OptiBrut GmbH constructs new hatchery in Germany

OptiBrut GmbH and HatchTech have signed an agreement for the construction of a new turn-key hatchery project, which will be located in Emlichheim, Germany. The hatchery will be equipped with 28 MicroClimer Setters 115.200 and 12 units of HatchCare–the hatcher with feed and water–initially producing 500,000 day-old-chicks (d.o.c.), with a future increase to a total of 800,000.
Initiators of the project are Klaas Knol and Hans Groot Koerkamp, who both bring a wealth of experience with them in the areas of breeder and broiler management, animal nutrition and hatching. Knol said, “OptiBrut strongly believes in the huge German and Dutch market potential for the supply of stronger and healthier chicks. As a hatcher, we will use the unique HatchCare system, in which newly hatched chicks are completely supplied with the basic necessities of life: feed, water and fresh air. HatchCare allows them to use the residual yolk, which is full of extremely important nutrients, for organ and immune system development. The experiences at our own broiler farms have convinced us that early feeding and direct access to water results in significantly healthier and stronger d.o.c., and a strongly reduced need of antibiotics.”
After hatching in the tray, chicks end up in the HatchCare basket, which is free from unhatched eggs and egg debris. This provides chicks with 40% more free living space. The chicks will not have to go through separators, significantly reducing stress. Because they leave the egg in an illuminated space, chicks experience less stress when the hatcher door is opened. HatchCare is equipped with noise-reducing motors that help to fade stressful motor humming softly into the background. The combination of reduced stress and access to feed, water and fresh air, lead to a system that is fitting well into today's demand for animal-friendly production.
Joost ter Heerdt, commercial director HatchTech, said, “There is a strong tendency to substantially decrease the use of antibiotics and grow chickens under more animal friendly production circumstances. We are continuously researching and developing products that meet the industries’ and consumer expectations and are extremely proud and happy that OptiBrut GmbH has chosen HatchCare for their new project.”

Preventing cross-contamination in the hatchery

Due to its central position between breeder farms and poultry production houses for meat and eggs, optimized hatchery hygiene plays a crucial role in preventing the spread of pathogens in the poultry value chain. This article from Pas Reform focuses on the prevention of cross-contamination from relatively “dirty” rooms in the hatchery, such as the chick processing room, to what should be the cleanest room, the setter room.
Optimized hygiene in the hatchery is dependent on three key areas:

1. Preventing pathogens from entering the hatchery, ie. maintaining bio-security;
2. Avoiding cross-contamination or the transfer of pathogens within the hatchery;
3. Inhibiting further pathogenic development in the hatchery ie. cleaning and disinfection.

To prevent cross-contamination, it is important to clearly demarcate the different hygienic zones in the hatchery: egg arrival area; setter room; candling/transfer room; hatcher room; chick handling and despatch room. In a well designed hatchery, the practical implementation of the “clean should never meet dirty” rule is easily achievable. For example, eggs being transferred to the hatcher do not cross the path of chicks just being pulled. After being washed and disinfected, hatcher baskets do not pass through the chick room or any area where processing takes place, on their way to the transfer room. It is important that hatchery staff, including the technician responsible for maintenance, do not walk from the chick processing room to the setter room on a hatch day. Differently-colored hatchery clothing and shoes, as well as tools like floor rubbers, greatly help to enforce hygiene-responsible behaviour by hatchery personnel.
Exploders, often caused by Pseudomonas spp, are an important source of cross-contamination between batches within the same setter. To reduce this risk, batches with an increased incidence of exploders should be transferred to the hatcher last.
Strictly applying the “one batch per hatcher” rule, enabled by limiting the capacity of the hatchers, greatly prevents the risk of cross-contamination, for example from older to younger batches. In a well designed hatchery the number of hatchers per hatcher room is based on the daily production of chicks. This prevents recontamination after cleaning and disinfection, thus minimizing the risk of contaminating tomorrow’s hatch.
Chick down, also a potential contaminant, is easily airborne. Its movement must therefore be controlled to prevent cross-contamination.The setter room, to be maintained as the cleanest room in the hatchery, should be kept overpressure in relation to the hatcher rooms.The accumulation of down in air ducts should be avoided, because this forms breeding grounds for molds like Aspergillus spp. Air leaving the hatcher—and ideally also the setter­­—should be brought directly into exhaust plenums that can easily be cleaned and disinfected. The use of air ducts should be restricted for clean, unused air only.
In the hatchery condensation on the cooling surface is normal and the majority of fluff will be caught by this moisture if the surface is large enough. The integration of cooling pipes inside the wall panels creates a large surface area that significantly minimizes the risk of cross contamination, while at the same time greatly reducing cleaning time and promoting excellent disinfection results.
Advice

