Hatchery and transportation factors associated with early poult mortality in commercial turkey flocks

Department of Poultry Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7608, USA. donna_carver@ncsu.edu

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.

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