Poultry course at KSU draws nutritionists from 11 countries

The RAPCO Poultry course participants work through an experiment to determine egg-specific gravity. 
Thirty participants from 11 countries attended the RAPCO Regional Animal Production Courses (RAPCO) poultry course on August 11-15, at the Kansas State University (KSU) International Grains Program (IGP) Institute Conference Center in Manhattan, Kansas. The IGP Institute partnered up with United States Soybean Export Council (USSEC) to hold the annual nutrition-based course.
“The partnership helps to continue the technical program under RAPCO that allows Latin Amer­icans who import U.S. soybeans and soybean meal to better understand and utilize its nutritional benefits and how to improve their operations,” said Carlos Campabadal, IGP Institute specialist in feed manufac­turing and grain storage, and course manager.
Throughout the course, participants studied a broad range of topics including digestive systems, poultry diets, and approaches for reducing the toxic effects of mycotoxins in poultry, among others. One participant, Fernando Ramíerez, felt that the course was good for any individual involved in the poultry industry.
“There are a lot of things that we know but because we do these tasks daily, we forget how impor­tant they are. We have a tendency to overlook the normal duties,” Ramíerez said. “But when you come here, you start to notice all the details and you realize that you are missing some little things that we have a lot of impact on in production.”
In addition to attending the lecture series from USSEC representatives and IGP faculty, partici­pants were able to tour the KSU O.H. Kruse Feed Mill to expand their understanding of feed manufacturing and plant operations.
Production manager at Cargill Meats Central America, Jerónimo Bonilla, said that the tour was the most important part of the course for his team.
“We are now managing our own feed mills whereas before we would buy our feed. Touring the feed mill was a big opportunity for my business in particular,” Bonilla said.

Aviagen and Vano host joint poultry seminar

Aviagen demonstrated its strong commitment to the Iraqi market at a seminar held recently in Antalya, Turkey, for customers of the Ross distributor in Iraq, Vano Group. The seminar, organized by Aviagen and Vano Group collaboratively, was named "Momentum 2014" and focused on the theme “Towards a Profitable Poultry Industry.”
Around 70 delegates from across Iraq and the Kurdish Regional Government (KGR), representing over 90 percent of the poultry market in those countries, attended the three-day seminar. This was the largest gathering of poultry industry members to date and included delegates from the Iraq Ministry of Agriculture, Vet Service, as well as the Iraq Central Board of Investment and Poultry Project Planning.
The seminar included presentations from Neil Clark, Aviagen regional technical manager, and Pavel Shkarlat, Aviagen veterinarian, on Ross 308 and tackling Newcastle disease, respectively. Other notable presentations from Vano Group included Harith Ibrahim, customer service manager, presenting on “Critical Points in Rearing Management” and from Ahmad Nawar, GP hatchery manager, on “Best Hatchery Practices.”  Lohmann Tierzucht and Ceva speakers also attended the event.
The seminar was specifically geared towards helping Iraqi customers obtain the utmost performance from their Ross 308 birds and allowed customers the opportunity to discuss commercial and technical matters with the Ross team.
John Maguire, Ross sales manager for the Middle East and Africa, said: “The Iraqi market is a hugely important one to Aviagen and we are dedicated to providing the utmost support, whether it’s commercial or technical, to our customers in the region. We were delighted with the response from customers to the seminar, with those attending appreciating the level of information and expertise we can offer.”
Dieyar Kakel, Vano Group CEO, commented: “We were thrilled to organize the seminar in collaboration with Aviagen and the strength and depth of the speakers we had, all addressing vital topics for our customers, proved what an important occasion this is.”
The first day of the seminar began with Clark’s presentation, followed by further talks from invited guest speakers on critical points in rearing management, avian influenza H9N2 and trace minerals optimizing poultry production performance. The second day included presentations on vectormune ND vaccine, best hatchery practices and optimal management in rearing.
Day three rounded off proceedings with a presentation on ventilation in poultry houses and a summary of the two previous days before some free time was allotted to delegates to enjoy a sightseeing tour of Antalya.
The seminar was also used by Rasun to launch its new logo.

