Once again, the world of publishing is moving apace and the WPSJ is keeping up with the new trends. By the time of this publication, the FirstView system should be set up and running – whereby papers, once completed at the editing side, will go online in advance of the print publication. This will help us to get papers out to members as soon as possible, rather than waiting for the next quarterly print run. Citing the papers will still be as before, as each will be allocated to the next available issue. I would like to thank our team at Cambridge University Press for assisting with this change.

Our little team at WPSJ have been busy in the last few months with such changes, and also working with the new Editorial Board appointed in October by the Board Members, which will be have direct input into the running of the journal, making life rather easier on my side. Our previous editorial board members remain an important part of the process, but rather being concerned with reviewing, as with only one meeting per year, their input to the actual running of the journal is, obviously, more limited. In addition, my right hand woman, Dr Shay Hill, whom many authors have had correspondence with, has been invited to attend the next board meeting in Prague in June. Dr Hill is responsible for much of the day-to-day running of the journal, and I would like to thank the board for recognising her efforts by this invitation.

Otherwise, we have various papers for this issue. One aspect that has cropped up recently is the number of more ‘general’ reviews we have received on topics such as plant extracts. As this field is, like many others, very large now, such reviews must be specifically targeted at specific modes of action or individual active compounds. In addition, we are receiving papers on more novel ideas – which are always most welcome. We try to help authors with their papers as much as we can, believing that the advancement of science is principally dictated by communication, and younger scientists should be encouraged to publish their work.

We are now in the middle of 2015, with many exciting conferences and meetings in the poultry world, and I look forward to seeing as many members and authors as possible this year!

Dr Lucy Waldron

Editor

It’s quite amazing that 2015 has gone by so quickly – hard to believe I am writing the December editorial. It’s been a busy year obviously – and the Journal has seen some new developments FirstView is now up and running – this means that, as soon as each individual paper is completed, it will appear online although not in print until the next available issue. This means for authors, that they get their paper out in public much more quickly than they previously did, where all papers had to wait until the print copy was prepared. Authors increasingly ask me when their paper will be ready once it has been finalised – so now that time period is much shorter. The Journal runs about six months ahead of itself (I am currently working on papers for March issue) which is fairly typically for print copy based publications.

Other Journal news – I had a major ‘clear out’ of papers that were languishing on the submission system waiting for final revisions to be made by authors – which is now done and we can get back to our regular turnover. Please note that papers that have sat in the system awaiting revision will now be given a deadline for completion or will be removed from the system – a bit of housekeeping from our side if you like.

As for events in 2015, the Poultry Science Association was kind enough to invite me to their meeting in July. Dr Mamduh Sifri retired formally – somewhat of an end to an era as he is such a major figure in the avian science world and will be missed for his work, research, energy and kindness. The sad loss of Professor Gordon Rosen in August, after a short illness was a great loss to many people – both commercial and in research. There will be a memorial evening for Gordon at the UK Spring Branch meeting at Chester in April – and information will be posted on their website as organisation progresses.

Of course, looking to the future, the major event in the poultry world next year will be the Congress in Beijing. I trust many of you are already planning to attend and I look forward to seeing you there.

Dr Lucy Waldron

Editor

Well, we are already at the first issue of the Journal for 2015, and 2014 seems far away now. We had more than 100 papers submitted in 2014 – some of which are still being processed, but this marks a major increase in the amount of papers we receive at the Journal. When I first started editing the WPSJ, we often had to solicit papers on a regular basis to make up an issue. However, in the advent of online submission systems and improved electronic communication, we are receiving more papers than ever from unsolicited sources. This has had several impacts from an administration point of view. Firstly, we are now in a position to be more discerning in the papers we accept. Increasing focus on detailed topics is now achievable – to the benefit of our readership. However, this has meant that we now have to apply some stricter rules regarding length of papers, as we are restricted in the print copy of the WPSJ. As a result, I now have to enforce the 20 page submitted limit, as longer papers cause delays in publishing for those authors further back in the production system. So, when you are submitting a paper, please respect the page limits imposed out of consideration for other authors. Following the October Board Meeting in Korea, where we were all made very welcome by the organisers (thank you) – several changes to the way the WPSJ is run were actioned. Most important of this was the formation of a Board Editorial Committee comprised of myself, Dr Michelle Tixier-Boichard, Prof Rob Gous and Prof Birger Svihus, with Mrs Dorien Kleverwal from the Dutch Office being involved in the meetings. This will be a boon to myself and Dr Shay Hill, who assists me with the running of the Journal, as we will have colleagues to assist with the ongoing development and success of the Journal. In addition, a revamp of members of the Editorial Committee is underway, with those people involved having to take on responsibilities for sections and topics within the journal – again to increase $ efficiency and quality. The Board voted for the Journal to move to an online publishing system called FirstView, whereby as soon as papers are completed, they will go live online, and the later be incorporated into the print issue. This will allow us to get papers out faster, and get better visibility of the publications from the WPSJ. So 2015 will be a year of change – but for the betterment of the Journal and for WPSA members.

