Antibiotic-free (ABF) and no-antibiotics-ever (NAE) poultry production requires growers to pay closer attention to the environment inside the poultry house. One of the key areas for assessment is the poultry litter itself which can be a source of ammonia emission and a home for harmful poultry pathogens. In a WATT Global Media webinar to be broadcast at 10:00 AM Central on Thursday, July 12, 2018, Dr. Casey Ritz, from the University of Georgia, and Dr. Craig Coufal, from Texas A&M University, will present ammonia control strategies for ABF production and advice on litter microbiology and pathogen control.
WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:
- How to control ammonia levels inside an ABF house.
- How poultry litter properties influence pathogen populations.
- How litter management options can influence pathogen levels.
This webinar is sponsored by Jones Hamilton and presented by WATT Global Media.
Speaker Info:
Dr. Casey Ritz, professor and extension coordinator at the University of Georgia’s Poultry Science Department, has worked as an extension poultry specialist for over two decades. He’s worked with broiler producers on house management, environmental and waste management. His primary focus is the development of educational and research programs with an emphasis on poultry production management and environmental issues involving waste management, nutrient management planning, water and air quality. Ritz received his B.S. in Zoology and M.S. in Animal Science from Brigham Young University and his Ph.D. in Poultry Science from Virginia Tech.
Dr. Craig D. Coufal, associate professor and extension specialist in the Department of Poultry Science at Texas A&M University, currently serves as the associate department head for extension and as the extension program leader for Poultry Science. Coufal’s extension and applied research program focuses on poultry litter and waste management, development of strategies and management practices to minimize the potential for environmental impact from poultry production systems, and egg sanitization. He also teaches two undergraduate courses in the Department of Poultry Science.Prior to joining the Department of Poultry Science at Texas A&M in 2008, he was an extension specialist with the Mississippi State University Poultry Science Department from 2006 to 2008. Coufal received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Poultry Science from Texas A&M University.
Dr. Guillermo Zavala is the founder of Avian Health International. Dr Zavala holds a DVM and a specialty in poultry production from the University of Mexico; a Master of Science, a Master of Avian Medicine, and a PhD in medical microbiology from the University of Georgia. He has worked in broiler and breeding companies, vaccine companies, one diagnostic laboratory, two academic institutions and as Adjunct Professor at the Department of Population Health, University of Georgia. His field of research is in applied virology (CIAV, IBDV, tumor viruses, ILT, enteric viruses and fowl adenovirus). He has 32 publications in peer-reviewed journals.