3 poultry feed updates from around the world

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  From WATTAgNet:
  
  Read up on the latest updates in the poultry feed industry, including the influence of consumer perceptions on poultry feed formulations, research on fumonisins in poultry feed and a patent issued in India for poultry feed aimed at producing eggs with an optimized concentration of vitamins and minerals.
  
  1. Consumer perceptions shaping poultry feed formulations: The results of WATT Global Media’s 2015 Nutrition & Feed Survey show that in terms of poultry feed formulations, going "antibiotic free" or "drug free" will have the greatest impact on feed operations going forward. Non-GMO and organic formulations also ranked high in some regions. View all survey results.
  
  2. Do fumonisins predispose poultry to metabolic and immunologic disorders?: When present in feed, fumonisins can have a serious impact on the performance of poultry flocks. Evidence has emerged recently showing that fumonisins might predispose birds to metabolic and immunologic disorders. Data has shown that ingestion of 10 ppm fumonisins in feed affects the expression of proteins related to pro- and anti-inflammatory responses in the intestinal tract of broiler chickens. At 20 ppm, fumonisins induce higher excretion of Eimeria strains, the parasites responsible for coccidiosis, in poultry.
  
  3. Patent granted in India for poultry layer feed: Panjab University in India recently granted a patent to the Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC) for "A Modified Poultry Feed for Production of Eggs," reported The Times of India. The feed aims to optimize the levels of vitamins and minerals in eggs. TIFAC is an organization within the Indian government's department of science and technology. The patent has a term of 20 years from the date the application was filed in 2005.
  
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Camelina approved for broiler chicken meal in Canada

Camelina meal has been approved for the first time in Canada for use in broiler chicken feed.
Smart Earth Seeds is the leading global Camelina enterprise and has been working to develop Camelina as a valuable new oilseed rotation crop in Western Canada.
Thanks to the efforts of the University of Saskatchewan, Department of Animal and Poultry Science and Feeds Innovation Institute with support of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture (ADF), The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has given approval for feeding cold-pressed non-solvent extracted camelina meal to broiler chickens at up to 12 percent inclusion. This work is continuing as the university is initiating a second application for approval for laying hens.
"This is a major step forward for Camelina in Canada," said Jack Grushcow founder and CEO of Smart Earth Seeds. "We are now able to develop local markets for our high quality Camelina meal, making the production economics even more attractive. Due to its high concentration of Omega-3 oils the meal has been shown to produce Omega meat in broiler chickens – making it a great source of high quality feed.
"We are especially excited about the opportunities available to develop regional crushing and processing for Camelina," Grushcow said. "This would decrease our reliance on the rail system and allow our growers to turn their crops into cash that much faster."
Camelina is a drought tolerant oilseed crop that can be grown with low inputs on marginal land while providing valuable crop rotation benefits. It is also rich in protein and Omega-3 fatty acids and its inclusion in broiler feed will help produce healthier poultry products for Canadians, according to Smart Earth Seeds.

DSM receives European patent for use of canthaxanthin to improve poultry breeder performance

DSM's patent application for the use of canthaxanthin in MaxiChick has been granted in Europe. Canthaxanthin is a nature-identical carotenoid which is produced by DSM. Its use in MaxiChick, DSM's patented solution for boosting the productivity of breeder flocks, has likewise been granted in Brazil, China, Switzerland, Australia and Mexico.
The European Patent Office has confirmed DSM's patent on the use of canthaxanthin and/or at least one vitamin D metabolite - preferably 25-hydroxy-vitamin D3 (25-OH) D3 - for improving breeder hatchability and fertility and for lowering embryo mortality in poultry. Key to this is the enhancement of the antioxidant capacities of the egg.
Carotenoids in the egg-yolk help neutralize harmful oxidative particles in the egg. These develop during the formation of the embryo and cause oxidation of the polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in the egg. Neutralizing the effects of these particles boosts the egg's antioxidant capacity, thus enhancing the survival chances of the embryo.
Breeder farmers have to manage many different variables in the diet in order to maximize the productivity of their flocks. Under the leadership of Dr. Gilbert Weber, a group of DSM scientists investigated whether the addition of canthaxanthin to the diet might help. Their research showed that adding canthaxanthin does indeed improve egg hatchability, leading to increased breeder flock productivity. Substantiated by further university and field studies, these findings led to the development of DSM's unique MaxiChick offering.
MaxiChick combines the antioxidant properties of canthaxanthin with the calcium-mediating action of Hy-D, DSM's specific vitamin D3 metabolite. Hy-D supports better transfer of calcium from the shell to the embryo, strengthening the embryo's skeleton while improving the hatching process.
Dr. Kuno Schwander, Senior Patent Counsel comments: "DSM is delighted at the granting of this patent. It further underscores DSM's commitment to creating a value-adding tool box for the progressive breeder farmer of today."

