Although chickens are not susceptible to SARS-CoV-2, several coronavirus disease outbreaks have been described concerning poultry processing facilities in different countries. The COVID-19 pandemic and the developed strain caused 2nd, 3rd, and recent Indian strain waves of epidemics that have led to unexpected consequences, such as forced reductions in demands for some industries, transportation systems, employment, and businesses due to public confinement. Besides, poultry processing plants' conditions exacerbate the risks due to the proximity on the line, cold, and humidity. Most workers do not have access to paid sick time or adequate health care, and because of the low wages, they have limited reserves to enable them to leave steady employment. In addition, workers in meat and poultry slaughterhouses may be infected through respiratory droplets in the air and/or from touching dirty surfaces or objects such as workstations, break room tables, or tools. Egg prices have increased dramatically during the lockdown as consumers have started to change their behaviors and habits. The COVID pandemic might also substantially impact the international poultry trade over the next several months. This review will focus on the effect of COVID-19 on poultry production, environmental sustainability, and earth systems from different process points of view.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of bee pollen (BP) levels on the IgG and IgM titers, weight of lymphoid organs, and on the tibia morphometric measures and mineralization in broilers at 21 and 42 days of age. Four hundred birds were used in an entirely randomized design with four treatments (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5% of BP feed inclusion) and five replicates. At 21 and 42 days of rearing, blood samples were collected for IgG and IgM analysis, as well as lymphoid organs (bursa, thymus and spleen) and the tibiae. There was no effect (p>0.05) of the BP inclusion on IgG titers, bursa and spleen weights, tibia morphometric measures and mineralization at 21 and 42 days, IgM titer at 42 days or thymus weight at 21 days. However, IgM titers at 21 days and the thymus weight at 42 days linearly increased with BP dietary inclusion. It was concluded that up to 1.5% BP can be included in broiler feeds until 21 days of age to enhance bird immunity

Três experimentos foram conduzidos com o objetivo de avaliar o efeito da utilização de probióticos na dieta de frangos de corte sobre as características da cama reutilizada e das lesões de peito, joelho e coxim plantar. Foram utilizados em cada experimento 800 pintos machos de um dia, da linhagem comercial Ross, alojados em 20 boxes, em densidade populacional de 10 aves/m². O delineamento foi inteiramente casualizado e os tratamentos distribuídos em esquema fatorial 2 × 2 (cama nova ou reutilizada x rações com ou sem probiótico). O probiótico utilizado nas dietas foi composto por Bacillus subtilis e B. coagulans (2x10(9) e 1x10(7) ufc, respectivamente). Aos 42 dias de idade, quatro aves de cada boxe foram abatidas para análise das lesões de peito, joelho e coxim plantar. A cama de cada boxe foi amostrada para determinação dos teores de MS e nitrogênio, do potencial de volatilização de amônia e do pH. A cama reutilizada apresentou maior teor de MS, maiores valores de pH e potencial de volatilização de amônia e menor teor de nitrogênio. O probiótico usado nas rações resultou em maior potencial de volatilização de amônia. As lesões de coxim plantar e joelho foram maiores quando utilizada cama nova. As camas reutilizadas por dois, três e quatro ciclos causaram menores lesões de joelho e coxim plantar. O probiótico não promoveu efeito benéfico sobre a cama reutilizada.

Bee pollen supplementation in diets for rabbit does and growing rabbits - doi: 10.4025/actascianimsci.v35i4.18950

Background: broilers spend most of their lives in contact with litter; litter quality can affect their health and performance. Objective: the effects of litter treatment on performance and carcass lesions were evaluated in five consecutive flocks with 640 male broilers each. Methods: a completely randomized model was used comprising eight treatments and four replicates. The treatments included (1) untreated litter, (2) litter subjected to in-house composting, (3) litter treated (LT) with aluminum sulfate, (4) LT with gypsum, (5) LT with quicklime, (6) LT with dolomitic limestone, (7) LT with zeolite, and (8) LT with charcoal. Chopped elephant-grass hay was used as poultry litter in all flocks. Results: none of the litter treatments were found to influence the performance and carcass lesions of the male broilers in all five flocks. Furthermore, poultry litter treatments were not economically viable. Conclusion: poultry litter treatments did not affect the performance and scores of carcass lesions of male broilers, but increased the cost of poultry production.