Research conducted in the Department of Poultry Science has three primary functions: 1) Add to the base of scientific knowledge, 2) Provide opportunities for appropriate graduate degree training programs and 3) Provide information that will be useful to the poultry industry in Georgia.
These research programs include the following areas:
Poultry Health
Poultry health research programs emphasize problems in the diagnosis and control of economically important diseases of poultry. Applied and basic research is focused on solving problems of importance to the industry.
Nutrition
Poultry nutrition is an applied science, and nutritionists' research helps to determine requirements, prepare premixes, formulate feed, determine profit maximizing nutrient levels and more.
Physiology
Research in physiology focuses on growth and reproduction. Specific research includes regulation of myogenesis in avian embryos and the role of surface carbohydrates in sperm-egg interactions in birds.
Genetics and Molecular Biology
Focuses of research in genetics and molecular biology include the genetic relationships of growth and reproduction in diverse poultry populations.
Environment
Environmental research in poultry science studies the impact of processes that occur in our land, air and water and the effects they have on overall poultry health.
Management
Georgia is the largest poultry producer in the world, and management research at UGA leads to the development of new processes and technologies that help make production safer, healthier and more efficient.
Microbiology
Microbiology in the poultry industry can cover a broad range of subjects, such as the effects of temperature on broiler carcasses.
Processing Technology
This subject area focuses on the development of new processes and technologies for the processing of poultry products.
Coccidiosis
Coccidiosis is a major issue in the industry, and this area of study looks at the control of coccidiosis by interference with site-finding receptors on parasite cell membranes of invasive stages.
New Focus Area
In addition to the research efforts outlined above, the department has identified two major focus areas for collaborative efforts among faculty. These areas have been identified as important areas that are relevant to current industry concerns and needs.
- Processing/slaughter technology impact on yield and further processing
- Nutrition/genetic/management relationships with regard to new genetic stocks