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Fujisan Poultry Farm, Japan equipped by FACCO

The poultry meat business in Europe and beyond

Dermanyssus gallinae, a wide concern for medical science

Modifi cation of the chicken intestinal epithelial physical barrier

The new feedersof the «Gió» range,specifically developed for great

poultry farms, thanks to the easiness

in the regulation of the feed and to

the absence of grill (that avoid chicks

perching) have many advantages:

they are easy to use and their

cleaning is extremely easy and

fast too, leading to an overall

reduction in labour costs.

CODAF Poultry Equipment Manufacturers • Via Cavour, 74/76 • 25010 Isorella (Brescia), ITALY

Tel. +39 030 9958156 • Fax: +39 030 9952810 • [email protected] • www.codaf.net

EDITORIAL

Poultry products represent a great part of the display in butcher shops and on the

butcher counters of supermarkets. There is a wide assortment, which ranges from

whole, oven-ready chickens to convenience products. During the last few years, no

other meat sector has done so well. This growing interest depends on the introduc-

tion of new products, the nutritional and dietary qualities, as well as the new positive

image of poultry.

On the other hand, however, some fundamental difficulties remain. The fi rst that

comes in mind is the outdated pricing system. It is a real paradox that, after many

years of radical change in the production, processing and distribution of poultry, the

pricing system is almost immutable.

The predominance of non-brand products represents another underlying contradic-

tion. Brand loyalty is a marketing goal, and producers are investing in innovating, in

new brands and trademarks, which aim at capturing consumer confi dence by offering

health and quality guarantees. This is certainly possible today as a result of evolution

of the processing companies. Today’s consumer is aware that the processing indus-

tries offer the very best guarantees of hygiene. However, these products are more

costly and the public is still choosing to save a few pennies.

The processing industries, together with the large-scale modern distributors, have

been successful with products, which are quick and easy to prepare, in portions which

enable the consumer to create personal and appealing menus.

A wide gamma of chicken and turkey products is already on the market. Chicken and

turkey breasts are the most popular of the traditional products.

The consumer still has the last word and the attitudes, which determine the public’s

choices and preferences, are complex. There is no doubt that the poultry industry

perfectly respond to any market change and consumer’s need and seems to be in an

excellent position to maintain the trust of the public.

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AZA INTERNATIONAL S.r.l. - www.azainternational.it Via Roma 29, 24030 Medolago (BG) Italy - Phone +39 035 901240 - [email protected]

BroilersBreedersCocks

PulletsLayersTurkeys

QuailsDucks

THE MOST INNOVATIVE RANGE FOR POULTRY FEEDING :

AZA INTERNATIONAL has been working in the zootechnical sector for more than 50 years assuring high reliability and quality products at competitive prices.

I WANTAZA!

BREEDAZA

Linear trough feeder for breeders suitable for 300 meters long systems with one single motor and loading point throughout the circuit.

Immediate and homogeneous feed distribution throughout the entire circuit.

Easy cleaning and no residual feed inside the trough.

Adjustable anti-cock grid.

Linear trough feeder for layers and pullets.

Manufactured from sturdy light plastic material for easy winching.

The pullets’ version is equipped with a convenient midway drop designed for one day old chicks.

Cage version also available.

FOR LAYERS AND PULLETS

FOR BROILER BREEDERS

The innovative rationing system

Pullets’ version

QUALITY MADE IN ITALY

NEW!

SUMMARY

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36

WORLD WIDE NEWS ........................................................................... 4

COMPANY NEWS .................................................................................. 6

REPORTAGE

The Great Journey - Facco .............................................................................. 12

INTERVIEWAfter 40 years in the French marketplace AZA International still astonishing............ 16

A new specialised turkey hatchery for Turkmenistan ............................................ 18

MARKETINGThe poultry meat business in Europe and beyond ............................................... 20

FIELD CASESRevolutionary layer farm Kipster officially opened ................................................ 24

Great Britain changing lanes: barn or free-range egg production? ......................... 26

TECHNICAL COLUMNDirk Mertens tests the Natural Beak Smoothing pans by Roxell ............................ 30

On-farm traying: a smart idea? ......................................................................... 32

MANAGEMENTBroilers perform better with intermittent lighting programs .................................... 34

Dermanyssus gallinae, a wide concern for medical science ................................. 36

Evaluating hen behaviour and

physiological stressors during ventilation shut down ............................................ 40

NUTRITIONPractical applications of nutrigenomics in poultry nutrition .................................... 42

Modification of the chicken intestinal epithelial physical barrier .............................. 46

Comparison of wheat and maize-based diets on growth of broilers ........................ 50

VETERINARY SCIENCEInvestigation of nutritional diseases at the veterinary diagnostic laboratory ............. 54

A new era of veterinary oversight ...................................................................... 58

MARKET GUIDE ..................................................................................60

UPCOMING EVENTS ..........................................................................63

INTERNET GUIDE ...............................................................................64

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4 - world wide news -

WORLD WIDE NEWS

Experimental vaccine may provide better Salmonella control

USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation announced

the completion of a funded research project at the U.S. Na-

tional Poultry Research Center, USDA ARS, in Athens, Ga.,

in which a researcher completed initial steps toward de-

veloping an experimental vaccine that may provide better

Salmonella control in poultry.

The research was made possible by an endowing Foun-

dation gift from Cal-Maine Foods and is part of the Associa-

tion’s comprehensive research program encompassing all

phases of poultry and egg production and processing. A brief

summary of the completed project is shown below. A com-

plete report, along with information on other Association re-

search, may be obtained by going to USPOULTRY’s website,

www.uspoultry.org. The project summary is as follows.

Project #BRF002: Development and Production of Salmo-

nella Multi-Serotypic and Multi-Subunit Vaccines for Hens

(Dr. Hung-Yueh Yeh, U.S. National Poultry Research Center,

USDA ARS, Athens, Ga.)

Dr. Hung-Yueh Yeh, at the U.S. National Poultry Research Cen-

ter, USDA ARS, in Athens, Ga., recently fi nalized a research

project in which he completed the initial steps toward devel-

oping a vaccine to protect poultry against multiple serotypes

of Salmonella. He identifi ed and purifi ed multiple proteins from

Salmonella which when combined in a vaccine provided signifi -

cant protection against Salmonella colonization of the intestinal

tract of chickens.

Further refi nement of this experimental vaccine may provide a

valuable food safety tool for the poultry and egg industry.

Achieving sustainable production of poultry meat and eggsNew poultry and eggs books have just been released by

Burleigh Dodds Science Publishing - Achieving sustain-

able production of poultry meat Vols 1-3 edited by Steven

C Ricke, University of Arkansas, USA and Todd Applegate,

University of Georgia, USA and - Achieving sustainable

production of eggs Vols 1-2 edited by Julie Roberts, Uni-

versity of New England, Australia.

About the Editors

Professor Todd Applegate is Head of the Department of Poul-

try Science at the University of Georgia, USA. He was formerly

Professor of Animal Sciences at Purdue University, USA. Pro-

fessor Applegate is a former President of the Poultry Science

Association (PSA). Amongst other honours, he is a recipient of

the PSA’s Evonik Degussa Award for Achievement in Poultry

Science, American Feed Industry Association’s Poultry Nutri-

tion Research Award, and the Mapleleaf Farms Duck Research

Award.

Dr Julie Roberts is Associate Professor in the School of Envi-

ronmental and Rural Science at the University of New England,

Australia. She is internationally renowned for her research on

egg production, particularly egg shell quality. She has been

awarded the Australian Poultry Award for her outstanding con-

tribution to poultry science.

Dr Steven Ricke is the Donald ‘Buddy’ Wray Chair in Food

Safety and Director of the Center for Food Safety in the Institute

of Food Science and Engineering at the University of Arkansas,

USA. His awards include the University of Arkansas John White

Outstanding Research Award, the Poultry Science Research

Award and the American Egg Board Award, as well as being

named an Arkansas Association for Food Protection Fellow, for

his outstanding contributions to food safety research.

For further information contact:

[email protected] - www.bdspublishing.com

- november 2017 - 5

WORLD WIDE NEWS

Turkey Science and Production Conference update

The 2017 event was a great success with an increase in dele-

gate numbers attracting over 300 delegates from over 25 coun-

tries and provided an excellent opportunity to learn about tur-

key developments, do business and make new friends.

The 2018 event now celebrates the 12th in the series of this

annual conference, which was formerly the ‘technical tur-

keys’ conference. It will be held on 21st – 23rd March 2018

and ret urns to Carden Park, Chester, UK, which is the new

larger venue used in the last fi ve years.

Plans for speakers are well under way with various speakers

on turkey health, avian infl uenza, zoonoses, management,

welfare and nutrition already agreed and other relevant topics

being pursued.

Details will shortly be available at www.turkeytimes.co.uk or

contact [email protected] if you have any questions or

require further information.

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Since 1988 Agritech has been a European leader in the manufacturing and supply of fibreglass silos in a capacity range from 2 to 75 m3 , specially designed in a modular way for compact road and container transportation, and to allow an easy assembly.

Now, Agritech is proud to introduce a brand new line of own-conceived poultry products including: feed pans in highly-resistant polypropylene for an accurate feed distribution to broilers and breeders ; nipple drinking systems with drip-cups to prevent water dispersion; high volume fans, heaters and gas brooders to provide efficient climate control in the barns.

For more information please visit our website www.agritech.it

6 - company news -

COMPANY NEWS

BD Agricoltura Italia in new offices with warehouse for increased local presence Big Dutchman establishes a subsidiary in Italy

Big Dutchman, the poultry equipment supplier from Germany,

is now present with a subsidiary in Italy, which started operating

from Castiglione delle Stiviere recently. The new premises have

120 square meters of office space and 430 square meters of

storage space. The subsidiary’s location in the valley of the Po

in Northern Italy was selected for a good reason: the town of

Castiglione is situated in the hub of the Italian poultry industry.

“We believe in the potential of this market. Founding BD Agri-

coltura Italia was therefore a logical step to increase our local

presence and truly place our focus on the customer,” explains

Big Dutchman Area Sales Manager Frank Moormann.

In the past, the Italian market was served from Germany. “With

our own warehouse, we can meet our customers’ needs much

quicker,” says Sergio Ferri, Managing Director of BD Agri-

coltura. The portfolio of the market leader for housing equip-

ment in poultry production includes traditional and comput-

er-controlled feeding systems as well as poultry climate control

and exhaust air treatment systems. The scope of services rang-

es from small to large, fully integrated turnkey poultry farms.

A new exhibition hall will display the Big Dutchman product

range in Castiglione delle Stiviere. “Having the actual products

here helps us demonstrate how our poultry equipment works.

An exhibition hall is also a great platform for presenting indus-

try trends with regard to animal welfare and environmental pro-

tection,” states Ferri.

Many poultry keepers in Italy already know the newly appoint-

ed managing director. He has been working with and advising

Big Dutchman customers from Italy for several years now. Ferri

and his team in Italy have many years of experience and an

outstanding knowledge of poultry equipment. They equip new

houses and also always fi nd innovative solutions when reno-

vating old ones.

BD Agricoltura Italia s.r.l.

Contact details:

Via dell’Industria, 9

46043 Castiglione delle Stiviere (MN), Italy

Tel.: +39 0376636215 - Email: [email protected]

BD Agricoltura Italia – meet the team (left to right):

Sergio Ferri, Giulia Ferri, Mirco Gautieri

BD Agricoltura Italia headquarters

- november 2017 - 7

COMPANY NEWS

Vostermans Ventilation is conscious of

the need to reduce energy consumption

and continues to innovate their Multifan

and EMI lines.

Therefore, the ECplus line for high-en-

ergy savings has been developed to

combine optimized motor-impeller com-

binations with ‘plug and play’ intelligent

fan drive.

Also, the company showed their newest

energy efficient extension in their product

range, the Vplus technology with a per-

manent magnet motor.

Visitors of Space were able to see the

real energy consumption of the fans in

the ‘Ready for 2020 and beyond’ display.

For information contact: Vostermans Ventilation

Vostermans Ventilation B.V. - Industrial Zone Venlo 5082 Parlevinkerweg 54

P.O. Box 3025 - 5902 RA Venlo-The Netherlands

Tel.: +31 (0) 77 389 32 32 - Fax: +31 (0) 77 382 08 93

Email: [email protected]

Vostermans Ventilation,

ready for 2020 and beyond

Displaying their best innovative

products at Space 2017

VERONA, ITALY | 31 JANUARY - 3 FEBRUARY 2018from Wednesday to Saturday

MEET UP

Organized by In cooperation with

8 - company news -

COMPANY NEWS

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Aviagen’s slower-growing Ranger Gold makes inroads into German market Ranger Gold achieves accreditation by German animal protection organization, demonstrating commitment to animal health and welfare.

Aviagen® is pleased to announce that its slower-growing breed,

the Ranger Gold™, has been awarded full accreditation by

the German animal protection organization Tierschutzlabel,

Deutscher Tierschutzbund e.V. (DTSchB).

The Ranger Gold is part of the Aviagen Rowan Range® prod-

uct portfolio and yields excellent welfare characteristics, as well

as reliable meat production performance and ease of manage-

ment.

“On the basis of the information given by Aviagen, the Deut-

sche Tierschutzbund e. V. has approved Ranger Gold to be

used in the certifi cation scheme of the Tierschutzlabel ‘Für

Mehr Tierschutz’ trademark,” said Inke Drosse, head of the

department farm animals, Deutscher Tierschutzbund.

Future looks “golden” for slower-growing breeds

The Ranger Gold offers considerable advantages to growers,

such as favourable meat yield, consistently strong production

performance and excellent feed conversion.

Various retail chains have recently announced a move toward

organic, slower-growing and free-range poultry based on a

growing consumer demand worldwide.

Aviagen anticipated the need for breeds aligned to the needs

of this emerging market early on, and developed the Rowan

Range portfolio of slower-growing and colored-feathered birds

for this segment, which is gaining traction, especially in Europe

and the U.S.

R&D focus brings to market broad

consumer choices

A major strength for Aviagen has always been the genetic-line

diversity of its R&D program. This diversity has enabled the

company to consistently offer a wide selection to address a

range of market needs.

“To help our customers remain competitive, Aviagen’s goal is

to proactively respond to ever-advancing consumer require-

ments,” says Henk Steenblik, Commercial and Technical

Manager, Aviagen EPI. “We are currently seeing an increas-

ing interest in slower-growing breeds across the region and

further afi eld in Europe, and have developed the Ranger Gold

specifi cally for customers in this niche market segment. Along

with a slower-growing option that gives performance and pro-

ductivity, customers benefi t from the long-term knowledge

and experience of a company that thoroughly understands

their challenges and is committed to their success.”

Focus on animal health and welfare

Animal health and welfare has always been the highest priority

in every aspect of Aviagen’s breeding program. In addition to

DTSchB accreditation, the Rowan Range slower-growing prod-

ucts have met the criteria for many accredited animal welfare

programs worldwide, including the Royal Society for the Pre-

vention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in the U.K. and Beter

Leven (Better Life) in the Netherlands.

- november 2017 - 9

COMPANY NEWS

Corti zootecnici srl via volta N°4 - Monvalle (VA) - Italy

tel: +39.0332.799985 - fax: +39.0332.799358 / 799787 e-mail: [email protected]

Our high-tech feeding systems are suitable for any age of animals

We offer a vast choice in the poultry breeding sector in order to meet the demands of modern animal production

Now we’re able to meet any requirement also in the pig breeding and feeding sectors

10 - company news -

COMPANY NEWS

Easy transport for eggs with Arion Fasoli's dividersArion Fasoli showed their products and equipment at the SPACE 2017 with great

success. The company launched a brand new product for poultry farms on the

market: ARION’S PALLETS and DIVIDERS, special stackable trays for stackable

and safe pallet transport of large quantities of eggs.