Poultry grower advises, inspires next generation

With 12 chicken houses and 10 years of experience in the poultry business, Delean Robertson of McComb, Miss., knows the important role women play in agriculture.
When Robertson's husband, Donald, suggested starting a chicken farm in 2004 so he could quit his off-shore job and be home more often, Robertson said everything seemed to fall into place as if it were meant to be. The loan for Straight Arrow Farm was approved quickly. An auditor assistant, she transferred from Citizens Bank in Columbia to a closer branch in Magnolia.
"God seemed to be lining everything up for us," she said. "Little did we know that my husband's crew off-shore would be the ones that were killed when Deepwater Horizon blew up. God protected us by letting the plan for the farm work out before that happened."
Robertson grew up on a dairy farm, so she was no new-comer to the agriculture industry. When they first started their poultry farm, Robertson helped with everything from cleaning chicken houses to setting up the houses for baby chicks and driving tractors. Being diagnosed with fibromyalgia in 2009 put an end to her intense physical labor in the farming venture. But she still handles the bookwork, runs farm errands and helps out if an emergency arises.
"I helped with all of it -- bookkeeping, running errands, driving tractors, cleaning the chicken houses, setting up the houses for baby chicks," she said. "The physical part of the business became too difficult for me once I was diagnosed, though."
Robertson and her husband expanded the farm from six houses to 12 in 2012, making their farm the largest square footage, single-owner farm in the McComb division of Sanderson Farms. They raise more than 2 million pounds of chicken every three months.
"The realization that we feed millions of people every year is the most rewarding experience," she said. "Growing up on a farm, I learned a lot of valuable lessons for life. It is a heritage that has been given to me by my parents, and I hope I will be able to give the same to my children and grandchildren."
When Robertson got involved with Mississippi Women for Agriculture in 2008, she gained practical tips for running a farm and found camaraderie with other women working in the agriculture industry. Robertson was on the first Mississippi Women for Agriculture board and has a lifetime membership.
"I believe for an ag business to be successful, it requires the owners to know all that they possibly can know about their industry," she said. "Women are often the behind-the-scenes support on the farm. Educating the younger generations seems to be a big role that women have in the ag industry. The children of today will be leaders of tomorrow, so it's essential they understand the importance of agriculture."
Sylvia Clark, Mississippi State University Extension Service agent for family and consumer sciences, served on the Mississippi Women for Agriculture board with Robertson and said her leadership has been appreciated in the poultry industry.
"Delean is a go-getter and has been a real leader in the poultry industry for years," Clark said. "Her extensive experience in all aspects of being a poultry grower can give others practical insight into making their businesses successful. She's mentoring the next generation of business women involved in poultry farming."

Aviagen production management school goes mobile

When 35 Aviagen customers from around the world gather in Huntsville, Ala., in June for the 51st Aviagen Production Management School, they won't be handed the hefty, fact-filled binders that students of previous schools carried with them during the month-long program - and then lugged back home.
The course materials, handouts and technical documentation those infamous binders always held will still be available -- just in a vastly more mobile and student-friendly format.
That's because this year, the Aviagen Production Management School is going digital. For the first time, the company will issue Apple iPad Mini tablets pre-loaded with school content. The tablets are small enough to slip into a jacket pocket, and they make it easy for students to refer to curriculum content as they listen to 45 experts from industry and academia, engage in eight to 10 hands-on, practical workshops, and visit 10 production facilities. Students will keep the iPads after graduating from the school.
"At the annual Aviagen Production Management School, we teach the most advanced techniques and best practices in poultry production management, so it's only natural that we should use state-of-the-art technology to deliver that knowledge," said Mark Wright, director of the Aviagen school. "Now students can have instant access to updated course content wherever they go - at school, on those long international flights home, or throughout their own production facilities. And by delivering this information digitally, we're using less paper, generating less waste, and supporting Aviagen's commitment to promote sustainability worldwide."
Using iPad Mini tablets as a learning platform also makes it easy for Aviagen to provide students with the most current course materials. Aviagen also is developing production tools specifically for use on iPad and iPad Mini tablets.
The Aviagen Production Management School offers Aviagen customers a chance to gain hands-on experience with virtually every facet of poultry production, including biosecurity, fertility, feed formulation and animal welfare. More than 1,500 poultry professionals from 62 countries have completed the program since 1967, when it was founded in Connecticut as the Arbor Acres Production Management School.