Dr Lucy Waldron

Editor

At the time of writing (and the Journal is always prepared several months before the print copy reaches our readers) I am sat in the cold wet winter of New Zealand. As such I am keeping warm and dry inside with the heating on full. You may think this is just some of my ramblings – $ but it does have a point – one of our papers this issue is a very interesting comparison of welfare between the different methods of poultry husbandry. As such, from this and other behavioural studies, it seems that people and chickens have certain aspects in common – we both prefer the indoors when its nasty or dangerous outside.

This issue covers areas including fertility, nutrition and alternative feed materials, specialist ingredients for growth and disease prevention. The WPSJ always strives for variety in the papers it publishes – hence if any members have a novel project ongoing, please consider us for publishing a review. In addition, some of you may have noticed that we are now using FirstView to get papers out online as soon as the editing has been completed – this will help get papers out earlier and as they are finished – no more waiting for the next print issue. These papers will still be assigned and cited for the issue they are ascribed to, and of course the print issue, for those members that need it, will still be posted out in the same way as before. In addition, after board meetings and dicussions with the FAO, it has been decided that INFPD papers, unless they have global appeal, shall be sent for FAO publication. Thanks to Drs Fallou Gueye and Olaf Thieme for their help in this. For anyone with local INFPD papers – please contact Fallou directly at efgueye@gmail.com.

I have been privileged to be invited to attend the PSA meeting in Kentucky in July and I am greatly looking forward to seeing many US based authors, editors, colleagues and friends during the conference. Many thanks to the organisers and those at WPSA US branch for arranging this. We are currently gearing up for the next board meeting – to be held at the Prague conference at the end of August. Looking forward to seeing many reviewers and authors there! Of course, this will already have happened by the time the September issue goes to print - such is the timescales of print publishing.

Dr Lucy Waldron

Editor

In recent years, changing public perceptions and attitudes, as well as a hostile economic climate, have combined to potentially modify French consumer behaviour relating to poultry meat. This paper makes use of a longitudinal dataset that has been constructed through regular surveying of consumers and review information relating to purchasing patterns, perceptions and decision factors in France. These findings will be of interest to marketing practitioners as well as policy makers, academics and others with an interest in the poultry sector.

The design and management of different housing systems affect poultry welfare. In order to compare wellbeing in different systems, two main indicators of poor welfare have been used in this paper: contact dermatitis for meat birds and mortality for laying hens. The former is important since broilers may suffer from it for much of the later part of their short lives; the latter because it is generally preceded by suffering due to morbidity. Other welfare indicators are also important, of course, and some of them have been considered alongside these two. Indoor systems, especially laying cages, provide the safest welfare protection but extensive systems, e.g. free-range, provide more freedom and allow the widest behavioural repertoire. However, free-range systems are generally the most difficult to manage and pose the greatest welfare risks, which can sometimes be serious - even causing death. A possible superior safer approach is suggested.

Avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC) cause extra intestinal disease in chickens, turkeys, and other avian species via respiratory tract infection, giving rise to typical signs related to colibacillosis, such as: septicaemia, enteritis, granulomas, omphalitis, sinusitis, airsacculitis, arthritis/synovitis, peritonitis, pericarditis, perihepatitis, cellulitis, and swollen head syndrome. Disease caused by APEC strains results in significant financial losses to the poultry industry worldwide. This review provides essential information on the diagnosis of APEC. The information cited in this review will elucidate the various forms of APEC diagnosis while demonstrating the, lack of a precise diagnosis of this strain. The diagnoses mentioned herein reinforce the necessity to make progress toward a more accurate diagnosis of APEC to contribute to its reduction in poultry flocks.

