Project Number: 6612-32420-001-02
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Jan 07, 2013
End Date: Jan 08, 2015

Objective:
To determine the impact of egg production systems on the Salmonella status of commercial laying flocks in the U.S.

Approach:
Egg production systems throughout the U.S. will be sampled to determine the incidence of Salmonella in the production environment. The U.S. will be divided into 5 regions. Five housing systems will be examined: conventional cage, enriched cage, cage-free (without outdoor access), cage-free (with porches), and free-range with paddock. Over the course of the study, each housing system will be examined three times per region. Approximately 20 samples per housing environment will be collected. Survey information will be submitted with each set of samples to assist with data analysis. Typical Salmonella isolation procedures utilized in our laboratory will be employed.