Ross celebrates 60 successful years

Ross^® has hit a number of major milestones during its 60 years of success in poultry genetics. Since 1956 when Chunky Chicks Limited opened its doors in Edinburgh, Scotland, Ross has been on a journey of global expansion and is now present in over 100 countries across six continents.
From its Scottish roots, Ross has been shaping the worldwide broiler breeder market and is today widely regarded as the industry leader. As the scale and importance of international poultry breeding has grown, Ross has responded to the market with its diversified product portfolio and continuous genetic improvement within the Aviagen^® breeding program.
Over six decades, Ross has led the trend towards product differentiation including the Ross 308, Ross 708 and Ross PM3. By anticipating the needs of customers and changing market requirements, Ross has continued on its journey of global success.
Instrumental to this has been a culture of science and innovation. The introduction of new technologies to the breeding program has led to breakthroughs in performance and efficiency. As a result of such technologies and enhanced product performance, Ross customers now benefit from an FCR improvement in broilers of around 2 to 3 points per year.
Alfons Koerhuis, Aviagen’s CTO, commented, “From humble beginnings in Scotland, Ross continues to lead the poultry industry with a modern breeding program, fit for the dramatic rise in demand for poultry meat now and in the future.
Excellent product performance has always been at the heart of the Ross ethos, but it has become a more sophisticated approach as technology and modern selection methods have developed. Ongoing product development and continuous improvement of our existing portfolio remain a top priority, resulting in a winning combination of FCR, meat production and robustness. Looking to the future, it is imperative that we continue on this journey as we contribute towards the growing global demand for an affordable protein source.”
Many of Aviagen’s customers have enjoyed shared success with the Ross brand over the decades. One of the oldest is Moy Park, Northern Ireland, a loyal customer for over 50 years.
David Gibson, agricultural director at Moy Park, said: “As a long-standing Ross customer, we have been there right from the start of the journey. The alliance between our two teams has remained strong over the years, built upon a foundation of excellent product performance at breeder, broiler and processing level, underpinned by continuous commitment to welfare.
“We are thrilled that Ross is able to celebrate its 60^th birthday, a truly remarkable achievement. Being able to forge strong relationships with key Ross personnel, working together in an open and trustworthy manner, is undoubtedly a major factor in our shared success stories.”
Another long-standing distributor Nippon Chunky, Japan commented on this significant milestone. Koji Morinaga, president, said, “Since 1968, we have shared an indispensable relationship and common destiny with Ross. They have brought state-of-the-art technology, support from multi-national specialists, confidence and commitment in a well-balanced product development program to accommodate Japanese market requirements. The sustainable improvement in productivity has allowed us to maintain a competitive edge in the market.”