Registration is open for Poultry 101 course

Registration is open for the upcoming Poultry 101 course at Auburn University. Scheduled for April 8-10, Poultry 101 is a hands-on course for the poultry industry that focuses on maintaining meat quality and yield during poultry processing and further processing.
Participants can learn more about the production and processing factors that impact final product quality, safety and consistency. The course offers processing and further processing activities where sausage, hot dogs, deli loaves and other meat and poultry products are made.
Registration fee for the workshop is $690 per person. Poultry 101 is a cooperative effort between Auburn University, the University of Arkansas and Texas A&M University.

Next Aviagen school modules open for applications

Aviagen has announced that applications for the next Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) School modules are now open. Demand is expected to be high with previous courses all being oversubscribed.
 The next modules will continue the plan of holding the school in different locations to improve accessibility for all students. The Aviagen broiler school will take place February 16-22 in Edinburgh, Scotland, while the Aviagen hatchery school will be held March 15-21 in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
"The EMEA School has proven to be very popular and a great success. We have had students coming back to repeat modules or sign up for other areas of the course as they have found it so interesting and helpful to their work," said Nick Spenceley, course director. "We've continued to develop and adapt the course content based on feedback from previous groups and we are confident that the quality of the course is unsurpassed in the market."
Key topics will include data handling and good flock health as part of the broiler module while maximizing chick quality and egg handling will be just two of the areas covered by the hatchery team.
More details on the courses can be found on the Aviagen website with leaflets on the broiler module and hatchery module available. Feedback from previous attendees can be found on the Aviagen EMEA School webpage. Interested parties can contact school@aviagen.com and also speak to their local Aviagen representative for more details.

Texas A&M offers seats in poultry meat course to Cobb-Vantress

Texas A&M University's Department of Poultry Science is offering Cobb-Vantress four complimentary seats for its Poultry Meat Production Certificate Program. The four people will be selected from a list of Cobb-Vantress employee and customer candidates.
Texas A&M University, which is making the offer in appreciation of what it calls 'Cobb's strong support and generosity' to its Department of Poultry Science, will make four seats available per semester over the two-year program.
"We are proud to support the Texas A&M Department of Poultry Science and are excited to offer the opportunity to these four individuals to broaden their knowledge in poultry meat production," said Randy Vardeman, vice president of production for Cobb-Vantress.  
The Certificate Program in Poultry Meat Production, which is completed online, is taught by members of the Poultry Science faculty and will include four classes: General Avian Sciences, Poultry Meat Production, Breeder and Hatchery Management and Animal Waste Management. 

Cobb holds week-long seminar in Holland

More than 50 delegates from 23 countries took part in a week-long technical seminar hosted by Cobb Europe, a poultry research company, in Friesland, northern Holland, for grandparent and parent stock customers from Europe, Middle East and Africa.
"The technical seminar provides the ideal platform to spend time with our customers as well as provide them with the knowledge required to ensure they get the best performance from our products," said Matthew Wilson, Cobb regional technical manager. "The caliber of delegates this year was exceptionally high, and we provided an intensive week with some technically challenging subjects which our customers took in their stride."
The week began discussing economic and social factors affecting poultry consumption. The delegates then divided into breeder and broiler groups, with hatchery and farm visits, and the final two days covering poultry health and ventilation.
Presentations or practical demonstrations were given by 24 representatives from Cobb Europe and industry specialists including Dr. Alan Ball, of Slate Hall Veterinary Practice, and nutritionist Dr. Tony Marangos.
"The week provided the perfect opportunity for customers to take away advice to put into practice in their day-to day-roles, with Friesland proving the ideal location for helping make the event a great success," said Euan Meldrum, marketing manager of Cobb Europe.

