A Huge New Member Benefit Has Arrived!

Hello PSA Members! I am pleased to officially announce that we now have a brand-new website. This new site is going to enhance your member benefits with the Poultry Science Association.

The new PSA website offers a robust membership directory, giving members a detailed profile where you can provide a biography, work experience, areas of expertise, education, and more. Profiles are only the beginning! You will be able to send connection requests to members, adding to your poultry science network. Established connections will allow you to message you contacts online and grow your presence with other members of our community.

Speaking of community, the new site also features unique communities based on topic areas, the latest research, and more! These communities give you the opportunity to hold discussions, share digital files, and ask questions. Think of communities as your one-stop-shop for instant networking with poultry scientists of similar interests and areas of research.

We understand that the new site has a lot of features, so in order to ensure you have a successful start, we have prepared some details to guide you through your first login. We are also pleased to announce that the new website utilizes Single Sign On (SSO) with our membership database. This means, you do not need to remember a new password! The credentials used to manage your membership or register for a PSA event are the same credentials used for the new website. This is the first in our plans to work towards a more integrated SSO experience for our members.

Sam Shafer

Marketing Manager, PSA

Annual Meeting Registration

Early bird registration for the 2024 PSA Annual Meeting is now open. The conference will be held July 15-18, 2024 in Louisville, Kentucky at the Galt House Hotel. Reservations for the Galt House are also open now through June 24, 2024.

For more information, to register, and secure your room, visit the Annual Meeting pages here.

Latin American Scientific Conference Abstract Submission

Abstract submission for the 2024 Latin American Scientific Conference is open now through June 26, 2024. For complete details, please visit the PSA Website.

Eggshell translucency linked to hatchability, unrelated to other egg traits

Eggshell quality plays a key role in hatchability. The flotation method has been favored to detect eggshell quality due to its low cost and practicality. However, this method comes short of detecting some abnormalities such as hairline cracks and translucent spots. A newer method of measuring egg shell quality has been developed to score eggs based on the amount of translucency of the eggshell. This summary highlights a study published in Poultry Science that investigated the possible interactions of various eggshell measurements.

Peas and pea products in broiler diets -- effects on growth, carcass, gut microbiome

This study from The Journal of Applied Poultry Research investigated the effects of different proportions of peas, pea protein concentrate (PPC), and hulls in pelleted broiler rations, measuring growth performance, carcass characteristics, and changes in intestinal microbiota. Results of this study indicate that peas can serve as an effective replacement for some soybean meal in broiler diets without compromising on growth performance.

Contact with adult hens affects the composition of skin and respiratory tract microbiota in newly hatched chicks.

This interpretive summary is the PSA Hatchery Selection for April. Written by María José Valdez (University of Autonomous of Barcelona) and edited by Jo Ann Chew (University of Alberta).

The primary objective of this study was to compare the microbiota composition between chicks that had early contact with adult hens and those that did not, aiming to identify key differences and potential implications for poultry health. The study found that exposure can provide chicks with beneficial microbiota. Therefore, creating environments that encourage natural behaviors and interactions between chicks and adults could reinforce this exposure.

Write Interpretive Summaries

Have you read PSA's monthly interpretive summaries? Have you ever thought about wanting to write one? The PSA Hatchery is seeking students interested in expanding their writing skills to serve as an interpretive summary author. This is a great addition to your resume!

Interested students can contact Jo Ann Chew (Sr. Student Director) and Muhammad Ali (Jr. Student Director) via hatchery@poultryscience.org for more information and to volunteer.

Jr. Student Director Nominations

The PSA Hatchery is seeking nominations for Jr. Student Director. The Jr. Student Director serves on the PSA Board of Directors along with the Sr. Student Director. Graduate students interested in this role are to complete the nomination form below (nominees may be self-nominated or you may nominate one of your peers).

The Jr. Student Director will serve in this role on the Board of Directors from 2024-2025 and then assume the Sr. Student Director role from 2025-2026. The Student Directors serve to represent the student interests of the Association.

Student Travel Awards

Students who have submitted an abstract and entered it into the Student Competition are eligible for a 2024 Travel Award. The award is given in the form of an expense reimbursement. Complete details are available at the link below.