The plastic pallets dividers system allows safe transport of egg trays, without requiring

the use of plastic fi lm to stabilize the pallet. Made of high quality polypropylene (PP),

the dividers are lightweight, washable and easy to disinfect.

The plastic and the dyes used are specifi c for food use and can be washed with hot

water and / or detergents.

In addition, the shape of the dividers allows a good positioning of egg trays, avoiding

sharp oscillations or accidental breaks.

The Arion’s brand new system consists of 5 pcs dividers and 420 pcs egg tray and is

delivered in almost all RAL-colours. It is realized in high-quality PP virgin material and

provided with UV stabilisation.

For further information contact:

Arion Fasoli - Raffa di Puegnago

25080 - Via Nazionale, 69 - Brescia - Italy

Tel.: (+39) 0365 654152 - Fax: (+39) 0365 554798

Centenaro Di Lonato

25017 - Via Lavagnone, 8/A - Brescia - Italy

www.arionfasoli.com

Costco teams up with Marel Poultry

Over the last 3 years, the Marel Poultry Team has been

working hard, together with representatives from Cost-

co Wholesale and their newly formed poultry processing

company, Lincoln Premium Poultry, on a state-of-the-art

greenfi eld plant in Fremont Nebraska.

This order marks the largest single order to date for both the

North America Region and Marel as a whole. Marel, in part-

nership with its customers, is transforming the way food is

processed by enabling our customers to deliver affordable and

high quality food in a sustainable way.

Latest technology

Marel Poultry has been chosen to equip Lincoln Premium Poul-

try with the latest technology Marel Poultry company can offer

from the ATLAS live bird handling system with CAS stunning

lines through scalding, defeathering, evisceration, chilling, cut-

up and debone to inspection and robotic packing. The entire

system will be monitored by the Innova food processing soft-

ware to help achieve full traceability and raise efficiency.

2 Million chickens

Costco has purchased 414 acres in Fremont and the site will

hold a chicken hatchery, feed mill and processing plant. The en-

tire supply chain will be concentrated in a 100 mile radius. The

goal is to produce 2 million chickens a week, the processing

plant will handle about a third of the raw and rotisserie chicken

sold at Costco stores nationwide. Marel Poultry will deliver the

system by the end of 2018 with a start-up around April 2019.

Walt Shafer, Project Leader for Lincoln Premium Poultry and

Larry Campbell, VP of Sales for Marel Poultry shake hands on

the largest single order to date for Marel. Also pictured, Ray

Collison, Matt Brass and Scott Thompson.

- november 2017 - 11

COMPANY NEWS

Jamesway proud to supply Hendrix-Genetics’ new hatchery in Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts celebrated the opening of Hendrix Genetics’ new hatchery in Grand Island. The $18.5 million facility covers 20 acres in the northeast section of Grand Island’s Platte Valley Industrial Park.

Jamesway was pleased to attend the grand opening as suppli-

er of the Incubation, Hatching and Ventilation. “It is a fantastic

state-of-the-art facility for this hatchery,” said Pete Ricketts,

who toured the facility with Nebraska Department of Agriculture

Director Greg Ibach.

Attending the ceremony was Antoon van den Berg, chief exec-

utive officer of Hendrix Genetics.

“This is a showcase for the company” - van den Berg said.

This very well publicized project aims to develop the local

markets of the area and is heavily endorsed by the local gov-

ernments. The 24 million layer chick hatchery is supplied

with Jamesway Platinum 2.0 Single-Stage incubators and

hatchers. The hatchery demonstrates the commitment of Hen-

drix Genetics in serving the US-market with premium quality

day-old layer chicks. The site was chosen for its’ prime location

which will allow a chick to be delivered anywhere in the U.S.

within 24 hours of hatching.

Jamesway was an easy choice for machine supplier especially

considering their focus on biosecurity. The Platinum 2.0 with

its removable ECU allows the entire machine to be fully

disinfected in minutes, making it the most biosecure ma-

chine on the market. Jamesway also supplied the HVAC

systems. The facility is installing 30 P120 incubators and

18 P40 hatchers.

For more information:

Jamesway Incubator Company Inc.

Tel.: +1 519 624 4646 ext. 1240 - Fax: +1 519 624

[email protected] - jamesway.com

Hy-Line International hosts record Technical School

Hy-Line International, the world leader in layer poultry ge-

netics, recently hosted a record-breaking technical school.

The four-day Hy-Line International Technical School at-

tracted more than 160 customers from more than 40

countries.

The program included a series of presentations given by Hy-

Line Technical Services and Research teams as well as indus-

try experts.

Speakers presented topics ranging from pullet nutrition, biose-

curity and infectious disease to hatchery management and egg

nutrition. An entire day was devoted to live demonstrations

and workshops at Hy-Line’s Dallas Center, Iowa campus,

detailing vaccination technique, hatchery breakout, poul-

try lighting, genomic selection and more. Participants also

visited the Hy-Line Egg Quality Laboratory.

Dr. Douglas Grieve, Hy-Line’s director of global techni-

cal services stated, “It was great to receive our worldwide

friends and colleagues. We learn a lot from our guests on their

local markets while updating them on our recent genetic and

management advancements.”

Founded in 1936 by Henry A. Wallace, Hy-Line was the fi rst

poultry breeding company to apply the principles of hy-

bridization to commercial layer breeding. Today, Hy-Line In-

ternational continues to be a pioneer as the fi rst company with

its own in-house molecular genetics team leading the industry

in application of DNA-based technology to its breeding and ge-

netics program. Hy-Line produces and sells both brown and

white egg stock to more than 120 countries worldwide and

is the largest selling layer in the American egg industry

and around the world.

From Left to Right: Jason Anderson; Area Sales Manager for

Jamesway, Jim McKay; Sales Director for the Americas at

Jamesway, Peter Mumm; Director of Business Development, Doug

Metzler; General Manager, Dominic Babineau; Soteck

12 - reportage -

REPORTAGE

The Great JourneyThis title was the pleasant theme given by Massimo Finco to the

celebration of 60 years of activity recorded by the Facco company

headquarted in Marsango (Padua). A great festival, the essence of

which went beyond commercial interests, as intended by the host, to

embrace convivial moments and to create an opportunity for social

and cultural exchanges.

The event took place from 6th to 8th September,

and included guided tours of Venice and Padua

and concluded with a grand gala evening in the

company's renovated Marsango home.

The inspiration for the theme given to the event

was born out of the idea of linking the Facco

company to a profoundly motivated hypothetical

traveller, capable of continually reviewing his ide-

as, driven by curiosity and always able to relate

to other cultures, religions and civilizations. It was

no coincidence that Marco Polo was the chosen

historical point of reference and that on the 7th

September the conference programme included,

with the title “sul fi lo dell’acqua”, a motorboat trip

and walking routes in Venice where actors in hi-

First stop in Venice


REPORTAGE

storical costumes told unedited stories concerning Marco Polo.

This day's activities concluded in Padua with an exclusive visit

to the Basilica of Sant'Antonio, rich in art masterpieces and

food for thought on the compassionate fi gure of a Saint open to

embracing various other cultures and religions.

The 8th September also commenced with an insight into art

and culture during a guided tour of Padua University, the se-

cond oldest university in the world founded in 1222 and where

Galileo Galilei lectured. This institute remains to this day a nur-

sery where well-trained students are encouraged and nurtured

ready to implement innovation and research. These values are

hugely shared by the Facco company and the company conti-

nues to have a close collaborative rapport with the university.

The New Facco

In January 2016 a large fi re caused considerable damage to

the company headquarters at Marsango and, as commented

by Massimo Finco, “We restart, like the Phoenix rising from its

ashes, with the same conviction but stronger and more gea-

red for the future”.

The programme for the 8th September included a visit to these

new production and logistics units.

At the company headquarters activities are concentrated on

R & D; engineering; operations; production control and quality.

The reorganization phase really took birth between the end of

the last century and the beginning of the present one, when

Facco transformed itself from an international company into a

multi-national corporation, capable of also providing a better

bespoke solution to customers local needs thanks to a local

production and presence.

During the factory visit, a highly efficient and state-of-the art

facility, we were shown various equipment at work, futuristic

and sophisticated machines capable of producing high quali-

ty components with unique quality control and certifi cation. All

departments are divided by colour to make it easier for staff to

identify various production sections. The level of sophistication

Visiting the Basilica of Sant'Antonio in Padua

14 - reportage -

REPORTAGE

is very high and almost unique, suffice to say, that Maserati

turned to a Facco facility to produce component parts for its

4-door model.

In the paint and welding departments for example, there are

avant-garde robotic machinery which, with utmost precision

under the guidance of specialized personnel, machine and

assemble individual parts, even those with nanotechnological

applications.

To ensure a long service life for equipment destined for use in

varying farming operations, particular attention is paid to the

quality of the raw materials used particularly with regard to

counteracting the appearance of rust which is a major problem.

The Facco company carry out extensive tests and checks to

ensure that each of their products are reliable and up to requi-

red standards.

The company's logistical requirements are entrusted to a ship-

ping company that effectively manage the continuous fl ow of

Facco products destined to be shipped all around the world.

The industrial area where the Facco company and its 30 sub-

sidiaries and joint ventures are located, covers tens of thou-

sands of square meters in the northeastern area of Padua with

the company's headquarters building covering 40,000 square

meters. Hundreds are employed in the area including the 150

Facco employees. The group has many affiliates worldwide –

from China to Brazil; from Russia to Europe and from the United

States to Japan.

The Grand Party

In celebrating their anniversary in the presence of 600 partici-

pants, of whom 250 came from 38 countries across the world to

join them on this occasion, Massimo Finco traced all the stages

of the journey made by the company up to the present time

where today we see the realization of an industrial complex

with a turnover of one billion, 200 million euros and 3000 peo-

ple employed worldwide. It was also an opportunity for him to

thank his father and founder of the company Luigi Finco, and

his mother and his many other collaborators for their constant

support. Elisa Finco, the third generation of the family and a

member of the Board of Directors, also presented a forward-

looking and incisive overview of the company and its future

prospects.

In his conclusive remarks, Massimo underlined how entre-

preneurial insight had anticipated future market needs. It was

precisely, thanks to the ingenious foresight of Luigi Finco and

Giuseppe Facco, that in the second half of the 1950s, they de-

signed the fi rst automatic cage – anticipating the needs of to-

day's modern poultry farming.

During this era, aware that poultry production was already de-

veloping outside Italy in countries such as the Netherlands,

France and the United States, Luigi Finco and his collaborators

began to make their fi rst trips abroad including the Paris Fair, all

such trips being carried out with great anticipation.

Facco quickly became a presence in international markets

and new offices had to be built, warehouses extended, new in-

vestments made, and equally they had, in moments of market

crisis, to fi nd new outlets for their produced products.

The 1970s were characterized by economic growth in the Middle

East which required the development of turnkey projects.

The 1980s were witness to great change worldwide as new

challenges emerged, The company sought new markets to

conquer such as the Asian ones of Canton and Beijing. The

Massimo Finco inaugurating the new plants


REPORTAGE

company was called upon by the Beijing University to teach

the new Chinese business elite how to manage laying fl ocks.

They also participated in an African FAO project with the sale

of equipment to Algeria to encourage agricultural development

in the area.

During these years Massimo Finco took up the position of CEO

and another stage of “The Great Journey” commenced. Firstly

the company embarked on a major marketing study covering

new countries such as Australia, Japan and the United Sta-

tes. Business trips began to other countries such as Jordan,

Pakistan, Australia etc to meet and build relationships with the

major producers in these areas.

These were the years of technological change with the intro-

duction in France of plastic cages which over a short period of

years saw this material being used in all pyramid cage layouts

and in the 100 meter long American cage layouts.

In these years Facco USA and Facco Japan were established

with this move turning out to be a winning card in the subse-

quent development of the company.

Facco, already a company with strong engineering credentials,

began focusing on product development, identifying new sy-

stems, improving automation and above all fi nding answers to

market brand new requirements that differed to those previously

in existence. This meant that along with their involvement in

turnkey operations the company needed to provide technologi-

cal innovation, ultra-modern automatic and efficient equipment

systems that, in addition, would be simple to operate.

Facco thus became a global company recognized internatio-

nally as a leader in its fi eld.

During the 90s the industry saw the introduction of layouts

which were the precursor to today's alternative systems in

countries such as Switzerland, Austria and Great Britain. These

projects were also taking place in countries further afi eld na-

mely Australia, Japan and the Far East. The new century saw

Facco continuing to penetrate new markets in the Middle east,

America and especially in the former Soviet Bloc countries with

the opening of an office in St Petersburg.

Over the last 5 years turnover has doubled as have margins

and investments. There was a desire to penetrate the Latin

American market from within and to this end the company pur-

chased the important Brazilian company Artabas.

In a drive to increase market presence new offices have been

opened in Moscow Russia, in Beijing China, and in the United

States in Chicago, where new innovative forms of supplying

have been studied not only regarding the product range but

also regarding customer service.

During this time “cage free” systems have come to the fore

which has led to fundamental changes within the company. In-

teresting to think that in 2016, 50% of turnover was for product

lines that 4 years previously would not have been seen on the

market.

Massimo Finco speaking about the great journey of Facco

Elisa Finco presenting a forward-looking overview of

the company and its future prospects

The Facco company is involved in 40 countries around the

world. Today the company has a strong manufacturing heritage

and produces solid products and has an ever-increasing global

presence. It continues to research, develop and innovate ready

to face future challenges and continually keeps customer and

market needs at the centre of company thinking. It is a com-

pany that uses revolutionary logistics as it integrates production

across the globe. Digital realities, which bring together engine-

ering skills, poultry knowledge, electronics, environmental and

animal welfare issues, are all used to create the “know how”

which help the company anticipate market demands.

The Facco of today not only produces the numbers but also ca-

pitalizes on its experience by actively cooperating with univer-

sities and research centres giving encouragement to the young

and innovation. A heritage born out of years of operating at a

world level, where diversity and sharing with clients at both a

personal and professional level are fundamental facets of life.

“The end of a trip is just the beginning of another”, stated Mas-

simo Finco quoting a famous comment by José Saramago.

16

INTERVIEW

- interview -

After 40 years in the French marketplace AZA International still astonishingIn Rennes, September past, the SPACE show was held and it

continues to be one of the most important trade fairs dedicated to

the livestock industry.

Among the many exhibitors one could not miss the presence of AZA

International, an Italian company, which for over 50 years, has been

a leader in the production of automatic feeding and feed distribution

systems.

The excellent quality, reliability and the technical

response to market demands demonstrated by

the AZA product range, is the reason that their

equipment can be found in use on farms owned

by the most important producers both nationally

and internationally.

At the SPACE show, AZA International exhibit-

ed their wide range of feeding systems designed

to meet the differing feeding needs of broilers to

breeders fl ocks and from laying hens to turkeys.

On their exhibition stand we met with Mr. Paolo

Pandolfi , Export Manager at AZA International

who showed us two new products from their

range, which are designed to meet the needs

of an evolving and increasingly technical market-

place.

Can you please explain the reason for your

company's participation at SPACE Rennes?

