The objective of this review was to identify the general condition of goose feeding by breeders in Kars province. For this survey villages in Kars, where goose breeding was carried out intensively, were identified and family enterprises that bred geese were interviewed face to face. A total of 64 questionnaires were obtained out of these interviews. As a result, it was determined that the number of eggs obtained from those stock which were fed on barley and forage before laying eggs was higher than the number of those which were fed on barley and bread (P<0.01); however, feed which was fed during the laying period did not have a significant impact on the number of eggs that were laid (P>0.05). It was also determined that 36% of the breeders grazed their goslings from the age of 10 days and 53% of the breeders grazed their goslings in meadows until November. Most of the breeders (45%) applied additional feeding to the stock 30 days before slaughter, and mean slaughter weight of geese at the end of the growing period (November) was 4.84 kg. Geese production by conventional methods in Kars uses a more specific feeding program for goslings, while feeding mature geese was not given much attention, and they were only subjected to an additional feeding program based on barley just before slaughter to increase attain desired live weight. It was concluded that by eliminating these shortcomings could improve egg productivity, live weight and slaughter weight.

Among more than 750 known carotenoids, canthaxanthin (CX) has a special place as a carotenoid with proven antioxidant and other biologically-relevant functions. A great body of evidence indicates that CX possesses high antioxidant activity that was shown in various in vitro model systems as well as in animal experiments in vivo. Antioxidant defences of chicken eggs are based mainly on vitamin E and carotenoids and their concentrations in the egg yolk is dependent on their dietary provision. СX is well absorbed from the feed and effectively transferred to the egg yolk and further to the developing embryo. Increased CX concentration in embryonic tissues is associated with increased resistance to oxidative stress. Since oxidative stress is an important element of increased embryonic mortality during the last week of incubation it is highly likely that dietary CX could support chicken viability after hatch. In well designed experiments, it was proven that CX dietary supplementation of the breeder's diet significantly increased anti-oxidative status in the egg yolk and newly hatched chicks and as a result hatching rate of chicken eggs was significantly increased. Taken together, the aforementioned results clearly indicate that CX provides a great deal of benefits for chicken eggs, embryos and chickens during early postnatal development.

Two reviews are available in published literature relating to the effects of ascorbic acid on poultry performance. The first review was written by Pardue and Thaxton in 1986 who reviewed the role of ascorbic acid in alleviating the negative effect of heat stress in poultry birds. The second review was presented by Whitehead and Keller in 2003, who detailed the general effects of ascorbic acid in poultry birds, not taking into consideration ‘heat stress’. The first review is deficient in the literature published after 1986, while the second review does not describe the effect of ascorbic acid in heat stressed birds. The present review describes the past and present knowledge of ascorbic acid in alleviating heat stress in poultry birds with new aspects. Heat stress is associated with compromised performance and productivity through a decline in feed intake, nutrient utilisation, growth rate, egg production and quality, feed efficiency and immunity. Heat stress is also characterised by a reduced antioxidant status in birds, resulting in increased oxidative stress. Moreover, male fertility is decreased when birds are exposed to heat stress. Supplementation of 250 mg of ascorbic acid per kg of feed has been found to be optimum to improve feed intake, body weight gain, feed efficiency, egg production and quality, nutrient digestibility, immune response and antioxidant status in poultry birds. This work compiles past and present information about the role of ascorbic acid in heat-stressed poultry.

Nitric oxide (NO) is generated in human and animal tissues from L-arginine. Its known effects include mediation of the parasympathetic nervous system (effects of aсеtуlchоline), smooth muscle tonus, apoptosis, and tissue differentiation. The physiological effects of NO attract significant theoretical and practical interest in medicine and agriculture due to its possible regulation of physiological functions.

It is known that embryo development involves intensive NO production, but the exact role of NO in embryogenesis is not clear. Elucidation of the features of NO metabolism in the embryo and their correlation with its development is necessary for the clarification of this role. The avian embryo is a convenient object for such research, because of its relatively large size and its development outside the dam, which allows control of all stages of the development.

This article reviews the scientific information on the physiological effects of NO, current hypotheses about their mechanism, and, finally, some perspectives of practical application in poultry breeding. It also reviews of the basic results of our own research that is conducted according to the program of RAAS. It has been observed that NO metabolites contents in embryo amnion and allantois of both egg laying and meat poultry breeds are very different. The value of the difference is more than one order of magnitude, which is seen in more than 30 lines and crosses of hen, quail, turkey and ostrich. It is possible that elucidation of the mechanism of action will allow active regulation of embryo development, as well as the potential for using the indices of NO metabolites content in selection work.

