Over four million tonnes of poultry manure are produced annually in the UK, containing about 100 000 tonnes of nitrogen (N). During the housing, storage and land spreading of poultry manures, ammonia N losses have been estimated at 44 000 tonnes per annum, equivalent to about 19 % of estimated UK ammonia emissions in 1996. Poultry manure applications to agricultural land should supply no more than 250 kg total N/ha per annum to comply with recommendations in the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Water Code and proposed manure loading rates in designated Nitrate Vulnerable Zones in England and Wales. To recycle the annual manure N output from 1000 layers and 1000 broiler places requires 2.6 and 2.0 hectares of land, respectively. To make best use of the readily available N content of poultry manures, applications should be made when there is a crop requirement (generally spring and summer) and should be managed as part of an integrated fertilizer N programme.

Models of heat loss partition in poultry suggest that, above the zone of thermoneutrality, insensible heat loss increases while sensible heat loss mechanisms decline in importance. Comparison of evaporative and total heat losses at low and high relative humidities suggest this may not be correct at high temperatures and high humidities.

The principal source of eggs and meat in Bangladesh is the large population of indigenous free range scavenging rural poultry. However their performance is far below that of standard exotic stocks. An absence of varieties that are able to thrive well in the harsh hot and humid environment, poor nutrition and high incidence of disease in the rural areas are the main problems affecting poultry production. Under these conditions the standard exotic stocks suffer most from heat stress, malnutrition and diseases, while among the indigenous varieties Naked neck fowl perform better in terms of egg and meat production, and are more resistant to disease than their fully feathered counterparts. Crosses between indigenous Naked neck fowl and exotic standard breeds also perform better than similar crosses using fully feathered indigenous fowl. However, research has not yet been done to determine the potential usefulness of Naked neck birds in the development of stocks that are better adapted to the needs of the rural farming community. This paper brings together the available information on the performance of indigenous Naked neck fowl in the hope that it will draw the attention of scientists world wide to its interesting characteristics and facilitate future research. This could help in producing improved stocks better suited to the rural communities of Bangladesh and those in other countries where similar physical and socioeconomic conditions are to be found.

As the result of phosphorus being identified as the most harmful pollutant, government regulations introduced in the Netherlands in the 1990s to reduce environmental damage from livestock wastes used phosphorus content as the marker criterion. This subsequently led to reductions in the amounts of phosphorus included in animal feed compounds. Particularly in the case of broiler breeder and broiler grower diets, it was concluded that increased mortality, increased morbidity and other adverse effects on performance were largely the result of insufficient dietary phosphorus. Measures taken have included on-farm addition of supplementary phosphorus and calcium and adjustments by the feed industry. In general, levels of performance have now been restored. However, it is concluded that more research on optimum phosphorus levels is desirable, particularly as producers have to bear the cost of the residual phosphorus in the poultry manure produced.

Throughout the continent of Africa the keeping of indigenous fowl by village communities has been practised for many generations. These birds, which are generally kept on a free range system, currently make up more than 80% of the continent's poultry flock. Although requiring minimal resource input and considered secondary to other agricultural activities by farmers, this type of production has an important role in supplying local populations with additional income and high quality protein. However, high mortality, especially in growers, constitutes the greatest constraint on development. Indigenous fowl are not a particular variety but are the result of erratic crosses between local and imported stocks. Growth and egg production of the indigenous birds are low and their limits of performance are rapidly reached when feeding and management are improved. However, the meat and eggs are much preferred by the consumers and fetch premium prices compared with commercial birds. The genetic potential of the indigenous stocks could be improved through crossing with selected but still robust varieties.

The recorded history of the turkey spans about 500 years. Turkeys originated in North America, were domesticated in Europe, and are now an important source of food in many parts of the world. This review touches on some major episodes in the history of this valuable and beautiful bird, its discovery, domestication, the fame it achieved, its name and the development of some varieties, including the broad breasted phenomenon and Beltsville Small White.

Few descriptions of traditional duck farming in Vietnam are available. This small study reports on these traditional techniques before they disappear as a consequence of the country's rapid economic and social development. Five production farms and two hatcheries located in South Vitenam were evaluated. The study covered basic questions relating to farm and hatchery management, nutrition, vaccination, pharmaceutical use, costs and priority needs. Questions were translated into Vietnamese for personal interviews. Out of five production farms, three did not use the local veterinary services. However, four used a French duck plague vaccine and not the Vietnamese product. There was little knowledge on the appropriate use of pharmaceuticals. Hatching methods within the two hatcheries were similar to those of South China. The traditional farming systems made efficient use of a scavenging resourcefulness of Vietnamese farmers in their present situation, and identified areas for disease control and research.