“We decided to exhibit at this trade show to in-

crease our contacts in France and, more broad-

ly, also in the North Africa region to exhibit our

new MIXTA feeding system. This system is al-

ready widely used in countries such as Alge-

Mr. Paolo Pandolfi , Export Manager at AZA International


INTERVIEW

ria and Morocco and also in the Brittany region where many

producers operate mixed growing cycles alternating chicken

fl ocks with fl ocks of turkeys.

The MIXTA feed pan, in addition to the design features which

ensure excellent food intake for the birds, also features au-

tomatic feed level setting for all ages. The feed pans can be

opened instantaneously to allow quick and complete cleaning

of all interior and exterior component parts.

distributed across the line with the amount per pan being de-

termined by the age of the breeder males.

There is therefore no need for fast or high capacity distribution

systems nor does the grower need to raise or lower the line for

the fi lling and distribution of feed and neither is there a need

for a weighing scale. Everything is handled by the SELF-DOSY

dispenser system.

Like all our feed lines, the SELF-DOSY is easy to clean; the

bottom of the pan is easy to remove which allows for a conve-

nient and complete cleaning of all the internal parts”.

AZA International

Via Roma, 29

24030, Medolago (Bergamo) - Italy

Tel.: +39 035 901240 - Fax: +39 035 902757

[email protected] - www.azainternational.it

The system provides automatic feed level settings from chick

to adult thanks to the tried and tested window openings as

it is designed to provide a choice of six different feed levels.

The anti waste ring, used during the transition from the fi rst to

the second growing phase can be mounted and dismantled

quickly without the need for screws or tools. It is also securely

fi xed to withstand any impact.

The optimum depth of the feed pan ensures birds can eas-

ily access the feed from day old and do not try to enter the

feed pan. The top part of the feed pan is made from fl exible

rubber material which withstands impact and causes no bird

damage.

We started installing MIXTA feeding systems to various grow-

ing operation in Brittany and Morocco and we can report ex-

cellent fi nal results and satisfaction from these fi rst customers”.

The other AZA International product on display at SPACE

was the SELF-DOSY a sturdy feed pan for breeder males.

“This product was developed to satisfy the diverse and spe-

cifi c needs of growers. With the SELF-DOSY equipment it is

possible to distribute feed simultaneously to all the feed pans

throughout the line.

The SELF-DOSY system incorporates an innovative volumet-

ric feed dispenser with centralised control that allows spe-

cifi c amounts of feed to be accurately and simultaneously

SELF-DOSY feed pan

The MIXTA feed pan

18

INTERVIEW

- interview -

A new specialised turkey hatchery for TurkmenistanAn interview to Mr. Maksat Ibragimov, Company Coordinator MAKSADA OKGUNLY

A new hatchery complex near Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan

fully equipped with Petersime BioStreamer™ 4TS setters and a

BioStreamer™ 4TH hatcher.

What you are constructing is more than a new turkey hatchery in Turkmenistan. You are

building a complete complex for producing turkey meat.

“That’s right. My sister Zerey Ibragimova and I are building a complex that includes a hatchery for

incubating turkey eggs. We purchased the hatchery equipment from Belgium, 22 turkey houses from

Germany, the slaughterhouse from France, the complex for deep meat processing from Italy and

other European countries, and specialised feeds from Germany. Our complex is being constructed

in the Gökdepe District, about 65 kilometres away from Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. Within

easy reach of the complex, we have built a waste processing factory for producing bone meal and

disposing of waste.”

Why is the construction of this turkey complex so important for Turkmenistan?

“Because this is a way to ensure that the country will be supplied with quality healthy turkey meat.

The Turkmen government plans to guarantee the supply of high-grade meat to the domestic market

and, eventually, to export turkey meat in the long term. Our turkey hatchery, as well as the complex,

will be the fi rst specialised project in Turkmenistan to be built on an industrial scale. It will al-

low us to produce high-quality competitive products, which in turn will fi nd their customers both in

Turkmenistan and abroad.”

Biostreamer HD - Petersime


INTERVIEW

The Turkmen government is supporting your expansion.

How did you secure this support?

“Back in 2013, we were the fi rst entrepreneurs in Turkmeni-

stan to import turkey eggs. For two years, we produced meat

on a small scale, proving that we were capable of providing a

balanced supply of turkey meat. In early 2015, our esteemed

President allocated, for the second time already, US$100 mil-

lion for 10 years at 1% per annum with a grace period of fi ve

years. The Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs carefully

studied the projects submitted by entrepreneurs, and even-

tually selected over 37 projects, including ours. The winning

projects were also allocated free plots for construction and

irrigation. Our company received 23 ha for construction and

230 ha for irrigation.”

What output can we expect from MAKSADA OKGUNLY?

“The output will be increased gradually. During the fi rst phase,

we will produce 3,200 tons of turkey meat, of which 1,500 tons

will be deep-processed to manufacture more than 46 various

products (link sausages, sausages, smoked products, etc.).

During the second phase, we will supply 1,600 tons more.

We have purchased four Petersime BioStreamer™ 4TS

setters and a BioStreamer™ 4TH hatcher, and now, thanks

to the most advanced technologies, we have the capacity

to hatch 730,000 turkeys per year. Our project includes

22 houses to raise them in and a slaughterhouse that can han-

dle 400 turkeys per hour; we can process 4,800 tons of meat

per year into 65 different products. So, the Turkmen market

will have a wide selection of turkey meat.”

When will the fi rst turkeys be supplied?

“We plan to have the fi rst phase of the complex, including the

hatchery, up and running by the end of 2017. It will be our New

Year gift to guests and residents of Turkmenistan. According

to the schedule, the second phase will be completed by the

end of 2018.”

What are your plans for the future?

“First of all, we intend to launch the second phase and reach

the maximum production output of turkey meat.

Further, we, together with our European partners, plan to

make a technological transfer to Turkmenistan, and to start

exporting hatching eggs and chicks to the neighbouring

countries. We also have projects to diversify production, e. g.

projects to produce duck and goose meat.

In addition, we are developing a unique project, which has

never yet been implemented either in Turkmenistan or in the

neighbouring countries. I assure you, this will be a sensation

in the world industry”.

Mr Maksat Ibragimov, Company Coordinator MAKSADA

OKGUNLY and FSE Igor Baryshnikov from OOO Petersime.

20 - marketing -

MARKETING

The poultry meat businessin Europe and beyondIt is a great challenge in a rapidly changing world to keep a business model up to date and profi table

The market orientation of the poultry sector allows the industry to

correlate rapid responses to consumer demands and to adapt in

case of a sudden crisis.

Market orientation

Market orientation is defi ned as “a business

model which focuses on delivering products de-

signed to meet customer desires, needs, and

requirements, in addition to product functionality

and production efficiency”. Poultry producers are

continuously developing products; modes of pro-

duction; brands and processing methods which

respond to consumer needs and behaviour re-

garding the consumption of meat. The market

orientation of the poultry meat sector is favoured

by the characteristics of the poultry meat produc-

tion which include many advantages when com-

pared to other meat sectors.

Short production cycles

The short production cycle enables poultry pro-

ducers to respond quickly to market signals. This

short cycle also allows for rapid improvements

in genetics, animal health, and feeding practic-

©M

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21- november 2017 -

MARKETING

es. While biological production cycles for

beef and pork are respectively 24 and 12

months the poultry production cycle is 5

months and as such grants producers

much more fl exibility, adaptability and

reactivity.

Vertical integration in

the supply chain

Vertical integration is organized in dif-

ferent ways. The strongest form is when

a company is active in two or more ad-

jacent stages of the production chain,

from breeding to consumption, which

sometimes includes involvement in the

important feed supply stage of the chain.

Poultry companies cooperate in partner-

ship with each other at different produc-

tion stages in order to benefi t from the

economies of scale by grouping different

activities along the production chain.

Vertical integration gives producers also

the chance to respond well to specifi c

consumer demands.

Today, in the EU poultry meat sector,

vertical integration is common practice

with it being essential for businesses

to control all aspects of the production

chain starting from the breeding activ-

ities through the hatching of the eggs;

feed milling; growing of the birds then

to the slaughtering and further process-

ing of the poultry meat and fi nally to the

delivery to consumer through the retail,

food service, institutes etc. sector. Many

companies are at least semi-integrated

meaning that the slaughterhouse and

or feed manufacture are managing the

poultry supply chain in at least one oth-

er stage from the parent stock farm, the

hatchery and the rearing of poultry.

Characteristics of the

poultry meat

The market orientation of the poultry

meat sector is also reinforced by sev-

eral comparative advantages when

compared to other meats. Among these

different characteristics one can men-

tion affordability (the price per kg of

poultry meat is cheaper than pork, beef

or lamb meat); convenience; absence of religious restrictions; health image (low fat

content and good and balanced protein content) and good environmental perfor-

mance with low GHG emissions. Starting a poultry business implies step by step

growth with the business running comfortably alongside other agricultural activities.

Thanks to the short production cycles and lower labour and maintenance costs per

unit of production should lead to a faster return on investment.

BioStreamer™ HDHigh Density single-stage incubators

featuring Operational Excellence Technology™

The new generation of BioStreamer™ incubators, now equipped with the Operational

Excellence Technology™, are easier to use and provide even higher chick quality with

reduced energy costs.

What is more, Petersime’s BioStreamer™ HD or High Density setters and hatchers hold 12%

more eggs compared to standard BioStreamer™ incubators. The BioStreamer™ HD offers

you the same high level of hatchability, chick quality and post-hatch performance, but

with lower investment costs per egg.

Learn more at www.petersime.com

Headquarters Petersime nv

Centrumstraat 125 - 9870 Zulte (Olsene) - Belgium

T +32 (0)9 388 96 11 - F +32 (0)9 388 84 58 - [email protected] - www.petersime.com

22 - marketing -

MARKETING

Consequences of market orientation

on the poultry sector

The market orientation of the sector has infl uenced the evolu-

tion of the European poultry meat sector over the past 10 years.

In particular the products on offer have noticeably changed

in recent years with a reduction of whole chickens in favour

of the more profi table cuts and processed products. Although

there are clear differences between Member States with sev-

eral countries (Spain, Italy, France) still traditionally consum-

ing more whole chicken, consumer preference for chicken cuts

and further processed products is widespread in the majority of

Member States and is expected to continue.

The market orientation of the poultry sector has also contrib-

uted to the development of internal and external trade in the

EU. The EU poultry meat market is the most open meat sector

in the EU in terms of trade as the EU is importing more than

800,000 tonnes and is exporting more than 1.4 Million tonnes to

third countries. As consumers in the EU have a preference for

boneless meat cuts mainly from the breast, EU production is

more focused on breast meat for this EU market while the dark

meat is delivered to third country markets, where this dark meat

is preferred for taste or budget reasons.

This increase in consumption of chicken cuts has infl uenced

the structure of the EU trading in a manner similar to that which

occurred in the US where consumers preference for white meat

lead to the exporting of the surplus of dark meat to world mar-

kets.

This market fl exibility promoted increased demand for poultry

meat, leading to an increase in per capita chicken meat con-

sumption of 7,2 kg between 2000 and 2014 (from 14,8 to 22 kg

per capita). On a global scale, poultry meat consumption has

continuously increased over the last decades and is predicted

to do the same in the future.

The characteristics and structure of the poultry meat sector of-

fer a framework that can adapt to consumer expectations and

demands. Thanks to this market orientation, poultry meat pro-

ducers in the EU have successfully reoriented their businesses

to match consumer needs leading to growth of poultry meat

consumption.

“Today, in the EU poultry meat sector, vertical integration is common practice with it being essential for businesses to control all aspects of the production chain starting from the

breeding activities through the hatching of the eggs; feed milling; growing of the birds then to the slaughtering and further processing of the poultry meat and fi nally to the delivery to

consumer through the retail, food service”©

viv

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23- november 2017 -

MARKETING

ROSS – THE COMPLETE PACKAGE

The Chick – The Support – The Performance You Want

To learn more about Ross® visit aviagen.com/ross

LOCAL TOUCHGLOBAL REACHLOCAL TOUCHGLOBAL REACH

Hendrix Genetics

Technical Service

24 - fi eld cases -

FIELD CASES

Revolutionary layer farm Kipster officially openedThe fi rst Kipster farm was officially opened. This is the most state-of-

the-art layer farm in the world. The farm is located on the Wusterveld

in the town of Venray.

This area is intended for innovative agriculture, with an eye for animal

welfare and the environment.

Hendrix Genetics is a proud partner in this concept and will be

delivering Dekalb White laying hens to be housed at Kipster.

Hendrix Genetics has recently been partner in the realisation of an innovative layer farms which will

produce and sell eggs to Lidl, one of biggest European food retail.

From left to right:

Olivier Wegloop, Maurits Groen,

Styn Claessens, Ruud Zanders

Kipster farm Dekalb White

©R

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en

Bru

cke

25- november 2017 -

FIELD CASES

These are the main innovations realized on one farm:

• A great deal of innovations has been used.

• This farm concept is designed around the instincts and

needs of the chicken.

• 1,100 solar panels make the farm energy-positive.

• Fuel emissions are limited to an absolute minimum using

energy systems not used in the agricultural sector before.

• The facility includes an area for visitors and a center for

education and information.

• The chickens eat newly developed feed made from surplus

foodstuffs from the food industry which minimize the

environmental impact and do not compete with food for

human consumption.

The eggs will be sold directly to Lidl, one of the major retailers

in Europe. Lidl will also sell the meat of the male chicks. Lidl is

the fi rst retailer in The Netherlands to do this.

Development of the Kipster farm concept

Kipster is an initiative of four entrepreneurs combing expertise

in the fi elds of poultry, sustainability, farming and communica-

tion. Four years of development went into the design of the Kip-

ster farm. This project is truly unique as it involved numerous

parties including animal welfare and sustainability organiza-

tions in the design phase. The end result is a farm concept that

is future proof, fl exible and scalable.

Ruud Zanders of Kipster: “Lots of innovations, and plain old

common sense, make Kipster the most state-of-the-art layer

farm in the world. We have the ambition to conquer the world

with this innovative concept.”

Olivier Wegloop of Kipster: “We aim to bring poultry farms

worldwide to an animal and environmentally friendly level.

There is already interest from the US, Canada and some Eu-

ropean countries.”

Maurits Groen of Kipster: “Our aim is an affordable egg,

which has been produced sustainably and climate positive,

with a clear eye on animal welfare as a starting point, and

a decent income for the farmer. We have succeeded in that

aim.”

Styn Claessens of Kipster: “With common sense and the lat-

est technology, we have built the farm of the future.”

Dekalb White an essential part of

the Kipster farm concept

Dekalb White laying hens are an essential part of the Kipster

farm concept. With the performance of the Dekalb White it is

possible to combine animal welfare and environmentally friend-

liness in a fi nancially feasible way. The Dekalb White is a perfect

fi t for innovative farms like Kipster.

The fi rst 24,000 laying hens arrived last September at the Kip-

ster farm. These were Dekalb White hens from the Hendrix

Genetics breeding company, reared and distributed by Belgian

distributor Vepymo.

Dekalb White hens are docile in behavior, making them highly

suited to this new, innovative system. Furthermore, these hens

produce large amounts of eggs with an excellent shell quality.

The egg weight is very consistent with minimal increases by the

end of the active laying period.

Frans van Sambeek - Director Research & Development at

Hendrix Genetics: “We breed for balanced laying hens that

produce top quality eggs. Meaning stronger - and happier lay-

ing hens with a prolonged life. This gives our customers, like

Kipster and Lidl, a more sustainable production cycle in total.”