Egg Shell’s Microbial Diversity

This short communication from Poultry Science^® shows the microbial diversity on the shell surface of eggs. The eggs were collected from four distinct regions in China and yielded results suggesting that eggs collected from northern and southern China farms had higher bacterial and fungal abundance.

Are you interested in being featured through a Member Spotlight? Or maybe you would like to nominate someone? Complete the Member Spotlight submission form here!

Chasity Pender

Current Employer:

dsm-firmenich

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree: Virginia Tech
• Master's Degree: Virginia Tech
• PhD: Virginia Tech

Area of Expertise:

Poultry immunology and gut health

Where did you grow up and did you have poultry in your youth?

I grew up in Frediericksburg, VA. I did not have poultry growing up.

What was your first job out of school and what were your responsibilities?

I was a Congressional Science and Technology Policy Fellow with the American Association for the Advancement of Science sponsored by the Federation of Animal Science Societies. I worked in the House of Representatives for a California Congressman representing one of the most agricultural districts in the United States. I handled many issues for the Congressman including agriculture, food safety, and animal welfare.

If you had a motto that applied to your daily professional career, what would it be?

"Just dance, gonna be ok!"

-Lady Gaga

What value does your PSA membership offer you?

A wide range of connections with industry, academic, and agricultural leaders as well as an opportunity to expand my knowledge of the poultry field.

What is your favorite poultry breed?

Polish

Fun fact about me!

I can twirl fire and knives!

Broiler Hatchability

Hatchability is an ongoing challenge for U.S. broiler producers. In February 2024, the USDA reported average chicks hatched was at just 79%. There was a time not so long ago when rates closer to 85% were the norm. Since the cause of the challenge is still unknown, producers, nutritionists, and everyone in between is throwing a variety of management practices and nutritional interventions at broiler birds in an effort to boost the number of chicks hatched per hen. Join PSA as we sit down with Dr. Hugo Romero, NOVUS, as he shares his insight on the challenge and how nutrition may be part of the problem as well as the solution.

Want to Participate?

Do you want to squawk with us? Complete the Let's Squawk About It Episode Idea Submission Form to send us your topic for consideration on the show!

Topics of Interest to Poultry Scientists

Below you will find several news articles and resources of interest in the field of Poultry Science.

“Approved by FDA” is Mandatory on Labeling for Approved Animal Drugs

Read More>>

dsm-firmenich and Agrifirm partner to create a new platform for transparent, sustainable and responsible poultry production

Read More>>

USDA-FSIS’s Updated Meat, Poultry and Egg Product Inspection Directory

Read More>>

APHIS Reflects on 2023 Accomplishments, Looks Forward to 2024

Read More>>

Generation Z will transform how chicken is marketed

Read More>>

USDA Seeks Nominees for the American Egg Board

Read More>>

New Members of the Poultry Science Association

The Association is pleased to welcome the following individuals who started or reinstated their PSA membership in March 2024. Please note that some individuals may not have listed their organizational affiliation.

Professional Members

Diana Ayala

Purina Animal Nutrition LLC

Eniola Betiku

University of Arkansas

Chanporn Chaosap

Yujie Chi

Northeast Agricultural University

Benita Geyer

Maple Leaf Farms Inc.

Amy Halls

Trouw Nutrition Canada

Tanka Khanal

Chunmei Li

Nanjing Agricultural University

Jianhong Li

Northeast Agricultural University

Jiaguo Liu

Nanjing Agricultural University

Luigi A. Moreira

Trouw Nederland BV

Ramon Ochoa

Elanco Salud Animal S.A. De C.V.

Phillip Purdy

USDA - Agricultural Research Service

Jose A. Rivera Ulloa

AlzChem

Fernando Salgado-Bierman

Maple Lodge Farms

Michael Schutz

University of Minnesota

Benedetta Tugnoli

VETAGRO S.P.A.

