Poultry Hub

Extension important for sustainable poultry production

poultryhub — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 02:00:00 +0000

Welcome to another edition of eChook! In a recent Poultry CRC meeting, key industry leaders highlighted the importance of extension work for the future of poultry research, education and industry expansion. It was widely recognised that whilst timely dissemination of new information is essential, the continuous availability of existing knowledge in an easy-to-access format is also vital. This discussion stems from two facts: (a) researchers spend a lot of time preparing funding proposals, which are often rejected due to lack of novelty, and (b) industry faces problems from time-to-time that require urgent solutions in areas of research that have been addressed previously. Unfortunately, the knowledge of this research often resides in the mind or on the shelves of individuals, rather than in a searchable format accessible to researchers and industry alike. The problem is that when individuals that hold this knowledge retire or leave the industry, the knowledge usually disappears with them. This is an incredible waste of time and money. The Poultry CRC, in close collaboration with its partners, will endeavour to fill this gap over the next few years. It will involve: (a) creation of a repository for reports and proceedings arising from research projects funded in Australia, and from industry conferences and workshops conducted in Australia over the past thirty years; (b) discussion with key industry experts about their past research findings and collation of their thoughts; (c) listing or commission of reviews for ten areas of poultry research recognised by experts as priorities for the next ten years; and (d) establishment of a dedicated page on Poultry Hub for this and promotion of the page to researchers and industry personnel as widely as possible. I am sure this will not be done without your collaboration. In fact, this will rely on your open and enthusiastic cooperation to succeed. So I am thanking you in advance for your contribution to this important project! Mingan

Injecting industry into research

poultryhub — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:30:14 +0000

These days, bringing new animal vaccines to market requires more than just registering a ‘bug in a bottle’. Strict regulations to ensure food safety, imposed by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority and other authorities around the globe, demand rigorous quality controls from vaccine seed to final product. To this end, the Poultry CRC encourages close co-operation between its research organisations and the vaccine companies who will commercialise the ultimate product of CRC vaccine projects. Towards commercialisation of a next-generation ILTV vaccine is a project which exemplifies this approach, according to Project Leader, Dr Joanne Devlin from The University of Melbourne. “Before proceeding with the safety and efficacy work, it is essential that the vaccine seed used in these studies satisfies specific regulatory requirements. Therefore, in conjunction with Bioproperties, the vaccine candidate has been re-established as a pre-master seed-lot.” Dr Rima Youil, from Bioproperties, concludes, “this tight working relationship has enabled us to bank down a pre-master seed with a master seed to follow soon. It has been a solid effort by both the university and Bioproperties.”

Drs Joanne Devlin and Rima Youil

Building on this solid foundation, the team can go on to deal with the registration steps while making sure the eventual vaccine is commercially viable. As Rima explains, “It is important that manufacture of the live vaccine is optimized so that high titres can be produced to meet the market. Upcoming efficacy trials will confirm dosages which will assist us in testing safety of the vaccine which is conducted at a 10X overdose for live vaccines.” According to Rima, “Bioproperties and The University of Melbourne have successfully co-operated closely during several Poultry CRC projects including the newly registered vaccine for fowl cholera, Vaxsafe® PM. “This iterative linkage between researchers and commercial partners is key” says the Poultry CRC’s Commercial Manager, Lloyd Thomson. “It’s a crucial part of what makes Cooperative Research Centres, like the Poultry CRC, so good at turning research outputs into real-world outcomes, like better processes, products and services for everyone.”

Eimeria across Australia

poultryhub — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 01:00:03 +0000

Dr Jess Morgan, University of Queensland Research Fellow and Poultry CRC sub-project leader, is currently working towards characterising Australian strains of Eimeria, which cause coccidiosis. Within Australia, each species of Eimeria may be represented by one large inter-breeding population, where outbreak strains sweep the country each year like a flu epidemic. Alternatively, strains may be spatially diversified, with geographic barriers helping to maintain their unique genetics. Using neutral genetic markers (DNA markers not under selection pressure), this research will provide information about how strains relate to one another. Understanding the relatedness of strains will indicate how Australian strains of Eimeria have spread over time through the continent. Dr Morgan explains her interest in this field of study, “I find molecular parasitology rewarding because it allows me to study organisms that have traditionally been difficult to work with because they are microscopic, visually cryptic and/or have complex life cycles. Not only can molecular technology be used for diagnostic purposes, it can also reveal the secrets of disease origin and spread.”

