New approach for bacterial control in pre-slaughter broilers

Taking away food does not take away hunger. In the case of broilers, even when food is not available – during preslaughter, for example - they will continue to peck, and in the absence of hygienic food, they will peck at whatever they can, be it litter, droppings or feathers. Clearly, this activity increases the risk of ingesting bacteria.
At the International Poultry Science Forum, held in conjunction with the International Production and Processing Expo, details were given of how USDA-ARS, Southern Plains Agricultural Research Center, has been looking at the use of the organic salt Calcium formate to reduce Salmonella and Campylobacter infection. Calcium chlorate is able to affect bacteria with nitrate reductase, which allows them to grow in anaerobic conditions.
J Allen Byrd explained that the effect of calcium formate was evaluated on broilers obtained from a commercial processing plant and challenged by crop gavage with Salmonella typhimurium. Four days later, broilers were killed for Salmonella typhimurium cfu cecal enumeration.
The birds were given calcium formate in drinking water prior to slaughter and it was found that they consumed no more water than a control group provided with distilled water, so avoiding the problem of wet litter often associated with similar sodium chlorate products which can be used to reduce Salmonella.
The treatment was found to cause a significant decrease in the incidence of Salmonella typhimurium in cecal contents compared to the control.
Although the results were positive, Byrd noted that calcium formate did not result in the dramatic reductions that had been hoped, perhaps, for example, because it will not work in those areas of the intestine where there is oxygen.
Nevertheless, it could be considered as part of control programs for the control of foodborne pathogens, and work will be carried to see how it will work in combination with other products.

US poultry exports hit record numbers first quarter 2012

U.S. broiler (including paws) exports in the first quarter since 1990.

U.S. poultry exports for the first quarter of 2012 reached 984,947 metric tons, a 14 percent increase over the first quarter of 2011, while the value of the shipments hit $1.302 billion, up 27 percent, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service. Both numbers are all-time records.
Poultry exports for the month of March alone also set quantity and value records, reaching 339,220 metric tons valued at $459.4 million, up 9.3 percent and 21.8 percent, respectively, over March 2011 numbers. Monthly exports of broiler meat — excluding chicken paws — in March were 269,755 metric tons, up 7 percent from March 2011, while export value rose to $343.2 million, up 23 percent, fueled by increased shipments to Cuba, Russia, Mexico and Kazakhstan, said the report.
First-quarter broiler meat shipments to Mexico, the top market for U.S. poultry, rose by 11 percent year-over-year to 128,274 metric tons, while exports to Russia increased 91 percent to 52,968 metric tons. Exports to Cuba climbed four-fold to 45,072 metric tons, while shipments to Taiwan rose by 9 percent to 40,962 metric tons. Exports to other important markets in the first quarter were Hong Kong, 37,226 metric tons, down 34 percent; Canada, 35,965 metric tons, up 11 percent; Iraq (including transshipments via Turkey) 35,875 metric tons, up 7 percent; Angola, 26,557 metric tons, down 8 percent; South Korea, 22,141 metric tons, down 20 percent; and Kazakhstan, 21,443 metric tons, up nine-fold year-on-year.
U.S. turkey meat exports rose by 9 percent in March to 29,111 metric tons over March 2011, while value jumped by 24 percent to $57.8 million. Both export quantity and value set records for the month. Cumulative first-quarter 2012 turkey exports also set records for quantity and value, reaching 82,053 metric tons valued at $160.5 million, respective increases of 13 percent and 28 percent from the same period in 2011. Exports to top market Mexico climbed to 46,947 metric tons at $98.8 million, up 13 percent and 25 percent year-on-year, respectively. Moreover, the top five markets accounted for 79 percent of U.S. turkey meat exports for the first quarter, with Mexico alone taking 57 percent.
For table eggs, export quantity for March was 7.7 million dozen, down 5 percent from March 2011, while export value was $7 million, up 0.6 percent. The dip is largely attributable to decreased exports to the U.A.E. Quarterly exports of table eggs jumped to nearly 21 million dozen valued at $19.4 million, up 31 percent and 42 percent year-on-year, respectively. Of the total, 82 percent, or just over 17 million dozen, were shipped to the top five export markets of Hong Kong, Canada, U.A.E., Bahamas and Netherlands Antilles. Total egg exports (table eggs plus egg products in shell-egg equivalents) for the first quarter of 2012 were 53.7 million dozen, up 2 percent from the same period of 2011, while export value was $51.3 million, up 29 percent year-over-year.