Registration for poultry workshop available

Registration for Poultry 101 is now available. The three-day, hands-on workshop introduces participants to production and processing factors that impact food quality, safety and consistency.
The workshop is held September 10-12, 2013 at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark. Registration is available through the Poultry 101 website. 

The 50th Aviagen Production Management School attracts international student body

In June, 31 poultry production management personnel from 20 countries gathered in Huntsville, Ala., for the 50th Aviagen Production Management School. And while the fundamental concept of the school remains unchanged from when it began, the experience has evolved over time.
In the 1960s, recognizing they were in the midst of a revolution, executives at Arbor Acres saw the need to teach the fundamentals of poultry husbandry and production to its employees and customers, and in 1967, the Arbor Acres Production Management School opened its doors. If the Arbor Acres brand was to grow worldwide, they reasoned, those responsible for growing it had better follow the industry's best practices.
The idea was to create an immersive school designed to give rising stars hands-on experience with virtually every facet of poultry production. Since the school first opened, more than 1,500 poultry professionals from 62 countries have graduated.

Creating generations of leaders
In the early days of the school, students would live at the school for up to three months. In addition to half a day of instruction, students would spend hours every day learning what it takes to breed broilers, to clean poultry houses and select birds, and to handle and sanitize eggs. They were exposed to parts of the business they perhaps knew existed but never saw. They learned how their roles and their companies fit in a larger, ever more global industry.
"Much of the modern poultry industry came about because of this school," says Neal Scanlon, who ran the school after it was relocated to Huntsville following Arbor Acres' merger with Aviagen. "It really helped create generations of industry leaders. These were people who were expected to move up in their companies, and they're hand-picked to attend. And when they return home and share those best practices with others, it elevates their entire company."
The 2013 school featured 19 field trips and workshops focusing on fertility, ventilation, gut health, feed formulation, and more. "We get people right into the facilities so they understand how everything works," says Scanlon.

An extensive curriculum
The now month-long course immerses students in lessons on poultry nutrition, veterinary science, hatchery operations, genetic selection, production, and farm management best practices for managing successful breeder and broiler operations.
Most hands-on sessions and field trips take place at Aviagen production facilities, including the company's Product Development Center in Albertville, Ala.
Weekly written exams culminate with a formal graduation dinner and awards ceremony hosted by Mark Wright, director of the Aviagen Production Management School.

A view to the future
International demand has grown so much in the past decade that Aviagen has expanded the school to other regions. An annual, weeklong school launched in 2007 in China; a trilingual school for Latin America begun in 2011; and three weeklong annual schools serving students in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, begun in 2012 and held in Scotland, Hungary and the Netherlands, initially.
Aviagen plans to continue innovating, both at home and abroad. "We'll be incorporating a broader curriculum with more hands-on instruction, and we'll be accommodating more students from more countries around the world," says Wright. "We'll also be expanding our regional schools, with more schools based on the modular, one-week format of the European school. This is all about helping to support future generations of poultry professionals."