Study reveals that evolution of chickens happens faster than thought

A critical component of an experiment that proved evolution happens 15 times faster than was previously believed relied upon genetic lines of chickens from Virginia Tech. The discovery utilized the DNA of lines of White Plymouth Rock chickens that have been developed for more than 50 years.
The research was published recently in Biology Letters, a journal of Royal Society Publishing. The discovery involved researchers from several universities, including the University of York, Oxford University, the University of Sydney, Uppsala University, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, and Virginia Tech.
“This experiment and many others involving everything from animal appetites to genetics could never have been done without the pedigree lines here at Virginia Tech,” said Paul Siegel*, distinguished professor emeritus of animal and poultry sciences in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “This experiment was also an excellent example of international collaboration between six countries that was necessary for the success of the study.”
Siegel, along with Ben Dorshorst and Christa Honaker, also in the Virginia Tech Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, were co-authors on the paper.
The pedigree lines of White Plymouth Rock chickens were developed by Siegel, who began breeding them in 1957. From the common founder population, he produced two distinct lines of chickens selected for high- and low-body weight. Today, the high-weight line dwarfs its low-growth counterpart by an average of 12 times more by the time they reach the eight-week selection age.
In the latest experiment, researchers analyzed blood samples of chickens of the same generation using the most distantly related maternal lines to reconstruct how the mitochondrial DNA passed from mothers to daughters. Mitochondria are specialized structures in the cells of animals, plants, and fungi that generate energy, synthesize proteins, and package proteins for transport to different parts of the cell and beyond.
“Previously, estimates put the rate of change in a mitochondrial genome at about 2 percent per million years,” said Greger Larson, professor of archaeology at Oxford University, in a news release. “At this pace we should not have been able to spot a single mutation in just 50 years, but in fact we spotted two.”
The sampling scheme yielded 385 mitochondrial transmissions that were analyzed for linkages within the mitochondrial DNA.The rate of evolution was calculated by analyzing the number of observed mutations in the approximately 16,000 samples of mitochondrial DNA in the genome over 47 generations.The scientists then reconstructed the maternal pedigree based on the mitogenome sequences.
“Our observations reveal that evolution is always moving quickly, but we tend not to see it because we typically measure it over longer time periods,” Larson continued. “Our study shows that evolution can move much faster in the short term than we had believed from fossil-based estimates.”
The experiment also determined that mitochondria are not solely passed down from maternal lines. Strictly maternal inheritance has long been thought of as the characteristic of mitochondrial genomes.
“The thing everyone knew about mitochondria is that it is almost exclusively passed down the maternal line, but we identified chicks who inherited their mitochondria from their father,” said Michelle Alexander, lead author. This finding supports the theory that “paternal leakage” is not such a rare phenomenon.
This is not the first time the scientific community has benefited from the research done on Virginia Tech’s high- and low-body weight chicken lines. A 2010 article in the scientific journal Nature was a breakthrough in genetic studies of animal domestication, thanks in part to these two lines.
*In 2010, the American Poultry Historical Society inducted Siegel into the American Poultry Association Hall of Fame, the industry’s top honor. In 2011, he was given an honorary doctorate from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.

New chicken line specially bred for Indian village flocks

Nanaji Deshmukh Veterinary Science University in Jabalpur district has developed the new breed of chicken called Narmada Nidhi, Professor O.P. Shrivastava told the Press Service of India.
The new breed is a cross involving a local breed from Madhya Pradesh state (Kadaknath) and the Jabalpur Colour, which is an improved line bred by the University.  Narmada Nidhi has been bred to offer good nutrition to households in rural areas while surviving on household leftovers. It is also resistant to disease and does not require all the vaccinations needed by foreign poultry, Shrivastava said.
Narmada Nidhi produces around 180 eggs per year, compared to 45 for typical native chickens, so the cost of an egg would be about INR4 (US6 cents), INR2 cheaper than a normal egg. The cost of the meat will also be lower at INR80-90 per kilo against a standard chicken at INR120, while the flavor is similar to the popular native breeds.
“We are going to hand over 35 new breed fowls to 35 tribal families at a function shortly,” Shrivastava said.

