Business update August: What’s new in the world of poultry

Aviagen opens its 9th and largest hatchery in US

Aviagen has built a new parent stock hatchery in Quitman, Georgia. The 7,246 sqm state-of-the-art facility becomes the 9^th and largest in Aviagen’s US fleet, with the ability to set 1.1 million eggs per week. The company has invested US$28 million in the hatchery. The company says that hatchery’s significant production capacity is made possible using 80 Jamesway Platinum 2.0 next-generation incubators and 56 Jamesway Platinum next-generation hatchers.

HatchTech and Pas Reform sign patent license agreement

HatchTech and Pas Reform have entered into a long-term global strategic patent agreement covering post-hatch early feeding for day-old chicks.

Significant academic research has been undertaken worldwide into the digestion and feed absorption processes of young chicks, and the role of post-hatch feeding. Building on the outcome of these studies, the HatchTech R&D team initiated research and testing around early feeding, becoming a patent holder for early-feeding solutions for day-old chicks. Based on this knowhow, HatchTech launched HatchCare in 2014. The hatcher provides newly hatched chicks with feed, fresh water, light and fresh air right from birth. In 2018, Pas Reform launched SmartStart™, a post-hatch feeding solution which provides newly hatched chicks with nutrition and hydration in a single formulation. It comprises 2 key elements that can be applied individually, or together, namley precision feeding and intelligent lighting.

Tjitze Meter, CEO of HatchTech (left) and Harm Langen, CEO of Pas Reform, shake hands after signing the global strategic patent agreement covering post-hatch early feeding for day-old chicks. Photo: Pas Reform

Trouw Nutrition to be gold sponsor at World Mycotoxin Forum

A part of Trouw Nutrition’s vision is to mitigate the negative impact of mycotoxins on animal health and performance. To contribute to knowledge transfer related to mycotoxin risk management, the company is a gold sponsor of the World Mycotoxin Forum to be held in Belfast, Northern Ireland, from 14 – 16 October, 2019.

Serving as a gold sponsor underscores the company’s efforts to help animals attain their full genetic potential. Mitigating mycotoxin in feed helps protect animal’s health and performance while sharing knowledge and solutions with other stakeholders is integral to managing mycotoxin risk

Hy-Line donation funds future research

Hy-Line International, along with its sister company, Hy-Line North America, recently made a sizable donation for future research in poultry genetics, breeding, nutrition, air quality and environment control at the new Robert T. Hamilton Poultry Teaching and Research Farm at Iowa State University. The Hy-Line Genetics Research Wing will focus on unique genetic lines developed and maintained at Iowa State for decades.

Cobb-Vantress certified as an avian influenza clean compartment

The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) recently certified Cobb-Vantress’ US operations as an Avian Influenza Clean Compartment. The company’s US-based pure-line facilities, including pedigree and great-grandparent farms, feed mills, and hatcheries, were certified after extensive USDA/NPIP auditing that confirmed all biosecurity and flock management practices met programme requirements. This was a complex process that took more than 2 years of planning, preparation and auditing to complete. Compartmentalisation was introduced by the World Organisation for Animal Health in 2002 and was adopted by the NPIP in 2006.

Dr. Denise Heard (right), NPIP senior coordinator, presents the certificate to Melissa Phillips (left), quality assurance auditor and NPIP coordinator at Cobb-Vantress. Photo: Cobb-Vantress.

Bayer sells animal health business unit to Elanco

US-based Elanco Animal Health has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Bayer’s animal health business unit. The transaction is valued at US$7.6 billion consisting of US$5.3 billion in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments, and US$2.3 billion in Elanco stock. The divestment is expected to be concluded in mid-2020.

Bayer’s animal health business enjoyed sales of US$1.8 billion in 2018. It develops and markets products and solutions to prevent and treat diseases in companion and farm animals.

Cargill to open Innovation Lab at University of Illinois

The Research Park at the University of Illinois will soon be home to the newest Cargill Innovation Lab. Students focused on solving challenges across the global food and agriculture systems will now have a new space to test their work.

Led by Cargill’s digital labs team of data scientists, Innovation Lab students and staff will work directly with Cargill business leaders, operations teams and customers to help move digital ideas to test mode.

Boehringer Ingelheim opens Health Management Centre in China

Animal health company, Boehringer Ingelheim, announces the opening of the Boehringer Ingelheim Health Management Centre (HMC) in China. Located in Shanghai’s Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, the HMC has an investment of nearly €3 million in its first phase. It is a full-service reference laboratory with all diagnostic disciplines to provide comprehensive diagnosis for animal diseases. The veterinary reference laboratory of the HMC, containing a serology lab, a molecular biology lab and a bacteriology lab, is currently capable of detecting more than 10 animal pathogens.

Designed for veterinary reference laboratories, the HMC integrates animal disease and health diagnostics as well as monitoring tools to maintain and enhance animal health. Photo: Boehringer Ingelheim

Boehringer Ingelheim to showcase vaccines and services at WVPAC 2019

Boehringer Ingelheim will exhibit at the 21^st World Veterinary Poultry Association Congress. This year’s theme of the conference is “Poultry: The value of protein for one’s health” focusing on food safety and biosecurity. This, says Jérôme Baudon, head of the company’s poultry business unit, fits in well with Boehringer Ingelheim’s aspiration of preventative care.

Animal control made easy with Smart.Light

To render animal control easy and efficient, animal house out¬fitter WEDA Dammann & Westerkamp has developed the Smart.Light. With the help of this innovation, the status of feed intake of the individual animals or pens is indicated directly at each valve in the house.

Due to the LED lamp, animals with a deviating feeding behaviour can be identified immediately. If the animals have consumed their feed quantity according to the feed curve, the lamp remains off. If only 80% of the typical feed quantity is consumed, the Smart.Light turns yellow. If the feed quantity consumed is below 80% of the feed curve, the Smart.Light turns red. Action can be taken immediately.

The status of feed intake is very closely monitored with the Smart.Light.