Dongping Wang

Amlan International

Dale F. Williamson

Global Animal Products

Huansheng Wu

Jiangxi Agricultural University

Hui Yu

The Ohio State University

Runxiang Zhang

Northeast Agricultural University

Jun Zhao

Postdoc Members

Panpradub Sinpru

University of Maryland, College Park

Graduate Student Members

Seth O. Adesope

University of Arkansas

Khalil Ahmad

Walailak University, Thailand

Gideon Ajibola

Purdue University

Seyedehbaran Amini

University of Guelph

Sai Aneesh Reddy Cheruvu

University of Arkansas

Amanda Anthney

University of Arkansas

Muhammad Arslan

Walailak University, Thailand

Kathryn Baugh

Michigan State University

Juan Carlos Valencia Beltran

University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana

Rithu Chandran

University of Florida

Patricia S. de Carvalho

Ghent University

Javier E. De Rosa

Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria

Obi Etseoghena

University of Alberta

Isadora Fabris Laber

Federal University of Santa Maria

Graduate Student Members

(continued)

Zhenming Fu

Yangzhou University

Luis E. Giron Flores

Penn State University

Ishwari Gyawali

University of Georgia

Luz Hernandez

North Carolina State University

Abdul Jabbar

University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Lahore-Pakistan

Rachel Klein

University of Missouri

Pantu Kumar Roy

Gyeongsang National University

Benjamin Londono Soto

University of Alberta

Tapiwanashe Magwaba

Iowa State University

Larana M. matos Alves de vargas

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul

Carter Minson

Kansas State University

Ramesha Nirmali Wishna Kadawarage

Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology

Mayuko Okamoto

Nagoya University

Oluwadamilola Oso

University of Georgia

Bidur Paneru

University of Georgia

Seshidhar Reddy Gudidoddi

University of Georgia

Hemanth Reddy Katha

University of Georgia

Natalee Richardson

University of Guelph

Dawson Richburg

Texas A&M University

Lucía Rizzi

Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria

Anamika Roy

Gyeongsang National University

Luara M. Schlosser

Federal University of Santa Maria

Yabaiz Tahir

North Carolina State University

Patrick Tamatey

Penn State University

Márk Tóth

Szent Istvan Egyetem

Cole Umberson

University of Arkansas

Venkat Umesh Chandra Venkat Bodempudi

University of Georgia

Muhammad Waqas

University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore

Undergraduate Student Members

Alexander Bank

Virginia Tech

Benjamin Corneloup

Texas A&M University

Daniel Eyre

Penn State University

Jillian Gillum

Mississippi State University

Corinne Mayerhoff

Texas A&M University

Chloe Phelps

Virginia Tech

Yara Raad

University of Guelph

Ali Raza

Bahauddin Zakariya University

By The Poultry Extension Collaborative

This resource from The Poultry Extension Collaborative (A collaboration between Purdue University, University of Arkansas, Virginia Tech, Texas A & M, University of Georgia, North Carolina State University and Auburn University) aims to shed light on the issue of toe pecking. Several PSA members were involved in writing and reviewing this publication. Additionally, sources from Poultry Science® are cited.

Synergy in Poultry Production, Food Science, and Public Health for Global Well-Being

An International Poultry Symposium (June 19 – 20, 2024) will be hosted on the campus of the American Farm School of Thessaloniki, Greece and organized by NERA NIMSS group NE-1942: Enhancing Poultry Production Systems through Emerging Technologies and Husbandry Practices.

EVENT INFORMATION:

The International Symposium "Synergy in Poultry Production, Food Science, and Public Health for Global Well-Being" extends a warm welcome to all attendees for this gathering, hosted by the American Farm School of Thessaloniki on June 19th and 20th. Crafted to facilitate collaboration, participants, including academic professionals and industry experts, will delve into enlightening sessions and opportunities to all in the field of poultry. 

Discover the intersections of poultry production, food science, and public health, contributing to the global well-being discourse in a lively and intellectually stimulating setting.

Registration Information:

Interested individuals, your exclusive access to symposium registration awaits!

Symposium (US Citizens): $95 per participant

Symposium (European Citizens/ Greek Citizens): 85Є per participant

Optional Workshops: Olive Oil Tasting & Sensory Analysis or Cheese Tasting & Sensory Analysis: 38Є per participant (EU/Greek citizens) and $40 per participant (US citizens)

June 3-5, 2024

Anyone interested in learning more about commercial broiler production is invited to the Broiler Academy at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences at the University of Arkansas. This introduction to commercial broiler management will cover all aspects of production with an emphasis on farm management. For questions, please contact Zac Williams at zwilliams@uada.edu.