Weekly livestock and equine news: December 19, 2022

Report analyzes antibiotic use in U.S. poultry

U.S. broiler chickens receiving antibiotics in the hatchery decreased from 90% in 2013 to 0% in 2021, according to new research from the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. The report, funded by the association and the FDA, analyzes data collected from 2013 to 2021 on U.S. broiler chickens and turkeys, as well as data from 2016 to 2021 for layers. According to the report, turkeys receiving antibiotics in the hatchery decreased from 97% in 2013 to 40% in 2021.

Tennessee Tech opens new Poultry Science Research Center

Tennessee Tech University this month celebrated the grand opening of its Poultry Science Research Center. The new facility includes two 30-foot-by-200-foot poultry research barns, a feed mill, a processing plant, a commercial kitchen, a hatchery and a classroom. “Through this center and the Aviagen Poultry Science Laboratory (inside the center), our students will be able to do a few key things: gain hands-on experience, apply current industry practices, and also gain a better understanding of the scientific process and be leaders in that process,” said Kevin Braswell, vice president of university advancement.

Hereford Veterinary Clinic plans production animal facility to train Texas Tech veterinary students

Hereford Veterinary Clinic, in Hereford, Texas, has broken ground on a new instructional center that will serve as an educational facility for Texas Tech veterinary students during their final year of school. The instructional site is an 18,000-square-foot facility located west of Hereford. Its focus is on providing resources and veterinary services in food animal and production animal medicine.

MentorVet and AASV launch mentorship program for new swine veterinarians

The American Association of Swine Veterinarians and MentorVet will collaborate to launch a mentorship program for young swine veterinarians in 2023. Through the partnership, AASV will award five full scholarships to early-career swine veterinarians within the association to participate in the spring 2023 MentorVet program. MentorVet is a six-month virtual professional development program that aims to promote wellbeing and decrease burnout in the transition to veterinary practice. AASV members who have graduated in the past five years (class of 2018-2022) can apply for the scholarship through February 3, 2023.

Louisiana veterinarian receives scholarship award for research on equine glandular gastric disease

Louisiana veterinarian Linda Paul has received a $5,000 scholarship from The Foundation for the Horse for her research into equine glandular gastric disease, Horsetalk reports. The Equus Foundation Research Fellowship is awarded each year to a doctoral or residency student who has made significant progress in the field of equine health care research. Paul’s current work focuses on identifying mechanisms of equine glandular gastric disease, or EGGD, a common disease of active horses that can lead to signs of colic or decreased performance. Paul is a Ph.D. candidate in biomedical and veterinary medical sciences at Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine.

‘Brief, modest recession’ likely in 2023: CoBank

While the U.S. economy isn’t currently on the verge of recession, high inflation indicates recession is likely in 2023, according to a new report from CoBank. “As financial conditions continue to tighten, we expect the U.S. economy will steadily soften through the first half of 2023, ushering in a brief, modest recession,” said Dan Kowalski, vice president of CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange. “The unemployment rate could rise as high as 5%, indirectly leading to a decline in consumer spending. Without this softening in the labor market and the associated slowing of wage gains and spending, it will be difficult to stabilize prices.”