For more information, please contact:

[email protected]

Website Kipster: www.kipster.farm

Innovative drinking technology

Impex Barneveld BV Harselaarseweg 129 | P.O. Box 20 | 3770 AA Barneveld | HollandT +31 (0)342 416641 | F +31 (0)342 412826 | [email protected] | www.impex.nl

Follow us onVisit www.impex.nl/en

to see our latest innovation: The I-Flush total Hygiene solution

26 - fi eld cases -

FIELD CASES

Great Britain changing lanes: barn or free-rangeegg production?Great Britain is currently experiencing many changes, political and

others. One of them specifi cally concerns the egg production in the

country.

In addition to the challenges posed by the Brexit, the egg industry is facing another “exit”: Tesco,

one of the country’s largest retailers, has announced that it will no longer sell eggs produced in en-

riched colony systems from 2025. Other major companies have also committed to going cage-free,

Big Dutchman’s Natura Step

27- november 2017 -

FIELD CASES

such as the food services provider Sodexo, whose decision

includes shell eggs and liquid eggs. The supermarket chains

Sainsbury’s, Waitrose and Aldi have already phased out eggs

produced in enriched colony units.

The National Farmers’ Union, active in England and Wales, ex-

pects the industry’s most radical change since the ban on poul-

try cages in 2012. As much as 43 percent of the 1.4 billion shell

eggs sold by Tesco are produced in enriched colony systems.

This means that numerous egg producers will have to refurbish

their houses in the next eight years.

Barn egg production, not free-range egg production

The Big Dutchman distributor Newquip Ltd. of Yorkshire has

already noticed that the industry is gaining momentum, as il-

lustrated by an increased interest in their systems for barn egg

production, reports the renowned magazine The Ranger on its

website.

In a country where nearly 50 percent of all marketed eggs are

free range eggs, this interest is not surprising. Only a small

number of farmers affected by the phase-out has sufficient

space for the required outside range. Barn egg production with

the NaturaStep aviary system is therefore a genuine alterna-

tive, affirms Newquip expert Richard Buchan. The aviary can

easily be installed in refurbished old houses.

NaturaStep – a multi-tier open-access

aviary system

The Natura Step is a completely open multi-tiered system, giv-

ing full freedom to the birds to move in and out of the aviary at

all times. The name comes from the unique steps which are de-

signed to allow easy movement from one tier to another. These

steps (as all the system's wire mesh) are made with zinc-alu-

minium wire coating, resulting in three to four times better pro-

tection against corrosion compared to galvanized wire.

Perches and perch placement: There’s science in design and

placement of perches. They allow birds to have a place to re-

lax, and their design provides maximum comfort. Perch place-

ment encourages fl ock movement which relaxes the fl ock. At

the same time it maximizes proper air circulation, resulting in a

healthy and comfortable environment.

The patented approach perch is designed to protect any mis-

laid eggs. It also positions the hens to face outside of the sys-

tem while roosting, allowing the manure to fall onto the manure

belt, resulting in lower ammonia levels and a cleaner system.

The entire fl ock has easy access to fresh feed and water

whenever they want it. The drinking nipples are placed outside

the nests to provide birds with fresh water after they lay their

eggs. Feed access is strategically placed inside the system to

promote bird movement and open up quality space.

Safe cleaning & disinfection

Dual effect: - Disinfection Best registered product: CTGB PT02, 03, 04 Recommended by respected poultry organizations, hatcheries and health services.

www.intracare.nl

Mr. C.A.J.M. Vulders Bsc HvK

©w

ww

.ma

pm

an

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28 - fi eld cases -

FIELD CASES

• Innovative step for easy movement between system levels

• Each system row is independent and can stand-alone

• Patented tiltable nest design

• Zinc-aluminium wire coating allows for a long service life

• Easy to manage design

• System design encourages bird movement

• Management of the system is all done from the litter aisles

• Easy access to fresh feed and water

Natura aviaries: “We are one family”

Big Dutchman introduced the fi rst aviary system for egg pro-

duction as a reaction to the ban on cage eggs in Switzerland

30 years ago. The production range has grown to include more

than 20 different versions. Therefore, an appropriate solution

can be found for every poultry house, whilst also facilitating

economic and simultaneously animal- and user-friendly egg

production.

Hence the list of Big Dutchman’s references is quite impressive:

more than 74 million bird places have been equipped with Na-

tura aviary systems, fi rst in Europe and later also in Australia,

Canada, New Zealand and the USA.

Big Dutchman experts have implemented many customer re-

quests and experiences to improve and further develop the Na-

“The National Farmers’ Union, active in England and Wales, expects the industry most radical change since the ban on poultry cages in 2012. As much as 43 percent of the 1.4

billion shell eggs sold by Tesco are produced in enriched colony systems. This means that numerous egg producers will have to refurbish their houses in the next eight years”

tura aviaries in the past decades. The result: today, the Natura

aviaries are a fl exible and modular system. Egg producers will

fi nd a solution for virtually any situation. Whether a farmer has

an old building or is planning a new one, whether the house

is large or small: Natura aviary systems offer a wide range of

intelligent solutions.

There is one idea at the heart of all Natura systems, whether

they are intended for free range or barn egg production: an avi-

ary system must guarantee the birds’ well-being, but also be

economic. Characteristics that all Natura aviaries share; there-

fore including a high laying capacity, a low number of mislaid

eggs, minimum inspection and management efforts and happy

birds.

For further information visit:

www.bigdutchman.com

Nests are located in areas that comply with the hens' sense

of security. After an egg is laid, it gently rolls out onto the egg

collection belt and then automatically heads to the egg packing

area.

The nest average acceptance is 98%, but for those rare times

when an egg is laid outside of the nest, we have built in a sys-

tem egg tray to make picking up the mislaid eggs easy and fast.

Uniformity of lighting and ventilation along with system de-

sign result in even spacing of the hens throughout the house

allowing the litter to dry thoroughly. This is ideal for the fl ock as

they dust bathe, scratch, and act out other natural behaviours.

Main features:

• Completely open design for easy movement throughout the

entire system

29- november 2017 -

FIELD CASES

and latest technical and scientifi c advances at zootecnicainternational.com!

VISIT OUR WEBSITE zootecnicainternational.com FOR A DEEP INSIGHT INTO THE POULTRY INDUSTRY!

NEW PRODUCTSCOMPANY NEWS

EVENTSFIELD REPORTS

INTERVIEWS

MARKET TRENDSPROFILES

3030

Roxell Technical Service

- technical column -

TECHNICAL COLUMN

Dirk Mertens tests the Natural Beak Smoothing pans by RoxellBeak treatment is often used as the solution of choice to reduce

damage caused by pecking. Due to the growing interest in animal

welfare, however, beak treatment has gradually being banned by

law. Solutions that both improve animal welfare and allow time and

cost efficiencies are the future.

Roxell once more takes the lead and provides a high quality and

durable solution for the new market trends and upcoming animal

welfare regulations.

At Roxell, they believe it is better to use nature as a reference to

develop new feeding solutions. The animal behaviour and the design

of their feeding systems go hand in hand.

Therefore the Belgium-based company launched the ‘Natural Beak

Smoothing concept’, in order to meet the specifi c market demands

and animal welfare regulations.

Dirk Mertens and his daughter Mieke at their rearing farms

3131

THE „SPECHT VARIA PLUS“ SYSTEM

More space per bird according

to the current requirements of

animal welfare.

Excellent overview under the

installation as well as under

in each tier.

Water, feed, resting area and

nest are available in each level.

Good nest inspection due to

their arrangement on the

outside.

Due to tiltable floor the

automatic lock of the nest

is possible.

The wide egg belts ensure

sufficient place for the eggs.

Additional perches in the

installation.

The additional level above the

nests is possible.

Directly from the manufac-

turer. Since 1961 our own

fabrication.

Benefit from our experience.

- november 2017 -

TECHNICAL COLUMN

Test results show that Roxell’s natural

beak smoothing pans save feed and

leads to better uniformity, reduced mor-

tality and less stress.

Dirk Mertens talks about his

test experience

Today, Dirk Mertens has a rearing farm

with fi ve houses for broiler breeders -

90,000 females and 10,000 males - in

Wuustwezel, Belgium. He started out in

the poultry sector in 1981 when he set

up a commercial layers farm at anoth-

er location, which he later converted to

a broiler breeders production farm. His

son took over that breeding farm, and

since 2009, Dirk has been running the

broiler breeder rearing farm together

with his wife, his daughter Mieke and his

son-in-law.

Responding to the behavior

of birds

"We've been working with Roxell prod-

ucts since the eighties. Initially, there

were the cockerel pans. Today's hous-

es are equipped with 7,500 Roxell Vitoo

feeder pans, installed by housing spe-

cialist VSI," says Dirk Mertens. "Over

the past eight years, we have gradually

expanded from two to fi ve houses, for

which we were able to rely on Rox-

ell's sustainable and efficient systems,

which are tailored to the behaviour of

the birds.

I also fi nd it important to invest in sys-

tems that promote animal welfare. That's

why, four years ago, we immediately

agreed to participate in a trial project on

natural de-beaking. Beak treatment has

not yet been banned in Belgium, but is

gradually being phased out in neigh-

bouring countries. Our country may be

expected to follow suit."

Testing the Natural Beak

Smoothing concept

From the outset, there was a close col-

laboration between Roxell and interna-

tional breeding companies - Aviagen,

Cobb and Hubbard - for testing the Nat-

ural Beak Smoothing concept. Roxell

has provided the existing Vitoo feeder

pans with an integrated rough struc-

tured bottom pan that naturally controls

beak growth during feeding. Current

beak treatments such as mechanical hot

blade de-beaking and IR trimming, be-

come superfl uous, resulting in signifi cant

cost savings.

However, the advantages go much

further.

“I notice there is less mortality among

our chicks, because they don't suffer a

relapse following beak smoothing. They

have less stress and can just continue

eating during the fi rst days. We also

notice a greater uniformity among the

chicks. All these things eventually lead

to a better end result,” Dirk concludes.

“We've now had several fl ocks with Nat-

ural Beak Smoothing pans. Despite the

fi ne structure of the metal, cleaning the

pans doesn't take more time.”

Natural Beak Smoothing

performances

1. Average feed saving in case of

birds with well-shaped beaks vs.

birds without any de-beaking ± 3g/

bird/day.

2. Less mortality with Natural Beak

Smoothing vs infrared beak

trimmed birds (one fl ock on a com-

mercial farm) ± 2% less mortality.

3. More eggs/hen and higher fertility.

4. More day-old-chicks/hen.

The system avoids stress on birds, while

improving their performances and fertili-

ty and complies with the animal welfare

regulations. Mortality is reduced by 2%

compared to IR-trimming.

For further information:

Roxell

Industrielaan 13 - 9990 Maldegem

(Belgium)

Tel.: +32 50 72 91 72

Fax: +32 50 71 67 21


Website: www.roxell.com/en

3232

Gerd de Lange

Senior Poultry specialist,

Pas Reform Academy

- technical column -

TECHNICAL COLUMN

On-farm traying: a smart idea? On breeder farms eggs are traditionally collected in paper or plastic

trays that each hold 30 eggs. Typically, these are stacked six-high

and transported to the hatchery in boxes, crates, trolleys or on

pallets.

Before incubation, hatchery staff have to transfer the trayed eggs to setter trays, either manually or

(semi)-automatically. So far, each hatching egg has already been handled at least twice before in-

cubation begins - and each time with the risk of causing hairline cracks and contamination that will

ultimately undermine hatch results.

On-farm traying, both manual and automatic, is becoming increasingly popular as it minimizes labour

and reduces the need for egg handling. With the eggs already placed on setter trays at the breeder

farm, they are then transported in specially designed farm trolleys to the hatchery, where the setter

trays are transferred from the farm trolleys to setter trolleys. The eggs are not handled individually any

more - and even this fi nal transfer before incubation can be automated.

When choosing a tray type for egg collection on the farm and subsequent transport to the hatchery,

there are several important considerations that will also have important consequences for managing

the hatching eggs:

3333

Superior egg quality!Roxell develops, manufactures and markets livestock equipment that helps growers produce animal protein in the most cost-effective way.

• Optimal comfort and animal welfare

• Careful egg handling

• Labor saving, solid and durable

www.roxell.com © Ro

xell –

Roxe

ll is a

regis

tered

trad

emar

k of R

oxell

– K

oozii

– 10

-201

7

- november 2017 -

TECHNICAL COLUMN

Rate of cooling down

Egg temperature at the moment of collection varies from egg

to egg. For those still holding a temperature of >25°F/77°F, fur-

ther cooling is required. When placed at the centre of a paper

tray and covered by the next full tray, a newly laid egg with a

temperature closer to that of the hen’s body (41°C/105.8°F), will

take much longer to cool down than an egg placed at the side of

the paper tray. And packing warm eggs on paper trays directly

into egg boxes will certainly lead to high embryonic mortality.

With a more open construction and the fact that they are not

stacked directly on top of each other, fi lled setter trays allow

sufficient freely circulating air to pass around the trayed eggs.

This greatly promotes uniform cooling, but if temperature in the

egg collection room is too low, there is a risk that the eggs will

cool too rapidly, especially if exposed to cold air or a draught.

Plastic trays provide a mid-point between paper trays and setter

trays, because plastic is not as good thermic insulator as paper

and it will allow some air fl ow over the eggs.

Mechanical impact

During loading, transport and unloading, shocks and jolts

should be avoided, both to prevent damage to the fragile em-

bryonic structure and hairline cracks in the shell. Eggs are gen-

erally very well cushioned when transported on paper trays,

so where road conditions are poor or trucks have poor sus-

pension, paper trays may be the best choice. In other cases,

well-designed setter trays without sharp edges provide good

support for the hatching eggs and, when placed in farm trolleys

with shock absorbing wheels, offer a valid alternative.

Further treatment of hatching eggs

Placing eggs on setter trays is essential for effective disinfection

or pre-storage incubation, neither of which is possible when

eggs are tightly packed together on paper or plastic egg trays,

as there is no free space around each egg.

Advice

• Think broadly about the various ‘touchpoints’ that hatch-

ing eggs will be subjected to from farm to hatchery when

choosing a tray type.

• Choose paper trays when road or vehicle conditions from

breeder farm to hatchery are poor.

• Recognise that eggs on setter trays may cool down too

quickly after egg collection; do not place them immediately

in the cold room.

©P

inte

rest

34 - management -

MANAGEMENT

I. Rodrigues1, M. Toghyani1,

B. Svihus2, M. Bedford3,

R. Gous4 and M. Choct1

1 University of New

England, Australia

2 Norwegian University

of Life Sciences, Norway

3 AB Vista Feed

Ingredients,

United Kingdom

4 University of KwaZulu-

Natal, South Africa

Broilers perform better with intermittent lighting programs Intermittent lighting could have an effect on feed retention in the

broiler’s gastro-intestinal tract with a better digestibility of nutrients.

Roles of certain parts of the digestive tract of chickens seems to have been lost with the evolution

of time and commercial practices. Gizzards no longer serve their grinding purposes, having become

more like transit organs and crops have lost their function with the abandonment of discontinuous

feeding systems.

