the USA have implicated raw turkey products. To better understand the epidemiology of AMR in farmed turkey production, a scoping review was conducted. The objectives were to identify (1) modifiable factors potentially associated with antimicrobial-resistant Campylobacter, Enterococcus, Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica along the farm-to-fork pathway in turkeys, and (2) data gaps with respect to factors potentially associated with AMR and Canadian commercial turkey production. A comprehensive search of the peer-reviewed literature was conducted in 2019 and updated in 2021. Thirteen references were included, reporting 36 factors. Antimicrobial use factors and their potential associations with AMR were most frequently reported (n = 15 factors; 42%), followed by biosecurity (n = 11; 31%) and management practices (n = 10; 28%). This review revealed important data gaps; no factors pertaining to S. enterica or to stages other than the farm (e.g. abattoir, retail) were identified, and only one Canadian reference was identified. These findings will inform priorities for future research and surveillance regarding turkeys and AMR.

The liver is the ‘central laboratory’ of a chicken's body, responsible for sorting and transforming digested compounds as well as dealing with waste products. It is essential that this organ is kept in an excellent condition in order to maintain a healthy bird. Viral hepatitis in poultry is a complex disease syndrome caused by several viruses belonging to different families, including fowl adenoviruses (FAdV), avian hepatitis E virus (HEV), duck hepatitis virus (DHV), and turkey hepatitis virus (THV). Although, these viruses target the liver primarily, they each possess unique clinical and biological features. Hydropericardium syndrome (HPS) is a highly infectious disease caused by FAdV serotype 4 (FAdV-4) affecting poultry, especially broilers, and is characterised by the accumulation of fluid in the pericardial sac and hepatitis. Inclusion body hepatitis (IBH) was recognised firstly in the US, and the disease has now been reported in many countries. FAdV, the causative agent of inclusion body hepatitis, is a Group I avian adenovirus in the genus Aviadenovirus. The affected birds have a pale, swollen, friable, and haemorrhagic liver with pathognomonic histological lesions including intranuclear inclusion bodies in the nuclei of the hepatocytes. Avian HEV naturally infects chickens and is associated with hepatitis-splenomegaly syndrome, although the majority of the infected birds are subclinical. THV is a picornavirus that is likely the causative agent of turkey viral hepatitis. Currently there are more questions than answers about THV, and pathogenesis and clinical impact remains largely unknown. Future research into viral hepatic diseases of poultry is warranted to develop effective vaccines, specific diagnostic assays, and identify suitable cell culture systems for virus propagation. This review covers the common and unique features of major hepatitis causing viruses, with emphasis on FAdV, HEV and THV in an effort to identify the knowledge gaps and aid prevention and control of poultry viral hepatitis.

The growing scepticism of the public towards intensive poultry production provided the background to a joint project of the University of Vechta and the Poultry Association of Lower Saxony in 2012. The main goal of the transparency project was to provide a realistic impression on modern, market-oriented poultry production on family farms by opening poultry houses to the public. From 2012 until 2015, 36 farms in Lower Saxony opened their doors and 9,000 visitors made use of the possibility to visit layer, broiler and turkey farms. The visitors were interviewed prior to the farm visit and after they had left the poultry houses. 2,922 questionnaires of persons older than 18 years and without a former knowledge about intensive poultry production were evaluated. The results presented in this paper show that farm openings changed the attitude of the visitors considerably and that they were less sceptical towards intensive poultry husbandry than prior to their visit. The project will be continued until 2019.

Avian influenza viruses have become endemic in land-based domestic poultry and have crossed species barriers. Turkeys are an important host in influenza virus ecology because they are susceptible to infection with these viruses and are often involved in inter species transmission. Several previous studies reveal that waterfowl-origin influenza viruses can be more easily transmitted to domestic turkeys than to chickens. Studies indicate turkeys to be better hosts for low pathogenic avian influenza viruses isolated from commercial poultry operations and live bird markets in comparison to chickens. Moreover, turkeys require low, 50% infectious-dose titres from wild bird as well as poultry adapted viruses, suggesting their high susceptibility for infection following a low dose exposure. Additionally, interspecies transmission of swine influenza viruses to turkeys occurs frequently, thus turkeys may be considered as a bridge species between poultry and wildlife. These findings suggest that turkeys can be easily infected with influenza viruses of different origins and highlight the potential role of turkeys in the transmission and maintenance of influenza viruses between premises.

