title: Hatchery and transportation factors associated with early poult mortality in commercial turkey flocks.
abstract: A prospective ecologic study, using routinely collected data from commercial turkey companies, was done of 312 turkey flocks placed over a 1-yr period. The objective was to identify hatchery- and transportation-associated risk factors for poult mortality in the first 14 d after placement using statistical models. Logistic regression was used to determine the effects of hatchery-and transportation-related factors on odds of mortality for hen and tom flocks separately. Hatchery and transportation-related risk factors for hen flock mortality included truck, truck temperature, and number of poults dead on arrival at the farm. Hatchery and transportation-related risk factors for tom flock mortality included desnooding, truck, truck temperature, shipping time, and weather conditions at placement.
authors.affiliation: Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7608, USA. donna_carver@ncsu.edu
authors.forename: D K
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Carver
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fetrow
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gerig
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Krueger
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Barnes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006799:Housing, Animal; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014186:Transportation; D014422:Turkeys / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D014887:Weather