Hendrix Genetics: from concept to reality

It was a few years ago when the egg sector first heard about the mission of ISA – the Layer Business Unit of Hendrix Genetics – “Breeding layers capable of producing 500 first quality eggs by 2020.” Only five years from the announced date, field results from commercial layer farms show that goal has been met. Some flock performances are already reaching that target.
Hendrix Genetics layers are widely-recognized for their excellent persistency. This is especially remarkable in Dekalb White birds: achieving peaks of 97% is not exceptional, production often remains above 90% for more than 45 weeks; there are flocks laying at 93% at 70 weeks of age. Total egg number per hen housed can easily exceed standards by 20 eggs at 90 weeks of age, with 27 kg of egg-mass produced, accounting for an egg output of almost 16 times the hen body weight. Around 2020 the Dekalb parent stock will produce about 120 day old chicks and the commercial layers will produce about 500 first quality eggs in a production cycle of 100 weeks without molting. There are already flocks who reach 500 eggs in aviary systems.
Genetics has a significant impact on achieving these levels of performance, but management, nutrition and flock health are also important in allowing birds to express the maximum of their genetic potential.
Key points for reaching these good results include an excellent rearing period, focused on attaining strong, early growth to ensure later egg production and shell quality; and obtaining a pullet flock uniformity of 85% at 16 weeks of age.
After transfer, the period until 35 weeks of age is also of utmost importance in securing optimum performance: achieving quick, steady growth until adult body weight is reached, leading to robustness and improved ability to cope with eventual stress and challenges.
Nutrition also plays a major role in obtaining these impressive figures, not only in total egg number per hen housed, but also in egg mass and feed conversion rate. Diets that are properly adjusted to observed feed intake should be used, paying special attention to mineral (Ca/P) content to maximize first quality eggs and ensure skeletal integrity: total eggshell weight produced by one hen in a 90 weeks cycle exceeds 1.7 times its own body weight. Amino acid levels adapted to produce egg-mass are essential to avoiding the risk of mild deficiencies that can decrease egg size or sometimes negatively affect feather cover in highly productive flocks.
Feedback from the field shows that the breeding program of Hendrix Genetics is a success for longer production cycles and efficient layers, providing suitable housing, health conditions, management and nutrition for egg producers.

Russia authorizes imports of Brazilian poultry genetics

Russia has opened the door to poultry genetic material from Brazil, according to the Brazilian Association for Animal Protein (ABPA).
The authorization, according to information received from the agriculture ministry in Brazil, will cover shipments of day-old chicks and hatching eggs of chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese and ostriches.
Commenting on the development, ABPA Chief Executive Francisco Turra, said that the authorization confirms Russia’s confidence in the sanitary and health standards of the Brazilian poultry sector. He expressed his hope that this would be the start of further trade to Eastern Europe.
A possible explanation for the move is that, since imposing a ban on all poultry imports from the U.S., EU and other countries more than a year ago, Russia has been unable to source sufficient high-level genetics in the form of hatchlings and hatching eggs to meet its target for close to complete self-sufficiency in the poultry sector.

Genetic selection leads to improved feed efficiency

Substantial improvements in the performance of laying hens has come from genetic selection over the last 70 years. In particular, the combined effects of increased egg production, reduced bodyweight and lower maintenance requirements have brought about significant improvements in feed conversion efficiency. The rates of feed efficiency gain are likely to slow, as egg production approaches the biological threshold of 365 eggs per annum. The emphasis of selection has changed over the past decade to meet specific market needs, due to the changing worldwide egg industry. The hens’ adaptability to varying environments, while maintaining good health plays an important part in Hendrix Genetics - ISA’s breeding program. These days, commercial layers should be able to cope with a variety of field conditions and management systems, such as high-density cages, open houses or free range.
Breeding for 500 eggs
Hendrix Genetics aims for a production life of 500 eggs through one laying cycle in its commercial layers. Thus, overall livability, including longevity, is an important component of productive flocks. To support the hens’ genetic potential of 500 eggs through one laying cycle, it is necessary to increase their feed intake from the end of the growing period towards the peak of production in a short time. During this period, the bird is not only adjusting to her new environment, she must consume enough energy and nutrients for her body weight development and to reach the high peak in egg production. A uniform flock is of major importance in providing balanced diets in order to optimize the birds’ genetic potential. So an important step towards achieving 500 eggs per bird is good management of the pullet flock.
Feed consumption is the behavioral response to a homeostatic drive, which is activated by disequilibrium in a metabolic state of the bird. The most commonly-used criteria for feed efficiency in laying hens are: daily feed intake per hen;feed intake per egg; feed conversion (kg feed per kg egg mass); and egg income minus feed cost. Increasing the egg output and/or reducing the bodyweight will lead to improved efficiency of egg production. Hendrix Genetics’ focus is on increasing egg output by egg numbers and egg mass, not by the reduction of the birds’ bodyweight. A further reduction of the birds’ bodyweight will lead to more efficient birds, since less feed is required for the birds’ growth and maintenance. But birds with some body reserves are better able to cope with environmental fluctuations and disease challenge, e.g. the maximum egg output per bird requires a stock-specific optimum bodyweight. When selecting our birds, we take the aforementioned into account, since our breeding goal is to produce birds that are more feed efficient with each new generation, and to ensure that they adapt and grow well, stay healthy, are easy to manage and show production performance on an optimal level.
Individual feed consumption records enhance the selection for efficiency of egg production. For feed consumption, heritabilities are in the range of 0.25 – 0.45, and heritabilities for feed conversion are in the range of 0.20 – 0.40. As part of our breeding program, we measure feed consumption, egg production and egg weight at an individual basis in all of our genetic lines. By measuring all these traits, we have been able to select directly towards more efficient birds. The breeding goal for commercial layers is to maximize egg income over feed costs, while not compromising on the hens’ health and well-being.
An undesired development in laying hens is the gain in bodyweight after the birds’ peak production period. This gain in bodyweight is mainly composed of lipids; meaning that there is a low variation in energy content, and hence, in energy required for gain. As part of Hendrix Genetics’ breeding program, we also measure the birds’ individual bodyweight after 90 weeks of age. Our goal is to keep the bodyweight gain from peak period towards the end-of-lay close to zero, in this way, the bird utilizes the gross energy from feed more efficiently for maintaining a healthy body condition and egg production.
Future Developments
The largest contribution to future improvements in feed conversion efficiency is expected to come from increased egg production, e.g. longer persistency, while not ignoring the hens’ health and well-being. Significant differences do exist between in Hendrix Genetics’ genetic lines and therefore clear variation between commercial crosses. Every layer farmer has their own needs, depending on their system, management and the climate.

