Location: Poultry Research
Project Number: 6064-13000-014-002-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2020
End Date: Oct 30, 2025
Objective:
1) Characterize particle size distribution and density of bioaerosols within a poultry incubator during the hatching phase.
2) Assess microbial populations associated with particulates during the hatching phase.
The objective of this research is to assess effects of Escherichia (E.) coli mitigation in commercial poultry production as affected by rearing practices, litter management practices, and differing environmental management strategies on production efficiency and resource use.
Approach:
Risk of transmission of E. coli in the commercial hatchery is most likely to occur during the hatching phase as down and shell fragments become airborne in the incubator. Migration of particulate matter within the incubator is dependent upon particle size distribution and density. However, airborne particulate characteristics during the hatching phase are unknown. The goal of this project is to characterize the particulate size distribution, density, and resulting biological load to assess transmission risk during hatching. Particulate sampling monitors will be placed in poultry incubators during the hatch phase and used to collect high frequency measurements to characterize spatial and temporal particle size distributions. In addition, cascade impactors will be used to assess microbial populations associated with particulates during the hatching phase.