• Organize regular hygiene-awareness training for hatchery staff; people are often the weakest link in the “hygienic chain.”
• Apply the rule “clean should never meet dirty” strictly for eggs, people, air and items such as trolleys and trays.
• Maintain setter room in overpressure in relation to hatcher rooms to avoid the entrance of fluff.
• Transfer batches with an increased risk of exploders to the hatcher last.
• Plan daily chick production 

Tyson Foods considers building new Arkansas hatchery

Tyson Foods is considering building a new hatchery in Springdale, Arkansas, which if approved, would serve a large portion of the company’s poultry operations in northwest Arkansas.
Worth Sparkman, a spokesman for Tyson Foods, confirmed on November 6 that the company had filed with the City of Springdale a plan for a large-scale development project, which is intended to be an incubation center. If the proposed project is approved by city officials, the planned facility would be built with an emphasis on state-of-the-art technology. Sparkman added that because the incubation center project is still in the approval stages, the company will wait until it releases further information.
According to a report from the Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette, the plans submitted by Tyson Foods would have the incubation center on East Huntsville Avenue, and would replace the operations at the aging hatchery on Randall Wobbe Lane, also in Springdale. No plans have been revealed concerning what the company would do with the existing hatchery.
The land that is being considered for the proposed project is currently owned by the Springdale Public Facilities Board and the property is available for development.
The plan submitted by Tyson Foods will be considered by the Springdale Planning Commission during its meeting scheduled for December 1.

New hatchery in Japan will feature "Smart" equipment

Amuse Inc. has commissioned Pas Reform’s SmartPro single-stage incubation technologies for its brand new 5mio layer hatchery near Myakazi, on the island of Kyushu in Japan.
With a total capacity of 12mio hatching eggs per year, the new facility, will incorporate eight SmartSetPro 4 setters, eight SmartSetPro™ 2 setters and 12 SmartHatchPro hatchers. The first “Smart Hatchery” to be commissioned in Japan will be equipped with Adaptive Metabolic Feedback to automatically adjust incubation programs to the time-sensitive needs of the growing layer chick embryos and Energy Saving Modules to reduce the hatchery’s energy consumption.
Amuse Inc.’s new hatchery will also be the first in Japan to commission Pas Reform’s advanced SmartCenterPro hatchery information system: a web-based “Internet of Things” approach to monitoring, managing and capturing data at every level of operations, from incubation and climate control to hatchery automation systems.
Pas Reform is further supporting the development of the new hatchery with engineering and technical services, including the installation of ventilation systems.
Henk Markhorst, Pas Reform’s commercial director in Asia, says the project is the realization of a long-term plan passed from father to sons. “Through generations of the Akagi family, there have always been great care and precision in planning and creating a business of quality and substance, one step at a time,” he says.
Markhorst continues, “Having met Mr. Norimoto and Yasuo Akagi some years ago, the commitment that they made to building a single-stage hatchery with Pas Reform is now being realized – and we look forward to responding with the same level of commitment to the success of the Amuse layer hatchery.”