US broiler meat, turkey exports up in February

U.S. broiler shipments were up from 514 million pounds in February 2011 to 636 million pounds in February 2012, a 24 percent increase, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
This increase was primarily due to strong demand for U.S. broiler meat in spite of relative high broiler leg-quarter prices, said the USDA. In February, broiler leg-quarter prices were up 41 percent from February 2011. Although on average broiler leg-quarter prices are higher than they were in 2011, shipments to Mexico, Canada, Cuba, Russia, Angola and United Arab Emirates are all up from last February. Of the six markets, shipments to Mexico far exceed volumes shipped to other markets.
Turkey shipments also rose in February, up 17 percent from the same time in 2011. A total of 62 million pounds of turkey meat were shipped in February, almost 9 million pounds more than the volume shipped in 2011. Mexico received 36.5 million pounds of turkey meat from the U.S., which accounted for over 59 percent of total U.S. turkey shipments in February. Turkey shipments to Canada and Hong Kong also were up from 2011 numbers, according to the USDA. In February, the U.S. shipped 2.5 million pounds of turkey meat to Canada and 2.2 million pounds to Hong Kong, a 153 percent and a 44 percent increase, respectively, from 2011.
For more information and statistics on U.S. poultry, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.  

Aviagen leases poultry research facilities in Netherlands

Aviagen has entered into a long-term lease of the research facilities of the applied poultry research institute Spelderholt, based in Lelystad, The Netherlands.
The facilities at Spelderholt, owned and previously run by Wageningen UR Livestock Research, are said to be unrivalled for both broiler and breeder research. The addition of a hatchery will make this a self-contained, fully comprehensive facility covering all aspects of breeder, incubation and commercial broiler research. “This expansion of our global R&D facilities highlights our commitment to providing the best possible products and services to our customers and allows us to address important topics relevant to the international poultry sector and other stakeholders in society,” said an Aviagen spokesman. 

SPACE 2011: French organic poultry, egg production records double digit growth

The number of broiler and layer hens raised organically in France grew by 16% in 2010, according to BRIO, the regional interdisciplinary organic association, at SPACE 2011.
The total number of broilers raised organically grew by 18% in comparison with 2009, and the sector was worth €109 million (US$149 million). French organic egg production was worth €209 million in 2010, an increase of 6.6%, while in volume terms the number of eggs produced rose by 16%.
The regions of the Loire, Aquitaine and the Auvergne recorded in the highest increases in organic broiler production, while Brittany and the Auvergne witnessed in the greatest increase in organic egg production. The total number of organic farms in France reached 20,604, accounting for some 4% of all farms in the country. Between 2008 and 2010, the number of organic farms increased by 55%. 

Broiler fecal contamination detection system under development

A system to identify miniscule traces of fecal contamination on chicken carcasses in abattoirs is being developed at the University of Aberystwyth, UK.
The Improved Safety Initiative aims to develop a natural additive for poultry feed that will result in ultra-violet fluorescence of feces. The additive, a water-soluble chlorophyll-based marker approved by the UK’s Food Standards Agency, would be fed to poultry during the last few days of finishing. When screened in abattoirs using fluorescence imaging, the markers would show up and identify contamination. The project builds on technology that is currently developing to detect fecal contamination of red meat.
“Worldwide, suppliers, consumers and public health officials remain concerned over the presence of pathogenic and spoilage micro-organisms in poultry meat and its by-products, which have resulted in large numbers of food poisoning attributed to poultry," said the university's Dr. Michael Lee. “This project will investigate and develop a system for screening poultry carcasses so that unseen fecal contaminants will be visualized. By doing so, any microbial contamination can be greatly reduced or removed completely, depending on the level of intervention.
According to Lee, the project will improve public health by reducing food poisoning outbreaks and may even lead to new products, processes and services, including new feeds formulated to contain the most fluorescent and stable marker and the development of a spectral imaging system for the detection of the marker.

Russia poultry imports drop as domestic production increases

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service, Russian broiler imports may drop 39% to 375,000 metric tons this year, from 618,000 metric tons in 2010, as domestic poultry production increases.
Total domestic consumption is forecast to drop 1.4% to 2.886 million tons from an estimated 2.926 million in 2010, said the FAS. Broiler-meat production may jump 9% to 2.52 million tons from 2.312 million last year.

Aviagen hosts North American broiler tour for Japan Chunky Assoc.

