Ralph A. Ernst

Ralph Ernst

Extension Poultry Specialist
Emeritus

Education

  • B.S., Agricultural Education, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 1959.
  • M.S., Poultry Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 1963.
  • Ph.D., Poultry Physiology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 1966.

Research Interests

Recent research has addressed
1. Forced-air cooling of shell eggs,
2. Table egg sweating and Salmonella enteritidis contamination,
3. Effect of carbon dioxide levels during incubation on hatchability.

Selected Publications

Ernst, R.A., J.R. Millam and F.B. Mather, 1987, Review of life?history lighting programs for commercial laying fowls. World's Poultry Science Journal 43:45?55.

Ernst, R.A., 1987, Microbiological monitoring of hatchery and hatching egg sanitation. World's Poultry Science Journal 43:56?63.

Emery, D.A., P. Vohra, R.A. Ernst and R.E. Burger, 1990, Egg production and shell quality as influenced by choice?feeding of hens. Applied Agricultural Research 5(1):70?74.

Ernst, R.A., and F.B. Mather, 1992, Effect of lighting and moving age on performance of Leghorn pullets. Journal of Applied Poultry Research, 1:291?295.

Ernst, R. and A. Mireles, Jr., 1993, Reflective coating on feed bins reduces feed temperature. J. Appl. Poultry Res. 2:361-364.

Ernst, R.A., P. Vohra, F.H. Kratzer and O. Ibanga., 1994, A comparison of feeding corn, oats and barley on the growth of White Leghorn chickens, gastrointestinal weights of males, and sexual maturity of females. J. App. Poultry Res. 3:253-260.

Zeidler, G., R.A. Ernst, J.F. Thompson, D. Bell and A.J. King, 1994, Egg and Egg Products chapter in 1994 ASHRAE Handbook, Refrigeration Systems and Applications, ASHRAE, Atlanta.

Ernst, R.A., 1995, Housing for Improved Performance in Hot Climates. In: Poultry Production in Hot Climates, CAB International, Wallingford, UK.

Bokhari, S., D. Kuney, R.A. Ernst, D.D. Bell and G. Zeidler, 1995, Candling errors (overpull) in California shell-egg processing plants. Jour. Appl. Poultry Res. 4:100-104.

Ernst, R.A., L. Fuqua, H.P. Riemann and S. Himathongkham, 1998, Effect of sweating on shell penetration of Salmonella enteritidis. Jour. Appl. Poultry Res. 7:81-84.

Ernst, R.A., 1999, Chapter 15, Poultry and Egg Production. In: Introduction to Animal Science, John Wiley & Sons, NY.

Ernst, R.A., 2002, Chapter 62, Egg Quality Assurance Programs, In: Commercial Chicken Meat and Egg Production, 5th Ed., Kluwer Academic Publishers, Norwell, MA.

Thompson, J. F., J. Knutson, R.A. Ernst, D. Kuney, H. Riemann, S. Himathongkham and G. Zeidler, 2000, Rapid cooling of shell eggs. Jour. Appl. Poultry Res. 9:258-268.