This paper reviews related research results, chicken production scenarios and intervention options with the aim of delivering synthesized and summarized information for the beneficiaries. The majority of chickens in Ethiopia are indigenous breeds and the production systems employed are traditional. The sector in Ethiopia is characterised by low performances, insufficient levels of coordination, specialisation, vertical-integration and efficiency. Over the years, poultry populations and per capita consumption of eggs and poultry meat has been declining in the country. This decline is to the contrary of a high demand for poultry products and the growth of the human population. Various constraints hinder the productivity of chickens in Ethiopia however; there are many opportunities, headway experiences and options that could be implemented to improve the production of chickens. Poultry production is growing more quickly than any of the other major agricultural sectors in the world; therefore this sector will be expected to satisfy the future demands for protein in Ethiopia. It is therefore concluded that all producers should contribute to implementing such headway experiences and options for the improved production of chickens in the country.

There is growing interest in developing natural alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters in order to maintain both birds’ performance and health. In the last decade, Turmeric has been extensively used in poultry diets. Turmeric is a natural herb of the ginger family, Zingiberaceae. Wide range medicinal properties of this plant have been advocated. In poultry feed, Turmeric has been extensively used in different concentrations, dosages and durations. In this review, the beneficial effects of this plant on growth, weight gain, feed conversion ratio, ameliorative effect on liver health, immunomodulatory and antioxidative effects are reviewed.

The opportunities for sustainable utilisation and conservation of chicken genetic resources in Southern Africa need to be addressed. Indigenous chickens are an important animal genetic resource amongst resource-limited rural communities of Southern Africa. They play an important socio-economic role in traditional and religious ceremonies of rural households. They are important in customary rites, such as gift payments. Although the productivity of indigenous chickens in terms of growth and number of eggs per hen per year is low, its production is attained with minimal labour and rearing inputs. The low inputs and, consequently, low risk is one of the major advantages of indigenous chickens production. The conservation of these valuable chicken genetic resources is necessary in the light of the rapid loss of indigenous breeds and strains through commercial dilution and breed replacement. All varieties of domestic species and species with potential for domestication are considered to be important candidates for conservation. Indigenous chicken populations with economic potential, scientific use and cultural or aesthetic interest are of particular importance but all indigenous chickens which are unique and endangered should be incorporated into conservation efforts. This phenotypic information could be useful to standardise the different phenotypes within a region or country and design some criteria for characterisation and description of the indigenous chicken populations into breeds. Molecular markers are an indispensable tool to understand the genetic structures of populations. The assessed phenotypic coupled with genetic information could be a powerful tool towards the promotion of conservation and utilisation of indigenous chicken genetic resources.

Chicken production scenarios, feedstuff resources, and experience of using alternative ingredients were reviewed with the aim of improving chicken production in Ethiopia. The common production systems used for chicken production in Ethiopia are traditional, extensive types. There is a high demand for protein foods, particularly those from poultry in this country. However, the performance of chickens in Ethiopia is poor and consequently the demand for chicken products is not met. This sector is characterised by insufficient levels of co-ordination, little or no specialisation or vertical-integration. Issues with feed are the main factors contributing to reduced chicken productivity, subsequently discouraging chicken producers. Moreover, the recent feed price increment is upsetting many plans for further development of poultry production in this country. Consequently, poultry populations and the per capita consumption of eggs and poultry meat in Ethiopia have been declining. Furthermore, the competition between food and feed is expected to further increase the feed price, forcing producers to look for alternative feeds and locally available feeds for their birds. Possibilities to improve the utilisation of by-products for poultry feed must be reviewed for poultry producers. It is concluded that headway options for alternative feed sources to improve the productivity of chickens in Ethiopia must be explored to alleviate some of the problems seen in this industry.

The poultry industry, with its fast 8-10% growth rate annually, is the second largest industry of Pakistan, however the structural flow of meat products from farmers to consumers is multifaceted. The potential of the meat industry, with its variety of end products, is growing rapidly and serving the wealthier populations of Pakistan and Afghanistan. The meat industry has many emerging constraints for the supply of meat and its products from market to the consumer. Adopting modern poultry farming methods without following the strict hygienic conditions will prove to be a threat in the near future. The traditional supply of all types of meat and related products in the existing market needs strict government monitoring. The structural flow of meat in Pakistan continues in its traditional forms, but nevertheless continues to keep pace with the demands of the Pakistan and Afghanistan. The developing meat industry is facing many emerging problems including diseases, energy crisis and distress sales during disasters, corruption, and government policy. On the whole, the people of Pakistan are conscious about Halal, Healthy and Hygienic (3Hs) meat at a low price. The following paper reviews the current status of poultry meat and its products in this region.

