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Norton Joins Poultry Science Department Faculty
AUBURN, Ala. - Birds have always intrigued Bob Norton and his interest in our fine feathered friends may soon benefit Alabama's poultry industry.
Norton, a native of Springfield, Ill., joined the Auburn University Poultry Science Department faculty on July 1, flying South from Arkansas. He hopes to help Alabama's poultry industry become even more productive by improving the health of producers' flocks.
Norton's interest in birds has been life-long. It began in childhood when he would follow his mother, an ornithologist and teacher, on her birding expeditions. That interest endured when he went to college, first at a small Missouri college (Culver-Stockton College) and later when he transferred to Southern Illinois University to earn a degree in general biology and forensic science.
Realizing that the job market for ornithologists was limited, Norton decided to pursue poultry science as a career, a decision that has allowed him to combine his interest in birds and also in basic science. He received a master's degree in animal science with a poultry emphasis from Southern Illinois, then served for three years in the U.S. Army.
While in the Army, Norton did research at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, (USAMRIID) in Maryland where he was involved in the development of vaccines.
After he was discharged from the Army, Norton combined his bacterial experience with his interest in poultry by earning the Ph.D. at the University of Arkansas in poultry health, specializing in health problems caused by bacteria and parasites. He graduated from there in 1992 and stayed in Arkansas on a post-doctoral fellowship before coming to Auburn.
His work in Alabama will focus on pathogenic bacteria and parasites, expertise that is direly need by Alabama's poultry industry.
"My work here will focus on identifying the problems and also finding the solutions to those problems," he said. "Solutions are the hard part," he admitted, noting there stringent requirements about the use of drugs in poultry limits the available drug arsenal for poultry producers.
"We have to concentrate on management and there are always improvements that can be made in management," he said. "Very often those changes can be done inexpensively and can often have significant impact for the producers."
"We are working very hard on a problem called proventriculitis, which is an enlargement of the proventriculus, which is part of a bird's digestive tract." Proventriculitis is not fatal, but it causes the proventriculus to enlarge. At slaughter, this enlarged organ often ruptures and can contaminate the carcass, which disrupts the processing line.
Another problem he is tackling is necrotic enteritis, which is a bacterial disease that can wipe out many birds at a time. "This disease is a multi-factorial problem because the disease is not just caused by the bacteria," said Norton. "It is aggravated by management problems, which means there is no simple solution. You can't go in and make just one change. You have to make a number of changes."
Norton's research is focusing on finding non-drug solutions to these and other poultry disease problems. "I think drugs are going to become less available and we are going to have to find other ways to deal with these problems. Developing vaccines and breeding disease-resistant birds may be the only tools we have in the future," he said.
In addition to his research, Norton also will be teaching poultry science courses and is currently developing a class in anaerobic bacteriology for poultry students.
The result of his research and teaching efforts can be a stronger poultry industry, which will help provide high-quality, affordable poultry products for Alabama consumers while also supporting Alabama's economy.
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News from:
Office of Ag Communications & Marketing
Auburn University College of Agriculture
Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station
3 Comer Hall, Auburn University
Auburn, AL 36849
334-844-4877 (PHONE) 334-844-5892 (FAX)
Contact Jamie Creamer, 334-844-2783 or jcreamer@auburn.edu
Contact Katie Jackson, 334-844-5886 or smithcl@auburn.edu
