Bedding availability issues are arising rapidly in the broiler industry that may alter the type and quality of bedding available to growers to rear broiler chickens. Because birds are in direct contact with the litter, the potential impact of bedding materials on footpad health is of concern. In 3 successive trials, 8 different bedding sources (pine shavings, pine bark, chipped pine, mortar sand, ground hardwood pallets, chopped straw, ground door filler, and cotton-gin trash) were compared in side-by-side experimental pens by rearing mixed-sex birds. In addition to broiler growth performance and litter characteristics (moisture, caking, and ammonia volatilization), the incidence and severity of footpad dermatitis (FPD) was assessed at 6 wk of age. Bedding materials had little influence on the live performance of broilers in 3 successive trials. Prevalence of FPD varied significantly (P < 0.05) among the bedding materials. The incidence of FPD paralleled high litter moisture and caking scores, with chipped pine, chopped straw, cotton-gin trash, and pine shavings showing the highest severity scores and mortar sand and ground door filler showing the lowest. From an FPD etiology standpoint, the ability of the bedding to absorb (i.e., ground door filler) and quickly release (i.e., mortar sand) moisture may be the most important characteristics.

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During progressive stages of drought and subsequent recovery through rewatering, foliage of 2‐year‐old seedlings of Douglas‐fir was sampled for water potential, stomatal resistance, and abscisic acid content (ABA). Simultaneous measurements of soil matric potential were also made. There was a rapid rise in stomatal resistance in the range of 1500–2000 ng ABA g−1 dry weight of foliage corresponding with a plant water potential of –10 to –12 bars. Soil matric potential seemed more closely associated with ABA increase than did plant water potential. After rewatering, seedlings returned to normal ABA levels within 6 days.

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Five 7-day trials using 336, 24, 24, 40, and 40 Large White male turkeys when 7, 11, 15, 27, and 32 weeks of age, respectively, were conducted to determine the toxic effects of salinomycin. Salinomycin became more toxic as the age of the turkeys increased. When 7-week-old turkeys were fed diets containing 44 or 66 ppm salinomycin, only 1 of 84 died; when turkeys 27 or 32 weeks of age were fed those amounts, 13 of 20 died. Salinomycin at 22 ppm tended to depress rate of growth at young ages and to prevent or decrease growth and to increase mortality at older ages. Caution should be exercised to avoid salinomycin contamination of turkey diets.

Every broiler production facility is faced with the reality of carcass disposal. Nationwide, this represents a tremendous amount of organic matter that requires environmentally and biologically safe disposal or utilization. Disposal of poultry carcasses has been identified as one of the major problems facing the poultry industry. If poultry carcasses resulting from death by natural occurrences at such high levels of production are not disposed of by environmentally acceptable methods, future industry expansion will be limited or regulatory constraints will be imposed. Methods for the disposal of poultry carcasses include burial, incineration, composting, and rendering. Burial and incineration impose environmental concerns that are becoming less acceptable. Composting is environmentally sound, relatively inexpensive, and is gaining widespread acceptance. Rendering carcasses into a valued protein by-product meal is another alternative. Methods for transporting fresh or refrigerated carcasses to a rendering facility are being investigated. When coupled with rendering, fermentation is an excellent alternative for storing and transporting pathogen-free poultry carcasses. Extrusion of carcasses provides an alternative to conventional by-product rendering. All methods that allow for the environmentally safe and biosecure disposal of poultry carcasses should be considered. No single method will completely solve the problem. (

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