Poultry production school celebrates 50th year

Thirty one poultry production management personnel from 20 countries will gather in Huntsville, Ala. for the 50th Production Management School, hosted by Aviagen, a poultry breeding company.
The month-long school offers Aviagen customers a chance to gain hands-on experience in many facets of poultry production. More than 1,500 poultry professionals from 62 countries have completed the program since 1967, when it was founded in Connecticut as the Arbor Acres Production Management School.
The 2013 school curriculum will feature 17 field trips and workshops focusing on fertility, ventilation, gut health, feed formulation and more. Classes and hands-on sessions will be taught by 50 instructors and experts, from Aviagen employees to professors from local and international universities.
"For the 50th time, the best and brightest people in the poultry industry will gather to immerse themselves in the latest science and best practices that define the finest in poultry production management," said Randall Ennis, CEO at Aviagen.
"While the content taught in the Aviagen Production Management School has evolved considerably since 1967, the goal remains the same: to ensure that every graduate returns home with a firm, end-to-end understanding of broiler breeding and the vital issues that surround it, from best production practices to animal welfare and biosecurity. We're happy to welcome these 31 students to continue this important legacy of achievement, innovation and education."
When the inaugural class graduated in 1967, the broiler breeding industry was concentrated in Connecticut. Jet transportation was becoming widespread, and with it came an opportunity for poultry companies like Arbor Acres to introduce their brands and products into new markets. But the company realized that for globalization to be successful, the same standards and practices employed in the United States had to be followed worldwide. The Arbor Acres Production Management School was born.
In the early years, students from all over the world would live at the school for up to three months. Students would spend half their day in the classroom and the other half learning what it takes to breed broilers, to clean poultry houses and select birds and to handle and sanitize eggs. In addition to teaching, the school created networks of colleagues who not only transferred their knowledge to one another, but they also took that knowledge back home.
"Much of the modern poultry industry came about because of this school," said president of Valo Biomedia, Neal Scanlon, who oversaw the school from 2004 to 2012. "It really helped create generations of industry leaders. These are people who were expected to move up in their companies, and they're hand-picked to attend. And when they return home and share those best practices with others, it elevates their entire company, even the poultry industry in their entire region."
"Over the years we have evolved the school agenda and design to encourage students to not only learn from the eminent line-up of presenters from academia and industry, but also from each other," said Mark Wright, director of the Aviagen Production Management School since 2012. "This environment fosters business relationships and friendships that last throughout a career as well as a lifetime."
Attendees to the Aviagen Production Management School must be nominated by an Aviagen Sales or Technical Representative. 

Poultry research company hosts technical school

Forty-eight participants from 27 countries took part in the annual world technical school organized by poultry research company Cobb-Vantress at its Siloam Springs headquarters in Arkansas.
"In my many years in the poultry industry I have never seen an educational program so complete and intense as this Cobb school," said Dr. Steve Bolden, director of Cobb world technical support.
"Poultry professionals from all over the world were together sharing best management husbandry practices while establishing lifelong global friendships in the classroom and over the dinner table. We have countless members of our customer and distribution network anxiously awaiting their turn to attend the school," Bolden added.
"The school exposed us to worldwide best practices," said Dr. Ramesh Hazary of Venco Research and Breeding Farm, India. "It gave me an opportunity to learn new things in all aspects of poultry management which, I'm sure, will help to improve our practices in India."
Bénédicte Legrix, breeder manager of Boye Accouvage in France, said, "With theory in the morning and practical in the afternoon, the event enriched my knowledge of the poultry industry around the world. It has been very beneficial for me."
Eduardo Luiz Karl, a veterinarian from Brazil, said: "The school was a wonderful experience I'll never forget - a great technical program and exchange of experiences with people from many countries and Cobb technical staff providing great professional and personal learning."
One highlight was the international cuisine dinner with over 40 dishes prepared by teams from different regions of the world with the winner from Team Europe.

Poultry school announces upcoming sessions in Europe

Aviagen, a poultry breeding company, has announced the next modules in its Europe, Middle East and Africa Production School. Following feedback from students attending the first three modules, the next series will take a slightly different approach with more workshops and hands-on sections in addition to lectures.
The Breeder Module will take place in Edinburgh, Scotland, August 31 through September 7, 2013, followed by the Broiler Module in Budapest, Hungary, February 15-22, 2014, and the Hatchery Management and Incubation Module in Amsterdam, March 15-21, 2014.
School Director Nick Spenceley said, "The school has been a great success. We have welcomed people from many countries and it is rewarding to enter a room of 30 quiet and insular people from 20 different countries in the morning; yet by the end of the day see them laughing, sharing information and generally enjoying each other's company.
"However, we do recognize that while we are dealing with highly skilled people, for many, English isn't their first language and we wanted to make sure that this didn't become a barrier to learning. With that in mind, and taking account of the feedback from the previous modules, we have increased the number of workshops and are taking a fresh approach at our most popular topics, such as data management, which has received great reviews from attendees."
The Breeder Module in September will include a variety of topics:

• Data handling and analysis
• Ventilation
• Veterinary health
• Nutrition
• Critical age management
• Financial benchmarking
The new format will see students splitting into teams to run a hypothetical company and make decisions that affect the growth and success of the business.
Spenceley added, "At some point in our careers, we will all be asked to investigate investment opportunities and present a justified cost/benefit analysis to our senior colleagues.
"The course will culminate by bringing the week's tutorial and case study work together, with each team presenting a reasoned business case with any required capital investment justified for improving the output of least-cost fertile hatching eggs."

Registration for Hatchery-Breeder Clinic available

The 2013 Hatchery-Breeder Clinic will bring hatchery and breeder flock managers together to discuss the latest technology, equipment developments and industry trends. The annual clinic, sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, will be held July 9-10, at the Hyatt Regency Birmingham - The Wynfrey Hotel in Birmingham, Ala.
"This year's program will provide essential tools and resources to help managers stay abreast of new developments that can assist them in their day-to-day duties, as well as highlight cost-saving innovations for running an efficient and effective hatchery-breeder operation," said program committee chairman Jack Patrick, Harrison Poultry Inc.
Topics include: an agriculture stats review for hatcheries and breeders; cocci vaccine alternatives: pros and cons; chick mortality; biosecurity methods for hatcheries and breeders; disease update and prevention methods; hatching eggs: sanitation/handling/storage; and concurrent breakout sessions on related hatchery and breeder topics.
The agenda was developed by a committee of hatchery-breeder specialists. Members of the committee are Richard Higgins, Perdue Farms Inc.; Nath Morris, Heritage Breeders; and Jack Patrick, Harrison Poultry Inc.
Registration for the 2013 Hatchery-Breeder Clinic is available on the USPOULTRY website. 

New International Student Career Program part of IPE 2013

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the USAPEEC International Poultry Development Program are jointly sponsoring a new International Student Career Program at the 2013 International Poultry Expo, part of the International Production & Processing Expo. Held in conjunction with the long-standing USPOULTRY College Student Career Program, the new program has been created to provide companies with an opportunity to interview top students from various countries for industry jobs and internships in the poultry industry while in one location.
"[USAPEEC International Poultry Development Program] is pleased to honor Henry Holler, one of the pioneers of our industry, by establishing the Henry L. Holler International Management Studies Fund to support this international student career program," said Development Program Chairman Eric Joiner, AJC International. "Henry was one the founders of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council and served as the first chairman of [USAPEEC International Poultry Development Program]."
"Several of our interviewing companies have locations outside of the United States and are looking for students to fill positions in various countries. We are excited to offer our interviewing companies an opportunity to meet and talk with these international students," added John Starkey, president of USPOULTRY.
The 2013 IPPE, one of the world's largest poultry, feed and meat industry events, will be held from January 29-31, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. The International Student Career Program will be held in conjunction with the College Student Career Program and is scheduled for January 29-31.

International Poultry Expo, University of Georgia partner on poultry education

The International Poultry Expo, a component of the International Production & Processing Expo, is partnering with the University of Georgia to promote the International Poultry Short Course 2013 to be held February 1–5, 2013, in Athens, Ga. Registrants who sign up for the International Poultry Short Course will also receive registration to the 2013 International Poultry Expo, which will take place January 29–31, 2013, in Atlanta, Ga.
The International Poultry Course is a 3.5-day conference created by the Department of Poultry Science at the University of Georgia. It will cover a broad range of topics for individuals new to the poultry industry, as well as for experienced professionals. In addition to formal instruction, demonstrations in various areas of poultry science will be conducted at the university research facility in Athens. During this program, participants will have the opportunity to interact with experts in many areas. The course will be held in Athens immediately following the International Poultry Expo.
Topics span from genetics and breeding to processing and food safety and will cover essentially all the important areas in between. This year’s program will focus on the challenges in producing and processing the modern broiler chicken.
Registration for the course is $795 and includes all luncheons, dinners and basic materials for the course. Space is limited, and registration closes on January 18, 2013. 

