Table-1.
Number of environmental samples collected by source and farm size.
| Environmental samples | Four small farms (200 500 birds) | Six medium farms (501 1000 birds) | Eight large farms (>1000 birds) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (n = 1, 2, or 3)a | 4 | 12 | 24 | 40 |
| Soil/Litter/Bedding (n = 2, 3, or 4)a | 8 | 18 | 32 | 58 |
| Adult bird feces (n = 2, 3, or 4)a | 8 | 18 | 32 | 58 |
| Young bird feces (n = 2, 3, or 4)a (only in mixed age populations)b | 4 | 0 | 4 | 8 |
| Feed (n = 2, 3, or 4)a | 6 | 18 | 32 | 56 |
| Farm swabs (n = 1, 2, or 3)c | 4 | 12 | 24 | 40 |
| Eggshell swabs (n = 2, 4, or 6)d | 2 | 8 | 18 | 28 |
| Total Samples | 36 | 86 | 166 | 288 |
a
Environment samples represented by name and parentheses represents number of samples from each small, medium, and large farm, respectively.
b
Additional feces were collected on farms with mixed age groups.
c
Farm swabs were taken from three different poultry contact surfaces within the poultry house.
d
Eggshell swabs were taken only from layer farms with birds in laying stage