Currently, synthetic methionine (Met) use in organic poultry diets in the United States is limited to 1, 1, and 1.5 kg per metric tonne of feed for laying hens, broilers, and turkeys and other poultry, respectively. This limitation, and the push to ban the use of synthetic Met entirely, makes it challenging to formulate diets to meet the requirements of these birds. Methionine levels can be maintained in organic poultry diets without synthetics by dramatic increases in dietary crude protein; however, the ramifications of such high crude protein intake are major increases in feed cost and environmental concerns due to increased nitrogen excretion, rises in ammonia emissions, and subsequent welfare issues. This review examines alternative bird genetics and feeding strategies that have the potential to reduce or eliminate the need for synthetic Met in organic poultry diets. Alterative ‘heritage’ breeds may have lower Met needs as a percentage of the total diet; however, these birds have substantially slower growth and are less productive compared to typical commercial breeds. Feeding strategies that have been examined to reduce Met inclusion in the diet, such as allowing birds to forage, providing low Met density diets to encourage increased feed intake and subsequently make up for the Met deficiency, allowing birds to self select between energy-rich ingredients and protein concentrates to meet their Met needs by instinct, or supplementing methyl donors (betaine or choline) or inorganic sulphate, have been shown to make up for marginal Met deficiencies in some instances. However, there is no one solution to this issue that has been found thus far. A combination of genetics, feeding strategies, and alternative ingredients may provide the most favourable solution in the future.

Synthetic methionine use is currently limited to 1 kg and 1.5 kg per metric tonne (2, 2, and 3 lbs per short ton) of feed for organic laying hens, broilers, and turkeys and other poultry, respectively, in the United States of America. All other synthetic amino acids (AA) have been banned from use in organic poultry diets in this country. It is challenging to provide sufficient methionine (Met) to maintain bird growth and productive performance up to current industry standards given the recent restrictions that have been placed on synthetic Met. Without synthetic AA, Met requirements can alternatively be obtained for organic poultry by dramatically increasing dietary crude protein (CP) e.g. via additional inclusion of expeller-pressed soybean meal to the diets. However, this strategy leads to both major increases in feed costs and environmental concerns due to increasing nitrogen excretion, with concurrent rises in ammonia emissions, and corresponding welfare issues due to ammonia and litter quality. This review aims to examine feed ingredients that may contribute to a solution to this issue. Otherwise, further negative impacts may soon be felt from the current limitation on synthetic Met or a potential ban on its entire use in the future.

Factors unique to the turkey industry suggest that conclusions concerning market structure and demand specification drawn from aggregate poultry data cannot necessarily be extrapolated to the turkey industry. The Wu-Hausman endogeneity test is used to examine demand specifications and industry structure specifically for turkey meat. In contrast to general poultry, quantity—not price—is found to be predetermined in demand models that use annual turkey data. Quarterly demand analysis suggests this result stems from biological cycles that limit a producer's ability to react to price change and the use of a weighted average for determining price and quantity.

This paper examines the industrialization process of U.S. agriculture by examining the trends in the number of farms, the concentration of production during the last decade, and the dynamics of farm survivability, entry, and exit underlying aggregate statistics. We next examine vertical coordination as part of the industrialization process and highlight contracting in the poultry industry. The analysis provides evidence that production is continuing to be concentrated on a smaller number of farms at a relatively rapid rate, in spite of the stability in the number of farms. Although contracting clearly dominates the broiler industry, it is less prevalent in egg and turkey production, where other forms of vertical coordination are likely established.

Postileal fermentation in the gastro intestinal tract of poultry is affected by the main raw materials used during feed formulation, for example cereal grains, rapeseed meal, soybean meal, lupin seeds. Since cereal grains are the main source of dietary non-starch polysaccharides, including the viscous water-soluble fraction, their quality determines the rate of postileal fermentation. The supplementation of poultry diets with selected enzymes, mostly xylanase andß-glucanase, suppresses fermentation in the upper gastro intestinal tract, and enhances the process in the caecum. Due to relatively high concentrations of raffinose family oligosaccharides in soybean meal, diets rich in that raw material may stimulate gut fermentation and decrease the growth performance of young birds. Rapeseed meal and lupin seeds, used as partial substitutes for soybean meal, affect fermentation processes in the gastrointestinal tract of poultry to a low degree, as compared with a soybean-based diet. Sunflower meal, even at low inclusion levels (14%), reduces the synthesis of caecal short chain fatty acids, probably due to an increase in lignified fibre in the diet.