The extremely fast transit time in the anterior digestive tract is regarded as a limitation to the perfor-

mance of exogenous enzymes. Manipulation of feed retention time in these gut segments via meal

Table 1 Chemical composition of experimental diets, as calculated

AME

Kcal/kgCP % dLys % dMet+Cys % dMet % dThr % Ca % Na % Cl % AvP %

Grower

(d10-d24)3023 20.89 1.08 0.80 0.51 0.70 0.88 0.16 0.23 0.44

Finisher

(d25-d34)3120 20.21 1.00 0.76 0.48 0.65 0.79 0.16 0.23 0.39

35- november 2017 -

MANAGEMENT

feeding vs. ad libitum, lighting management programs, pres-

ence of structural components in the diet and coarse vs. fi ne

feed particles may further enhance the efficacy of exogenous

enzymes.

Following an adaptation starter period until d10, six-hundred

twenty four one-day-old ROSS 308 male broilers were subject-

ed to two different lighting programs (referred to as ‘continuous’

– 18L:6D or ‘intermittent’ – 1L:3D:1L:3D:1L:3D:1L:3D:2L:6D)

and fed isoenergetic (on an ME basis) and isonitrogenous

wheat-, sorghum- and soybean meal-based diets (Table 1) with

or without the supplementation of phytase and xylanase over

34 days.

Chicks were randomly allocated to eight treatments (2x2x2)

with six replicates per treatment. Data were analysed using

ANOVA (SPSS Statistics, ver. 24). Means were compared using

the Tukey multiple range test.

At d10, after the initial adaptation period, body weight (BW) of

chicks was virtually the same for both treatments (290 g vs.

288 g, for continuous lighting (CL) and intermittent lighting (IL)

groups, respectively).

At d34, birds submitted to CL were numerically heavier than

those in IL (2,224 g vs. 2,159 g, P = 0.08) and presented statis-

tical signifi cant higher mortality-corrected FCR (FCRc) (1.390

vs. 1.370, P = 0.003). Phytase supplementation signifi cantly (P

= 0.004) improved fi nal BW (2,247 vs. 2,137 g, for supplement-

ed and unsupplemented bids, respectively) and FCRc was nu-

merically better for supplemented animals (1.375 vs. 1.286). Xy-

lanase addition to basal diets signifi cantly (P = 0.001) improved

FCRc (1.370 vs. 1.391, for supplemented and unsupplemented

bids, respectively).

There was a statistical signifi cant (P < 0.05) interaction be-

tween phytase and xylanase supplementation on fi nal body

weight, which shows the additive/synergistic effect of these en-

zymes. No further interactions were observed between factors.

Further markers’ and digestibility analysis will help understand

the exact mechanism through which these improvements were

achieved. So far we hypothesise intermittent lighting had an

effect on feed retention in the upper gastro-intestinal tract, evi-

denced by the lower pH found in the crop and gizzard of birds in

IL groups (data not shown), and that this enabled better digest-

ibility of nutrients. Also, phytase-activity analysis will hopefully

explain why phytase supplementation did not seem to have a

positive effect in IL birds further to that achieved with CL.

From Australian Poultry Science Symposium

36 - management -

MANAGEMENT

D.R. George1,2, R.D. Finn1,

K.M. Graham1, M.F. Mul3,

V. Maurer4, C. Valiente

Moro5, O.A.E. Sparagano6

1 Northumbria University,

United Kingdom

2 Stockbridge Technology

Centre, United Kingdom

3 Wageningen UR

Livestock Research,

The Netherlands

4 Research Institute

of Organic Agriculture FiBL,

Switzerland

5 Université Claude Bernard

Lyon 1, France

6 Coventry University,

United Kingdom

Dermanyssus gallinae, a wide concern for medical scienceThe potential health risk presented by bird mites such as

Dermanyssus gallinae is exacerbated by the fact that they can carry

and transmit zoonotic diseases.

©A

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pin

es

©M

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teb

an

37- november 2017 -

MANAGEMENT

Parasitic bird mites present a signifi cant threat to poultry pro-

duction. Increasing reports of bird-mite attacks on humans

suggest that avian ectoparasitosis (gamasoidosis) may be of

increasing medical concern. This may be of particular interest

to those living or working in close association with poultry, as

the species most often responsible are typically linked with

domestic fowl (i.e. Dermanyssus gallinae and Ornithonyssus

sylviarum). Though the threat that bird mites pose to poultry

is relatively well understood, the risks posed to humans have

been less well explored.

The potential health risk presented by gamasoidosis is exacer-

bated by the fact that bird mites such as D. gallinae can carry

and transmit zoonotic diseases. Though the vector capacity

of these mites is still an emerging science, mite-to-bird trans-

mission has been demonstrated in a number of cases for D.

gallinae - fi rst reviewed by Valiente Moro et al., 2009 and later

updated in George et al., 2015 -, increasing the likelihood that

relevant diseases carried may also be passed from birds to

mammals, humans included.

Examples of disease spread to humans through bird mite

vectors are rare in the literature, though transmission of spi-

rochetes, rickettsiae, Salmonellae, Bartonellae, Pasteurellae,

Sporozoa, hemogregarines, fl agellates, and fi lariae have all

been suggested, with more recent evidence supporting acqui-

sition of Bartonella via Dermanyssus spp. per se.

The results of a recent review support that reported cases of

gamasoidosis are increasing throughout the globe, with evi-

dence that the majority of cases are linked to D. gallinae, and

that mammalian companion animals and livestock may also be

at risk.

©P

ari

s F

arm

ers

Un

ion

SCAN OR V I S I Tval-co.it/bwater

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Website: www.val-co.com

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38 - management -

MANAGEMENT

Further survey data from a subset of individuals afflicted by

gamasoidosis confi rm wide-spread occurrence, supporting the

vector capacity of the mites responsible and adding Lyme dis-

ease to the expanding list of pathogens potentially transmitted

by these mites (Table 1). Other issues identifi ed through this

survey included widespread misdiagnosis of gamasoidosis and

(in some cases related) treatment failure and persistent infes-

tation (Table 1).

Diagnosing gamasoidosis based on presenting symptoms (as

is often undertaken) is inadequate and a suspected cause of

large-scale misdiagnosis for similarly presenting parasitoses,

such as scabies and pediculosis, general dermatitis or phys-

iological conditions including delusional ectoparasitosis. Treat-

ment is equally problematic, with species such as D. gallinae

being hard to target and widely resistant to standard acaricides.

Furthermore, the different mite species concerned display var-

ied ecologies - with some living on hosts and others residing

off hosts and feeding intermittently - that necessitate divergent

treatment approaches. In cases of human infestation, positive

identifi cation of species, or at least functionally similar groups

based on life-history patterns, and recommendation of suitable

treatment requires an understanding of mite taxonomy and

ecology that many healthcare professionals and pest control

organisations do not currently possess.

Overall it appears that although reported cases of gamasoido-

sis on humans remain relatively rare, D. gallinae represents a

species of particular concern to medical health due to its re-

ported genetic plasticity, occasional evidence of permanent

infestations on mammals, and high vector potential. Previous

review suggests that incidences of gamasoidosis per se may

be exacerbated by increased mite-novel host encounter rates

and occurrence of certain ‘risk factors’ in the ‘new’ host, such as

a breakdown in immune function. It follows that rising human

populations, with anticipated increased incidences of immuno-

compromised individuals as a result of modern medical practis-

es, may further promote gamasoidosis.

Though only preliminary, work in this area suggests that more

attention should be given to gamasoidosis as a threat to human

health, supporting that the mites responsible, and especially D.

gallinae, could be considered an ‘occupational hazard’ to those

working with poultry.

Though cases of gamasoidosis have been reported since the

17th century, documented in the leading medical literature since

at least the 1920s and reviewed twice in the last 15 years, the

full extent of gamasoidosis as a threat to human health has still

to be explored.

References are available on request

Presented at the 1st Cost Conference and Management

Committee Meeting, Foggia, Italy

Table 1 Results of a preliminary survey of suspected gamasoidosis in a selected internet user group.

Method: Members of a selected internet user group (birdmites.org) were asked to complete a basic questionnaire on their experience of gama-

soidosis. This user group was composed of global members afflicted with avian mites.

Historically, group membership ranged in the hundreds, though at the time of survey (Oct-Nov 2012) activity was limited to around 25 individuals.

Questions, criteria and responses are summarized below.

Question Criteria Response N

Has infestation been

confirmed?

Confi rmation required by a third party

(healthcare professional, PCO or entomologist)69% of respondents confi rmed infestation 13

Duration of infestationFrom onset of symptoms to present day

(if on-going) or point of successful treatment

Average duration of infestation = 39 months

(± 14.6 months SE)13

Number of confl icting

diagnoses

Diagnosis of condition other than gamasoidosis

by a healthcare professional or PCOAverage number of confl icting diagnoses = 2.8 (± 0.3 SE) 12*

Treatments

recommended and

attempted

Only treatments prescribed by a healthcare

professional or PCO

Pyrethroids (topical and premise) = 72%; DE = 27%;

Ivermectin = 27% IGR = 27%; Esfenvalerate = 9%; Cedar = 9%11**

Treatment failure

observedPersistent symptoms post-treatment 100% of respondents reported treatment failure 12***

Suspected secondary

health issuesConditions arising post-infestation

Lyme confi rmed in 3 respondents and suspected in 1 respondent

Bartonella confi rmed in 3 respondents and suspected in 1

respondent

Babesia confi rmed in 1 respondent

General morbidity reported in most respondents

13

PCO = Pest Control Organization SE = standard error

* Information not extractable from one respondent.

**Treatment type unknown in one respondent; treatment not yet attempted in one respondent.

***Treatment not yet attempted in one respondent.

39- november 2017 -

MANAGEMENT

Imag

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40 - management -

MANAGEMENT

Project No. BRU007

Evaluating hen behaviour

and physiological stressors

during VSD for the

development of humane

methodologies for mass

depopulation during a

disease outbreak

Kenneth Anderson, Ph.D.

North Carolina State

University, USA

Evaluating hen behaviour and physiological stressors during ventilation shut downThe completion of a funded research project at North Carolina

State University in Raleigh, N.C. was announced in which

researchers provided insight on using ventilation shut down as a

humane depopulation method. USPOULTRY approved $550,000

in emergency funding in October 2015 to support further Avian

Infl uenza research and communication. This research is the

third project completed with the funding. A brief summary of the

completed research is shown below.

In 2015, the egg industry was hit with the worst highly pathogenic Avian Infl uenza outbreak in U.S.

poultry history. Timely depopulation was identifi ed as a critical measure to contain the outbreak. Cur-

rent depopulation methods, including CO2 kill carts, CO2 injection and fi re-fi ghting foam, were quickly

overwhelmed and prolonged the suffering of infected birds.

©Texh

a

41- november 2017 -

MANAGEMENT

The overall goal of this project was to evaluate welfare parame-

ters of ventilation shut down (VSD) for depopulating laying hens

in caged systems through monitoring environmental parame-

ters, behaviour and stress physiology.

The specifi c objectives were to:

1) determine the time to brain death from VSD using electroen-

cephalograms (EEG), and

2) examine the effectiveness of VSD in a multi-level, commer-

cial cage setting.

This project provided the means to develop and evaluate VSD

and other depopulation methods including VSD combined with

heat (VSDH) and CO2 (VSDCO). The fi rst aspect of this proj-

ect was to develop an environmental profi le of an individual

hen housed in a cage layer facility. Environmental conditions

included building volume (3.4 ft3/hen) and temperature, relative

humidity (RH) and CO2 recordings to understand the dynamics

within the environment for each method. This allowed for the

determination of the duration to time of death (TOD). The envi-

ronmental temperature, CO2 and RH were similar at the start of

each test at 89°F, 0.22 percent and 31.6 percent, respectively.

At the end of the tests the environmental temperature was high-

est for VSDH at 107 °F. VSDCO had the highest level of CO2 at

31.5 percent. RH increased in VSD and VSDH to 62.5 and 66.0

percent, respectively. The high level of RH appears to have con-

tributed to the diminished ability to reduce core body tempera-

ture (CBT). At TOD the CBT was highest for VSD (113.1 °F) and

VSDH (115.3 °F) while VSDCO CBT was (105.8 °F). The time to

reach TOD was longest in VSD at 91 minutes followed by VSDH

at 54 minutes and VSDCO with the shortest TOD at 12 min-

utes. Comparing EEGs and behaviour profi les demonstrated

that VSD hens spent 82 percent of the time unconscious while

the VSDH and VSDCO hens were unconscious 56 percent and

65 percent of the time, respectively. It was also observed that

the stress indicator of heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), for hens

exposed to stressors such as heat, humidity or CO2, declined in

the VSD and VSDH environments from time 0 to TOD possibly

due to the duration of the unconscious state of the hens.

A fi eld scale up of the process to evaluate the effectiveness of

VSD, VSDH and VSDCO in a multi-tier cage system was con-

ducted using white leghorns housed in 2-tier stair step cage

system at industry densities (72 in2/hen). The environment was

a force ventilated negative static pressure room sealed to pre-

vent air exchange of any type. An inner chamber around the

cages emulated the building volume per hen found in the in-

dustry.

The data collected included CO2, RH, environmental tempera-

ture profi les, CBT and HSP70. We found that VSD by itself did

not result in 100 percent euthanasia of the fl ock with 4 percent

of the hens surviving. When we added heat or CO2 to the VSD

system we accomplished 100 percent mortality. The duration to

TOD was no different between VSDH and VSDCO. Based upon

these fi eld studies, VSDH and VSDCO appear to be the most

humane methods of depopulating large numbers of caged

hens.

Source: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association

First choice in agricultural ventilation components

tpi-polytechniek.comtpi-polytechniek.com | The Netherlands

©N

MS

U A

ce

s

42 - nutrition -

NUTRITION

K.M. Brennan

University of Kentucky

Nutrition Research

Alliance, Lexington,

Kentucky, USA

Practical applications of nutrigenomics in poultry nutrition Novel molecular techniques such as microarray technologies have

spurred the development of the fi eld of nutrigenomics.

Using microarrays to evaluate gene responses allows us to assess the activity of thousands of genes

at the same time, thus permitting a rapid measure of physiological changes. Nutrigenomics can pro-

vide a powerful tool for understanding how nutrition impacts performance, health and disease in

poultry. This paper will serve as a review of current applications of Nutrigenomics in poultry nutrition.

The wealth of information obtained from nutrigenomics studies can help nutritionists and producers

better understand how to feed poultry to ensure optimal health and performance.

Nutrigenomics is the study of how nutrients, forms of nutrients, and nutritional strategies impact

the genome. The use of DNA microarray technology allows us to begin to understand how nutrition

modulates gene expression and how this modulation relates to animal health and performance. These

molecular technologies also allow for the rapid evaluation of nutritional strategies. Advancements in

the area of bioinformatics have enabled investigators to decipher the functional and biological rele-

vance of nutrigenomic data sets. Together, these technological advances are creating new opportuni-

ties in poultry research that could lead to improved animal health and production.


NUTRITION

Gastrointestinal tract

The avian gastrointestinal tract (GIT) plays a central role in the

digestion of feed and absorption of nutrients. Its proper function

is essential for optimal health and growth. The GIT not only in-

cludes the tissue and cells of the intestine but also the complex

community of microbes it harbors. Nutrigenomics can provide

a systems biology approach to understanding how nutrients in-

fl uence intestinal health through interaction with gut cells and

the microbiota in the intestine (which in turn can change gut

cell dynamics).