Dr Jess Morgan

To date, the project has observed some quite unexpected discoveries. One of these has been the high incidence around Australia of the identified, but uncharacterised, genetic species OTU-Y. “This genetic species occurs in every state and territory, and in backyard flocks it is the second most prevalent species (in 39% of infected samples) after Eimeria mitis (in 46% of infected samples). In commercial flocks, where coccidiostats are in common use, E. acervulina is the most prevalent species (in 76% of infected samples) but OTU-Y is still present (in 6% of infected samples). Field screening shows that Eimeria species are widespread, however, preliminary data suggests that within species population structure exists, as strain prevalence varies from state to state” said Jess. Strain differences could influence how well a flock responds to treatment. An understanding of strain variability will also assist in vaccine improvement, as challenge trials can be conducted between distantly related strains to ensure maximum flock protection is attained. As Jess expounds, “being able to distinguish live vaccine from wild strains of Eimeria will enable accurate testing of outbreaks in vaccinated flocks. If an outbreak is occurring in the presence of vaccine strains, then a breakthrough has occurred. In contrast, if only the outbreak strain is found (i.e. no vaccine strains) then there may be a problem with the vaccine batch or in the vaccination procedure.” This project has involved collecting and screening a lot of chicken faeces from around the country. Jess is grateful for the assistance she has had, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the industry and backyard chook owners who have kindly offered their time and samples to assist us with this research.”

Next generation of poultry scientists…Cont’d

poultryhub — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 23:00:40 +0000

After moving to Brisbane to join a companion animal practice, Western Australian Vet, Dr Robyn Hall, decided to pursue her interest in research. Her initial approach to the University of Queensland led to a meeting with Dr Tim Mahony, a Poultry CRC Project Leader. Now a Poultry CRC supported PhD student, Robyn is investigating Essential and non-essential genetic components of the Herpesvirus of Turkeys (HVT) genome. Robyn’s interest was sparked at a young age. “I have always had pet chickens growing up, and became interested in Marek's disease after we had a number of cases develop in our birds” she said. HVT has been commonly used as a vaccine to protect commercial chicken flocks against tumour formation, immunosuppression and mortality caused by virulent Marek’s disease virus (MDV), as HVT is non-pathogenic for chickens. Robyn explains, “Although HVT is widely used as a vaccine vector, and has been since the 1970s, the emergence of MDV1 strains of increasing virulence has resulted in vaccine breakthroughs, first to HVT-based vaccines and then to bivalent HVT/MDV2 vaccines. HVT is an ideal vaccine vector due to its lack of pathogenicity, ability to be administered in ovo, large viral genome, persistent viraemia and cross-protection against MDV1.” There is a need for additional vaccination strategies against Marek's disease based on HVT because of the risk of further evolution of MDV1. By replacing non-essential regions of HVT with foreign DNA, this research aims to induce protection against multiple diseases such as necrotic enteritis, Marek's disease, avian influenza, Newcastle disease and infectious bursal disease. “We can also use HVT as a delivery vector for other biologically active molecules for example to generally prime the immune system against a broad range of pathogens” said Robyn. “But for these techniques to be most effective, we need to know how much of HVT can be replaced and where the most appropriate locations are within HVT to insert foreign DNA”. Delivering additional vaccination strategies to industry will be a major outcome of this research. Having talented and passionate people like Robyn within Poultry CRC partner institutions facilitates the transfer of practical applications to Australia’s poultry industry. “The last 18 months have been a very exciting time for me and I have greatly enjoyed my transition to research with Dr Mahony's team and the Poultry CRC” said Robyn. “Although I am only a recent addition to the CRC, I can only see my interest in poultry industry increasing from here.”