Hendrix Genetics nearing the goal line

The mission of ISA-Hendrix Genetics is to breed and sell layers that are capable of laying 500 top quality eggs per hen housed without compromising on egg quality. To achieve its breeding goal, the company continuously improves the lay persistence for a prolonged production cycle of a large pure line gene pool of Hisex, Bovans, Dekalb, Isa, Shaver and Babcock. The company’s advancements lead to higher earnings, as more eggs per flock are produced and flocks are replaced less often.
Hendrix reports it is seeing longer laying cycles for layer parent stock and commercial layers. During the last few decades the genetic improvement for egg production has been significant. In layer parent stock the genetic improvement was 0.5 to 1.0 day old chicks per breeder per year. This is a combination of genetic improvement and a longer laying cycle, increasing from 64 to 68 weeks and resulting in an improvement of 15 – 20 day old chicks per breeder female since the 1980s.
For the commercial layers, the genetic improvement is approximately 2.5 eggs per year. Together with the extension of the laying cycle from 68 to 75 weeks of age, the results are 70 more eggs in the last two decades. The increase is realized by a combination of improved genetics, management, nutrition and disease prevention. For the next 5 years ISA expects more genetic improvement and longer production cycles. Around 2020 the parent stock will produce about 120 day old chicks and the commercial layers will produce about 500 first quality eggs in a production cycle of 100 weeks without molting. Hendrix already see flocks that reach 500 eggs in aviary systems. 
Hendrix Genetics scores well in RST
The results of the first cycle of the 39th North Carolina Random Sample Test (RST) have been published recently. The company reports that the data shows “we are on the right track." The conclusions of the USA Layer Performance and Management Test demonstrate excellent performance and competitiveness of Hendrix Genetics layer products, both technical and economical.
In the technical comparison, many commercial white and brown breeds were compared. The breeding companies delivered hatching eggs from their Parent Stock flocks on the same day to the Piedmont, NC, research institute. All breeds were hatched and reared together under the same conditions, and later housed under comparable circumstances with the same management. The important technical and economic data was collected per breed and per housing system. The report summarized the first cycle until 69 weeks of age for the traditional cages. The comparison was made between Hendrix Genetics and non-Hendrix Genetics breeds, both for white and brown products. For white breeds there were 5 Hendrix products against 7 competitors, and for brown breeds 2 Hendrix products against 6 competitors.
The Hendrix Genetics White products produced on average 9.3 eggs per hen housed more, with a 1.8% better livability. The Hendrix products were most efficient in feed conversion, on average 4 points better, and its white products have a +$ 1.00 egg income minus feed costs. This is an extremely substantial number, considering the current big flock sizes.
The Hendrix Genetics Brown products produced an average 5 eggs per hen housed more, with a 0.4% better livability. The similar feed intake and the bigger egg size resulted in a much better feed conversion for the Hendrix products: FCR 2.00 versus 2.08. The economical calculation, egg income minus feed costs was $ 1.18 per bird better for the Brown breeds of Hendrix Genetics.
Hendrix Genetics considers the results of the 39^th North Carolina RST very promising.