Both prebiotics and probiotics can improve gut health resulting

in improved feed efficiency and growth in broilers. The cellu-

lar mechanisms behind these improvements have been elu-

cidated utilizing nutrigenomics. For example, adding mannan

oligosaccharides (MOS) to broiler diets not only increases the

“Nutrigenomics can be used to explain why we sometimes see diff erences between

nutrient forms. For example, vitamin E supplementation of broilers is known to

confer antioxidant benefi ts and to improve meat quality and shelf life”

expression of mucin, an important component of the protective

intestinal mucosal barrier, but also surprisingly down-regulates

selected genes involved in cell turnover and proliferation, po-

tentially conferring an energy-sparing effect. Similarly, probiot-

ic bacteria introduced to poultry diets after bacterial challenge

have been show to down-regulate selected genes associated

with intestinal pathogens.

©B

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an

©A

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©E

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r

44 - nutrition -

NUTRITION

An even newer area of research that is increasing our knowl-

edge about the interaction of nutrition and GIT health is mi-

crobiomics. Microbiomics uses molecular biology techniques,

such as advanced DNA sequencing, to study the ecology of the

GIT microbial communities. Currently this fi eld is in its infancy

and research is limited to general characterization of the unique

communities present in each segment of the intestine. Eventu-

ally molecular profi ling should provide the data needed to equip

us to optimize the microbiome through nutrition for improved

bird health and production.

Nutrient form versus function

Nutrigenomics can be used to explain why we sometimes see

differences between nutrient forms. For example, vitamin E sup-

plementation of broilers is known to confer antioxidant benefi ts

and to improve meat quality and shelf life. Nutrigenomics stud-

ies have also shown that vitamin E acts a transcriptional regula-

tor in lipid metabolism and oxidation, helping to further explain

its benefi cial effects. In other studies, nutrigenomics has been

used to determine why different nutrients can sometimes have

the same effects on physiological markers. For example, Xiao

et al. (2011) showed that a commercial algae-based antioxidant

had effects similar to those of vitamin E on total antioxidant sta-

tus of broilers and meat shelf life. Nutrigenomics data suggest

that the antioxidant mimics vitamin E at a transcriptional level

by inducing the expression of genes involved in lipid metabo-

lism, cell morphology and cellular oxidation.

Nutrigenomics has also been used to determine the underlying

reasons why we see a production response with one nutrient

form but not with another (e.g., organic versus inorganic min-

erals). Hall et al. (2012) found that different forms of zinc can

differently regulate the expression of transport proteins in the

intestine. For example, Brennan et al. (2011 & 2012) showed

that, in both male and female birds, different forms of selenium

activate transcription of different functional groups of genes,

explaining why organic selenium improves reproduction over

inorganic selenium.

Nutritional programming

Over the past several years, researchers have begun to inves-

tigate how restricted, “programmed” nutrition during the neona-

tal and early-life periods can affect animals during adulthood.

“The use of DNA microarray technology allows us to begin to understand how nutrition

modulates gene expression and how this modulation relates to animal health and

performance. These molecular technologies also allow for the rapid evaluation of nutritional

strategies”


NUTRITION

In chickens, for example, more than 24

h of fasting post-hatch has been shown

to have unfavorable effects on weight

gain, gut health and meat quality in adult

broilers. Conversely, feeding chicks post-

hatch diets with reduced protein levels

has been shown to benefi t bird growth

and development throughout adulthood,

even after chicks are switched to a tradi-

tional diet. Delayed access to feed post-

hatch has been shown to alter hepatic

gene expression.

Nutrigenomics can help us understand

how nutritional programming works by

revealing the gene expression patterns

associated with early-life nutrition. For

example, feeding 100% of the NRC rec-

ommendations (normal) for trace miner-

als for the fi rst 96-h post-hatch can have

positive effects on gene expression even

after birds are switched to low (20% of the

NRC recommendations) mineral diets. In

this study, higher levels of minerals fed

during the post-hatch period were shown

to increase the expression of genes such

as Cyclin D1, which play a key role in

cell cycle regulation, a biological func-

tion essential for gut mucosal growth and

repair. The expression of solute carrier

proteins, a family of transporters essen-

tial for the active and passive transport

of nutrients in the small intestine, were

upregulated in adult birds that received

the normal post-hatch diet, as was the

expression of genes involved in the up-

take of minerals and other nutrients. In

the study by Brennan et al., there was no

effect on performance. However, consid-

ering the importance of proper intestinal

function and health, these changes are

considered benefi cial. Overall this study

demonstrated that post-hatch nutrition

can alter gene expression patterns long-

term, which can have lifelong implica-

tions for bird health.

Commercial applications

We anticipate that the application of

nutrigenomics research will lead to the

implementation of improved precision

feeding strategies by the poultry industry.

The gene-level fi ndings of nutrigenom-

ics combined with the performance data

(e.g., weight gain, egg production) from whole-animal studies help us to better un-

derstand how nutrients affect animal health and production. Nutrigenomics provides

a way to identify precisely which nutrients or nutrient combinations are optimal and

when they should be delivered to elicit maximum benefi ts. Through the application of

nutrigenomics, we anticipate improved poultry production economics stemming from

streamlined feeding strategies, leading to improved feed efficiency and bird health.


From the Proceedings of the Australian Poultry Science Symposium

46 - nutrition -

NUTRITION

Y. Guo, D. Liu

and B. Zhang

Faculty of the State Key

Laboratory of Animal

Nutrition, College of

Animal Science and

Technology

Agricultural University,

Beijing, China

Modifi cation of the chicken intestinal epithelial physical barrierThe intestinal epithelial physical barrier is the most critical element

of maintaining an intact intestinal barrier and made up of a layer

of columnar epithelial cells and intercellular junctional complexes

including tight junctions, adherens junctions and desmosomes.

Tight junctions (TJ), which are formed by proteins including claudins,

occludin, junctional adhesion molecule and zonula occludens

(ZO), are primarily responsible for the permeability of the

paracellular pathway.

The function of the intestinal barrier function in poultry is evaluated by measuring intestinal permea-

bility.

Few studies have shown the developmental profi le of intestinal barrier function and tight junction

proteins in the intestinal epithelium of chicks in embryonic phase or/and the early post-hatch period.

Several feed additives, including nutrients (i.e. Zn), probiotics, prebiotics, functional polysaccharide,

enzymes and epidermal growth factor, were shown to regulate intestinal barrier function by modifying

expression and localization of TJ proteins.


NUTRITION

In the post-AGP (antibiotic growth promoters) era, nutritional

solutions to maintain the integrity of the intestinal barrier are of

great importance to get proper functioning of the epithelial cells

and to prevent the entry of pathogenic bacteria.

The intestinal epithelial physical barrier

The intestinal epithelium forms the largest and most import-

ant barrier between internal and external environments of

animals. The intestinal epithelial barrier is made up of a layer

of columnar epithelial cells that forms the fi rst line of defense

between the intestinal lumen and inner milieu. The intestinal

epithelial cells are mainly absorptive enterocytes (over 80%)

but also include entero-endocrine, goblet, and Paneth cells.

The epithelium allows the absorption of nutrients while pro-

viding a physical barrier to the permeation of pro-infl ammatory

molecules, such as pathogens, toxins, and antigens, from the

luminal environment into the mucosal tissues and circulatory

system. The epithelial selective permeability includes two path-

ways: the transcellular and the paracellular pathway. The tran-

scellular pathway is involved in the absorption and transport of

nutrients, including sugars, amino acids, peptides, fatty acids,

minerals, and vitamins. As the cell membrane is impermeable,

this process is predominantly mediated by specifi c transport-

adhesion and intracellular communication, respectively. The

cytoskeleton is an intricate structure of protein fi laments that

extends throughout the cytosol that is essential for maintaining

the structure of all eukaryotic cells. Disruption of the cytoskele-

ton is linked to the loss of intestinal barrier integrity.

Tight junctions are formed by protein dimers that span the

space between adjacent cell membranes. There are over 50

proteins with well recognized roles in tight junction formation.

These proteins comprise four integral transmembrane proteins

(e.g. occludin, claudins, junctional adhesion molecules (JAM)

and tricellulin), and cytosolic scaffold proteins, such as zonu-

la occludens (ZO) proteins. The extracellular domains of the

transmembrane proteins form the selective barrier by hemo-

philic and heterophilic interactions with the adjacent cells. The

intracellular domains of these transmembrane proteins interact

with ZO proteins, which in turn anchor the transmembrane pro-

teins to the perijunctional actomyosin ring. The interaction of TJ

proteins with the actin cytoskeleton is vital to the maintenance

of TJ structure and function. In addition, the interaction of the TJ

complex with the actomyosin ring permits the cytoskeletal reg-

ulation of TJ barrier integrity. The function of occludin is not yet

fully understood, but numerous studies using animals and cell

cultures indicate that it is required for TJ assembly and barrier

integrity in the intestinal epithelia. Occludin has been linked to

ers or channels located on the apical and basolateral mem-

branes. The paracellular pathway is associated with transport

in the intercellular space between the adjacent epithelial cells.

These epithelial cells are tightly bound together by intercellular

junctional complexes that regulate the paracellular permeability

and are crucial for the integrity of the epithelial barrier.These

junctions allow the passage of fl uids, electrolytes, and small

macromolecules, but inhibit passage of larger molecules.

The junctional complexes consist of the tight junctions, gap

junctions, adherens junctions, and desmosomes. Tight junc-

tions are the most apical and are primarily responsible for

controlling permeability of the paracellular pathway. Adherens

junctions are located beneath the tight junctions and are in-

volved in cell-cell adhesion and intracellular signaling. Both

tight junctions and adherens junctions (together known as the

apical junctional complex) are associated to the actin cytoskel-

eton. Desmosomes and gap junctions are involved in cell-cell

the regulation of intermembrane diffusion and paracellular dif-

fusion of small molecules. The claudin proteins are considered

to be the structural backbone of TJ. Claudins consist of at least

24 members in humans and mice, and each isoform shows a

unique expression pattern in tissues and cell lines. In contrast

to their structural similarities, claudins perform different func-

tions and can be roughly divided into two types: those involved

in barrier formation (decreasing paracellular permeability) and

those in channel pores (increasing paracellular permeability).

In the intestines, claudin-1, -3, -4, -5, -8, -9, -11, and -14 can

be categorized as barrier-forming claudins, while claudin-2, -7,

-12, and -15 are pore-forming claudins. Several plaque proteins

have been identifi ed, including the zonula occludens (ZO) pro-

teins, ZO-1, ZO-2, and ZO-3. Plaque proteins potentially play

a central role in TJ regulation, because they can cause reorga-

nization of the cytoskeleton. Claudin-1, claudin-2 , claudin-3,

claudin-5, claudin-16, ZO-1, ZO -2 and occludin are reported

in poultry.

“The animal intestine has the roles of absorbing nutrients and also acting as a barrier to prevent pathogens and toxins from entering into the body and potentially causing diseases.

Injured intestinal barrier is characterized by increased intestinal permeability, which allows luminal antigenic agents (e.g., bacteria, toxins, and feed-associated antigens) to leak across the epithelium to sub-epithelial tissues, to result in infl ammation, malabsorption, diarrhea,

and potentially systemic diseases”

48 - nutrition -

NUTRITION

TJ are not static barriers but highly dynamic structures that are

constantly being remodeled due to interactions with external

stimuli, such as food residues and pathogenic and commensal

bacteria. Regulation of the assembly, disassembly, and main-

tenance of TJ structure is infl uenced by various physiological

and pathological stimuli. Signaling pathways involved in TJ reg-

ulation, and interactions between transmembrane proteins and

the actomyosin ring are controlled by several signaling proteins,

including protein kinase C (PKC), mitogen-activated protein ki-

nases (MAPK), myosin light chain kinase (MLCK), and the Rho

family of small GTPases.

Assessment of the epithelial physical barrier

function in poultry

a) Intestinal permeability

Intestinal permeability is defi ned as the non-mediated diffusion

of large (i.e., molecular weight >150 Da), normally restricted

molecules from the intestinal lumen to the blood. The primary

means of determining intestinal permeability in humans or an-

imals is by measuring the passage of high molecular weight

probes across the gastrointestinal tract barrier. In humans, this

involves ingestion of a solution containing nontoxic, non-me-

tabolizable substances (such as sucrose, lactulose, sucralose)

and assessing their excretion in the urine. The appearance of

probes in the urine indicates loss of barrier function in the gas-

trointestinal tract. However, that method is unsuitable for poultry

because of the mixture of urine and feces. In animal models

including poultry, intestinal permeability is usually determined

by infusing fl uorescent probes, such as fl uoroisothiocyanate

(FITC)-dextrans, into the intestinal area of interest and mea-

suring plasma concentrations over time. The probe horseradish

peroxidase was also reported.The Ex vivo Ussing chamber is

the most sensitive to test the intestinal permeability by measur-

ing transepithelial electrical resistance (TER), as it refl ects the

opening of the tight junctions between epithelial cells and the

paracellular permeability of the intestinal mucosa.

b) Bacterial translocation

The disruption in barrier functions was associated with viral and

bacterial translocation across the epithelial monolayers.

Bacterial translocation is defi ned as the passage of viable bac-

teria from the intestinal tract through the epithelial mucosa into

extra-intestinal organs. Impaired mucosal surfaces can increase

vulnerability of the intestinal epithelium with an augmented risk

of bacterial and viral penetration, or bacterial overgrowth in the

in the intestine.

c) Plasma LPS concentrations

LPS is a highly pathogenic component of the walls of gram

negative bacteria and is found in the intestinal tract in high con-

centration. Its presence in the portal blood of animal models

indicates passage from the intestinal lumen to the circulation.

Increased LPS concentration in the systemic circulation likely

indicates severe intestinal barrier dysfunction.

Development of the epithelial physical barrier

Kawasaki et al. (1998) determined the developmental expres-

sion of occludin in the gastrointestinal tract of 3- to 21-day-old

chick embryos and reported that occludin mRNA was fi rst de-

tected by RT–PCR in the chick embryo on day 3 of incubation,

by northern blot analysis on day 4, and by western blot anal-

ysis on day 5, suggesting that synthesis of occludin begins in

the chick embryo at a very early stage of development. The

immune-histochemical assay revealed that occludin began to

be weakly expressed only along the apical surface of the gas-

trointestinal epithelium of the 4-day-old chick embryo. As the

embryo developed, the immunoreactivity gradually became

stronger and formed more complex networks near the apical

surface, which indicated that the developmental expression of

occludin in the gastrointestinal tract is closely correlated with

the morphological as well as functional development of the tight

junction. Roberts et al. (2005) reported that the small intestinal

epithelial barrier function of broiler chicks hasn’t developed well

at hatching, and the jejunal TER increased more than 3-folds

and the ileal TER increased one-fold during d2 to d11 of age.

Jejunal occludin expression increased linearly with age, but did

not reach a plateau by d11, even though no effects of age on

ileal occludin or on zonula occludens-2 expression were ob-

served. Their work shows that the epithelial barrier function of

the ileum is not fully developed in broiler chicks until later than

d 14 of age for the ileum. More research are required to devel-

op nutritional solutions benefi cial for the small intestinal barrier

function development and gut health.

