Show Notes
In this episode of The Poultry Podcast Show, Dr. Valentina Bongiorno, Research Associate at Michigan State University and incoming Assistant Professor of Poultry Behavior and Welfare at Auburn University, discusses how poultry behavior connects welfare, production, and barn management. She explains how video recordings, daily observations, movement patterns, resource use, and housing design can reveal practical insights in commercial laying hen systems. Dr. Bongiorno also shares how small facility adjustments, such as changes in nest curtains, can support both welfare and production. Listen now on all major platforms!
"We need to work with the chicken, not against the chicken."
Meet the guest: Dr. Valentina Bongiorno is a Research Associate in the Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University, where her research focuses on poultry behavior and welfare, especially in commercial laying hen systems. She earned a Ph.D. from the University of Turin in Italy, studying poultry behavior, welfare, and production with a focus on local chicken breeds and environmental enrichment. Her work spans cage-free housing, space use, movement, behavioral expression, and interactions among birds, their environment, and management practices. In September 2026, Dr. Bongiorno will join Auburn University as an Assistant Professor of Poultry Behavior and Welfare. Listen to The Poultry Podcast Show with Dr. Valentino Bongiorno to learn more about poultry behavior and welfare research on all major platforms.
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What you will learn: (00:00) Highlight (01:06) Introduction (02:15) Behavior and welfare (08:56) Camera research and monitoring (12:51) AI and precision livestock farming (17:06) Barn observations (20:41) Housing design (30:20) Closing thoughts
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