Dr Robyn Hall

Applications now open for 2012 Ivy Inwood Industry Award

poultryhub — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 00:05:52 +0000

Applications are now open for the 2012 Ivy Inwood Industry Award. Now in its second year, the Award provides people in the agricultural industry with the opportunity to win a cash prize of $10,000 to develop their winning idea or initiative. Safe Food Production Queensland’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Barbara Wilson said this award was created to promote, celebrate and recognise the achievements of those who have displayed outstanding leadership and commitment in meeting the challenges of the agricultural industry. “The Award provides an invaluable opportunity for Australia’s hardworking and inspirational agricultural community to take that next step and make a real and lasting contribution to the future of rural Australia. “It is designed for someone who has a great idea that will benefit the agricultural industry, is committed to promoting innovative and sustainable approaches to their respective field and be willing to build their network with other industry professionals. “I encourage anyone who knows of groups or individuals from agricultural communities whose innovation has contributed to improving food production practices, increased productivity or addressing a critical rural issue, to nominate for the Ivy Inwood Industry Award,” Dr Wilson said. Previous recipient of the Ivy Inwood award, UQ’s Dr Conny Turni, won the award for her research on the link between fowl cholera outbreaks and feral cats. Dr Turni said the award had been of great benefit. “Winning the Ivy Inwood Award was really important because it not only gave me exposure to a new network of key and influential people across primary industries, it also gave me the resources to do something positive and proactive for primary industries and rural people,” Dr Turni said. “Nominating is a great way of gaining recognition for your efforts and furthering your initiative.” Dr Wilson said nominations were also being sought for the Young Rural Achiever Award. “In 2012 we are delighted to announce a new award category. The Young Rural Achiever Award was created for students keen to further their careers with the winner receiving financial assistance of $7500,” Dr Wilson said. ”Both awards play an important role in developing and nurturing those that share a passion for helping people achieve their goals of contributing to and improving the agricultural industry. The Award is a Safe Food Production Queensland initiative created in partnership with the Inwood Family. Applications close on Friday 8 June 2012 and will be presented at an official ceremony to be held in Brisbane in July 2012. Application forms are available from www.safefood.qld.gov.au or by clicking here. If you wish to become a sponsor of the event or want to learn more about the Awards, contact SFPQ’s Communication Officer Jane Coady on (07) 3253 9800 or email jcoady@safefood.qld.gov.au

Education: a key legacy of the Poultry CRC

poultryhub — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:15:53 +0000

Welcome to another edition of eChook! In this edition, we will update you on our work on necrotic enteritis. Dr Rob Moore and his team have built on our previous research to produce a number of vaccines that we will be exploring commercially in the near future. This will be of great benefit to the global poultry industry as the threat of necrotic enteritis outbreaks is becoming higher, even in countries where in-feed antibiotics are used. This is due to the massive increase in the free range sector of the broiler industry, which does not permit the use of in-feed antibiotics. We will also introduce you to some of our students. The Poultry CRC has 24 postgraduates and 6 honours students who are currently enrolled or who have just completed their degrees. These researchers will be an important legacy of the Poultry CRC because driving innovation in poultry production requires a highly educated personnel base. Indeed, we devote a great deal of our effort to attracting, supporting and nurturing students to engage in poultry research and develop interest in the poultry industry. To achieve this, we organise special workshops for our students, postdoctoral scientists and industry interns each year. The Poultry CRC also sponsors its students to attend conferences, enabling them to mingle with the experts and industry people. A recent such event was the Australian Poultry Science Symposium held between 19-23 February in Sydney. The Symposium attracted a record attendance, including 28 students, of whom 18 presented their findings. The Poultry CRC’s Student Prize was hotly contested. A presentation by Miss Penelope Steer from The University of Melbourne, entitled “Determination of the virulence and pathogenicity of Australian fowl adenovirus field strains in chickens”, was unanimously recommended as the winner by eight expert judges. So congratulations, Penny!

