Browse Animal Production Stories - Page 26

After just two days of developing in the egg, a chicken’s heart beats. Students discovered the beating organ firsthand after cracking open eggs to learn about embryo development in “Chickenology,” a seminar course offered by the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

The poultry industry in Georgia has grown steadily since the 1940s. Like all of agriculture, poultry has had its share of ups and downs. Right now, it’s facing a perfect storm created by high corn prices, escalated fuel prices and a down economy.

University of Georgia scientists were awarded a five-year $4.9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to study ways to kill foodborne pathogens on beef before it arrives on supermarket shelves and in restaurant kitchens.

A team of researchers from the University of Georgia and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is working to develop a new technology to breed chickens resistant to Newcastle Virus.

Millions of bees die each year due to a phenomenon known as Colony Collapse Disorder. Scientists believe a combination of factors contribute to CCD, including pesticides, environmental and nutritional stresses and pathogens.

The University of Georgia Meat Judging Team is high on the hog after a deciding win at the Southeastern Intercollegiate Meat Judging Contest this spring. From grading beef to ranking cuts of pork, the students proved their skills by coming in 84 points above second place finishers North Dakota State University.

A report this week from the Foreign Agricultural Service and the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council shows U.S. poultry meat exports in February increased by 15 percent in quantity and nearly 18 percent in value over the same month last year. This signals an improvement in the world economy, but also shows the value of our ports and agriculture’s driving force to improve our economic situation.

Georgia cattle farmers, both large and small scale, will learn useful research-based information at the annual University of Georgia Mountain Beef Cattle Field Day April 20 in Blairsville, Ga.

Dairy cows are Everett Williams’ life. Whether he’s cutting hay, reusing water or finding more ways to make his dairy viable and environmentally friendly, his work circles around his family farm near Madison, Ga., and the cows that walk into the milking barn three times a day.

In February, University of Georgia poultry experts traveled to the West African country of Mali to establish a poultry and biogas program to improve food security and expand economic opportunities for Mali’s rural poor population, especially its women.