The concept of ‘sustainability’ or ‘sustainable development’ is multi-dimensional, encompassing economic, environmental, social, and institutional governance aspects. The theoretical framework for this article on sustainability in poultry production is built on this multi-dimensional understanding of the concept, acknowledging that it is complex and contested. It is challenging to analyse or discuss the sustainability of one single sector within agriculture, because this sector is part of a global food system, and a systems approach is necessary. This article gives examples of elements which link to one or more of the four aspects, e.g., pollution and antibiotic use, biodiversity (environmental aspects), conditions for farm workers and animal welfare (social aspects), governance of the food chain (institutional aspects), and the development of poultry from a valuable food to a cheap staple food throughout major parts of the world (economic aspects). There are numerous potential pathways for sustainable development of poultry production. Poultry are living, sentient animals that can be well integrated into many different types of urban and rural farming systems, where they benefit from and contribute to such systems and to the livelihood of households around the globe, with special emphasis on women. Furthermore, local production provides potential for production with minimum transport and, concomitantly, minimum usage of fossil fuels. Among the terrestrial animals, poultry has the best conversion rate of feed to human food and the smallest environmental footprint in terms of energy and water use per kg meat or eggs produced.

Composting is the enhanced biological decomposition of organic materials in a primarily aerobic environment. During the process, microorganisms break down organic materials to stable, usable organic substances in a process which consumes oxygen and releases heat, water, and CO2. Under controlled conditions, the composting process is described in two phases, primary and secondary. Chemical and physical properties of the raw wastes affect the rate of composting. Particle size and surface area of the waste material influence the type of microorganisms involved and the degree of biological activity in the composting process. Composting allows safe disposal of birds and manure and reduces environmental degradation. Composting of poultry manure and dead birds is still a debatable topic, however, with some scientists in favour of composting due to its overwhelming advantages while others are against composting due to certain disadvantages/environmental hazards. The present article is an effort to encompass the overall composting process, its applications as well as troubleshooting various associated issues.

Intestinal health is important for maximising the health, welfare, and performance of poultry. In addition, intestinal health issues in poultry can have devastating financial impacts for producers, and food safety concerns for consumers. Until recently, intestinal health issues were seen as a handful of known infectious agents leading to a set of severe and identifiable named diseases. There is however an emerging area which depicts intestinal health as a more complex and multifaceted system than previously known. Recent progress in technology suitable for microbial community analysis has evolved our understanding of the chicken intestinal microbiome. It is now understood that shifts in the composition of microbial communities can occur. These shifts can result in a series of implications, including: disease, welfare, environmental, and food safety concerns. Minor shifts in intestinal microbial balance can result in a wide continuum of disease presentations ranging from severe to mild clinical, subclinical or asymptotic. Differential diagnosis of poultry intestinal health issues may be challenging and is important for applying appropriate treatment options. This review discusses new and emerging topics in broiler chicken intestinal health, with a focus on microbial composition, newly discovered microbial shifts in classical poultry diseases, range in severity of enteric diseases, newly identified organisms in normal intestinal flora, implications of shifts in intestinal microbial communities and diagnosis of emerging intestinal health issues in poultry.

Keel bone damage (KBD) is a critical issue facing the contemporary laying hen industry due to the likely pain leading to compromised welfare and reduced productivity. Recent reports suggest that KBD, while highly variable and likely dependent on a host of factors, extends to all housing systems (including traditional battery cages, furnished cages and non-cage systems), genetic lines, and management styles. Despite the extent of the problem, the research community remains uncertain as to the causes and influencing factors of KBD. To combat these issues, the current review was produced following discussions from the 1st International Keel Bone Damage Workshop held in Switzerland in April 2014. This exercise sought to assess current knowledge, foster novel collaborations, propose unique methodologies and highlight the key areas where innovative research is needed. The following paper is based on the content of those discussions and presents nine recommendations for future research efforts.

Vegetable protein (VP) diets, i.e. diets based entirely on plant material, are increasingly used by the poultry industry around the world for a variety of reasons, including cost, ingredient availability and growth of the organic product sector. However, VP diets are difficult to formulate because of potential nutrient imbalances, and VP sources can contain anti-nutritive factors, which necessitates processing and nutrient supplementation. In a series of research trials at the University of New England, the nutritive value of VP diets was assessed, in which soybean and canola meals partially or completely replaced fishmeal or meat meal. Diets containing soybean meal or canola meal as protein sources were slightly inferior to diets containing fishmeal but similar to diets containing meat meal. The digestibility of amino acids and minerals was greater for diets containing animal protein sources, but carcass fat content was also higher in birds fed diets containing fish meal. Leg bone development was superior in chicks on diets containing fish meal. The quality of the VP diets was improved through supplementation with carbohydrase and phytase. In feed selection tests, birds preferred diets containing canola meal to diets containing soybean meal, although productivity on the latter was superior. Birds also consumed more of the diet containing meat meal than the VP diets.

