Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is now recognized as a major global public health problem which has been aggravated by the irrational use of antimicrobial agents in human and animal health as well as the presence of these agents in the environment. AMR in animal pathogens makes disease treatments ineffective, increases the …
The first step for the development of a poultry industry in India was taken in 1860 with the founding of the Indian Poultry Club in Lucknow by some British officers. Then in early 20th century foreign missionaries began to import foreign or exotic breeds. One of the first breeds to …
There was a time when a banquet in Jhabua district of Madhya Pradesh was considered incomplete without kalamansi to eat. Kala or black and masni or meat, literally means bird with black meat. Kadaknath (strong), as the fowl is popularly known, graced every rite and ritual. It is not just …
long before the birth of Christ, a bird, never seen before in the valley of the Blue Nile, reached the court of the pharaohs. Neither the architectural grandeur of the court nor the
As the red jungle fowl started travelling across the globe, its connections to different aspects of human life also grew. It assumed the responsibility of sounding the wake-up call to humans. Because of this role, it was regarded as the Herald of Dawn and the guardian of good over evil …
The red jungle fowl (RJF) is one of the four jungle fowls found in the Indian subcontinent belonging to the genus Gallus, the other three being grey, Ceylon and green. It is also know as Gallus bankiva or Gallus gallus murghi. RJF is distinct in its appearance. It's strikingly colourful …
There are scientific theories on the monophyletic (tracing origin to one ancestor) and polyphyletic (many ancestors) origin of modern day fowls. The former goes with the theory of Charles Darwin (1868) that rjf is the sole ancestor of all the domestic chicken. He considered rjf the sole ancestor because, among …
Unfortunately, it is not just rjf that is suffering from neglect. There are 20 desi or indigenous fowl breeds in India, all of which possess unique characteristics. Aseel , meaning true or real, an aggressive bird known for its fighting abilities has now become extremely rare and is found only …
Doctors in Hong Kong have recently diagnosed a 19-year-old woman with the bird flu infection. With this, the total number of confirmed human cases have gone up to 16. Five people are still under observation as doctors suspect that they may also be carrying the virus. Hong Kong's attempts to …
on december 29, 1997, Hong Kong’s administration started slaughtering all poultry in the region in an effort to stop the spread of the new strain of influenza virus, a (h5n 1). By January 3, 1998, several unanswered questions remained scattered amidst the rotting carcasses of more than a million birds. …
Till the time researchers come up with an effective vaccine against A (H5N1), prevention is the only way to avoid the deadly virus. Beyond that, early recognition of infection and specific treatment with the drug amantadine before the infection becomes too serious is the only line of defence. Prevention involves …
following the death of two people in Hong Kong due to a new strain of influenza virus (a h5n1) that was mysteriously transmitted from poultry to humans, the Malaysian province of Sabah has imposed a complete and immediate ban on import of livestock, poultry and related products from Hong Kong. …
researchers in England are attempting to herd a flock of ducks with a robot. Researchers from the Silsoe Research Institute and Oxford University Computing Laboratory have chosen ducks in the test because they feel that ducks react quite like sheep, but move very slowly. This means that robots can keep …
EUROPE'S farm buildings have concentrations of ammonia, bacterial toxins and dust, high enough to harm both farm workers and animals. Roger Phillips of the Silsoe Research Institute, Bed- fordshire, has reached this conclusion following a four-year study for the European Commission of farm buildings in Britain, Denmark, Germany and the …
THE erstwhile -cold war between, the us and Russia seems to have given way to a war over chickens! If a threatened Russian poultry ban takes effect, yankee chickens may no longer be welcome in Russia. Apparently, Russians are holding out the ban threat -as a measure to protect Russian …
Broiler farm litter mixed with wood shavings and poultry droppings make an excellent fuel for generating power, contends Fibrogen Ltd, a UK-based developer, builder and operator of power stations (Technology Partnership Initiative. issue 7). Fibrogen buys poultry litter and transports the same to covered storage pits in the power station. …
Silk industry wastes containing large quantities of waste pupae can be used as poultry feed, according to researchers of the Department of Chemistry, Cotton College, Guwahati. The scientists have shown that waste muga (a wild silk obtained from the cocoon of an Assamese moth) pupae in dry form is rich …
PAKISTANIS are cutting down on eating beef and are moving towards chicken. Although chicken was previously considered a luxury dish, the growth of the poultry industry has led to a major slash in prices, making it affordable for the less wealthy, writes Panos Features. Besides, there are fears that many …
EVEN AS the midwestern states in USA are awash with flood waters, farmers in the southeast are contending with a severe drought and face agricultural losses that have already hit $800 million in the Carolinas and Georgia. US department of agriculture authorities say the worst-hit crops in the tri-state area, …
WHAT DO an exotic dish of frog legs and the homely egg have in common? Extreme cruelty in bringing them to the table, according to Compassion In World Farming, a British voluntary organisation that has campaigned against factory farming for more than 20 years. The organisation has brought out two …
Which schoolchild looks forward to a class in geography where the exciting topic of stars and constellations is reduced to dull discussions, books and a plastic globe? It was perhaps with this in mind that the Nehru Planetarium has attempted -- successfully -- to convert lessons into fun. Onward To …
