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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.
The vast majority of poultry growers use unvented heating units, i.e. brooders or space furnaces, to heat their poultry houses, using propane or natural gas as fuel sources. Record high propane/natural gas prices over the last two years have led a number of producers to explore the possibility of using biomass furnaces to provide heat in their poultry houses. A number of alternative heating systems exist with a price range of less than $10,000 to over $60,000 (Czarick, et al., 2008)....
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From April 27 th to 29 th the Cairo Poultry Grand Parent Company (CPGP) and the Hubbard team updated their customers on the latest technical information resulting in the good results of the Hubbard Classic. As well as customers, consultants within the poultry industry were invited to exchange experiences and ideas on the management of the Hubbard Classic PS female and the M99 PS male, which are currently leading the road to success in Egypt. A series of seminars...
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Al Jazeera Poultry Grandparents, distributor of the Hubbard Classic, and Hubbard organised the second "Al Jazeera-Hubbard Poultry School" in Amman on the 17 th and 18 th of February 2009. The many attendees were not just only from Jordan, but also from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iraq, and Sudan. The companies Ceva, Intervet and Provimi also supported this event, which quickly gained fame for the quality of its presentations since its first edition end of 2007....
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Hubbard LLC is very pleased to announce that William "Billy" Tyson has been named as the new U.S. Southeast Technical Service Representative. In this role, Billy will be responsible for supplying breeder technical service to the growing customer base in the southeast region. The Hubbard M99 breeder male continues to gain ground across the U.S. and, although established in the Southwest, the growth has been significant in the southeast region. This growth has necessitated additional personnel...
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Fertilization in commercial chickens is usually the result of natural mating. However, in some cases, artificial insemination is commonly practiced. The turkey industry especially depends on artificial insemination since natural mating is virtually impossible as a result of intense genetic selection for conformation and body weight. The completed mating in chickens is the culmination of a sequence of behaviors. The rooster will initiate mating by exhibiting courtship behavior:...
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On January 28, 2009 ABC Holding Group LLC, USA and Hendrix Genetics Ltd, Canada, on behalf of ISA North America have signed a consultancy agreement with the objective to improve ISA's market position in the USA and Japan. ABC-Holding Group LLC is a newly established company owned by Andy Hansen, Bob Kreider and Chris Hansen. ABC will focus on the further development of ISA's business in the USA and Japan, as an addition to the already existing sales channels. Andy Hansen, of...
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During the International Poultry Exhibition in Atlanta (28 th -30 th January 2009) Hubbard will launch a new product for the broiler industry, the Hubbard Yield . Over the last 2 years the Hubbard Yield has been tested extensively by several main producers in North America under the name "H1", and gained a lot of fame from its early beginning. Following the very positive feedback from numerous field trials, Hubbard decided to upgrade the "H1" test...
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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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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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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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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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Keith Bramwell
University of Arkansas (USA)
University of Arkansas (USA)
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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