Dervan Bryan

Extension and Research Objectives

The focus of my extension and research programs is poultry production and management leveraging interdisciplinary opportunities for extension and research activities. The goal is to identify important poultry industry issues, develop innovative and meaningful poultry-relevant extension programs and implement those programs using modern online tools and face-to-face formats.  

The main goal of the extension program is to build capacity in the poultry industry. This will be achieved through the training of qualified industry personnel, leadership development and information exchange with the poultry industry in Pennsylvania, across the US and globally. By leveraging the strengths of partners and collaborators we set to bring a full spectrum of research-driven solutions to the industry.

My research focuses on improving the efficiency and sustainability of poultry production systems. This is achieved through the manipulation of the animal's physiology via dietary, management and environmental strategies. As a trained nutritionist and production specialist my research explores the mechanisms of diet interaction with the gastrointestinal tract and its impact on the physiological response to nutrient absorption, retention, and the modification of poultry growth and reproductive efficiency under specific environmental conditions. A key area of my research seeks to improve our understanding of feeding the modern layer. The layer genetics found in the industry requires a new approach other than traditional nutrition. The modern layer demands it to be treated as a biological system that requires synchrony of nutrient delivery under the influence of various stressors and life stages. While nutrition is important such efforts cannot be effective in a production system without proper management of the entire system. Other research efforts are geared toward identifying and improving inefficiencies along the production chain. Using data to drive our decision-making when evaluating factors which can impact the profitability, quality, food safety and sustainability of the poultry industry.