Poultry CRC student prize winner Miss Penny Steer

Another important benefit of the Symposium was the number of international visitors we received after the meeting at the CRC headquarters. This included Dr Henk Enting from Nutreco, one of our partners, and Professor Birger Svihus from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB). Birger stayed with us for 12 days and we discussed many interesting ideas that will help define some of our future research projects. Birger is not new to the CRC. In fact, he initiated a highly successful project on litter consumption and gut health in layers and broilers. So thank you again, Birger. Mingan

Vaccinating against necrotic enteritis

poultryhub — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:00:40 +0000

Clinical necrotic enteritis (NE) massively damages the lining of a chicken’s intestine, causing disease and, often, death. Sub-clinical NE, while not demonstrating the characteristic clinical symptoms of severe lesions, impairs the intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients and results in illness and poor growth, potentially accounting for over 90% of the economic losses suffered by chicken growers. Necrotic enteritis has traditionally been controlled by in-feed antibiotics, coupled with good management practices. However much of Europe is moving away from this treatment, while, in countries like Australia, there is a rapid expansion of the free range broiler sector, which prohibits the use of in-feed antibiotics. These changes have led to an increase in the incidence and severity of NE outbreaks. To counter this, the Poultry CRC is seeking to produce a truly effective vaccine for NE from a number of possible vaccine formulations. If successful, this work will bring to fruition earlier CRC research into the causes of the disease, and the nature of its causative agent, the bacterium Clostridium perfringens. This vaccine development research is being undertaken as a collaborative project between CSIRO’s Drs Rob Moore and Anthony Keyburn, and Monash University’s Professor Julian Rood.

Dr Rob Moore, Dr Anthony Keyburn and Prof. Julian Rood

As Dr Moore explains, “our first goal was to show that we had a vaccine formulation that was effective in reducing disease levels, and we have achieved that. We’ve shown useful levels of vaccine efficacy when young chicks are directly vaccinated”. However, it just isn’t economically feasible to pick-up and individually vaccinate every broiler chick. So the next step for this project is to demonstrate that broiler hens can be vaccinated in order to produce antibodies in the egg capable of protecting the chicks in the critical early weeks of life. “Success at this stage will mean we have a vaccine ready for use in industry” adds Rob. “Our aim is to produce a vaccine that will not only protect birds from the serious gut damage that C. perfringens can inflict (pictured), but also stop the sub-clinical infections that can cause substantial productivity losses,” concluded Rob.

Serious damage inflicted by necrotic enteritis

As the CRC’s Commercial Manager, Lloyd Thomson, comments, “there is a significant level of interest in this work from animal health companies, which, given the mixed results experienced previously with NE vaccines in the poultry industry, is entirely understandable. If Julian, Rob and Anthony can develop a genuinely effective, easily administered vaccine, we are confident it will dramatically reduce the impact of NE, which costs in excess of two billion US dollars each year for the global chicken meat industry, based on an estimate from the year 2000”.

The Norwegian link

poultryhub — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:45:06 +0000

After arriving in Australia for the 2012 Australian Poultry Science Symposium, Professor Birger Svihus has spent some time at the Poultry CRC HQ in Armidale. Currently a Professor with the Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (with its Norwegian acronym being UMB), Birger has a background in Animal Science, and holds a PhD in Poultry Nutrition. His research focus includes the interaction between diet, feeding pattern and the anterior digestive tract. “I have been very impressed by the quality and the amount of poultry research happening in Australia, particularly the Poultry CRC’s work on cereals, fibres and physiology” said Birger. He has also been delighted by the amount of cooperative effort he sees between academia and industry here. “In Norway, communication between scientists and farmers is good, and this is also the case for Australia” he said. A major positive effect of this communication is that research outcomes are easily and quickly implemented by industry.

Professor Svihus cracks the whip

Birger sees many similarities in the poultry industry here in Australia compared with his native Norway. “Norwegian poultry production is pretty much for domestic consumption, as is the case here, with a majority of your (Australian) production focussed on the domestic market. We, like much of the international poultry community, currently face issues of sustainability, microbial control and animal welfare” said Birger. However the kinds of issues differ between Australia and Norway, as, for example, climate dictates that free-range production in Norway is not practicable. Raised on a farm, Birger has had an interest in avian species since he was young, and has always enjoyed the applied aspects of scientific studies. “This career path seemed the natural choice for me, and it has provided me with some wonderful opportunities, such as being here in Australia with people such as Mingan (Choct) and Hank (Classen)” he said. Speaking with Mingan and Hank has allowed Birger to discuss frontier thinking in a number of research areas. One of the activities they have commenced is a review on the role and function of the avian caeca. “Unlike wild birds, the modern domestic poultry are highly selected and their nutrient requirements are well catered for”, said Mingan. “Our review will focus on the role of the caeca in a nutrition sense. Would the caeca be as critical in modern birds in digesting fibrous material, re-absorption of water and possibly the recycling of nitrogen as in wild birds?”. No doubt the review will be an interesting read. Birger has also enjoyed the atmosphere and weather here in Australia very much, even sampling a local music festival (A Day on the Green) hours before flying out of Armidale.

