Not all free-range flocks are bad. All systems, if they are well managed and remain disease free, can have low mortality. However, those systems that have outdoor access have additional management difficulties which makes the responsibilities of management even greater and more necessary, if they truly want to be considered more "welfare friendly"

Industry Trends:  Medication, Vaccination, Health Management Strategies in Layer & Breeder Flocks
     [Paper presented at Novartis’s International Poultry Health Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, July 2012]
 
Brachyspira – is it Spiralling out of Control?: 2010  [Reproduced by courtesy of "Pig & Poultry Vet"]
 
Egg Production Drops from Brachyspira Infections: 2010 (slow download:: 4 Mb)
     [Reproduced by courtesy of "World Poultry"]
 
Survey of Flocks in Great Britain for Brachyspira Species + Effect on Production:
    Spiroconference 2009
     [Paper presented at "5th International Conference on Colonic Spirochaetal Infections in Animals and Humans"
     Leon Spain 8-10th June 2009]
 
Tiamulin Treatment of a field case of Avian Intestinal Spirochaetosis
     Caused by Brachyspira pilosicoli:  2009
    [Reproduced by Courtesy of "Avian Pathology"]
 
Good Hygiene Routine can Lessen Disease Outbreaks:  2008
    [Published in Poultry World August 2008]
 
Layers and Intestinal Spirochaetosis:  2008
    [Reproduced by Courtesy of International Poultry Production]
 
Brachyspira intermedia in Layers - Tiamulin Treatment :  WVPA 2007
 
Controlling Brachyspiras in Layers:  2007
 
Avian Intestinal Spirochaetosis - United Kingdom Experiences:  2007
 
Brachyspira Species Isolated From UK Poultry Samples:  2007
 
Avian Intestinal Spirochaetosis in Layers - Spirochaete Survival:  2007
 
Return of an Old Foe - Avian Intestinal Spirochaetosis Re-emerges:  2006
 
Avian Intestinal Spirochaetosis:  Findings in UK Layers
 
Treatment of a Field Case of Avian Intestinal Spirochaetosis with Tiamulin:  Abstract
 
Layers - Flock Production Problems:  Spirochaetosis (.PDF file)
   [Courtesy of "Ranger" (2006) the British Free Range Egg Producers Association magazine]
 
Treatment of Intestinal Spirochaetosis - WVPA Congress 2005: Overview (360kb) Detail (2.1 Mb)
 
Avian Intestinal Spirochaetosis:  Clearing the Confusion
 

Industry Trends:  Medication, Vaccination, Health Management Strategies in Layer & Breeder Flocks
     [Paper presented at Novartis’s International Poultry Health Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, July 2012]
 
Veterinary Medicines in Game Birds:  Feb. 2011 (.PDF 4.5Mb) [Reproduced courtesy of "Modern Gamekeeping"]
 
Treating and Controlling Mycoplasma Infections in Turkeys:  2010
     [Courtesy of "World Poultry"]
 
Review: Antibiotic Activity against Mycoplasma
    & Prevention of Vertical Transmission in Breeder Layers:  2009
    [Presented at XXI Congreso Latinamericano de Avicultura, Havana, Cuba 6-9th October 2009]
 
Prevention of Mycoplasma Gallisepticum with Tiamulin & Chlortetracycline:  Research
 
Evaluation of Tiamulin in Prevention of Mycoplasma gallisepticum Infection:  Chickens
 
M. Gallisepticum Infection in Chickens - Prevention & Treatment:  Tiamulin
 
Antimicrobials for CRD M.Gallisepticum & E.coli : Broiler breeders & broilers
 
Mycoplasma Infections in Turkeys: Treatment & Control
 

Not all free-range flocks are bad. All systems, if they are well managed and remain disease free, can have low mortality. However, those systems that have outdoor access have additional management difficulties which makes the responsibilities of management even greater and more necessary, if they truly want to be considered more "welfare friendly"

Industry Trends:  Poultry Meat & Eggs - Consumption & Production
     [Paper presented at Novartis’s International Poultry Health Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, July 2012]
 
Veterinary Medicines in Game Birds:  Feb. 2011 (.PDF 4.5Mb) [Reproduced courtesy of "Modern Gamekeeping"]
 
Egg Drops - Not so Much a Syndrome, More a Production Failure: HTML  .PDF
     [Courtesy of "Pig and Poultry Marketing"]
 
WHO/OIE Antimicrobial Alert: Antimicrobials for Human Use
 
Avian Vibrionic Hepatitis (Avian infectious hepatitis):  'spotty livers' in laying hens