JAPFA extends hatchery network in Indonesia

Japfa Comfeed is to further expand its extensive hatchery network in Indonesia with a new facility at Kronjo, Tangerang in West Java. The new hatchery will be equipped with SmartPro™ single stage incubation.
With 12 SmartSetPro™ setters, 12 SmartHatchPro™ hatchers and a full climate control system, the new hatchery will incorporate Adaptive Metabolic Feedback™ (AMF) to fine-tune incubation environments to the needs of growing embryos and Energy Saving Modules™ (ESM) to reduce energy consumption. A SmartCenter™ hatchery information system will monitor and record every incubation cycle and Pas Reform will also provide hatchery management training, with ongoing service and technical support.
As one of the largest agri-food businesses in Indonesia, Japfa’s Poultry Division is one of the most vertically integrated operations in the country. With ambitions to make new inroads into value added and consumer branded foods, food safety is an important concern for this market-leading company, according to Japfa’s Head of Hatchery West Area Mr. Akhyar.
“The Indonesian Government has set targets to increase the consumption of chicken to 15 kg per capita by 2018, which provides good opportunities for production growth,” he says. “Our adoption of Pas Reform’s advanced SmartPro™ single-stage incubation, together with our focus on biosecurity and food safety, puts Japfa in an excellent position to deliver premium quality broilers that have had an excellent start, with high uniformity throughout the integration to achieve a superior retail product.”

Shandong Minhe building new hatchery in China

Penglai-based broiler producer Shandong Minhe Animal Husbandry Co. Ltd. decided to work with Petersime again by placing another big order with Petersime for the its new hatchery.
The new hatchery in China, with an expected yearly output of up to 300 million day-old chicks, will be put into operation in 2016.
Shandong Minhe approached Petersime again, purchasing 90 BioStreamer 24S HD incubators and BioStreamer 8H HD hatchers, 1 BioStreamer Re-Store and the environmental control system from Petersime.
In January 2010, Shandong Minhe built the largest modern single-stage hatchery in Asia. The hatchery containing Petersime’s 90 BioStreamer 24S incubators and BioStreamer 8H hatchers, also fully equipped with the environmental control system went into production in 2010 with an output of 100 million day-old chicks annually.
“We chose to work with Petersime again because of their delivery of quality products, focus on bio-security and more importantly, their after-sales service.” Sun Ximin, Chairman of Minhe said.
Petersime is a global supplier of incubators, hatchery equipment, project services and turnkey hatcheries.
Shandong Minhe is a day-old broiler chick producer with a breeding stock of 2.3 million parent broilers and an output of 200 million plus commercial broiler day-old chicks. The company began in 1985 and in May 2008 became China’s first listed broiler company. 

Busung Farms in South Korea has done a 'Smart' hatchery remodel

South Korea’s Busung Farms Co. Ltd. has remodelled its Busung breeder hatchery, replacing its previous installation with SmartPro single stage incubation from Pas Reform to deliver improved hatchability and chick quality.
The new hatchery also incorporates vacuum lifting, transfer systems, chick counting and washing machines from Pas Reform, with the capacity to set almost 470,000 eggs each week. The hatchery supplies Ross, Arbor Acres and Indian River day old chicks for Busung’s own HapDeok, GoeSan and BaRan breeder farms, as well as supplying a quarter of a million breeders to contract farms in the region.
Owner and President Ik-Gyun Kim chose SmartPro hatchery technologies from Pas Reform after a careful evaluation of the incubation systems currently available from a number of well-known suppliers. With the focus on chick quality and hatchability, Kim was, he says, also looking for superior levels of support from his hatchery supplier.
“Pas Reform’s advanced SmartPro incubation system was highly recommended by other members of the Korean Poultry Breeders Association,” he said. ”This combined with very good reports on the after-sales service provided by Pas Reform’s Korean agent Il-Seung Co. were important factors in reaching a final decision.”
South Korea’s poultry sector has experienced steady growth in recent years, with increased parent stock production to meet anticipated rises in demand and the growing popularity of poultry for retail consumption, as a less expensive alternative to beef and pork.

