Terrence O'KeefeTerrence O'Keefe is content director at WATT Global Media. www.wattglobalmedia.com/contact-usFrom the Author - Page 17Antibiotic-Free MeatOrganic poultry production: The real omnivore’s dilemmaThe question of how to meet an omnivore's nutritional needs feeding an all vegetarian diet is a question that I don’t think we should have to answer. What are we really gaining by trying to feed birds this way?Cage-Free Laying SystemsWhen should US egg producers scrap their cages?Just a little over a year ago, U.S. egg producers responding to Egg Industry’s Annual Top Egg Company Survey projected they would add nearly twice the housing for cage-housed hens as cage free hens, 7.1 and 3.7 million head worth, respectively. Now it would be surprising if any egg producer followed through on plans to install new cages in the U.S.Avian InfluenzaHow ventilation shutdown works in poultry depopulationOne of the major problems identified in the aftermath of the highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak in the U.S. in 2015 was some significant delays from the time that turkey and layer flocks were confirmed to be infected to when depopulation of these flocks was completed.Egg ProductionRetailers should maintain egg choices for consumersBJ’s Wholesale Club joined rival Costco Wholesale by recently announcing that it will transition to offering for sale only eggs produced by cage-free hens.Egg ProductionEgg producers see big shift to cage-free eggs by 2025For each of the past two Top Egg Company Surveys, U.S. egg producers were asked to project what they thought the breakout for egg production by housing system will be in 2025.Egg ProductionUS egg producers expanding, adding cage-free hensU.S. egg producers lost about 40 million layers and pullets as a result of the avian influenza outbreaks in the Upper Midwest in 2015.Avian InfluenzaMake feed a part of your avian flu biosecurity programExperience with Salmonella biosecurity programs has shown that even if feed is an unlikely source avian flu virus, it must be considered.Egg ProductionWill US egg producers expand too much in 2016?One of the benefits I get out of conducting Egg Industry’s Top Egg Company survey each year is the conversations I have with egg producers about how they view the major factors affecting the industry. My big concern for the industry is that the strong profits earned over the past few years is stimulating an expansion in the U.S. layer flock which will end the economic good times.Hens and TrendsWhy US grocers aren’t pledging for cage-free eggsThe rapid move of food processors and foodservice outlets to make pledges for future cage-free egg purchases would lead one to suspect a major shift in U.S. consumers’ attitudes towards laying hen welfare, or at least how they perceive housing impacts the hen’s welfare. But, I don’t think this is the case.Egg ProductionCage-free housing continues to gain momentum in 2016Even though the avian flu outbreak of 2015 was the most costly foreign animal disease outbreak ever suffered by the U.S. poultry industry, the cage-free egg purchase pledges made by major foodservice and food processing companies in the U.S. will be the development that has the longest-lasting impact on U.S. egg producers.Processing & SlaughterJudicious use and stewardship of antibiotics in the poultry industryWATT Global Media will host a panel discussion of poultry industry veterinarians at the International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE) in Atlanta to talk about what has been learned by integrators who have reduced or eliminated antibiotic use in some aspects of their operations and what challenges they still face. Dr. Bruce Stewart-Brown, vice president of food safety and quality, Perdue Farms, and Dr. Brian Wooming, senior staff veterinarian, Cargill Turkey Products, are already confirmed as panelists.Egg ProductionThe role of vaccination in avian flu eradicationI am happy to announce that WATT Global Media has assembled a group of experts to explore the role that vaccination could play in any future highly pathogenic avian influenza outbreak. The webinar, Vaccination as part of an avian flu eradication plan, will be presented on Wednesday December 16, 2015, at 2:30 p.m. CST (3:30 p.m. EST).Previous PagePage 17 of 59Next Page