Hatchery-Breeder Clinic held at International Poultry Expo

The Hatchery-Breeder Clinic was recently held in conjunction with the 2012 International Poultry and International Feed Expo, focusing on improvements in broiler performance.
In his presentation on Profiles in Breed Development, Scott Martin, hatchery specialist for Cobb-Vantress’ technical support team, commented that breeders should address incubation management, and said that improvements in broiler performance start at the hatchery level. Martin said that breeders should use data loggers to monitor the temperature and humidity of eggs at all of these points.  Terry Bruce of Tip Top Poultry gave a presentation on Breast Vaccination Concerns, saying that the poultry industry could be adversely impacted unless it addresses the issue of granulomas associated with Salmonella breast injections. “Granuloma formation is a natural response to the bacterial vaccine. It’s not something foreign that is being introduced,” Bruce said.  Other topics included a Disease Update for Breeders; New Equipment for Hatcheries and Breeder Farms; Changing Vaccination Programs and the Impact on Disease Trends; and Male Management for Optimum Fertility.