Canadian human Salmonella outbreaks linked to hatchery

A hatchery in Alberta, Canada, is thought to be the source of Salmonella enteritidis-infected chicks that have resulted in 34 cases of human infections so far this year.
The cases of human infection under investigation are spread across three of the country’s provinces. Individuals became sick between April 5 and May 12 this year, and in all cases there had been contact with chicks. Most cases have reported contact with chicks coming from the Alberta hatchery.
The un-named hatchery, with is thought to work with small- and large-scale producers, is contacting any clients who have placed orders for chicks since the beginning of March this year, however, it is not known how many infected chicks may have been sent out.
Alberta Forestry and Agriculture is leading the animal health investigation and working closely with the hatchery. The Public Health Agency of Canada is collaborating with provincial and local public health and agricultural partners to investigate the outbreaks of Salmonella infection in Alberta, British Columbia and Saskatchewan.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has stressed that the risk to the general population of infection with Salmonella is low, but is reminding those that have contact with live poultry to take precautions to protect their health.

HatchCare's influence already unmistakable in the Netherlands

Probroed& Sloot Langenboom is about to become a hatchery completely equipped with HatchCare hatchers. The Dutch hatchery is going to produce about 800.000 chicks a week. Meaning that, together with Lagerwey Hatchery, more than 20% of the d.o.c. in the Netherlands will be produced in a HachCare hatcher.
“Because of the good experiences we have had with HatchBrood – HatchTech’s brooding solution, we wanted to provide our chicks with light, feed and water at an even earlier stage. Because of the early access to light feed and water, the behaviour of the chicks’ completely changes, it makes them feel at ease.” States Theo Krabbenborg, team leader at ProBroed & Sloot. “We care a lot about animal welfare as well as public health, so our transition to HatchCare at Langenboom is only logical. Take the decreased use of antibiotics that HatchCare mobilises for example.”
Due to access to light, feed and water from hatch; HatchCare delivers stronger and healthier chicks, with a higher growth rate and lower mortality. This results in higher revenues and improved animal welfare. Hatchery Manager Tim Kuijs tells: “Our customers notice it as well; they tell me that they have never seen such calm chicks before. And it is a difference that lasts; the chicks stay this calm, which results in a more peaceful environment, in the hatchery as well as in the barn. Furthermore we have seen an improved feed conversion ratio as a result of the early feeding.”
According to the Product Board for Poultry and Eggs the production of d.o.c. in the Netherlands is 500 million on a yearly base. With more than 20 percent of the Dutch d.o.c. produced in a HatchCare hatcher, the 

FarmGate Hatcheries develops smaller turkey breed

A new breed developed to help producers meet the growing demand for smaller Christmas turkeys is being introduced this season by FarmGate Hatcheries. The Super Mini Special has been bred to achieve hens that will meet the demand for 4-kilogram (8.8-pound) oven-ready turkeys when grown to full maturity from 22 weeks plus.
“The 4-kilogram weights are so hard to get from other small breeds grown from June hatches,” said Paul Kelly, managing director of FarmGate Hatcheries, of Danbury, Essex, U.K.  “We’ve tried and tested this new breed over the past four years and it’s perfect for guaranteeing the 4-kilogram over ready weight band, with the stags giving great 6 to 8 kilograms over ready turkeys.”
The Super Mini Special has been developed from pure bronze-feathered male and female pedigree lines used in producing the company’s Tiny and Super Mini poults — an essential feature of the breeding program.
“Our small breeds of bronze turkeys are the genuine article, bred from a bronze mother and a bronze father,” said Paul Kelly. “[They are] expensive to produce, but bulletproof when it comes to a probing press and food journalists.
“We’re also very pleased with the meat quality of our small breeds.  In our own kitchen we’ve found the Super Mini Special to have a particularly high meat yield, with delicious eating qualities and very fine textured meat.”
Limited supplies of poults of this new breed will be available, in both bronze and white, both as sexed hens and as-hatched, from mid-May and after.

