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Poultry genetics and reproduction
Poultry breeding has been one of the most impactful advances in the last 100 years. The role that improved global production of eggs and poultry meat have in reducing global hunger and food insecurity is difficult to overstate. The vast majority of these improvements have come from genetic selection for improved feed efficiency, along with streamlining of the overall production system, and better understanding of poultry nutrition. While the industrial approach to poultry production has created a highly consistent and dependable food source the world over, several problems threaten the long term sustainability of this model - including musculoskeletal and metabolic disorders, welfare concerns, and the need to adapt to a changing climate. Researchers in poultry breeding and genetics utilize quantitative, population, and molecular genetic techniques to help understand the effects of selection for economically important traits and enhance genetic performance through changes in environment and management strategies.
Chick quality is still a term than many breeder, hatchery and broiler people still have a hard time defining. Most everyone can identify poor quality chicks from good quality chicks. However, when three people are asked to define chick quality, three different descriptions would be received. Currently chick quality is mainly based on observations such as whether or not the chick is alert, dry or wet, whether the navel is completed sealed, and deformities. While these are a good start, there...
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NOVOGEN is very pleased to announce that Thierry Burlot has joined the company in October 2008. Thierry has been appointed as R&D manager and in this role he will focus on the further development of NOVOGEN's layer products and its product range, and he will also lead the genomics project for NOVOGEN as part of Groupe Grimaud's key focus areas.
Thierry Burlot graduated at Institut Supérieur Agricole in Beauvais, France in 1994 followed by a genetics degree at Iowa State...
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Engormix.com has posted today the interview made with Mr Mickael Le Helloco , General Manager NOVOGEN , a subsidiary of the Grimaud Group, devoted to poultry genetics and multi-species genomic research. The company is currently focused into genetics programs and the sale of breedstock (grandparents and parents). Mr Le Helloco told us that NOVOGEN...
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What are the important factors in rearing productive broiler breeders? The time spent preparing for the new flock and the first seven to ten days after placement are the most critical time to promote the success of the flock. It is difficult with the lag in time between the rearing phase and the end of lay to pinpoint problems in rearing management that affected flock performance, but there is a direct relationship between the start the chicks get and how they perform during the lay cycle....
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Improving gut barrier and microbiota to enhance birds' immunity and resilience
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The main purpose of the avian egg is to produce a viable, healthy chick. Embryogenesis is dependent on several factors that are referred to as the four basic principles of incubation. These include temperature, humidity, ventilation and mechanical agitation (egg turning). Light and sound have been implicated as environmental elements that affect embryo development, but do not have enough influence to be incorporated as major components of a commercial hatching program. Both of these factors...
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Flock fertility is dependent on the reproductive status of the birds (level of egg and semen production) combine with the bird’s interest and capability of mating. Fertility usually increases from a low of 65-75% at the start of lay (23-24 weeks of age) and peaks at 95-98% at 35-37 weeks of age. Between 40-45 weeks of age fertility declines and the older the birds get the faster the decline in fertility. What are the reasons for this decline? After 40 weeks of age the breeder hen needs more...
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The recently formed alliance between multi-species breeding company Hendrix Genetics (Boxmeer, The Netherlands) and the broiler breeding company Cobb-Vantress, Inc. (Siloam Springs, Arkansas, USA), is to become the first in the world to implement genomic selection in poultry breeding. The USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) has agreed to provide $US2.5 million towards a $US10 million large-scale field evaluation of DNA selection technology in chicken breeding. The use...
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Geese are raised in small flocks in all parts of Georgia as a hobby, for pleasure, for exhibition and sometimes for profit. They are a popular bird for many small flock owners as they are very hardy and not susceptible to many of the common poultry diseases. They are excellent foragers and can be raised on good pastures or lawns as early as the first week. Reproducing geese is not difficult, but requires some attention to management to get the most success from flocks. Geese generally...
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Low Protein Diets Downregulate Hepatic Enzymes Responsible for Nonessential Amino Acid Synthesis in Broilers
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France - Groupe Grimaud has established a new company, “NOVOGEN”, focusing on the genetic selection and distribution of layer breeding stock. NOVOGEN is a company under French law, with its headquarters at Quintin, Bretagne in France. Groupe Grimaud is the majority shareholder of NOVOGEN. Under the general management of Mickaël Le Helloco, NOVOGEN S.A.S. focuses on genetic selection, the core business of Groupe Grimaud, and the worldwide distribution of...