New GIPSA poultry, feed weighing and scaling rules effective September 20

With Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rules issued in 2012 changed substantially by Congress in the Consolidated and Further Appropriations Act of 2013, attendees at the Poultry Production and Health Seminar heard about the changes, including new provisions related to weighing and scaling of feed that take effect September 20.
Clayton Bailey, partner in the Dallas law firm of Bailey Brauer PLLC, kicked off the Poultry Production and Health Seminar with an update on legal issues facing live production. In addition to telling attendees about the weighing and scaling final rules taking effect, Bailey reviewed the top legal cases of the past year and trends in enforcement actions.
Beginning September 20, GIPSA rules require that poultry be transported promptly after loading and weighed within 30 minutes after arrival at the processing plant. The rule also prohibits splitting loads in the weighing process.
Other weighing and scaling provisions taking effect include the requirement that feed picked up from farms must be weighed. Another change is that feed and poultry must be reweighed upon USDA request. Previously, only poultry reweighing was included in the rules.
Bailey told poultry integrators that they might well expect to see the appearance of USDA personnel at feed mill scales, something that has not occurred in the past.
Chief among the rule changes to the GIPSA regulations is that pullet and breeder flocks are no longer covered. Other changes include the elimination of the requirement that contract growers be given a 90-day notification when there is a suspension in the delivery of birds. Complicating the situation is that suspension of delivery is no longer defined by the regulations.
"What constitutes failure of delivery? Nobody knows," Bailey said. However, he recommended that integrators provide growers with reasonable written notification.
"What happens if a grower not ready to receive birds? Create a file to document the situation. Regulation is not 'out the door'," he said.
Bailey has successfully defended enforcement actions filed by the USDA's Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration against the nation's largest swine and poultry companies.
The Poultry Production and Health Seminar, being held in Memphis, Tenn., is sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association.

Km values key to effective pig and poultry feed, says AB Vista

Knowing how tightly an enzyme binds to a substrate, or the Km value, of commercial phytase enzymes could be the key to enabling pig and poultry producers to make much more effective buying decisions, says AB Vista Research Director, Dr. Mike Bedford. AB Vista produces animal feed ingredients.
Increasing demand for up to 85 percent phytate breakdown — to release additional phosphorus for lower feed costs or to eliminate phytate anti-nutrient effects through superdosing — requires phytases with ever lower Km values. The lower the Km values, the tighter the bond between enzymes and substrates. High Km phytases simply cease to act before phytate concentrations get this low.
"Without access to Km values, end users simply cannot differentiate between a phytase capable only of standard phosphorous release levels at 50-60 percent phytate destruction, and one capable of delivering the full benefits of phytate destruction and superdosing," Bedford adds.

Lowering protein levels paying off for European broiler producers

Lowering the level of protein -- one of the most expensive raw materials for the future -- is paying off for more broiler producers across Europe, according to James Truscott, director of Cobb Germany.
The practice is showing benefits in the company's market area of 21 countries with economic and bird health advantages for the Cobb500 broiler, Truscott told more than 40 participants at the company's annual pre-Christmas conference in the eastern German town of Dessau.
"Especially in Germany, most of the large integrations are increasing or have already increased significantly the percentage of Cobb," he said. "Broiler producers in Switzerland and Germany are now realizing they can earn a higher profit if they work with the Cobb500, following market leaders in Eastern Europe who already have moved to, or are maintaining, their 100 percent share of the breed. Germany and some other Northern European countries are a bit slower in recognizing this advantage compared with other countries further east, where financial investors already count on the highest profitability and moved to Cobb several years ago. In these countries customers also benefit from the breed’s higher meat yield and so reap double benefits."