Synergy Agri Group agrees to equip new hatchery with HatchTech

HatchTech and the Canadian-based poultry cooperative Synergy Agri Group Inc. signed an agreement for the delivery of a complete new hatchery facility that will be equipped with HatchCare. The agreement was announced at the 2015 International Production and Processing Expo (IPPE). 
HatchCare is an incubator that offers newly-hatched chicks immediate access to feed and water. With the agreement, Synergy Agri Group will be the first company in North America to install HatchCare in a hatchery.
"With HatchCare, we know that the hatched chicks will be immediately supplied with the basic necessities of life -- feed and water," said Ron Testroete, director, Synergy Agri Group Inc. "This results in a lower mortality rate and decreased need for antibiotics and other medicine throughout the life of the chicks.”

Columbia Farms to build hatchery in Aiken County, South Carolina

Columbia Farms has chosen to locate its new chicken hatchery near Monetta, South Carolina, in Aiken County. Columbia Farms, an affiliate of House of Raeford Farms, in October 2014 announced plans for a new, state-of-the-art hatchery, but at the time had not named a site for the facility.
The property on which the hatchery will be built adjoins House of Raeford’s feed mill near Monetta. The company’s current target date for completion is the spring of 2016. 
“It is the right time to make a significant upgrade to our live production operations, and all of that starts with the early life of the birds”, said Jim Mabe, West Columbia/Leesville complex manager. “The result of this investment will be to provide growers with a chick that is very consistent in size and quality.”
The cost of the new hatchery is expected to be around $14 million.
“We want to welcome Columbia Farms of Georgia to Aiken County and we greatly appreciate their investment,” said Ronnie Young, chairman of Aiken County Council. “Agriculture has been very important to Aiken County throughout its history and we look forward to working with Columbia Farms in the years to come.” 
The complex is one of five operated by House of Raeford, currently works with 87 contract growers producing over 40 million chickens annually. 

Hungary’s Herbro Ltd. triples capacity with hatchery expansion

Herbro Ltd., part of the Hercsihús Ltd. integration in Hungary, is to more than triple its annual production of day-old chicks with SmartPro single stage incubation technologies from Pas Reform. The hatchery modernization and extension program -- which also includes hatchery automation for candling and transfer, chick counting and boxing, full HVAC (climate control) with energy-saving heat recovery system and washing machines  -- will bring total production to more than 34 million day-old chicks each year.
The company, founded in 2008 to ensure the continuous production of quality day-old-chicks for Hercsihús’ integrated operations, is expanding its capacity in response to an expanding share of the domestic market and new opportunities for growth.
Based close to Hercsihús Ltd’s headquarters in Hernád, Hungary, the new Herbro hatchery is an investment for the combined integration, which currently processes 14 million chickens annually through a network of owned- and contracted farms throughout Hungary. Sister company Bro-Ker-Bét Ltd.’s yearly production is 18 million Ross, Cobb and Sasso breed hatching eggs, with parent stock farms located close to the hatchery near Újhartyán. Associated production in collaboration with a German company brings annual production up to more than 20 million broilers a year, with additional hatchery operations.

Lagerwey Hatchery installing equipment at expanding facility

Lagerwey Hatchery, the largest hatchery of the Netherlands, started constructing a 3,000 square meter extension to its existing hatchery facility in March. The extension will hold six new HatchCare machines – the hatcher with feed and water. The first chicks are expected to hatch in October or November 2014.
“This extension will allow us to increase capacity with 800,000 day-old chicks per week,” said Wim van de Vegte, CEO of Lagerwey Hatchery in Holland. “The investment in HatchCare to us it the next step towards a successful and bright future. It benefits our company, our customer, and the chicken itself. Immediate and ad libitum access to food and water will improve chick quality and bring a better, healthier chick to our customers. Hatching chicks in a HatchCare machine responds well to today’s demand for transparent and more animal-welfare friendly production.”
Evert Kampert, hatchery manager, Lagerwey, stated: “Together with the R&D and engineering department of HatchTech, our team has been involved from the start in research and product development activities related to HatchCare. I am impressed, that aside from the increased growth, robustness and a better health status, the birds can really hatch in a ‘stress-free environment.’ In HatchCare, there is light at chick level, loads of fresh air, and 40 percent more living space for the chicken after hatching, as they are not sitting between shells and unhatched eggs anymore. For processing, after hatch, we do not need separators and chick counters.”