Modifi cation of the epithelial physical barrier by dietary factors in poultry

a) Zinc

The importance of Zn to intestinal development and function

has been demonstrated in many studies, dietary Zn supple-

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hic

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n C

ou

nc

il


NUTRITION

mentation reduced gut lesion scores and the intestinal perme-

ability and increased expression of ZO-1 and occludin in mam-

mals. Zn deprivation induced a decrease of TER and altered

tight and adherens junctions. Zhang et al. (2012) reported that

Zn (as ZnSO4) up-regulated occludin and claudin-1 mRNA ex-

pression in the ileum and tended to reduce plasma endotoxin

levels in the chickens challenged with Salmonella Typhimuri-

um, and indicated that regulation of occludin and claudin-1 ex-

pression by Zn could be involved in ameliorating the increased

intestinal permeability induced by Salmonella Typhimurium

challenge. Hu et al. (2013) showed that supplemental ZnO or

ZnSO4 did not affect ileal and colonic barrier function and in-

testinal microfl ora in broiler chickens; however supplemental 60

mg of Zn/kg as ZnO-MMT (zinc oxide-montmorillonite hybrid)

increased colonic TER values, and reduced colonic probe man-

nitol permeability as well as ileal or colonic inulin permeability

of the chickens.

b) Probiotics and Prebiotics

In the study by Rajput et al. (2013), compared to treatments

with Saccharomyces boulardii and Bacillus subtilis B10, the

tight junctions of jejunum and ileum of broilers were compar-

atively loose in the control group, and both Saccharomyces

boulardii and Bacillus subtilis B10 improved the epithelial tight

junctions through increasing occludin, claudin-2, and claudin-3

mRNA expression levels in the intestine of the broilers. CAO et

al. (2014) reported that L. fermentum 1.2029 was able to ame-

liorate the severity of necrotic enteritis lesions and infl ammation

and improved the epithelial barrier through increasing claudin-1

and occludin levels in the necrotic enteritis-infected chickens.

Heat stress not only negatively affected the intestinal microbio-

ta balance, also decreased the jejunal TER and increased the

jejunal paracellular permeability of FITC-dextrans, and which

was correlated the down-regulated jejunal protein levels of oc-

cludin and ZO-1 in the broilers. Supplemental probiotic mixture

containing Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus subtilis and Lacto-

bacillus plantarum increased the jejunal protein level of occlu-

din in the broilers. That indicated that dietary addition of the pro-

biotic mixture was effective in partially ameliorating intestinal

barrier dysfunction induced by heat stress in broilers.

Song et al. (2013) also reported that supplemental cello-oligo-

saccharide, a functional oligosaccharide obtained from plant

cellulose, increased the jejunal villus height and villus height

to crypt depth ratio, as well as decreased jejunal paracellular

permeability of FITC- dextran in the broiler chickens.

c) Functional polysaccharides

β-1,3/1,6-glucan from Saccharomyces cerevisiae has benefi -

cial effects on both the innate and acquired immune systems,

and clearance of pathogens such as Salmonella, Escherichia

coli and coccidiosis in broiler chickens. The work of Shao et

al. (2014) showed that dietary β-1,3/1,6-glucan supplementa-

tion could attenuate the intestinal mucosal barrier impairment in

the broiler chickens challenged with Salmonella Typhimurium,

and that could be related to the increased mRNA expression of

claudin-1 and occludin, and the increased goblet cell numbers

and sIgA level in the jejunum of the broiler chickens. Parson et

al. (2014) reported that in chickens, dietary supplementation

with soluble non-starch polysaccharide (NSP) plantain NSP

reduced invasion by S.Typhimurium, as refl ected by viable bac-

terial counts in splenic tissue, and plantain NSP inhibited ad-

hesion of S.Typhimurium to a porcine epithelial cell-line and to

primary chick caecal crypts in vitro.

d) Enzymes

Clostridium perfringens challenge increased the intestinal le-

sion score and also resulted in passive transcellular permea-

bility and higher plasma endotoxin in the chickens, and dietary

addition of xylanase or enzyme complex containing xylanase,

glucanase and mannanase could alleviate the alteration

caused by C. perfringens infection, indicating that dietary en-

zyme supplementation could benefi t for gut barrier integrity of

the C. perfringens-challenged chickens.

Lysozyme as a natural antimicrobial protein occurs in a number

of animal secretions and is considered an important compo-

nent of the innate immune system. The addition of exogenous

lysozyme signifi cantly reduced the concentration of Clostridium

perfringens in the ileum and the intestinal lesion scores, and

inhibited the overgrowth of E. coli and Lactobacillus in the ileum

and intestinal bacteria translocation to the spleen of chickens

challenged with Clostridium perfringens, suggesting that exog-

enous lysozyme could be used to improve the intestinal barrier

function of chickens.

e) Epidermal growth factor (EGF)

EGF is a small amino acid peptide with a broad range of bio-

activities on the intestinal epithelium, including the stimulation

of cellular proliferation, differentiation, and intestinal maturation.

In chickens, EGF reduced jejunal C. jejuni colonization and al-

leviated the dissemination of C. jejuni to the liver and spleen.

In the in vitro study, the pretreatment with EGF abolished the

C. jejuni-induced intestinal epithelial abnormalities, such as

disruption of tight junctional claudin-4, increasing of transepi-

thelial permeability and the translocation of non-invasive Esch-

erichia coli C25.

f) Others

Other dietary factors such as threonine, glutamine, and fl avo-

noids were also reported to regulate intestinal epithelial barrier

in animals or cell lines in vitro, but few reports in poultry were

found. More nutritional solutions to improve intestinal barrier

function and the underlying molecular mechanisms are needed

to be investigated.


From the Proceedings of the

2017 Australian Poultry Science Symposium

50 - nutrition -

NUTRITION

Y. Akter1, C. Hutchison2,

S. Liu1 and C.J. O’Shea1

1 Poultry Research

Foundation, Faculty of

Veterinary Science,

The University

of Sydney, Camden,

NSW, Australia

2 School of Science and

Health, Western Sydney

University, Hawkesbury

Campus, Richmond,

NSW, Australia

Comparison of wheatand maize-based diets on growth of broilersMaize and wheat are a major source of energy in broiler diets.

Generally, wheat-based diets are offered to broiler chickens in

Europe, Australia and New Zealand while maize-based diets are

widely used in the US and Asia.

Studies have demonstrated that dietary cereal source have a signifi cant infl uence on bird perfor-

mance however the type of cereal used has received little attention as a factor affecting chicken

meat quality. Del Puerto et al. (2016) reported that dietary cereals may affect pH and colour of meat.

Moreover, Kennedy et al. (2005) have shown that while meat from birds fed maize-based diets may

benefi t from dietary vitamin E supplementation to improve the sensory value of meat, there was no

advantage in supplementing wheat-based diets.

©A

sso

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is


NUTRITION

This observation suggests a gap in the meat quality between

the two cereal types. Therefore, the objective of this study was

to measure some meat quality and growth performance param-

eters of broiler chickens offered diets where maize or wheat

provided the major energy source.

Materials and methods

All procedures used in this study were approved by the An-

imal Ethics Committee of University of Sydney. Experimental

birds were housed in battery cages. Broilers (Ross 308, male)

were placed on a common wheat-based standard starter diet

until day 10. From 10 to 17 days and from 18 to 38 days, broil-

ers were offered grower and fi nisher diets respectively which

“The results of this study indicate that dietary cereals had signifi cant eff ects on ADFI, FCR, and meat drip loss and meat colour of broiler chickens”

were based on either maize or wheat as a principle source of

carbohydrate, and satisfi ed all nutrient requirements as sug-

gested by the breeder manual. All experimental diets provided

similar calculated metabolizable energy (ME kcal/kg) and crude

protein (%).

Energy levels were adjusted with soybean oil and digestible

amino acid levels with soybean meal, canola meal and syn-

thetic amino acids. Exogenous enzymes were not included.

Chicks had ad libitum access to water and feed. Average indi-

vidual body weights (BW) and average daily gain (ADG), and

cage average daily feed intake (ADFI) and feed conversion ra-

tio (FCR) were recorded on a weekly interval. The FCR values

were corrected for the body weight of any bird that died during

the course of the experiment.

At 38 days of age, birds were killed according to the recommen-

dations for euthanasia of experimental animals. Meat quality

was determined on 1 bird per cage. Drip loss was determined by

the weight difference of suspended Pectoralis muscle samples

stored at 4°C at 0, 24, 48 & 72 h post-slaughter. Meat colour

change was determined daily over 7 days using the CIELAB

method for lightness (L*), redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) in

the Pectoralis muscle using a Minolta Lab CR-10 colourimeter.

The pH was determined at 0 and 1 day of post mortem in the

Pectoralis muscle using a glass electrode (TPS ionode) at-

tached to a portable pH meter (TPS LC80A pH-mv-TEMP),

which is temperature compensated. Shear force value of Pec-

toralis muscle was determined with a Warner Bratzler Shear

52 - nutrition -

NUTRITION

attachment on a Stable Micro Systems TAXT2 Texture Analyser.

Data were analysed using the generalised linear model pro-

cedure of SAS. Meat colour data were analysed by repeated

measures using the mixed procedure of SAS. The experimen-

tal units were pooled cage means for growth performance and

1 bird per cage for meat quality. Data are presented as least

squared means ± standard error of the mean (SEM). Differenc-

es were considered signifi cant at P < 0.05.

Results and discussion

The effects of feeding wheat and maize-based diets on growth

performance are presented in Table 1 and meat quality is pre-

sented in Figure 1 & 2 and Table 2. Dietary cereals had no

effect on body weight (BW), average daily gain (ADG), feed

conversion ratio (FCR), and average daily feed intake (ADFI)

of broilers chicken from 10-17 and 17-24 d of age. Similarly,

BW and ADG of birds from 25 - 38 days of age were not in-

fl uenced by wheat or maize-based diet, but the birds fed on

maize-based fi nisher diet had lower FCR (P<0.001) and ADFI

(P<0.001) compared to those offered wheat-based diets. These

outcomes are in agreement with Peng et al. (2003) who stated

that a maize-based diet signifi cantly improved FCR when com-

pared with a wheat-based diet. There was no signifi cant effect

of dietary cereals type on mortality rate of broiler chicken over

the entire growth period.

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Table 1 Effect of wheat and maize-based diets on growth performance of

broiler chickens from 10-38 days post-hatch

SEM SEM SEM SEM SEM

Day 10-17

Body weight(g/bird) at day 17 875 877 16.205 0.933

Average gain (g/bird/day) 68.5 70.8 1.525 0.314

Average feed intake (g/bird/day) 73.9 73.5 0.595 0.596

Feed conversion ratio (FCR) 1.07 1.04 0.0221 0.408

Day 18-24

Body weight(g/bird) at day 24 1570.62 1573.01 19.821 0.934

Average gain (g/bird/day) 99.38 98.67 1.362 0.719

Average feed intake (g/bird/day) 162.55 157.70 3.0626 0.293

Feed conversion ratio (FCR) 1.64 1.61 0.0341 0.592

Day 25-38

Body weight(g/bird) at day 38 3184 3155 37.916 0.600

Average gain (g/bird/day) 115 113 1.881 0.419

Average feed intake (g/bird/day) 229a 193b 4.0456 0.001

Feed conversion ratio (FCR) 1.99a 1.71b 0.0201 0.001

Mortality (%) 2.0 1.7 0.500 0.100

The breast meat of broilers offered the maize-based diet had

a higher drip loss rate than the wheat-based diet (P<0.05;

Figure 1). These results are confi rmed by Ao and Choct (2004)

who reported that wheat-based diet fed group of birds had a

lower drip loss value than the maize. An increase in drip loss in

the maize-fed group also agrees with the observations of Ken-

nedy et al. (2005) who observed an improvement in the eating

quality of maize-fed, but not wheat-fed chicken meat when sup-

plemented with vitamin E.

In the present study, meat from the birds fed the wheat-based

diet had (P < 0.001) higher lightness (L*) value (Figure 2),

which might be due to a lack of pigments otherwise present in

maize. Similarly, wheat-based diet fed birds produced meat with

(P < 0.05) a higher redness (a*) value (Figure 2). These fi ndings

are in disagreement with Smith et al. (2002) who stated that

wheat-based diets decreased redness (a*) value compared

to maize-based diets. In contrast, the yellowness (b*) value

(Figure 2) of meat from maize-based diet was (P < 0.001) higher

than the meat from wheat-fed birds, which might be because of

pigments (carotene and xanthophylls) present in yellow maize.

In this study, the shear force value of breast meat was not (P

> 0.05) infl uenced by dietary wheat or maize. These results

are in disagreement with Lyon et al., (2003) who got signifi -

cantly higher shear force value in meat from wheat-based diet

compared with maize diet. Similarly, dietary cereals had no


NUTRITION

signifi cant effects on the pH value of breast meat. These fi nd-

ings are supported by Perlo et al. (2010); Osek et al. (2010);

Garcia et al. (2013) who did not notice any signifi cant ef-

fect of dietary cereals on pH value of broiler chicken meat.

“A total of 72, 10-day old Ross 308 broilers male chicks were randomly allocated to 2 dietary treatments with 6 birds per cage and 6 replications in each treatment. Experimental diets were formulated to be iso-calorifi c and iso-nitrogenous. Body weight (BW), average daily feed intake

(ADFI), average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR) from 10-38 d, and pectoralis muscle drip loss rate, colour, temperature, pH, and shear force at 38 d were evaluated”

Table 2 Effect of maize and wheat-based diets on meat quality of broiler chickens

Parameter Wheat-based diet Maize-based diet SEM P

Shear force (N) 35.81 35.32 3.789 0.929

Initial pH 0h 6.82 6.84 0.0765 0.845

Final pH 24h 5.82 5.9 0.0259 0.068

Conclusion

To our knowledge, there has been little research conducted to

evaluate the response of meat quality to broiler diets based on

maize or wheat. In this study, birds fed wheat-based diets had

poorer feed efficiency and higher feed intake in the fi nal week

(from 25-38 days of age) only.

Meat from maize-based diets was more yellow whereas birds

offered a wheat-based diet had more red and lighter-coloured

meat and a higher water holding capacity. The results of this

study indicate that variations in dietary cereal use as a ma-

jor carbohydrate may be related to differences in meat quality

properties. Further evidence is merited exploring the evidence

and explanation for variation in meat quality between diets

based on these major cereals.



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54 - veterinary science -

VETERINARY SCIENCE

Rob Porter, DVM,

PhD Diplomate ACVP,

ACPV Minnesota

Veterinary Diagnostic

Laboratory, USA

Investigation of nutritional diseases at the veterinary diagnostic laboratoryCurrent literature reviews of nutritional diseases in poultry indicate that

the occurrence is generally less common compared to reports of fi fty

years ago. This may be a result of improvements in feed formulations,

mixing procedures and feed distribution.

Regardless issues with feed formulation or nutri-

ent absorption should always be a concern when

fl ocks are experiencing reduced growth, lame-

ness, poor feathering, dehydration, reduced egg

production or poor shell quality. Perhaps most

nutritional issues are corrected early in the fi eld

as part of day-to-day fl ock management, espe-

cially since young, growing birds will be affected

the worst by reduced nutrients.

Here below the role the veterinary diagnostic

laboratory can play in helping to confi rm nutri-

tional disease in a fl ock has been described.

Types of disorders

For the generally small number of feed-related

issues, the case is usually submitted with one of

the two histories: 1) immediate change in fl ock

behavior, e.g., decreased feed consumption,

mortality, paralysis, and 2) a chronic, insidious

or predictable condition that has been observed

in successive fl ocks, e.g., feather loss, reduced

egg production, lameness.

Initial approach

Investigation of the fl ock by the production man-

ager or company veterinarian as quickly as pos-

sible is vital; however, upon early recognition of

the condition a full necropsy to rule out infectious

disease is important.

What should you do if you immediately suspect a feed issue contributingto severe fl ock signs?

If there is fi rst hand evidence of a feed defi ciency

or toxicosis one should and replace feed may be

prior to contacting the veterinary diagnostic lab.