Aviagen Inc. hosted 16 members of the Japan Chunky Association on a tour of U.S. and Canadian broiler farms and processing plants.
The tour allowed the members of the JCA to study North American poultry management techniques and practices. “This delegation is an example of Aviagen’s long tradition of forging strong customer relationships by sharing knowledge and collaborating with our customers to continually improve upon their success with our products,” said Bill Souther, senior vice president of Aviagen.
The JCA goes abroad annually to gain knowledge of practices outside of Japan. “This mission has been a great success, and we have been impressed with what we have experienced," said Nippon Chunky Sales Manager Hideaki Kokubo. "It has been practical and applicable for all who participated to observe how best practices from U.S. and Canadian operations can be applied to the benefit of their own businesses"

New broiler shed features real-time communication, ventilation system

Equipment provider Hydor has partnered with Lower Heath Farm to expand and advance Lower Heath's broiler production.
Lower Heath has expanded its capacity by three sheds, each of which is equipped with one of Hydor's complete ventilation systems. The system includes seven controllers and a communicator that provide owner Charles Simpson with remote access to the sheds' data. "I suppose I am from a younger generation that is more computer orientated and I just want to make use of the available technology to make my life a little easier,” said Simpson. The system can be set to "staged ventilation" for minimal program involvement or "advanced dynamic ventilation" for more involved programming.

US, South Korea free trade agreement may triple US poultry exports

The U.S. and South Korea have concluded negotiations on a free trade agreement that has the potential to triple annual U.S. poultry exports to the other country.
In 2009, U.S. poultry exports to South Korea totaled roughly $46 million. With the new trade agreement in place, that number could increase to nearly $150 million a year, with exporters seeing a total of $750 million over the first ten years of the agreement. "We applaud the Administration's willingness to continue to expand horizons for U.S. food and agricultural trade," said the National Chicken Council in a statement.
Under the agreement, South Korea would phase out all tariffs of poultry and egg products (currently at 18% and 27%, respectively) over 10 to 12 years. South Korea already imports 57% of its broiler meat from the U.S. "The agreement with Korea will affirm a strong position for U.S. agriculture in Korea for decades to come," said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. "Korea already has trade agreements in place with Chile, India and the 10-country ASEAN group, and is negotiating new FTAs with Canada, Australia, New Zealand and China. The U.S. agreement with Korea will put U.S. farmers, ranchers and agribusinesses on a more level playing field with competitors around the world."
Overall, U.S. agricultural exports to South Korea totaled nearly $5 billion in fiscal year 2010. The agreement is now awaiting Congressional approval.

New regulations will cost broiler chicken industry $1 billion over five years

The National Chicken Council (NCC) has released a study claiming that proposed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) regulations will cost the broiler chicken industry more than $1 billion over five years.
The study, conducted by FarmEcon LLC, raises issues of reduced efficiency, higher feed and housing costs and increased administrative expenses, as well as potential litigation costs, lost export sales and increased consumer prices. The changes, proposed by the USDA's Grain Inspection, Packers & Stockyards Administration (GIPSA), would result in changes in the relationship between chicken companies and independent chicken farmers. They would also require changes in the production and marketing systems for pigs and cattle.
While GIPSA maintains that the changes will have little economic impact, the study puts the cost burden at about $337 million per year by 2015. The total cost for the first five years is estimated at $1.03 billion, according to the study.

Rising poultry feed costs highlighted at EuroTier

Increases in world grain prices during the second half of 2010 have had a dramatic effect on the cost of feeding broiler chickens, according to calculations quoted by poultry consultant Gordon Butland at an international poultry panel held in Germany during the EuroTier 2010 exhibition.
As recently as June 2010, the total amount of corn contained in feeds for the world’s broilers represented a cost of approximately US$46million per day.
By the time of the panel at EuroTier in November 2010, this grain cost had risen by US$36 million to US$83 million daily.

USDA extends use of methionine in organic poultry production

The United States Department of Agriculture's National Organic Program has extended the use of methionine in organic poultry production.
The interim rule takes effect on October 1, 2010 and will remain in place until October 1, 2012. The maximum allowable limits of methionine per ton of feed are: 4 pound for layers, 5 pounds for broilers and 6 pounds for turkeys and all other poultry. The rule is open for comments until October 25, 2010.