Next generation of poultry scientists

poultryhub — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 22:30:42 +0000

In addition to larger sub-projects being undertaken by Poultry CRC post-doctoral researchers, we support a number of Honours, Masters and PhD students across our participant universities. What follows is a short profile of five of these students; a brief outline of their projects and how they are progressing. Emma Bradbury In her final year in Animal and Veterinary Bioscience at The University of Sydney, Emma attended lectures by Associate Professor Aaron Cowieson, sparking her interest in feed additives. Combining this with her interest in animal welfare, Emma is currently a Poultry CRC supported PhD student undertaking a project titled the effect of intermittent feeding on the behaviour and energetic efficiency of broilers.

PhD student Emma Bradbury

Her initial trials looked into a more digestible marine source of Calcium (Ca), and the effect of this on broiler leg health. Using this source of Ca, Emma used video cameras to monitor bird movements. Resulting bird activity can then be related to the diet's effect on bird welfare status in terms of leg health. “I am still sorting through video footage from these trials. We did get some quite promising results” said Emma. Following on from this, her current trials involve ‘choice’ feeding broilers two diets. Birds have ad lib access to both feed sources, with each diet containing varying levels of Ca and Phosphorus (P); the aim to see how birds are able to adapt and self-regulate their intake of these nutrients. “This will give us an idea of the driving force, Ca or P, behind their feeding preferences” said Emma. In order to monitor the birds, Emma uses video cameras running 24/7 to capture bird time budgeting between feed sources (i.e. what time they are eating these types of foods and for how long). Using the results of the ‘choice’ feeding trials, Emma hopes to be able to formulate diets with optimum levels of P that enhance the digestibility of amino acids, maintain bird skeletal integrity (i.e. they won’t develop weak legs) and result in good Feed Conversion Ratios. Linda Browning With a background in the commercial world that includes seven years with Pfizer Animal Health, nine years with BASF and eleven and a half years with Roche/DSM, one could be forgiven for thinking that Linda Browning had already mapped a successful career path. However, for the past year Linda has added being a Poultry CRC supported PhD student at The University of Sydney, under the supervision of Associate Professor Aaron Cowieson. Linda has also held the position of President of the Poultry Research Foundation from 2006 to 2011.

PhD student Linda Browning

Her project, the Effect of Vitamin D, Calcium (Ca), Phosphorus (P), Phytase and Strontium on leg health and egg shell quality in Poultry is set to deliver health benefits to poultry and human alike. “I have a passion and interest in Vitamin D, which is essential for both Ca and P transfer across the intestinal wall” said Linda. Vitamin D creates a carrier to transfer these elements and is responsible for 85% of the Ca transfer, and more than 60% of the P transfer. “Together, Vitamin D, Ca and P go together to make a strong bone” says Linda. “In addition, there is another element that we don’t know much about called Strontium”. Strontium is present in very low levels in feed, but is also absorbed into bone and is also very much involved in Vitamin D production within the body itself. Linda’s experiments thus far have involved feeding different levels of Vitamin D and Strontium ‘in-feed’ to see if she can improve bone strength. In April, Linda will start a new experiment in layers where she will try to get vitamin D into the egg yolk. “This is very important as the Australian population is chronically deficient in Vitamin D” said Linda. She is hoping to get reasonable levels, close to levels recommended by the National Health and Medical Research Council, for our daily intake for Vitamin D into egg yolks, helping improve the general health of the population. Pathum Dhanapala Pathum undertook his Bachelor of Science at Deakin University, then completed his honours studying human allergy at the molecular level, specifically looking at cytokines. He is now undertaking his PhD, titled production and characterisation of hypoallergenic chicken eggs, in collaboration with Deakin University, CSIRO in Geelong and the Poultry CRC.