National Breeders Roundtable focuses on research of poultry genetics

The recent 64^th National Breeders Roundtable in St. Louis, Mo., featured nine speakers representing eight universities and one representative from industry. The presentations covered multi-country genetic evaluation systems, new developments in statistical genetics, duck genetics, conservation genetics, epigenetics and broiler meat quality. The National Breeders Roundtable is sponsored by the Poultry Breeders of America, a council of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association.
A presentation by Dr. James “Jim” Arthur, former vice president of research and development for Hy-Line International, gave an enlightening, historical perspective of the advances in laying hen genetics. Dr. Arthur has been instrumental in bringing Hy-Line to its current position in the laying hen market.
The program also included the inaugural Student Research Poster competition. A committee of primary breeder geneticists collected and judged the posters. The winners were announced at the meeting, with each receiving a cash prize.
Melissa Herrmann, Iowa State University, placed first in the poster competition. Herrmann’s research is leading to the identification of gene families and genetic pathways associated with resistance to the Newcastle disease virus. Her research may ultimately lead to development of chickens that are resistant to the disease or express greater robustness in face of viral challenges.
Alex Gilley, University of Arkansas, placed second. Gilley’s research will provide broiler breeding companies with an essential tool to improve breast meat production without needing to sacrifice birds. He and his collaborators are using a dual-energy, x-ray absorptiometry machine and an array of special statistical tools to predict how much breast meat a bird will have at processing time, using measurements taken as early as four days old.
John Hsieh, Iowa State University, placed third. Hsieh explored similarities between human and chicken immune systems to describe the physical structure of the proteins forming the Newcastle disease virus. The detailed knowledge that his work has generated will enable the development of effective strategies to mitigate viral replication and activity. 

Hy-Line International and C.V. Missouri celebrate anniversary

Hy-Line International, a world leader in layer poultry genetics, recognized its 15-year partnership with C.V. Missouri of Indonesia while at the VIV Asia tradeshow in Bangkok, Thailand.
“With C.V Missouri’s long-time commitment to offering high-quality brown egg day-old chicks to the Indonesian market, we are pleased to be their partner,” said Jonathan Cade, president of Hy-Line International. “We look forward to continuing this relationship long into the future.”
C.V. Missouri, located in Bandung, Indonesia, is a day-old chick distribution company, which has a long history and is operated by the Latif family. C.V. Missouri is one of the principle hatcheries in the country, and one of the few with grandparent stock.
Founded in 1936 by Henry A. Wallace, Hy-Line was the first poultry breeding company to apply the principles of hybridization to commercial layer breeding. Today, Hy-Line International continues to be a pioneer as the first company with its own in-house molecular genetics team leading the industry in application of DNA-based technology to its breeding and genetics program. Hy-Line produces and sells both brown and white egg stock to more than 120 countries worldwide and is the largest selling layer in the American egg industry and around the world.

