Poultry World edition 10 of 2020 is now online

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Interview: “Poultry education has to adapt constantly to the new reality”

Universities worldwide need to professionalise when it comes to poultry education, according to Prof Sjaak de Wit, head of the Integrated Poultry Health Care department in the Veterinary Faculty at Utrecht University, which he combines with his position as senior researcher at Royal GD animal health service.

Designer vaccines for free range poultry

Farm-specific inoculations, also known as an autovaccine, are becoming more mainstream. In close consultation with a veterinarian, the specific colony or colonies of bacteria are analysed in the lab before a tailored vaccine is produced.

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Tailored per farm, autovaccines can provide a solution to the many different E. coli strains, erysipeloid and Pasteurella on free-range farms. Photo: Herbert Wiggerman

Selling free-range eggs online

A free-range chicken farmer in New Zealand decided to sell eggs online following a steep drop in demand due to the Covid-19 lockdown. He soon saw consumers return and his business boom.

Poultry farmer Bruce Greig is originally from South Africa. He called his farm in New Zealand ‘Thulani Free Range Pastured Eggs’. Thulani is the Zulu word for peace and quiet. He has 1,300 hens producing 660 eggs a day. Photo: Chris McCullough

Riding the waves of Covid-19

A return to some degree of normality is not likely to be seen until 2022-2023, and even then, the pandemic waves and outbreaks will continue to drive the significant changes we are already seeing in broiler supply, market demand, labour, and logistics.

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In these stormy waters, flexibility is the key if poultry processors are to ride the waves of Covid-19. Photo: Meyn

EU Parliament decides fate of ‘veggie meat’

In a recent vote, the European Parliament decided not to ban the use of meat-related names – burgers, sausages, and steaks – for plant-based substitutes. European meat and dairy organisations argued that using such terms for plant-based products is misleading.

A 2019 survey conducted by the European consumer organisation BEUC found that most Europeans are not bothered by the use of meat-related words in plant-based product marketing. Photo: ANP/Peter Parks

Fly larvae improve leg health

A recent study used live black soldier fly larvae as an environmental enrichment tool, which triggered intrinsically motivated behaviours that can potentially promote activity and reduce leg problems, thereby improving broiler welfare.

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The study investigated the effect of scattering fly larvae in the litter on broiler behaviour, contact dermatitis, lameness, and performance. Photo: Dennis Wisse

New take on tackling litter management

Maintaining good litter quality is a constant challenge. A new take on litter management using the latest probiotic technology in feed can help to support favourable in-house conditions.

Without effective control measures in place, litter quality can quickly deteriorate and create a poor environment where the birds struggle to thrive. Photo: Morten Larsen

Misset International Webinar Week on demand now

Poultry World hosted a number of webinars which focused on a range of pertinent issues affecting the poultry sector. Topics included poultry gut health, antibiotics, and animal welfare.

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Poultry World editor, Fabian Brockötter, is joined in studio by Julien Kanarek of DuPont. He spoke about boosting gut health through improved protein digestibility. Also in studio was Eline Holtslag, an incubation specialist at Royal Pas Reform, who discussed post-hatch feeding in the context of antibiotic reduction. Photo: Misset

Omega-3 from algae for nutritious eggs

Fish oil is a traditional source of omega-3 but due to a limited supply, a new source is required. Algae are helping to fill the gap and delivers health benefits to egg consumers.

Omega-3s in layer poultry diets not only bring significant health advantages to the hens but can also transfer these benefits to the consumer via their eggs. Photo: John Portlock

Even low levels of mycotoxins impact broiler performance

A 3-year study has demonstrated the negative effects of low levels of naturally occurring toxic substances, i.e. the mycotoxins found in animal feed, on poultry performance and health.

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“Even though levels of mycotoxins were low, the mixture of those present…had a profoundly negative impact on bird health and performance,” said lead researcher, Oluwatobi Kolawole. Photo: Chris McCullough

AI prevention and innovative biosecurity measures

The use of lasers is being trialled on a Dutch free-range poultry farm to see if they are effective in removing the threat of avian influenza contamination from wild birds.

The current study was looking at scaring wild ducks and other wild birds through a laser on a platform 6m above ground level. Photo: Chris McCullough

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