Egg flock size linked to profitability as well as salmonella

According to a report in USA Today published in early September, there is a definite link between large flock size and Salmonella enteritidis. Not to mention large flock size and . . . profitability.

Citing a paper destined for publication in January in the journal Poultry Science, the newspaper says that, on average, large-scale U.S. layer operations with more than 100,000 hens per house are four times more likely to test positive for Salmonella enteritidis than smaller houses with fewer than 100,000 hens. The story also referred to the low profit margins that egg producers make on a dozen eggs.

Better Farming – November 2010