This will require having extra feed bins on the

farm. The response of the fl ock to feed replace-

ment can be interpreted along with testing on

feed, water and birds, to confi rm the diagnosis.

The producer or veterinarian should collect 1-2

lb of feed and ½ gallon of drinking water as sam-

ples representative of what the fl ock received.

What should you do if you suspect chronic nutritional disease or toxicosis?

There will be situations where you observe

chronic, insidious clinical signs that occur in suc-

cessive fl ocks. A recurring production problem

can be tackled with more thorough investigation

and sample collection. Keep detailed production

and feed records to be shared with the nutrition-

ist, veterinarian and laboratory diagnostician.

Feed and water samples should be collected

and refrigerated 1-2 weeks prior to the predicted

onset of the clinical signs and birds should be

submitted to the diagnostic laboratory for full di-

agnostic workup including histopathology. Later,

when the particular clinical signs are observed,

similar feed and water samples should be col-

lected, and birds should be submitted for addi-

tional diagnostic workup. It is paramount to rule

out infectious disease as the primary cause of

the clinical signs. Once infection has been ruled

out one can investigate for nutrient defi ciency

or toxins in feed and water as well as compare

©V

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VETERINARY SCIENCE

necropsy fi ndings before and after onset of clinical signs. Keep

in mind that a thorough investigation requires additional feed,

water and tissue analyses that can triple or quadruple the cost

of the necropsy.

What does a pathologist do with the birds and samples submitted to the veterinary diagnostic laboratory?

The vet pathologist generally prefers to receive whole, intact

birds for necropsy within 24-36 hours of death or less, although

this cannot always be done with large birds or concerns about

shipping costs and delays in transit. The pathologist will assess

the following items (costs increase as one progresses from 1-8):

1. Flock history

2. Production or vaccination records

3. Gross exam on birds

4. Histopathology

5. Bacterial cultures

6. Virology - virus isolation and PCR molecular techniques

7. Optional - radiology, special histology stains,

immunohistochemistry

8. Nutritional and toxicological tests

What tests are readily available for feed

or tissue analysis?

Key Examples of feed-related defi ciency

or toxicosis observed in the last ten years

1. Rickets - Soft bones occurring in young birds is referred to

as rickets. This disorder is usually caused by abnormal Ca/P

ratios in the ration, low vitamin D3 levels in the ration, or intes-

tinal malabsorption associated with enteric diseases. The birds

are often recumbent, but bright and alert with extremely pliable

beaks and long bones.

Typical splay-leg posture of turkey poult with rickets

Normal growth plate in 5-week-old turkey - note uniform 1-2mm

width at proximal tarsometatarsus (left) compared to wide and

irregular growth plate in the 7-week-old turkey (right) with re-

duced bone ash in tibiotarsal bone (36%).

Twenty-one-day-old broiler chicken: Nutritional rickets-A. Note

the markedly pliable beak (“rubber jaw”) and B. fl attened ribs

with beaded/enlarged costochondral junctions (arrows).

Examples of nutrien and feed-related toxin analyses available at Midwest Diagnostic Labs

Nutrient or feed supplement Potential toxic compounds

Antibiotics-feed Anticoagulants

Ash-feed and bone, Ca and P Pesticides

Beta carotene feed or tissue Chlorinated hydrocarbons

Crude fat-feed Cholinesterase-brain (OPP)

Crude fi ber-feed

Gas Chromatography-mass

spectroscopy 200,000 organic

compounds

Fatty acid profi leHeavy metals-As, Cd, Co, Ch,

Pb, Hg

Protein-feedMycotoxin screen-Afl atoxin B1,

Vomintoxin, DON, Tricothecene

Ionophore-feed or tissue Organophosphate panel-feed

Selenium-feed and tissue

Sodium-feed and tissue

Trace elements-feed/liver, As, Ba, B,

Ca, Cu, Fe, Pb, Mg, Mn, Hg, Mb, P,

K, Se, Na, Th, Zn

Vitamins (fat soluble)-feed, Vit A, D,

E, K,

Water-solutes, coliforms, sulfates,

nitrates


VETERINARY SCIENCE

In cases of rickets a complete feed analysis for defi ciency of

protein, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D3, manganese and

choline is recommended.

2. Osteomalacia - Also known as cage layer fatigue in laying

hens, this nutritional disease is characterized by decreased

mineral in bone resulting in soft, pliable bones including the

beak, curved keel bone and beading of the ribs at the costo-

chondral junction. High-producing hens maintained in cages

can show paralysis during the period of peak egg production.

Depletion of calcium in the medullary bone of the long bones

is seen in caged layers; perhaps reduced activity/exercise is a

predisposing factor. Affected birds can be found on their sides

in the back of the cage. At the time of initial paralysis, birds

can appear healthy and will have a shelled egg in the oviduct.

Death occurs from starvation or dehydration, a failure of the

birds to reach the feet or water. A high incidence of cage layer

fatigue can be prevented if pullets receive a high calcium diet

(minimum of 3.5% calcium) at least two weeks prior to the fi rst

oviposition. Older caged layers are also quite susceptible to

bone breakage, particularly during transport to processing. The

condition results in reduced mineral in bone (soft bones-osteo-

malacia) or bone with normal mineral content, but decreased in

amount of total bone (osteoporosis).

Adult caged laying hen with osteomalacia-note the curve in

the keelbone.

3. Chondrodysplasia - This condition, observed in both turkey

and broiler chickens, is characterized by failure of blood vessels

to completely invade the growth plate of long bones, resulting in

retained cartilage cores at the growth plate. There is a strong

heritability factor with this condition, but it can, especially in

broiler chickens, be exacerbated by rapid growth rate and re-

duced Vitamin D3 in the ration.

Fifteen-week-old turkey with “cowboy” legs or varus deformity

caused by enlarged hock joint and bowed proximal tibiotarsal

(shank) leg bones.

Chondrodysplasia (cartilage cores marked by stars) of turkey

tarsometatarsus (shank, left photo) and radiograph (right) of

one normal and two affected bones.

4. Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol)/Selenium defi ciency - Also

known as crazy chick disease or cherry brain, this disease is

caused by defi ciency of vitamin E. This defi ciency is usually

diagnosed in young chicks and turkey poults, but can affect a

wide variety of birds. Vitamin E is a natural antioxidant and is

need for maintenance of brain tissue and embryo development,

especially in growing birds. Selenium is needed for vitamin E

metabolism. Three conditions associated with vitamin E defi -

ciency are encephalomalacia, exudative diathesis, and mus-

cular dystrophy/degeneration; these all are related to oxidative

damage to cells or blood vessels.

Broiler chicken with vitamin E/Se defi ciency (encephalomala-

cia).


VETERINARY SCIENCE

5. Fatty liver syndrome (hepatic lipidosis) - Fatty liver is

caused by an imbalance of energy (positive energy gain) and

protein intake. Fatty liver is observed most often in caged laying

hens and occasionally in breeder turkey hens. Caged layers

are particularly prone to fatty liver because of minimal exercise

accompanied by high calorie intake; however, more cases of

fatty liver in fl oor-raised brown egg layers have been diagnosed

as well. The liver is enlarged, pale orange, soft, friable and

is easily fractured. Rupture of the fatty liver with hemorrhage

into the abdominal cavity is a common cause of death in lay-

ing hens. Treatment with choline chloride, vitamin K, biotin, and

vitamin E in the feed for two weeks has been used to control

mortality with varying results. Prevention is by use of an ade-

quate diet with proper energy and protein levels.

6. Aortic rupture - This condition occurs sporadically in

14-15-week-old male turkeys or older, often appearing as spik-

ing mortality. The toms are often found dead with blood exuding

from mouth and nostrils. For years this condition has been at-

tributed to both heritability and vascular hypertension, the lat-

ter which could be induced experimentally by severe copper

defi ciency.

7. Visceral gout/urolithiasis - Gout/urolithiasis is a condition

very commonly seen in older layer fl ocks and is related to kid-

ney failure. On occasion, gout can be a very signifi cant part

of fl ock mortality, sometimes as high as 0.5% per week, but

is often an insignifi cant cause of low-grade mortality. Kidneys

can be damaged by low phosphorus diets at any age, water

deprivation at housing, high vitamin D3 in the ration, or exces-

sive calcium before sexual maturity (15 to 16 weeks). Infectious

bronchitis virus can cause renal damage and is often associat-

ed with urolithiasis.

8. Gizzard erosions - Erosions and ulcers of the koilin lining

of gizzard in young poultry can cause inappetence as well as

death from blood loss in severe cases. Koilin damage has been

associated with adenovirus, reovirus, caustic chemicals, my-

cotoxins (suspected), and nutritional causes such as biogenic

amines (gizzerosine, histidine) produced by rancid or spoiled

fi sh and animal by products, especially fat.

Note the irregular erosions of the koilin lining the gizzard in

2-week-old Bobwhite quail (left) and 15-day-old turkey poults

(right). Specifi c etiologies were not identifi ed in these cases,

although feed toxins were considered.

9. Inadequate vitamin K supplmentation in feed - Increased

dietary supplements can be essential during particular stag-

es of growth or for under treatment condition. Vitamin K is a

co-factor in the blood coagulation cascade. Vitamin K is gen-

erally adequate in feed, but should be supplemented when pul-

lets are beak trimmed by hot blade.

10. Ionophore toxicosis - Polyether ionophores facilitate trans-

port of divalent cations across cell membranes to interfere with

osmoregulation, resulting in cell rupture. Toxicosis caused by

ionophores is relatively common in poultry, because these

compounds are commonly administered for the prevention and

treatment of coccidiosis and are subject to overdosing and

mixing errors. Additionally, these ionophores can interact with

certain medications, such as sulfonamides, to cause toxicosis

signs when the ionophore concentration in the feed is normal.

11. Sodium toxicosis - This condition occurs intermittently

and clinical signs can result from elevated Na concentration

in either feed or water. Properly formulating sodium concentra-

tion in the ration can be a challenge if there is high salinity in

soil or drinking water. In general Na concentrations of Na in

feed > 0.85% (8500 ppm) and in water > 0.4% (4000 ppm)

can produce heart failure, pulmonary edema and ascites in

young chicks and poults. In cases of suspected sodium toxi-

cosis the Na concentrations in both feed and water should be

determined. Young chicks or poults developing cardiomyopathy

(“roundheart”) will be more susceptible to pulmonary edema

and ascites even under normal sodium concentrations in feed

and water. Rations that are low in sodium can cause abrupt

decrease in feed consumption and dehydration in chicks and

poults, with similar changes and drops in egg production in ma-

ture layers.

In summary, the diagnosis of nutrient defi ciency or toxicosis

and supplement toxicosis in a poultry fl ock often requires close

examination of the fl ock, detailed record keeping and thorough

diagnostic examination by the veterinarian and/or veterinary

pathologist (veterinary diagnostic laboratory). This diagnosis

can be expedited by thoughtful collection and storage of feed

and water samples along with careful assessment of how costs

should be directed for analysis of particular nutrients or toxins.

The chance of a successful diagnosis as well as treatment/pre-

vention is enhanced by regular communication between pro-

ducer, production manager, veterinarian, nutritionist and veter-

inary pathologist.



2017 Midwest Poultry Federation Conference


VETERINARY SCIENCE

Jill Nezworski DVM

Blue House Veterinary

LLC Hector MN, USA

A new era of veterinary oversightIn June of 2015 The Food and Drug Administration announced

their fi nal rule on Veterinary Feed Directives. This rule is intended

to improve how antibiotics are used in agriculture by bringing them

under veterinary oversight. This rule also prohibits production uses of

antibiotics, limiting use to therapy or prevention.

As of January 1, 2016 most antibiotics used in

animal feed needed a VFD issued by a licensed

veterinarian. VFD stands for Veterinary Feed

Directive.

This is a fancy way of saying in order for a feed

mill to make feed containing most antibiotics they

will need a document from a licensed veterinari-

an before making that feed. These feed medica-

tions need to be used only as the label indicates,

no exceptions.

In order for a veterinarian to write a VFD they

fi rst need to be licensed in that State. The next

big requirement is to make sure a VCPR exists.

VCPR stand for Veterinarian – Client – Patient –

Relationship. This means that the issuing veteri-

narian needs to have a good enough relationship

where they fully understand the animals, facility

and diseases well enough that they assume re-

sponsibility for their treatment. They must also be

available for any follow up care.

Producers have several responsibilities as well.

They must agree to only use the medicated feed

for the animals, which it was written for. The pro-

ducer must not use the medicated feed past the

expiration date listed on the VFD. Records need

to be maintained for two years.

Most of the antibiotics used in poultry medicine

will fall under this new rule. There are a few ex-

ceptions: dewormers, Ionophores and bacitracin.

In 2017 water based antibiotics fell under this

rule. Antibiotics used in the feed must be used

ONLY as their label lists. There is no EXTRA

LABEL use of feed medications. The labels for

most of the feed antibiotics used on poultry farms

are very limited. Good diagnostics are the key to

proving the correct antibiotic is being used.

There is a long list of items that must be listed on

the VFD form. Licensed poultry veterinarians will

be aware of these requirements and write their

VFDs to meet these requirements. The veterinar-

ian is responsible for writing the VFD. Some drug

manufacturers have developed their own forms

and/or electronic reporting options.

It is very important to all producers to develop

a relationship with a veterinarian in advance

of needing a VFD. This way when you have an

emergency you won’t need a farm visit immedi-

ately prior to running medications.

The other part of the rule is that water medica-

tions will transition from over the counter (OTC)

status to prescription status. This means that

farms will need to work with a veterinarian in or-

der to use water medications. Each veterinarian

will handle this process slightly differently. The

producer will have to track their usage and inven-

tory of medication. They will also have to follow

the directions or protocols provided to them by

their veterinarian.

Paper presented at the Midwest Poultry

Federation Convention

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50018 Scandicci (FI) Italy;

bank: UNICREDIT, BIC: UNICRITM1OU9

Iban: IT 81 H 02008 38083 000020067507

2. send us your complete shipping

address by fax (+39 055 2571897) or by

email ([email protected]).

Art Direction & Layout

Laura Cardilicchia - ellecigrafica.com

Cover Image:

Fujisan Poultry Farm, Japan

equipped by FACCO

© Denise Vernillo

Printed

Nova Arti Grafiche, Florence

English Edition

Year XXXIX • November 2017

slats

www.poultryplast.com

GRINTA EVOLUTION SLATCod. 0450001

ECONOMICAL SLATCod. 0450002

BREEDER SLAT1000X600 MMCod. 0450006

PALMY SLATCod. 0450018PCC

purely professional.

®

Giordano Poultry Plast S.p.A.Via Bernezzo, 47 - 12023 CARAGLIO - Cuneo - ItalyTel. +39 0171 61.97.15 Fax +39 0171 81.75.81 [email protected]

Easier for you,easier for the birds.

Relax: the group laying nest for broiler breeders

For modern and successful broiler breeder management, Big Dutchman offers tailor-made concepts, the required expertise and the necessary equipment. Our tried and tested Relax group laying nest with a divided roof and a nest locking mechanism is just one example.

| High nest acceptance due to optimum entrance height| Rapid and easy monitoring of the nest and the egg belt with the help of the divided and very light nest roof| Optimum hygiene and cleaning owing to the clever, wood-free nest design| Reduced egg contact thanks to an egg belt with triangular holes| Highest egg quality as a result of short rolling-off distances and gentle transport of the eggs

www.bigdutchman.de

the poultry meat business in europe and beyond …...2017/11/11 · tion of new products, the...

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