UK targets campylobacter in chickens

Britain’s seven major supermarket chains have been told by the national Food Standards Agency that they should review and improve the way they buy poultry, after a survey reported finding campylobacter bacteria in 65% of samples of chicken in UK retail stores. Supermarket executives from Asda, Co-op, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Sainsbury, Tesco and Waitress have received a letter from the agency asking for the retailers’ cooperation to reduce the level of campylobacter in chickens sold to levels found in other countries.
The agency is already working with British processors on improvements to plant hygiene and biosecurity measures and on possible packaging solutions, such as modified atmosphere packaging. It will host a conference in March to look at further options for the post-processing treatment of birds and meat.
The agency is also part of a campylobacter joint working group with representatives from retailers and the poultry industry.
Recently, the European Food Safety Authority stated that 20% to 30% of human cases of campylobacteriosis in the European Union may be due to bacteria picked up from broiler meat.

Variable response to phytase supplementation

Scientists at the University of Georgia investigated the effect of phytase supplementation on the growth of broilers fed hexane-extracted, expeller or extruded soybean meal. Phytase enhanced lysine digestibility, but there were distinct differences in growth depending on the source of soybean meal. In a second trial, the nutritional value of five organic, non-transgenic corn cultivars was evaluated.
There were no significant differences in the response to phytase supplementation among the samples tested. The prevalence of low-phosphorus rickets was different among samples, although the extent of severity due to an interaction between corn and phytase was small. The study was conducted by H. Edwards and G. Pesti and was funded by the U.S. Poultry and Egg Association.

Jamaican broilers to lose $4M during chicken sale

The Jamaica Broilers Group announced that its week-long chicken sale, a 19% to 20% reduction in the price of leg and breast quarters, will cost the group $4 million, according to The Jamaica Gleaner.
Chris Levy, president and CEO of Jamaica Broilers, said the group will minimize its costs by cutting expenses in other areas, such as public relations and advertising.

Broiler production up a slim 1% in Q4

According to the Nov. 17 issue of USDA’s Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook, broiler production in the fourth quarter of 2009 is forecast to be up only 1% from the previous year.
Broiler production in fourth-quarter 2009 is forecast at 8.95 billion pounds, up only 1% from the previous year, but it's the first year-over-year increase in production after four consecutive quarterly declines. Broiler meat production is expected to increase only slightly in 2010, as the positive impact of generally lower prices for corn and soybean meal are expected to be partially offset by little growth in real disposable income and continued high unemployment.
Turkey production in fourth-quarter 2009 is expected to total 1.48 billion pounds, down 6.8% from the previous year.
Production in 2010 is forecast at 5.73 billion pounds, up 0.5 % from 2009. Wholesale prices for whole hen turkeys in the Eastern market in fourth-quarter 2009 are expected to be 81-83 cents per pound, down 5% to 7% from 2008.

Ohio livestock measure slated for ballot

Ohio farm families joined lawmakers to support a measure that would help ensure animal well-being, consumer choice and the availability of Ohio-grown food, according to a Ohio Farm Bureau Federation release.
The Ohio House and Senate Agriculture Committees have passed joint resolutions that will allow Ohio to create a Livestock Care Standards Board to supervise how farm animals are raised.
The Ohio House approved the resolution by a vote of 84-13. The measure will be placed before voters in November.

Major damages in Washington egg farm fire

About 180,000 chickens were killed in a three-alarm fire that broke out at an egg farm near Stanwood, Wash., on June 2, according to a report in The Seattle Times.
The property is owned by the National Food Corp. The fire burned through three large chicken coops which were attached at one end by a connecting structure. The total damage is estimated to be $2.2 million. The Snohomish County officials said the fire was accidental.

Broiler companies show profits this year

The average U.S. broiler company returned to profitability in January 2009 and profits strengthened in February and March, said Dana Weatherford, vice president, Agri Stats.
Profits were hard to come by for broiler companies in the second half of 2008, Weatherford reported at USPOULTRY's Processor Workshop in Atlanta. The average company lost nearly $0.05 per pound in the second half of 2008, according to Agri Stats data.
Performance in the first three months of 2009 has seen marked improvement with Weatherford reporting "bottom line profits" for the average broiler company of $0.0078, $0.0148 and $0.0389 per pound in January, February and March 2009, respectively.
Weatherford said that with the reduction in the number of breeder pullets being placed it appeared that the industry's cutback in chick placements would continue below year before levels through 2009.
If broiler meat prices get a seasonal bump this summer, he said he expected broiler firms to remain profitable for the rest of the year.
If grain prices don’t jump up again and if U.S. chicken exports continue at a relatively strong pace, he said that 2010 could be a very good year for U.S. broiler companies.