PhD candidate Pathum Dhanapala

Globally, chicken egg allergy is the second most abundant food allergy behind cows’ milk. In Australia it ranks third behind peanut and milk allergies. “There are four specific proteins in the egg white that are allergens, namely ovalbumin, ovomucoid, lysozyme and ovotransferrin said Pathum. These allergens can trigger an allergic response in some people. Pathums’ research aims to initially characterise these four allergens. He hopes to then slightly modify the genetic structure of these allergens to effectively ‘switch off’ the allergenic part of the protein in the chicken egg white. These proteins will then be reintroduced into the egg in a non-allergenic form creating hypoallergenic eggs that will, in-turn, produce chickens that lay allergy-free eggs. “I really like working at CSIRO, and with the Poultry CRC” he said. Pathum sees his future in human allergy research, as he is very interested in this area. Dean Powell Dean has taken up a PhD project with the Poultry CRC which has seen him recently leave Australia for a one year stretch in the United States of America. During this time he will work alongside Poultry CRC sub-project leader Professor Sandra Velleman at The Ohio State University. Professor Velleman is Dean’s immediate supervisor on his PhD project, Feed Restriction Effects on Broiler Muscle Growth.

Dean Powell with Professor Bob Swick

The project seeks to understand the impacts of varied nutritional regimens on muscle development, especially in the first few weeks post-hatch, with the overall aim of producing broiler birds with more muscle and less fat. Muscle hypertrophy (increase in volume) occurs through the proliferation and differentiation of myogenic satellite cells, and Dean explains his projects as “Trying to increase proliferation of satellite cells in the critical first couple of weeks of life.” It has been shown that the nutritional status of the animal can cause these satellite cells to follow alternative pathways of differentiation, which can lead to intramuscular fat deposition and breast muscle fibre necrosis. Initial work will quantify the impact that various nutrient regimens have on the proliferation and differentiation of satellite cells. Subsequent studies will then allow Dean to test the practicality of these results when used to develop optimal nutritional strategies; the overall aim being to help increase economic returns per carcass in the commercial poultry industry. Dean has previously completed an Animal and Veterinary Bioscience degree, and an Honours project in beef genetics at The University of Sydney. He then looked to CRC’s for a PhD project that suited his interests and expertise. “I am very much looking forward to my time in the USA and working with Professor Velleman and the Poultry CRC” Dean said. Aaron Ray Aaron has just commenced a Poultry CRC supported Honours project at the University of New England (UNE) after completing his Bachelor of Science (physiology and microbiology) degree. His Honours project, titled the structural basis of egg shell translucency and its role in food safety of table eggs is under the supervision of Professor Julie Roberts, a Poultry CRC sub-project leader.

Honours student Aaron Ray

“The project will initially investigate the structure of eggs shells, and why translucent patches occur” said Aaron. Subsequent to this, possible links between translucent patches and bacterial susceptibility will be quantified. Translucency of eggs can then be related back to food safety issues associated with eggs and egg products. In order to investigate translucency, Aaron is making use of UNE’s CAT scanner and scanning electron microscope for this project. “This is the first time this equipment has been used for these types of applications” he said. Aaron is very interested in the imaging side of things, and is already looking to the future, with a PhD in mind. “This work may very well be in the poultry arena, as initial investigations using the CAT scanner have turned up interesting results that may warrant further research” he added.