AS Putra expands into hatchery operations on West Java

Java’s AS Putra is adding broiler breeding and hatchery operations to its established poultry business on West Java, with a significant investment in SmartPro modular single stage hatchery technologies from Pas Reform.
Research to find a preferred incubation solution was very extensive and a quite a challenge, said company director Aif Sidhik.
“After more than 15 years in the broiler producing business,” he said, “we believe that the process does not start on the farm, but rather when embryo development begins - in the incubator,” said Sidhik.
“Ultimately this was why we selected Pas Reform’s SmartPro incubation system for our new hatchery. We see a great synergy between our beliefs and observations in practice – and Pas Reform’s focus and results in achieving greater chick uniformity, as a precursor to greater efficiency throughout the broiler production process.”
The new hatchery will include three SmartSetPro setters, equipped with Pas Reform’s innovative Energy Saving Module (ESM), to reduce the use of electricity while providing active control over ventilation in the setter; the SmartCenter hatchery information system and six SmartHatchPro hatchers, equipped with SmartWatch, an innovation that monitors and adjusts the hatching process automatically from the day of transfer through to the last chick hatched.
First established in 1986 as an egg producer for the local market, AS Putra began broiler production to serve its local market in 1997. Today, the company raises 1.5 million chickens each week, for distribution throughout Java Island and Southern Sumatra, with day old chicks sourced from various producers. The new hatchery operation is targeting 30 percent of supply for the company’s broiler operations over the next three years.
Bas Kanters, Pas Reform’s sales director in Asia, has been instrumental in working with AS Putra to develop plans for the new hatchery. He says of the new project: “Aif and his father are a great pleasure to work with. Their company is an excellent example of a poultry business that has grown through absolute dedication to quality, with a firm focus on the future.
“Pas Reform is delighted to have been selected for this pivotal project in AS Putra’s continuing development – and we very much look forward to working in partnership to help realize the company’s ambitions for the future.”

Lower cost, better protection obtained from hatchery vaccination

Selective breeding programs and good house management allowed broiler producers to reduce the time required to raise broilers to 2.5 kilograms (5.5 pounds) to 42 days in 2012.
Speaking at an MSD Animal Health & WATTAgnet.com webinar, Dr. Rik Koopman, global technical director, MSD Animal Health, said that the number of days required to raise a 2.5 kilogram broiler is expected to drop to 35 days by 2022. He said the shortening cycle time for broilers has an impact on the choice of vaccines and the selection of the best place to apply the vaccinations.
Dr. Sjaak De Wit, immunologist and poultry veterinarian, GD (Dutch Animal health Service), said vaccines have been developed that are effective at controlling respiratory disease agents in chickens such as infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and infectious laryngochotracheitis virus (ILT). De Wit said the poultry industry should move as much vaccination to the hatchery as possible, because in the hatchery you can have mass application of vaccine which is standardized and requires less labor. He said that early vaccination, whether in ovo or at hatch, can minimize disturbance to the growth of the birds during weeks right before market, when the birds are consuming the most feed and adding the most weight. A slight setback from a vaccine reaction earlier in the life of the flock has less impact on the bottom line.
View the webinar, Breathing from the beginning: Efficiently controlling respiratory diseases from the hatchery, and learn more about the advantages of early vaccination and how a vaccine program can be tailored for your operation.

Hy-Line inaugurates new farm in Nebraska

After millions of dollars have been invested, Hy-Line International continues to carry out a 4-year expansion project. The initial phases completed within the past two years included a complete remodel and upgrade of the Dr. James Arthur Research and Development Farm, a new pureline pullet growing farm, a new grandparent farm in India and construction of a state-of-the-art hatchery dedicated exclusively to pedigree and grandparent stock.
The Nebraska project is focused on increased grandparent and parent stock production capacity to ensure continuous and reliable supply for Hy-Line's growing customer demand.
In an effort to accommodate the growth and guarantee security of supply, Hy-Line has completed a new cooperator house in Nebraska. "Being able to meet customers' needs and supply them with quality products is our first priority. The ability to source our product from multiple states gives us control over quality assurance," explains Global Director of Production Antonio Paraguassu.
The new cooperator will house Hy-Line Grandparent stock, which will include multiple varieties. The modern design includes a computerized monitoring system, and a strict shower-in policy and isolated location set a high standard for biosecurity.
Hy-Line International is a world leader in poultry layer genetics with a rich history of innovation.  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 and continues to lead the industry with the application of molecular biology and genomic selection. Hy-Line genetics are sold in over 120 countries worldwide.

