Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Who's playing chicken here?

Sunday, January 4, 2009

"Tailgating a tractor trailer is much more dangerous than being around live chickens," the National Chicken Council in the United States said in December. That statement follows widespread publicity regarding a John Hopkins University study claiming that diseases could be spread by transporting chickens in crates on flatbed trucks.

In the study, published in the first issue of the Journal of Infection and Public Health, scientists took samples from air and the surface of cars driven "two to three car lengths" behind chicken trucks for 17 miles.

"Air samples collected inside the cars showed increased concentrations of bacteria, including antibiotic-resistant strains, that could be inhaled," a press release issued by John Hopkins University Bloomingdale School of Public Health said.

The study was conducted on the Delmarva Peninsula, a coastal area shared by Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. The cars were driven with all windows open and air conditioners and fans shut off.

"The findings support the need for further exposure characterization and attention to improving methods of biosecurity in poultry production, especially for regions of high density farming," the John Hopkins press release said.

The chicken truck study "is unrealistic in that few people would choose to tailgate a load of live chickens for
17 miles with the windows rolled down," the poultry council news release said. "The recommended safe following distance (to avoid an accident) is at least five seconds." BF
 

Current Issue

March 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Farmer Planting Decisions for 2025 Taking Shape

Thursday, March 13, 2025

As farmers across Canada prepare for the 2025 crop year, Statistics Canada says their planting decisions reflect a complex mix of factors including moisture conditions, crop rotation considerations, and market prices. Nationally, farmers are expected to plant more wheat, corn for... Read this article online

Grain Growers of Sounding the Alarm Over U.S. Tariffs

Monday, March 10, 2025

Not surprisingly, the Grain Growers of Canada (GGC) is raising concerns over the United States' decision to impose a 25% tariff on Canadian grain and grain products, a move that could jeopardize the livelihoods of family-run grain farms and lead to higher food prices for American... Read this article online

International Women’s Day – Angela Cammaert

Wednesday, March 5, 2025

As International Women’s Day approaches on March 8, Farms.com is asking women in ag about what they’d tell their younger selves about being a farmer, to give a piece of advice to young women entering the ag sector, and to highlight a woman in agriculture they consider a mentor or... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top