Hendrix-ISA acquiring Midwest Farms LLC, Pennovo

ISA, the layer business unit of Hendrix Genetics, plans to purchase Midwest Farms LLC, part of Midwest Food Association, and will acquire the Pennsylvania-based hatchery Pennovo (formerly Penn Embryo) and the Virginia based hatchery, Brickland (MFA). ISA will create a new company, Hendrix-ISA, to serve the U.S. market with premium quality layers.
With the capacity to produce close to one million commercial layers a week, Hendrix-ISA will expand its leadership in the U.S. layer market.
U.S. egg producers will have direct access to the breeding company through Hendrix-ISA. That direct access will provide the opportunity for the team to review field results and breed expectations, the company stated, thereby giving the layer industry a voice on future breeding programs that will benefit US egg producers.
Hendrix-ISA offers the opportunity to purchase premium quality, day-old chicks directly from the global leader in layer genetics. The fully modernized, state-of-the-art facility, Pennovo, will produce up to 500,000 high quality, commercial layers per week, while the existing Brickland Hatchery has a production capacity of up to 400,000 high quality, commercial layers per week.
Hendrix-ISA will focus on the leading products - Shaver White and Isa Brown. In addition, Bovans, Dekalb, Hisex and Babcock brands will be distributed throughout Hendrix-ISA as parent stock and as commercial layers. Bovans White and Brown and Dekalb White products will remain available in the U.S. via Centurion Poultry Inc. Distribution of ISA products in the U.S. from Merrill, Westwind, Pitman and other Hendrix affiliated hatcheries will remain the same.
“For a long time, the U.S. market has had limited choices in egg layer genetics,” said Peter Mumm, the new managing director of Hendrix-ISA LLC. “Now the layer industry has another choice. The excellence of Hendrix-ISA’s genetics, our team of poultry specialists, and our world-class breeding- and hatchery facilities will provide the US market with the highest quality in genetics and service.”
Thijs Hendrix, founder of Hendrix Genetics, commented about the Hendrix-ISA initiative in the U.S.: “It fits perfectly in our strategy to selectively integrate further into the supply chain, to grow in the US and to work closely with our strategic partners.”
Bruce Lackey, general manager of Midwest Foods Association (MFA) stated: “The MFA purchasing cooperative has worked very hard over the past twelve years to develop our Midwest Farms hatchery and breeder farm complex into something very special. It is now time for us to spin off that division to a company that is equally special - Hendrix-ISA. With this divestiture, MFA can now get back to its roots and focus strictly on serving member needs and developing new buying programs.”

Poultry genetics innovation highlighted at Ceva summit

Dr. Eduardo Souza, program geneticist for Aviagen, discussed topics related to poultry genetics at Ceva's Hatchery Innovation Summit Asia in Bali. 
Dr. Eduardo Souza, program geneticist for Aviagen, the world’s largest poultry breeding company, recently traveled to Bali to address attendees of the Hatchery Innovation Summit Asia. Held June 3-4, the event was sponsored by Ceva, a world leader in immune complex and vector vaccine technology.
Souza, who helps shape product development strategies as a key member of Aviagen’s research and development (R&D) operation, explored the latest technology and techniques applied to pedigree flocks to continuously deliver balanced performance improvements in broilers and breeders.
At the Hatchery Innovation Summit Asia, Souza drew on 23 years of experience as a poultry geneticist. He described how genetics information figures heavily in the routine selection of Aviagen’s elite lines. For instance, Aviagen’s genomics project focuses on identifying naturally occurring markers within the genome of elite birds and using those markers to help breed stronger and more productive birds through the current selective breeding program, which is a completely natural process.  Aviagen began using genomics in its commercial selection program in 2012 and became the first company to include genomic information as a critical additional source of information in the R&D breeding program.
“Genetics is crucial to the development of high-performance broilers and breeders because different regions require different traits in birds, and selecting those traits demands extensive knowledge, constant patience, and an unfaltering adherence to best practices,” said Souza. “To ensure poultry breeders see the best possible results, while safeguarding the health and welfare of their stock, we at Aviagen keep genetics at the very heart of our R&D operation.”
Souza joined speakers from around the world who discussed incubation, vaccination, hatchery organization and automation, and marketing. Attendees also learned about solutions for improving food safety and productivity in an era of volatile feed prices.
Souza began his career in 1991 at Brazil’s Agroceres Ross. He joined Aviagen in 1995 to head the broiler breeding program for the United States, where Aviagen invests heavily in research focused on delivering balanced progress in both broiler and breeder traits.