Organic acids and their salts have been approved by European legislation as an alternate source of antibiotic growth promoter in diets, because antibiotics are associated with problems due to potential residual effects via food animals developing resistant strains of pathogens. Citric acid (CA) is a weak organic acid which is a natural preservative and can add an acidic or sour taste to foods and soft drinks. It exists in small amounts in a variety of fruits and vegetables, most notably citrus. Penicillium mould and Aspergillus niger could be efficient CA producers on a commercial basis. Its inclusion in animal diets has been reported to decrease colonisation of pathogens and limit then production of toxic metabolites, improve availability of protein, Ca, P, Mg and Zn as well as serve as a substrate in intermediary metabolism. Its addition in drinking water is not promising for performance, but lower doses would be useful for sanitary aspects and gut health. Its inclusion at 0.5% in the diet improves performance and non-specific immunity of broilers. It also enhanced specific immunity against new castle disease in vaccinated broilers. Current data supports a recommendation in the broiler diet up to 0.75% in pelleted feed and 0.5% in mash diets, with a safety margin of 6.0%. Additional research is needed to determine the feasibility of its use in low nutrient density broiler diets.

The impact of avian influenza (AI) on Thai indigenous chicken genetic resources following the outbreak of the disease in 2004 forms the main objective of this review. A survey was performed on 482 households from 27 villages in seven sub-districts. A total of 482 households representing the North, Northeast and central regions of Thailand were extensively interviewed. All villages had incidents of AI outbreak and chicken depopulation, according to government records. After the AI outbreak, most parental restocking of indigenous chickens in the Northeast and North was from local or home-grown areas, while restocking in the central region was from various external sources. The result found that approximately 45% of those interviewed decreased the number of chickens reared, 40% restocked chickens back to the original number, 15% increased the number of chickens reared, and a few stopped rearing altogether. Thai indigenous chicken strains are traditionally classified by feather colour: black, yellow, red, grey, striped, green, straw, bronze and white. A total of 679 mature and 387 young roosters were photographed and classified by feather colour, shank colour, and comb types. It was found that the AI outbreak had an impact on the genetic resources of Thai indigenous chickens. The percentage of the black-feathered strain, which is mainly found in the North and Northeast, is now in decline. The yellow-feathered strain, which is mainly found in the central region, has also noticeably decreased. On the other hand, mixed strains started to increase. Consequently, the original indigenous genetics tended to represent less and less of the total population, while mixed strains continually increased. This study revealed that the AI outbreak had an impact on genetic diversity of Thai indigenous chickens of Thailand.

The 20th Century saw an astonishing advance in our understanding of genetics and the scientific basis of the genetic improvement of farm animals. The application of genetic principles to chickens in the 1950s and 1960s led to a rapid change in the productivity and efficiency of laying hens and broiler chickens, turkeys and ducks. Subsequently, the application of increasingly powerful computers and sophisticated mathematical algorithms has increased the range of traits that could be successfully incorporated into breeding programs. Random sample tests of the performance of laying hens enjoyed a period of popularity and more recently the few remaining tests included husbandry systems in addition to strain evaluation. Characterisation of avian blood groups has led to the identification of the B21 haplotype that confers resistance to Marek's disease and to selection for this locus in commercial lines. The decade following the millennium saw the publication of the genome sequence of the chicken and the identification of millions of single nucleotide polymorphisms that, coupled with technological advances, made the application of whole genome selection practical in poultry. In parallel, the molecular basis for some Mendelian traits described a century ago is now being deciphered. Similar technologies have been applied to study genetic diversity in chickens and have provided insights into the evolution and domestication of chicken breeds. Finally, in this review, the recent development of the European Poultry Genetics Symposia coordinated by Working Group 3 ‘Genetics and Breeding’ that was based on combining the British Poultry Breeders Round Table and AVIAGEN from West and Eastern Europe, is discussed.

This paper summarises research on farmed ratites and their industries over the past 100 years. Commercial ratite products include meat, skins, feathers and oil. Research on ratites has attempted to enhance the quantity and quality of these products by focusing on the disciplines of breeding and genetics, reproduction and incubation, assisted reproduction, nutrition and animal welfare. Advances in these disciplines are discussed, and directions for future research are provided.

The World's Poultry Science Association was originally formed as the International Association of Poultry Instructors and Investigators in 1912. Its objectives were to foster the development of the poultry industry, and the exchange of information related to poultry science and technology. From small beginnings it has evolved into a strong international organisation with 7700 members in more than 80 countries. The association publishes the World's Poultry Science Journal and promotes and oversees World's Poultry Congresses. It is active in all areas of the poultry industry, from family poultry in developing countries to institutions of research and learning, and production and processing in the industrial world.