New Poster Available – Chicken Breeds in Australia

poultryhub — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 05:53:39 +0000

This new poster shows the main breeds of fancy poultry currently available in Australia. Poultry exhibitors, judges and show committees have helped the Poultry CRC produce this comprehensive and up-to-date resource. Birds are grouped according to the class category they are shown in. A male and female of each breed is illustrated, along with a brief description of the breed. By displaying the poster, schools may encourage students to keep and show poultry breeds suitable to their level of experience. Copies are free to Australian Schools, and are included in the Teachers Resource Kit. For schools that already have a kit and would just like to add this new poster, you just have to request one from the Poultry CRC. If you’re not from an Australian school, posters may be purchased via Paypal using the button below including postage within Australia (Note: postage is not available outside of Australia). Because of size and weight restrictions, only 3 posters fit into each postal tube. Orders of 4 or more will incur extra postal charges. The large poster measures 1230mm by 594mm and is printed on high quality gloss photo paper. (Click on the image of the poster here to view a large version of it.) To order a poster, choose the quantity , then click on the Buy Now button which will transfer you to PayPal Note: postage is not available outside of Australia *****PIX SPECIAL ONLY AVAILABLE IN PERSON AT GOLD COAST POULTRY INFORMATION X-CHANGE (PIX) 20-23 MAY 2012***** If you have any queries about the poster or the ordering process, please contact us via info@poultrycrc.com.au

Poultry CRC travelling smoothly

poultryhub — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 00:35:13 +0000

Welcome to another edition of eChook! Research activities of the CRC are progressing well, with important stop/go milestone reviews due for a number of our projects. Reviewing these projects ensures they are progressing against their agreed milestones, and that they remain relevant and applicable to industry. Where a project fails to meet its stop/go milestone, it will face revision or, if necessary, termination. This is critical, as the CRC’s mission is to produce viable outcomes for our end-users, not just to fund research. In addition, recently submitted Full Research Proposals (FRPs) are now being reviewed. The decision to approve an FRP depends on demonstrating it is scientifically feasible, applicable for end-users, and that the CRC is able to fund it. In this edition we feature Geoff Hinch’s current research into the development of new methods for welfare assessment in free-ranging layers. This research seeks to identify how hens ‘feel’ and their use of outdoor space in the range. We hear from Industry Internship recipient, Sheridan Alfiverich, who has recently commenced with poultry consultancy Zootechny (under the guidance of Dr Peter Groves). Finally, we welcome internationally renowned poultry scientist Professor Hank Classen, who has made the trip to Australia to develop ideas for future research and, while here, will lend his expertise to review a number of CRC projects. Mingan

New ways to gauge welfare in free-range hens

poultryhub — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 22:31:19 +0000

Professor Geoff Hinch (University of New England) is researching new approaches to assessing welfare and behaviour of free-range laying hens. This joint University of New England/CSIRO project, supported by the Poultry CRC, harnesses behavioural demand techniques and judgement bias to measure birds’ use of outdoor space and to find out how they ‘feel’. Determining a reliable, objective measure of welfare, regardless of the housing system, is an ongoing challenge for welfare scientists. This is especially true under free-range conditions, where there is considerable variation in the use of outdoor space between birds and between social groups of birds within the flock. Although provision of outdoor space is perceived to be one of the virtues of free-range systems, it becomes difficult to assess its welfare benefits if it is not used by all birds. Some European estimates of up to 20% use of outdoor space by birds are considered high.

RFID tagged hens

Geoff’s approach to this problem has been to employ Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology. This permits Geoff’s team to identify hens that proportionally spend more time either indoors or outdoors, and then any physiological and behavioural differences between these individuals (or groups) may be examined. Assessing how the bird ‘feels’ about itself, that is, its welfare state, has been challenging to say the least. “This is hard to work out; it is difficult to put the bird in a negative frame of mind” said Geoff. To get around this, Geoff has adopted new judgement bias techniques, which use an arena with cue cards associated with different food rewards. The method aims to identify when a bird is more ‘optimistic’ as opposed to more ‘pessimistic’.

Judgement bias arena

For the physical tracking of bird movements, there have been some practical difficulties in using the RFID tags. The sensor ‘plate’ that reads these tags (on the bird’s ankle) can be stepped over and only allows for one bird at a time, which gives rise to potential for non-recording. Geoff’s team has built tunnels around the plates to ensure accurate tracking of bird movements. This research area is gaining momentum as the free-range sectors of the poultry industry are growing rapidly in Australia, representing approximately 28% of all eggs sold, and approximately 15% of chicken meat produced in 2010. Both sectors are expected to continue to expand as some consumers express their preference for free-range production.

RFID tunnel