Total farm-level bird count ranged from 2,700 birds - 512,000 birds (median = 77,850 and 48,900 for scenario 1 and 2 data subsets, respectively), and total farm-level poultry house count ranged from 1 - 4 houses (median = 3 for both scenario 1 and 2 analysis data subsets).
Although the main objective in the current study was to examine the magnitude and constituents of preventive biosecurity at the level of poultry production farms, we also had some methodological issues in mind.
A careful balance of energy and minerals (Ca P) is of great importance, because the higher the level of poultry wastes in the turkey diet, the more critical becomes the energy supply and mineral imbalance.
Also in 1944 Hammond reported that cow manure (fresh, and dried at 47°C, 80°C and 120°C) fed at 10% level to poultry replaced lucerne leaf meal in an adequate ration.
These foods were formulated based on Mars Inc. commercial recipes with the inclusion level of poultry meal, maize gluten, ground rice, wheat flour, and beef tallow altered to achieve differences in the macronutrient:energy ratios of the foods (Table S1, Supplementary Data).
The safe dose levels of coccidiostats for cattle have been noted to be lower than the feeding levels for poultry, for example, monensin 30 45 mg/kg [ 2], lasalocid 10 35 mg/kg, [ 3] and narasin 25 mg/kg [ 4].
The pigment at the centre of the scare, canthaxanthin, is also fed to chickens to give their skin and eggs a brighter yellow complexion; the maximum authorised levels for poultry will also be cut.
Since their re-emergence in late 2003, highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1) viruses have spread across the globe, reaching endemic levels amongst poultry in several countries.
For this reason we consider unlikely that demographic differences between the two study populations can explain the observed differences in levels of poultry handling or poultry mortality reporting practices.
Such methods are of particular importance to estimating the reproductive number for outbreaks of HPAI in Asia in which, with high general levels of poultry mortality, cases are likely to be less well documented.
We were also unable to examine in detail data on Campylobacter spp. contamination levels in poultry.