Ducks are considered to play an important role in the transmission and maintenance of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus. However, there is limited information on duck management practices in countries where HPAI is endemic. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted on 96 ‘stationary’ smallholder duck farms in Indonesia to describe the management of ducks and to identify practices that could potentially promote the risk of HPAI spread. The mean flock size was 29 ducks, ranging from 1 up to 150 birds. Both the sale and the consumption of eggs were the most important purposes of duck keeping, followed by the use of droppings for fertilizer and the production of meat ducks. About 77% of duck owners allowed their ducks to scavenge. Important hazards for interspecies HPAI virus transmission related to scavenging were identified: 1) intermingling between ducks and chickens on duck farms (48%); 2) frequent contact with neighbours’ chickens (44%); 3) visits to the same paddies by duck flocks from other farms (88%); 4) in the paddies, contact between duck flock and other ducks, chickens, people and wild birds as reported by 88%, 30%, 80% and 77% of duck owners respectively; 5) the keeping of singing birds by 17% of farmers; 6) predators such as the small Asian mongoose (Herpestes javanicus) (25%) and feral cats (20%) visiting the duck farms (these species are susceptible to HPAI infection and might play a role in the spread of the HPAI virus). Many duck owners associated deaths of their birds with the use of pesticides in the rice paddies, and appeared to be more concerned about pesticide toxicity, problems that inhibit scavenging ability and external parasites than about HPAI, which in general was not considered to be of high importance. Hence HPAI vaccination or preventive culling of ducks during disease outbreaks was not conducted on the study farms.

The majority of the Kenyan population resides in the rural areas and is characterised by low income and food insecurity leading to high levels of poverty. Poultry production and in particular indigenous chicken (IC) production play a significant role in the economic and social life of these resource-poor households, contributing to cheap source of animal proteins and cash income. Indigenous chickens are present whenever there are human settlements and their economic strength lies in their low cost of production which is a characteristic of the resource-poor rural households. They are highly adapted to the harsh scavenging conditions, poor nutrition and disease and/or parasite challenges. Their low productivity has hindered their exploitation. This paper highlights the current IC production circumstances with a view to identifying the major challenges which need to be addressed in order to improve the IC productivity and thereby improve the livelihood of the rural households who are the custodian of these genetic resources. It is concluded that the IC in Kenya posses high genetic diversity and are popular among the consumers. There is potential to improve IC productivity in Kenya and therefore individual and national efforts are required that takes into account the whole IC production value chain.

The introduction of the UK Protection of Animals Act 1911 demonstrates that animal welfare has been of concern for at least a century. The matter came to the fore about 50 years ago, when the welfare of hens in battery cages became an issue. Since then poultry welfare research and the development of superior management and housing systems for poultry have been stimulated by the lobbying of animal welfare organisations along with subsequent policy decisions and legislation. WPSA WG9 was formed in 1972 to encourage scientific studies to inform the poultry welfare debate; its members have positively influenced research and development of welfare-friendly housing systems and husbandry throughout Europe. They have also been active in EU projects aimed at improving the wellbeing of poultry e.g. LayWel, EFSA Opinions and Welfare Quality®. Information derived from such projects has influenced EU Directives and national legislation on the protection and welfare of laying hens and broilers, in particular.

Data from a three-year panel (2006–2008) obtained from selected respondents, was used to investigate the impact of the avian influenza (AI) outbreak on the chicken markets in Benin. The trends in sales volume and profit were used as proxy for performance. The Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) regression model was used to examine the factors affecting profit. In general, the AI outbreak adversely affected the performance of the markets during the imposition of restrictions on poultry trade. When AI broke out in Benin and poultry trade restrictions were imposed, the volume of chickens sold per market day per seller declined by 69%. Overall, the AI outbreak did not have an adverse effect on the profit made by the poultry producer/sellers and middlemen. The regression results suggested that the chicken market is more favourable in terms of profit margin for women, literates, young people, middlemen and sellers in Kolokonde regional market. The municipal authority's levy has a negative effect on profitability, while the undersupply of chickens and average volume of sales per market day and provision of market shelters have positive effects. The level of state authority's levy, provision of market infrastructure, women and youth empowerment programmes and behaviour of poultry suppliers have implications for policy measures in the poultry sector.

The World’s Poultry Science Journal is indebted to Prof J.A. Castello, Prof D.K. Flock, Dr D. Grastilleur, Dr S. Cherepanov and Prof N. Yang for the translations of these summaries.

Poultry production and in particular indigenous chicken (IC) production has been recognised as an avenue to improve livelihoods of the rural households. Previous attempts to improve their productivity have had little success due to, among others, lack of a holistic approach in solving the constraints and dissemination of inappropriate technologies given the production circumstances and market dynamics. Marketing as a constraint is often blamed for the failure of interventions to improve livelihoods, despite lack of saturation for IC products at local and national levels and the increasing demand for the same. This paper highlights the past improvement attempts and suggests strategies to improve IC productivity and thereby improve the livelihood of the rural households which are the custodians of these genetic resources. It is concluded that there is potential for improvement of IC production in Kenya given the available genetic and physical resources. However, a holistic strategy that increases productivity without increasing production costs or leading to loss of biodiversity must be developed. Such a strategy must take into account the various uses of the IC in a rural household.