TUCKER, GA. – The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) and the USPOULTRY Foundation announced the approval of approximately $293,000 for seven research grants. The funding will go to five institutions and two companies through its comprehensive research program.  

The boards approved the research grant of directors of both organizations based on recommendations from the Foundation Research Advisory Committee. 

“Research continues to be fundamental to USPOULTRY’s and the Foundation’s service to the poultry industry,” said Mike Levengood, chief animal care officer with Perdue Farms and USPOULTRY chairman. “The Foundation Research Advisory Committee is the core of the research program with committee members volunteering numerous hours reviewing and evaluating research proposals before making recommendations for funding. We sincerely appreciate and value their time and commitment.” 

The research grants for each institution include:

• Competitive Inhibition of Pathogenic Enterococcus Cecorum by Avirulent Strains/ North Carolina State University (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Wayne Farms, LLC)

• Evaluation of Zero, Four and Six Hour Dark Periods During the First Seven Days on Broiler Performance and Welfare/University of Georgia (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Koch Foods)

• Development of Live Turkey Reovirus Vaccine for Protection from Antigenic Variant Viruses/AviServe LLC (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Virginia Poultry Growers Co-Op, LLC)
• Evaluation of Egg Wash Sanitizers to Reduce Salmonella Contamination on and in Turkey Eggs/ Cargill (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Cargill)
• Understanding the Influence of Branch Chain Amino Acid Interaction on Performance, Feather Quality, Egg Quality and mRNA Gene Expression of Peak and Post Peak Laying Hens/Mississippi State University (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Cal-Maine Foods)
• Blood Chemistry Led Environment Manipulations to Reduce Poult Mortality/ North Carolina State University (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Prestage Farms)
• Infectious Laryngotracheitis Virus (ILTV) Molecular Diagnostics Tools in Need of an Upgrade/ University of Georgia (research grant made possible in part by an endowing Foundation gift from Pilgrim’s)

USPOULTRY’s Comprehensive Research Program dates back to the early 1960s when funds were first approved for poultry disease research. It grew into a program incorporating all poultry and egg production and processing phases. Since the start of the research program, USPOULTRY reinvested more than $34 million into the industry through research grants.