Nutriad sponsors symposium on intestinal health and poultry production

Nutriad recently sponsored the third symposium of the Intestinal Health Scientific Interest Group (IHSIG) in Ghent, Belgium. Empathizing poultry gut health, the group wants to evoke discussions with the scientific community, poultry producers, regulatory authorities and poultry veterinarians, aiming to promote health and welfare in poultry production.
Dr. Tim Goossens, business development manager Digestive Performance, and Anne-Harm Algra, regional sales manager Benelux, represented Nutriad.
The 2015 symposium zoomed in on the One Health concept, which recognizes that the health of humans is connected to the health of animals and the environment.  Humans and animals interact with greater frequency and intimacy in a globalized world. This interaction offers the opportunity for the emergence and spread of disease agents that could adversely impact animal or human health or both.
“Nutriad is known for its research on intestinal health and its ability to transform science into practical solutions for producers worldwide,” said Dr. Goossens, “and in that context the ‘One World, One Health’ theme of this year was of special interest.”
Algra said, “With a product range dedicated to intestinal health and feed and food safety, Nutriad strives to continue to be a front runner in this area of expertise.”
The topics that were covered ranged from gut microbiota in health and disease, the pathogenicity of Campylobacter for poultry and humans, the virulence mechanisms of Clostridium perfringens to antimicrobial resistance determination and its consequences for animal and human health.

Approximately 250 participants attended this year’s conference, and they included veterinarians, poultry producers and scientists from academia and industry.

US broiler production forecast up for fourth quarter 2012

U.S. broiler meat production is forecast at 9.05 billion pounds for the fourth quarter of 2012, 2 percent higher than 2011 numbers and slightly above previous estimates, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
The fourth-quarter production increase is expected to be driven by a higher number of birds slaughtered, since average live weights are not expected to be much different from 2011. Over the last several weeks, preliminary data have shown a higher overall number of broilers slaughtered. The estimate for production in first-quarter 2013 was also increased, by 30 million pounds to 9 billion pounds, but is still 1 percent lower than in first-quarter 2012.
Broiler meat production in the third quarter of 2012 was 9.37 billion pounds, down 2 percent from the same period in 2011. The decrease was the result of a 1.9-percent decline in the number of birds slaughtered, to 2.15 billion, according to the USDA. This was slightly offset by a fractional increase of 0.1 percent in the average live weight at slaughter to 5.82 pounds, compared with the third quarter 2011.
Broiler meat production in 2013 is forecast at 36.4 billion pounds, a decrease of 1 percent from 2012, but a slight increase from October's forecast. In 2013, the decline in broiler meat production is expected to come mainly from fewer birds being slaughtered, as the birds’ weights are expected to be close to or slightly higher than in 2012. Broiler integrators are expected to have a slight contraction in production due to the combination of continued high prices for corn and soybean meal and expected relatively modest growth in broiler prices.
The most recent weekly broiler hatchery report indicates a strong divide between the number of chicks recently placed for growout and the level of chicks that may be available through the end of 2012. Over the last five weeks (October 6 through November 3), the number of chicks placed for growout averaged 154.4 million, 2 percent higher than in the same period in 2011. Over the last several months this five-week moving average has changed from being significantly lower than in 2011 to becoming higher. However, according to the USDA, recent changes in the number of eggs placed in incubators point to a future trend of chick placements being lower than year-earlier levels. Over the last five weeks, the number of eggs placed in incubators was 1 percent below the same period in 2011.
For more information and statistics on U.S. poultry, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html. 

National Chicken Council chooses new chairman, officers

Bernard Leonard

Group Vice President of Food Service Bernard Leonard, of Tyson Foods Inc., was chosen as chairman of the National Chicken Council (NCC).
Sanderson Farms President Lampkin Butts was elected vice chairman and Case Foods President and COO Bill Lovette is the new secretary-treasurer.

Leonard has been with Tyson since 1998, when the company he was with, Hudson Foods, was acquired by Tyson. He spent 12 years on the board of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and has been with the NCC since 2007.

Lampkin Butts

Butts has been with Sanderson since his 1973 graduation from the University of Mississippi, working his way up to president and COO in 2004. He has also been with the NCC since 2004. Lovette has been in the poultry business since 1982, and has been the chairman for both the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the International Foodservice Manufacturers Association.

New members were also elected to one-year terms on the executive committee, three-year terms on the board of directors and one-year terms as directors-at-large. All new officers were installed during the NCC's annual conference.

Poultry courses offered at N.C. State University

In May 2010, North Carolina State University in Raleigh, N.C., will hold an international course on poultry production. Among the topics covered will be breeders, incubation and hatchery management and feed mill technology.
A short course on feed manufacturing will also be available. Both classes are offered through the Department of Poultry Science – Cooperative Extension.
The dates are: May 10–14, 2010, for the poultry production class and May 14–15, 2010, for the feed manufacturing short course
Registration runs from Jan. 7-March 30, 2010, and is available online.