Oils in chickens' drinking water may reduce Salmonella contamination

University of Georgia researchers have tested an essential-oil blend of thyme, eucalyptol and oregano that, when fed to chickens in their water source, may help prevent Salmonella contamination, according to their study.
The product, Mix-Oil, is a highly concentrated blend developed by the Italian company Animal Wellness Products. Mix-Oil has been on the market since 2004 and is used for all animal species, including commercially raised fish. The University of Georgia study found the chickens fed Mix-Oil in their water had higher weight gains, lower feed conversion rates and lower mortality rates than chickens protected via the traditional methods. They also drank as much water as they did before the Mix-Oil regimen and more water than chickens that were given lactic acid to prevent Salmonella, according to the researchers.
"Chickens consume less water when one of the organic acids, lactic acid, is used because they don't like the taste of it," said Walid Alali, a food safety scientist with the university's Center for Food Saferty. "It can also inflame the chicken's intestines and, over time, it can damage the farm's water pipes." He said that Mix-Oil reduced Salmonella contamination in the chickens just "as well as lactic acid, and it improved the performance of the chickens."
Mix-Oil costs around $500 per 20,000-bird chicken flock to control Salmonella in chickens and improve performance. The researchers' next step will be to test Mix-Oil on a commercial poultry farm. "We have proven the concept," said Alali. "Now we have to take this to the commercial level and see how it performs on an actual farm. We are trying to control Salmonella in the poultry industry both at the pre-harvest level, on the farm and at the processing plants. This is what we call farm-to-fork control. The industry does its job, and grocers and consumers control what happens after that."

Wayne Farms acquires Arkansas poultry feed mill

Wayne Farms LLC has completed the purchase of an idled poultry feed mill based in Atkins, Ark. The purchase gives Wayne Farms full ownership of the facility, which will be used as grain storage in support of the company’s Danville operation.
“We are excited about this purchase as it provides us with much-needed additional ingredients storage capacity as well as an additional transportation of ingredients option,” said David Elam, Wayne Farms Danville complex manager. “In the short term, the site will strictly be used as a grain handling and receiving facility. As we move forward, we will assess the feasibility of reopening the site to manufacture and deliver feed for the company.”
The Atkins property has been the location of a poultry feed mill and hatchery since the late 1970s. ConAgra Corporation operated the feed mill and hatchery until 2004 when Pilgrim’s Corp. assumed operations at the site. Pilgrim’s closed the facility in 2008 and then completed the sale to Wayne Farms.

Algae may provide protein in poultry, pig feed

Marine algae may serve as a viable protein-rich supplement to animal feed for poultry and pigs, according to researchers at Cornell University who are studying the material as a possible additive or replacement for corn and soybean meal.
The goal is to transform a biofuel byproduct into a commodity, which could free up thousands of acres of cropland, say the researchers. "Current animal feed directly competes against human food sources and, thus, is unsustainable," said animal science professor Xingen Lei. "We must develop alternatives to soybean and corn for animal feeds." Algae produces 50 times more oil per acre than corn, has a much smaller carbon footprint, uses nutrients more efficiently than land plants, has no runoff, and places no demand on high-quality agricultural land or freshwater supplies. According to Lei's preliminary research, dried defatted algae derived from biofuel production can replace up to one-third of soybean meal in diets for chickens and pigs. It is high in protein — 20–70 percent, compared with about 10 percent in corn and 40 percent in soy, said Lei. It is also being studied for its high oil content (40 percent, compared to corn's 4 percent) and its potential to remove carbon dioxide from the air.

India poultry farmers using wheat, bajra as chicken feed alternatives

India's chicken farmers are turning to wheat as a cheaper alternative to corn in animal feed.

Wheat and bajra, also known as pearl millet, are being used as substitutes for corn in chicken feed as corn prices in India continue to rise.
Wheat is currently selling for Rs 7.50 (US$0.17) per kilogram, while bajra and broken rice are selling for Rs 11,000 (US$242.89) per metric ton. Corn stands at Rs 10 (US$0.22) per kilogram, kept higher due to high moisture content in the current harvest and an increase in exports, according to farmers. The Compound Livestock Feed Manufacturers' Association of India is calling for a stop to corn exports to ensure stable prices. "If corn exports are discontinued, prices will fall by 5% to 10%," said B Soundararajan, managing director of chicken producer Suguna Group.