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Farm management during the early brooding stage in the life of the chick or poult will determine whether they will reach their full potential. Every hour that a chick’s or poult’s environment is less than optimum reduces growth rate and increases feed conversion ratio and that loss recovered by the end of the growout (Dozier and Donald, 2001). Costs to both the grower and the integrator will be high if a proper brooding environment does not ensure that birds get off to a good, healthy start....
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Mycotoxin detection: VICAM builds a stronger and more sustainable future for food
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Like in any other country in the world, the Tunisian poultry industry is also facing the increased cost of feed ingredients and as a consequence the feed cost per kg of chicken. During the “Pamed 2008” exhibition held in June at Hammamet - Tunisia, Jean-François Hamon and Dominique Béchet of Hubbard were informed that the main objective of the major producers remains to produce a live broiler of 1,700g at the lowest possible cost. This is directly related to the feed cost, explaining the...
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On June 04th and 5th, 2008 Hubbard Polska organised its 17th Hubbard Technical Seminar for the Polish poultry industry in Podlesice. Over 150 participants, representing the majority of the parent stock and broilers farmers, hatcheries, processing plants and feed companies, from all over the country were hosted. The...
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Overview of Performance of Listed Vitamin Companies in 2023
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Managing the modern broiler breeder female so that she will produce a large number of high quality hatching eggs is a delicate combination of both art and science. Over the past few decades, broiler breeders have undergone intensive selection for faster growth rate, increased yield and improved feed conversion. Although these traits are measured at the broiler level , they impact the breeder hen in ways we often do not consider. The objective with...
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In the poultry industry, there are numerous challenges facing individuals responsible for the reproduction of broiler breeders. Many of these problems stem from the knowledge that increasing body growth rate will generally result in a reduction in reproductive characteristics, and vice versa. This situation is likely to escalate due to increased consumer demands for more white meat and less dark meat, which are attained in the high yield faster growing birds. Therefore, the continued trend...
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Dr. Ir. Gerard Albers will be appointed Director of Hendrix Genetics Research & Technology Centre and member of the Management Committee of Hendrix Genetics in Boxmeer as of 1 August 2008. He will be taking over from Servé Hermans who was the Research & Technology Centre's interim director.
Ir. Servé Hermans will be...
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Cobb-Vantress and Hendrix Genetics are forming an alliance that will strengthen Cobb's leading position in the broiler breeding industry and Hendrix Genetics' leading positions in egglayer, turkey and swine genetics and enable the two companies to explore further joint venture opportunities. Cobb-Vantress Inc and Hendrix Genetics B.V. signed and completed today: (a) A Broiler Joint Venture in which Cobb-Vantress acquired Hybro in...
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New research into poultry fertility may result in an economic boost of $10-$15 million for the poultry industry. With funding from USDA's Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service's (CSREES), a team of scientists at Cornell University identified new approaches to improve fertility in broiler hens without compromising growth efficiency. During embryo development in animals, the embryo can develop one of two reproductive duct systems--the mullerian system develops into...
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Poultry and gamebird producers realize that chicks must be kept warm or brooded during the first weeks of life. Surprisingly, improper brooding is one of the most common causes of stress in poultry flocks. Three basic methods are used to brood chicks: 1. The chicks have localized heat source and access to a cooler, unheated area. The chicks determine their own heating needs by moving from hot to cold areas and vice versa. This method is...
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The main goal of broiler breeder management is producing eggs. However, the only good broiler breeder egg is a fertilized egg. Fertility, the percentage of eggs laid that are fertilized, is very important in poultry production. If an egg is not fertilized, then, of course, it will not contain an embryo and will not hatch. Simply put, "Hatchability can never be better than fertility." Hatchability is around eight percentage points lower than fertility because many chick...
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Sexing day-old chicks can be accomplished by one of two methods: 1) vent sexing or 2) feather sexing. Each method has difficulties that make it unsuitable for use by the small flock owner. Vent sexing relys on the visual identification of sex based on appearance of sexual organs. Feather sexing is based on differences in feather characteristics at hatch time. A brief explanation of each method is as follows. Vent sexing of chicks at hatching has complications that make it more...
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