Chlamydia (C.) psittaci, formerly known as Chlamydophila psittaci infections cause important economical losses to the poultry industry and are a danger to public health. The economic and zoonotic impact of C. psittaci infections in the Western poultry industry is well documented. Less is known on its occurrence in Asia. In the following review we address C. psittaci infections in Chinese poultry in view of China supplying 40.8% of global egg production and 14.2, 69.3 and 91.1% of global chicken, duck and goose meat, respectively. The current paper compiles English and Chinese scientific literature on C. psittaci infections in Chinese poultry. The paper is focusing on seroprevalence, culture, direct antigen detection, molecular characterisation, observed symptoms, Chinese traditional medicine and psittacosis case reports. A review on the epidemiology of chlamydiosis in Chinese poultry clearly illustrates the widespread presence of virulent C. psittaci strains in chickens, ducks and geese across China. In Western countries, C. psittaci infections in poultry are principally treated with antibiotics. In China, however, herbal medicine is often used in conjunction with antibiotic treatment or as prophylaxis. The applied production and marketing systems facilitate zoonotic transfer. Chinese occupationally acquired psittacosis cases include reports on infections contracted from ducks, pigeons, chickens and peacocks.

Coccidiosis is well known as an expensive, parasitic disease for the poultry industry worldwide. The disease causes real economic losses by causing poor growth and feed efficiency in broilers even leading to high mortality. Consequently, large amounts of money are being spent on vaccination and inclusion of anticoccidial drugs into diets. In recent years, development of resistance to coccidiostats, elevated costs of systematic vaccination and increasing consumer demand for ′natural′ food products has fuelled the development of natural, plant-based alternatives for coccidial control in poultry farming. The anti-coccidial properties of numerous natural products such as Ageratum conyzoides extract (billy goat weed), green tea, maslinic acid, extracts of Polygonum bistorta (Anjbar) and Agele marmelos (Bael), Artemisia sieberi, Artemisia absinthium, the leaves of Neem (Azadirachta indica), Artemisia annua and Aloa vera-based supplements have been reported. This article summarises the experimental knowledge relating to the efficacy, possible modes of action and different aspects of application of botanical supplements as feed additives for the treatment of poultry diseases, especially coccidiosis.

Heat stress is characterised by reduced antioxidant status, and is one of the physiological alterations in response to exposure to higher temperatures in birds, which results in increased oxidative stress and immune suppression. The transcription entity nuclear factor-kappa light chain enhancer of B cells (NF-κB) controls the expression of genes involved in a number of physiological responses, including immune inflammatory responses, acute-phase inflammatory responses, oxidative stress responses, cell adhesion, differentiation, and apoptosis. The nuclear factor-2 erythroid related factor-2 (Nrf2), the redox-sensitive transcription factor, plays a key role in regulating induction of phase II detoxifying or antioxidant enzymes. Thus, activation of Nrf2 is considered to be an important molecular target of many anti-stressor agents. However, during heat stress conditions this regulation is disturbed offering an opportunity for therapeutic intervention. Heat stress is a condition in which the expression pattern of NF-κB and Nrf2 changes. To reduce the negative effects of heat, antioxidants are used in poultry diets for their anti-stress effects, associated with improved nutrient utilisation. For instance, lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, is particularly important because of its ability to quench reactive oxygen. This review focuses on the role of the NF-κB and Nrf2 in heat stress condition and summarises the therapeutic outcomes of lycopene in feed, targeted at the NF-κB and Nrf2 pathways in heat-stressed poultry.

Organic acids are naturally-occurring, carbon containing compounds with acidic properties. Organic acids have antimicrobial activity, which has been utilised for centuries to control undesirable microorganisms in foodstuffs. Interest in the use of organic acids for farmed animals has increased primarily as a result of the desire to reduce foodborne pathogens and the decreasing global acceptance of the use of antibiotics as growth promoters (AGPs). Whilst acidity (or pH) has a profound effect on microbes, it is the undissociated portion of an organic acid that is believed to contribute significantly to their antimicrobial effect. This review focuses on the microorganism, its ability to tolerate acid stress, the effect of organic acids and considers key work behind the application of organic acids in the global poultry industry. This application focussed initially on controlling Salmonella in the feed and intestine of poultry. More recent work with organic acids has highlighted the apparent wider benefits to poultry intestinal health, from improvements in gut morphology to regulation of bacterial virulence gene expression, which are outlined in this review.