University of Georgia receives $13,210 USPOULTRY Foundation grant

The University of Georgia poultry science department has received a $13,210 student recruiting grant from the USPOULTRY Foundation.
Pete Martin, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association board member, presented the check to Dr. Mike Lacy, professor and head of the poultry science department at the University of Georgia. Mike Giles, president of the Georgia Poultry Federation, assisted in the check presentation.
“On behalf of the department of poultry science, I want to thank the USPOULTRY Foundation again for their generous support of our undergraduate recruiting efforts," said Lacy. "This support has made it possible for us to leverage additional resources for recruitment purposes. I am pleased that our poultry science and avian biology majors continue to thrive. We could not have accomplished this without your support. As much as the financial assistance is appreciated, even more important to us is the genuine interest and concern you have for our program."
The USPOULTRY Foundation board recently approved student recruiting grants totaling more than $160,000 to the six U.S. universities with poultry science departments and 15 other institutions with industry-related programs. The foundation provides annual recruiting funds to colleges and universities to attract students to their poultry programs.

IPE Week set for January 23-27, 2012

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association designated the week of the 2012 International Poultry and International Feed Expos, January 23-27, 2012, as "IPE Week."
IPE Week will feature education programs addressing current industry issues, including the International Poultry Scientific Forum, Pet Food Conference, Animal Agricultural Sustainability Summit, Hatchery-Breeder Clinic and AFIA International Feed Education Program.
New for 2012 are the following educational programs: IPE Pre-Harvest Food Safety Conference; U.S. Poultry/UEP Symposium on the Future of American Egg Production; Chartering the Course: An Executive Conference on the Future of the American Poultry Industry, which also incorporates the Market Intelligence Forum; and the National Renderer’s Association Quality Feed Ingredients Conference.

Poultry Science Association expanding archives with Legacy Project

The Poultry Science Association has made plans to expand its online archives with the Legacy Project, which aims to take approximately 622 back issues of scientific poultry journals and turn them into online-accessible files.
The PSA currently has a print-only archive of journal issues that begins with the International Association of Instructors and Investigators in Poultry Husbandry Proceedings (1908 - 1912), continues with the Journal of the American Association of Instructors and Investigators in Poultry Husbandry (1914 - 1921) and becomes Poultry Science (1921 - 1996). In all, there are approximately 105,754 pages in 16,955 articles and 622 issues in the collection that are not available online. These issues represent a substantial body of poultry-related research that can be obtained only through library archives, representing roughly nine decades of data and classic papers, according to the association.
The project is expected to cost $60,000; Novus International Inc. has already pledged a $30,000 "challenge grant" to the project to match contributions of member donors. Anyone interested in more information or wishing to make a donation to the project can find information here.

Summer 2011 poultry industry internships available

The Lee Campbell Poultry & Egg Educational Foundation is offering poultry industry internships for summer 2011.
The foundation will assist in sponsoring a qualified college student for up to 10 weeks of work experience at a major poultry company. In addition to learning the workings of the poultry export business, the intern will be given an overview of poultry production, processing and marketing. The foundation will grant the intern $1,500 at the beginning of the internship to help defray travel and housing expenses, with an additional $1,000 possible at the end of the summer 2011 program for submitting an acceptable paper that discusses an aspect of poultry exports.
To be eligible for consideration, interested students must complete and submit the foundation’s internship application form and are encouraged to also submit a brief (up to two pages) essay about their career objectives and the benefits the internship would have for them. Applications for the program must be received by close-of-business Monday, March 28, 2011.