Postileal fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract of poultry takes place as a result of the interaction between two components of the intestinal ecosystem: rapidly changing microbiota and digesta with different physicochemical properties. Short chain fatty acids, the major products of fermentation, act to stabilise microbiota composition and maintain gut health, and constitute an additional source of energy. Due to different mechanisms of action of probiotics, phytobiotics and prebiotics in the intestinal ecosystem, the quantities and proportions of the major products of fermentation are affected by the type of feed additives. Some phytobiotics, including alkaloids, exert antimicrobial effects and reduce short chain fatty acids concentrations in the caecum. Mannan-oligosaccharides, regarded as prebiotics, may prevent the adhesion of pathogenic bacteria (mostly E. coli and Salmonella) to the gut wall. Prebiotic oligosaccharides, in particular fructo-oligosaccharides and inulin, are used by beneficial bacteria of the genera Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus, thus enhancing the synthesis of short chain fatty acids in the lower gastro intestinal tract of poultry, while low intestinal pH inhibits the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

Toxoplasma gondii is a widely spread protozoon in humans, mammals and poultry. Regarding the latter, nothing is known yet about the duration of T. gondii persistence and distribution over a conventional fattening cycle of turkeys and chickens. Twenty-four turkeys and 12 broiler chickens were infected intravenously with 1×106T. gondii tachyzoites (strain NED). Serum antibody levels were determined weekly by ELISA (turkeys) or immunofluorescent antibody test (chickens). Turkeys were slaughtered at 4, 8, 12 and 16 weeks post-infection (p.i.), and chickens 5 or 10 weeks p.i. (n = 6 per group). Sixteen different tissue samples per bird were analysed for T. gondii by PCR. All infected animals showed seroconversion. In turkeys, 15·9% of all samples were tested positive for T.-gondii-DNA. Among the edible tissues (drumstick, thigh, breast muscle, heart, liver and gizzard) 7·8% tested positive. Among poultry slaughtered after different periods of time after infection no significant differences (P>0·05) regarding the number of positive samples were observed. Only 4 out of 192 samples (2·1%) from infected chickens contained detectable T. gondii DNA.The PCR findings suggested that T. gondii may persist in poultry. Particularly in turkey it was shown that edible tissues stay infected for at least 16 weeks p.i. which indicates a potential risk for consumers of undercooked turkey meat whereas chickens appear less susceptible to T. gondii infection.

Mycoplasma are a successful group of pathogens because of their ability to enter and colonise a host, whilst, at the same time, evading the bird's immune response. Mycoplasma iowae (MI) is no exception and, while mostly being a pathogen of turkeys, it can be found in other domestic poultry. It has the added ability of being able to induce a transient immune suppression situation, and this may result in a low to undetectable humoral immune response, giving it the capacity to conceal itself from the immune system. This makes MI both difficult to diagnose and control. The organism has a range of strain dependent pathogenicities and when it is pathogenic, it is primarily found in the embryo and growing poult. This leads to a range of clinical presentations such as decreased hatchability (due to higher than expected embryonic mortality) and stunting and leg abnormalities in the growing poult. As a consequence of the significant variation in pathogenicity of field strain isolates, the isolation of a non-pathogenic MI may conceal the true origin of possible embryo and poult health issues. Control of pathogenic MI at the commercial level is primarily through sourcing pathogenic MI free stock and the maintenance of appropriate biosecurity levels.

Livestock-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LA-MRSA) have been isolated from a number of livestock species and persons involved in animal production. We investigated the prevalence of LA-MRSA in fattening turkeys and people living on farms that house fattening turkeys. Eighteen (90%) of 20 investigated flocks were positive for MRSA, and on 12 of the farms 22 (37·3%) of 59 persons sampled were positive for MRSA. People with frequent access to the stables were more likely to be positive for MRSA. In most flocks MRSA that could be assigned to clonal complex (CC) 398 were detected. In five flocks MRSA of spa-type t002 that is not related to CC398 were identified. Moreover, other methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp. were detected on 11 farms and in eight people working on the farms.