Genesus Genetics opens Canadian Centre of Gene Transfer

Genesus Genetics has opened the Canadian Centre of Gene Transfer at a remote location near Hamiota, Manitoba. The Canadian Centre of Gene Transfer will be an exclusive gene transfer center for Genesus Genetics for domestic and international artificial insemination production for fresh and frozen pig semen.
The facility, with a capacity of 483,000 doses per year, will feature a water system including reverse osmosis technology and double ultraviolet protection against bacteria with a de-ionizer with a backup polisher and continuous circulation for Type 1 water.
The Canadian Canadian Centre of Gene Transfer includes a positive pressure barn with HEPA filtration ad isolation with Noveko filters for protection against aerosol pathogens.

New research partnership to advance broiler genetics

A three-year research agreement between Cobb-Vantress, a global industry leader in poultry genetics, and The Roslin Institute, at the University of Edinburgh, will facilitate collaboration on avian disease resistance, genome analysis and genome preservation.
Cobb is putting almost $1 million into avian research programs at The Roslin Institute to identify innovative ways to improve avian health as well as developing unique technologies to understand and preserve the current and heritage poultry genomes.
The investment creates a strategic partnership between Cobb and The Roslin Institute which leverages each world class entity's strengths. Mitch Abrahamsen, Cobb vice president of research and development, stated: "This research partnership provides a wonderful opportunity for Cobb to continue a close collaborative relationship with The Roslin Institute and their new National Avian Research Facility (NARF).
"The continued financial investments by The Roslin Institute in people and infrastructure demonstrate their commitment to making significant contributions toward improving poultry health and capitalizing on the opportunities afforded by the ever expanding understanding of the chicken genome."
The National Avian Research Facility recently opened a state-of-the-art facility with its focus in poultry research. Professor David Hume, director of The Roslin Institute, said of the new agreement: "The joint partnership with Cobb is an excellent example of the kind of industrial interactions that allow The Roslin Institute's research to drive sustainable improvements in animal health and livestock productivity.
"I am delighted to be able to formalize the relationship we have with Cobb and capitalize on a number of key opportunities that we will be pursuing under the agreement."
One of the applications of this joint partnership is an effort to develop new technology enabling pedigree or heritage lines to be maintained without the need to physically maintain the bird stock. In addition, several projects will investigate DNA markers in the genome, targeting some of the more difficult to select for traits such as avian immunity, disease tolerance and disease resistance.
 "These are exciting new areas which we hope will lead to major breakthroughs in avian health and preservation." said Dr Christine Daugherty, chief technology officer of Cobb.
"Cobb has an extensive gene pool and to be able to better understand the poultry genome will be critical to meeting future demands for poultry products. We're always striving to breed more robust chickens that will withstand disease and environmental challenges. We're looking for birds with greater immunity to diseases or with the ability to tolerate disease without affecting their performance."
The collaboration will support research by graduate students and is for an initial three years, with potential for renewal.   The agreement with The Roslin Institute, which receives strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, is one of more than 30 research projects that Cobb has been supporting in 18 different universities across the globe over the past five years.

