An on-farm light trial at an egg farm in Young, NSW, will compare beak trimmed birds with non beak trimmed birds under commercial conditions. Part of a Poultry CRC project looking at alternatives to beak trimming, the aim of the trial is to compare egg production, feather cover, injuries and mortality of 1000 non beak trimmed

The Queensland FarmBis Forum, which marks the completion of the Targetted Industry Initiative Project, was held in Brisbane last month. It was attended by representatives of all the projects, as well as members of the State Planning Group, and representatives from the AgriFood Industry Skills Council, the Federal Department of Education, Employment and Work Relations,

Australian poultry producers are benefiting from a range of rapid, cost-effective diagnostic tests previously unavailable in Australia thanks to a Poultry CRC project being undertaken at The University of Melbourne. According to the project leader, Dr. Amir Noormohammadi, the industry has been very happy with the vastly improved turn-around time for test results as well as the

Poultry Industry Training The Queensland FarmBis Project is now completed and the final report submitted. However, there will be Project Evaluations conducted by the FarmBis State Planning Group during April and May to make sure that all project outcomes are fully captured. As an extension of the Queensland FarmBis project, a total of 11 egg

An advanced microbiological technique that provides a “snapshot” of the bacterial population in the chicken’s gut is being used to determine the right balance of bacterial species for the bird’s gut health. The research behind the development is part of a Poultry CRC strategy to enable the fine tuning of diets through a better understanding

New Undergraduate Vacation Internships and Graduate Industry Internships In an effort to recruit new bachelor degree graduates into the industry, the Poultry CRC has announced two internship initiatives aimed at both undergraduates and recent graduates. The Undergraduate Vacation Internships will be available through Poultry CRC participating universities and industry partners and will involve work conducted

A Poultry CRC-funded epidemiological survey of Australian broiler flocks has indicated that one of the protective factors against Marek’s Disease virus may be the use of wood-based litter 1. A survey of farms across the Australian broiler industry was conducted to establish the prevalence of serotype 1 Marek’s Disease virus (MDV1) in dust collected from

New National Animal Welfare Standards for the Chicken Meat Industry have been developed and are now being made available to industry. This Poultry CRC project builds on an earlier RIRDC project A Welfare Audit for the Chicken Meat Industry undertaken through the Department of Primary industries in Victoria in 2001. Although some companies implemented the

Jesse Thomas, who has just completed his PhD with help from a Poultry CRC scholarship, is set to commence an internship with one of the CRC’s industry partners, Bioproperties, based at The University of Melbourne’s Veterinary School at Werribee. Jesse will be joining the scientific team to focus on identifying and implementing the best practice

Queensland FarmBis Project The main activity since the last issue of eChook has been the Queensland FarmBis Targeted Industry Initiative project. We are now at the stage of finalising the development of the new training materials in Workplace (Occupational) Health and Safety and Information Technology and are about to conduct some testing of the materials

Results from a recently completed Poultry CRC proof-of-concept project, machine vision to count hens and reduce egg breakage, has demonstrated that ‘machine vision’, or video image analysis (VIA – the ability of a computer to ‘see’), can be used to monitor egg belts for potential blockages and has the potential for effectively counting hens. Testing under

Results from two recently completed Poultry CRC projects are adding to the growing body of knowledge that is helping the Australian poultry industry adjust its nutritional management practices in line with economic and consumer based pressures. Through its research program focussed on nutrition and gut physiology, the Poultry CRC has been aiming to enhance the quality