Hot Air Helps Reduce Campylobacter In Poultry Crates, Study Finds

Feb 07, 2013

Applying hot, flowing air to poultry transport crates could be an effective way to kill Campylobacter in these environments, according to new government research.

Poultry is a known reservoir of Campylobacter, a bacteria that causes gastrointestinal illness. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most Campylobacter infections are associated with raw or undercooked poultry, or other foods that come into contact with contaminated birds.

Since animals harbor Campylobacter in their intestines and it is shed in their feces, the floors of poultry coops are rich ground for the bacteria. In poultry transport crates, bacteria in feces left by one bird might contaminate several of the next inhabitants.

While research has shown that washing cages and then drying them for one to two days can reduce or eliminate Campylobacter, this wait time is not practical for farmers.

But scientists at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service and the University of Georgia at Athens have discovered that applying hot, moving air to crates that have been sprayed with water can reduce Campylobacter to undetectable levels, according to ARS’ Agricultural Research Magazine.

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Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!