ISU studies poultry genetics to fight hunger in Africa

Animal science faculty members at Iowa State University are studying the genetic makeup of chickens in Africa in an effort to improve nutrition and alleviate food scarcity across the continent.
Susan Lamont, a distinguished professor of animal science, recently returned from a two-week trip to Africa to lay the groundwork for a project aimed at identifying the genetic mechanisms that strengthen the resistance of chickens to heat and a potentially devastating disease.
The five-year project, funded by a grant from the U.S. Agency for International Development, will draw on the expertise of ISU faculty and will be led by personnel at the University of California, Davis.  Two universities in Africa - Sokoine University in Tanzania and the University of Ghana - also will contribute to the project.
Lamont said the team will explore the local genetic diversity of chickens in Africa and eventually breed birds that are more resistant to heat stress and Newcastle disease, an acute respiratory illness that can kill half the birds in a flock in a matter of days.
"Newcastle disease is the No. 1 health limit to poultry production in these countries," she said. "The potential impact of this research is huge."
Addressing Newcastle disease through genetic resistance is of particular importance because most vaccines available to combat the disease require refrigeration, which often is not an option in areas of Africa with limited access to electricity, Lamont said.
One advantage to improving chicken resistance is that the birds require little space compared to other animals, so families can raise their own flocks relatively cheaply. Lamont said between 80 and 90 percent of poultry production in some African countries comes from small backyard flocks rather than the large-scale production that occurs in developed countries. That means a project like this one has the potential to benefit African families in a direct way, she said.
Eggs are an important source of protein, especially for young children, Lamont said. And boosting the stress resistance of chickens means African families can meet their nutritional needs and have more birds left over to sell.
"In most cases, the excess chickens and eggs create extra income," Lamont said.
While larger animals such as cattle are traditionally the responsibility of men in the countries involved in the study, women usually tend chickens, she said. That means any extra cash will benefit families more directly.
"This work has the potential to address nutritional needs and alleviate poverty while also empowering women," Lamont said.
Previous work at Iowa State explored the genetics of Fayoumi chickens, a breed originating in Egypt known for resistance to Newcastle disease and other ailments. Lamont said that history with chicken genetics uniquely positioned Iowa State to make important contributions to the project. Jack Dekkers, an ISU Distinguished Professor of animal science, also will work on the project, conducting statistical analyses of genetic information.

Groupe Grimaud takes over guinea fowl genetics company Galor

Enrique Pellejero, who recently joined Groupe Grimaud, will become CEO of Galor. 
Groupe Grimaud has taken over the assets of Galor, the French leader in guinea fowl genetics and multiplication, effective December 9. Galor was previously owned by Groupe Amice-Soquet.
Galor now becomes the branch of Groupe Grimaud specialized in guinea fowl, alongside all the other specialized subsidiaries of the group: Hubbard for broilers, Novogen for layers, Grimaud Frères Sélection for waterfowls and pigeons, Choice Genetics for swine, Hypharm for rabbits, and Blue Genetics for shrimp.
All the existing guinea fowl activities of Groupe Grimaud will rapidly be regrouped within Galor. This will in particular include 'Essor', the guinea fowl strains currently owned by Grimaud Frères Sélection.
Galor will operate out of three French sites, its two original locations of Amboise and Souvigny complemented by Grimaud Frères Sélection's former guinea fowl selection center located in La Rivrais. This will ensure the continuity of the selection program under the leadership of Galor which will now offer the Galor as well as the Essor products to the guinea fowl production industry.
Enrique Pellejero, who recently joined Groupe Grimaud, will become CEO of Galor and will be based in Amboise.

National Breeders Roundtable to highlight ancestral development in poultry genetics

The National Breeders Roundtable brings together breeder specialists and geneticists from the poultry industry, universities, and government to discuss the latest breeding research developments and genetic trends. The 62^nd Annual National Breeders Roundtable agenda will include topics on Ancestral Development Potential: A New Tool for Animal Breeding; Epigenetic Instability and Virus-Host Interactions in Chickens; White Striping in Broiler Breast Meat; Veterinary Medical Genetics: Identification, Control and Treatment of Genetic Disease in Animals; and other important breeder topics.
Registration is now open for the National Breeders Roundtable. Sponsored by the Poultry Breeders of America and U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, this year's conference will be held May 2-3, at the Airport Marriott Hotel in St. Louis.
To view the agenda and to register, go to www.uspoultry.org.