USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announce the completion of a funded research project at the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga., in which the researcher looked for alternative control methods for Blackhead in turkeys. The research project is part of the Association’s comprehensive research program encompassing all phases of poultry and egg production and processing. A brief summary of the completed project is shown below. A complete report, along with information on other Association research, may be obtained by going to USPOULTRY’s website, www.uspoultry.org. The project summary is as follows.
- Project F054: Blackhead Disease (Histomoniasis) – Test the Ability of Zinc to Treat Blackhead Disease and Improve the Efficacy of Nitarsone
Dr. Robert Beckstead, Department of Poultry Science at UGA, recently completed a research project in which he looked for alternative compounds for the prevention and treatment of Blackhead in turkeys. Since effective medications for prevention and treatment of Blackhead are not any longer available in the U.S., practical alternatives are needed. Several chemicals and compounds, including zinc and copper, were found to be effective in laboratory experiments, but when used in turkeys in a simulated field challenge were found to be ineffective. Since no practical treatment alternative is readily apparent, future research will focus on control of the transmission of the disease by focusing on control of its intermediate host, the cecal worm.
