Low Quality Feed Slows Chicken Growth, Laying of Eggs
MALAYSIA - Inferior corn and soybean feeds have caused a slow-down in chicken growth and have thereby, affected the production of eggs.»»

Putting Down Perfect Bedding for Your Poultry
Litter management has a huge impact on poultry health and comfort. Glenneis Kriel asked Jan Grobbelaar, an independent poultry consultant, for advice on how producers can make the most of poultry bedding.»»

Supporting Sustainable Animal Production with Feed Enzymes
Simply stated, a growing human population means an increasing demand for food, and animal protein will make up a large part of meeting this increasing demand, writes Dr. Ajay Bhoyar – Senior Manager, Global Poultry Marketing, Novus International, Inc.»»

Practical Concepts to Consider for an Efficient Vaccination at the Hatchery
GLOBAL - Poultry vaccination programs are put in place to help build a strong immune foundation, prevent contagious and deadly disease, and protect flock health and performance to ultimately improve production parameters.»»

Effective Use of Disinfectants in Hatcheries
GLOBAL - Cleaning and disinfection is not only part of an Avian Influenza prevention strategy, it should prevent any disease.»»

How to Farm Pigs - Housing
This guide from the FAO provides information on how to create the most efficient pig housing for small scale or backyard pig production.»»

Chick Checking and Incubation Improvement Part 4: Chick Activity and Behaviour
A well-experienced hatchery manager will instinctively know when he is looking at healthy, active chicks with good levels of reactions and response to stimuli, writes Frank Verschuere, Hatchery Development Department, Petersime NV. Making observations is something that can be learnt with practice over time. We describe the key guidelines to make observational assessments considering chick activity and behaviour.»»

Chick Checking and Incubation Improvement Part 3: Feathering as a Measure of Chick Quality
Chick quality is becoming more and more important. A hatchery must produce quality chicks in order to meet the expectations of the farmer, writes Frank Verschuere, Hatchery Development Department, Petersime NV.

This article will focus on assessment of chick quality based on appearance by feathering. »»

Chick Checking and Incubation Improvement Part 2: Analysis of Navels
Analysing chick quality is a key factor for the fine tuning of incubation conditions in order to maximise the genetic potential of the hatching eggs. This article focuses on the typical defects observed on the navels of day-old-chicks and how to investigate the cause of the problem in order to optimise chick quality, writes Frank Verschuere, Hatchery Development Department, Petersime NV.»»

Chick Checking and Incubation Improvement: Part 1
In this article, the first in a series from Petersime, the baseline for a good chick quality assessment is described. In simple terms, how can one be sure that a certain issue is incubation related?
Chick quality becomes more and more important. A hatchery must produce qualitative chicks in order to meet the expectations of the farmer.»»

Understanding the Hatching Egg
For many years, the hatcher was considered to be merely a 'finishing' machine. However, research undertaken by Petersime has shown that the hatcher can enhance and optimise what has already been achieved in the setter, resulting in gains in uniformity, quality, hatchability and post-hatch performance. This requires good programme management, writes Roger Banwell, Hatchery Development Manager at Petersime.»»

Little-Known Nutrient in Eggs Important for Nervous System
EU - The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has for the first time set values for a recommended daily intake of choline, a little-known but essential nutrient that's particularly important for pregnant women and babies, according to the British Egg Information Service.»»

Ghana May Take Action to Reduce Imported Poultry
GHANA - Ghana's Ministry of Food and Agriculture has hinted at a targeted policy aimed at reducing the importation of poultry products.»»

AGRA proposes $31m business plan for Ghana
The Alliance for Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), has proposed an amount of $31 million business plan for the country's agriculture sector from 2016 to 2020.»»

High Demand for Beef, Poultry Meat and Eggs in Africa Creates Opportunities
AFRICA - Demand for beef and other meat products remains strong in Africa, despite most producers in regions such as southern Africa and the Common Market for East and Southern Africa (COMESA) looking to grow exports into the European Union and other international markets, writes Tawanda Korombo.»»

25 POULTRY FARMERS RECEIVE GH¢1 MILLION COMPENSATION FOR LOSING FARMS TO BIRD FLU
The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has paid over GH¢1 million compensation to 25 poultry farmers whose farms were destroyed because of the outbreak of bird flu in the country.»»

Ghanaian Media Asked to Spread Awareness of Avian Flu
Ghana's Northern Regional Veterinary Officer has called on the media to help create public awareness on the outbreak of the highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in certain sections of the country.»»

Ghana Government Interventions over Avian Flu Applauded
Poultry farmers in the Ashanti Region of Ghana have applauded the temporary ban that has been put in place on poultry imports and exports in the region, to prevent avian flu outbreaks.»»

Ghana Chicken Consumers Reassured After Bird Flu Outbreak
Ghana's poultry association and government ministers have asked consumers of chicken not to panic over the outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the country.»»

Development Fund Proposed for Ghanaian Poultry Industry
A poultry development fund could be Ghana’s best bet for arresting the rising level of poultry imports and creating much-needed jobs, says a report from the African Centre for Economic Transformation (ACET).»»