Centurion Poultry, Inc. – Prairie Gold Hatchery earns Iowa Venture Award

Steve Hilleson, left, Centurion Poultry Inc. project manager, and Gijs Schimmel, president of Centurion Poultry Inc. stand with Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey after accepting the Outstanding Business of the Year Venture Award in recognition of outstanding business achievement in Iowa.
The 2013 "Outstanding Business of the Year" Iowa Venture Award was presented to Centurion Poulty Inc. (CPI) - Prairie Gold Hatchery of Goldfield. The Iowa Area Development Group (IADG), on behalf of Iowa's rural electric cooperatives, municipal utilities and independent telecommunication companies, honored CPI and eight other distinguished Iowa companies at the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives' annual meeting at the Sheraton West Des Moines.
CPI, having existing operations in Iowa, decided to expand their Iowa presence by constructing a new 35,000 sqare-foot hatchery in Goldfield. This new state-of-the-art facility has production capacity of 18 million pullet chicks annually, three times that of the Wisconsin facility it replaces. The new facility will strengthen Iowa's leadership position in both egg production and processing. CPI - Prairie Gold Hatchery was nominated for a Venture Award by Prairie Energy Cooperative.
"The Iowa Venture Award provides an opportunity to uphold the courage, contribution, innovation, social responsibility and vision of Iowa entrepreneurs," said IADG President Rand Fisher. "IADG, on behalf of our sponsors, is proud to recognize these nine outstanding companies for their accomplishment and contribution to their community, region and state."

Poultry cooperative chooses Petersime to supply hatchery

Poultry cooperative Cooperativa Agroindustrial Consolata (Copacol) has selected hatchery equipment provider Petersime to supply incubators for its new hatchery in the state of Paraná, Brazil.
After the opening of its new chicken slaughter facility, Copacol decided to increase hatching capacity. The company has chosen Petersime's single-stage Embryo-Response Incubation controlled technology. The first stage of the project involves an incubation capacity of approximately two million eggs per week. A combination of BioStreamer 24S and BioStreamer 12S incubators was chosen to reach this production capacity. The second stage of the project will increase the total capacity by more than 50 percent of the initial two million eggs.
"We have visited other hatcheries and seen the potential of the technology Petersime is offering. We look forward to applying single-stage technology in our hatchery operations and experiencing the benefit throughout our entire poultry operation," said Francismar Sanches, hatcheries and breeder manager at Copacol.
"We appreciate the strong local presence of Petersime in Brazil and we count on them to make this project a success. It is an important step in the further growth of our company," added Irineu Dantes Peron, production manager of Copacol.
 "We are proud to have a company like Copacol amongst our customers," said Antonio Geraldo da Silva, sales manager of Petersime do Brasil. "We will do our utmost best to meet and exceed their expectations within this hatchery project."

Ariztía opens new hatchery for grandparents in Chile

A new Ariztía hatchery plant in Lagunillas, Casablanca, Chile, was dedicated at an event to celebrate the 77-year history of Ariztía in the chicken incubation and chicken production business. The hatchery was built with state-of-the-art technology to maximize poultry genetics and place another milestone in the Chilean poultry industry.
At the ceremony, held on August 26, Manuel Ariztía, president of the company, participated along with managers of departments that make up the organization, in addition to the poultry staff and special guests. Attendees toured the premises, noting their satisfaction and pride with the facility.
"It gives me great joy to be with you all at the blessing of this grandmothers and grandfathers hatchery, that not only means having the latest advances in this area, but a recovery of the traditional line of 77 years of work in poultry of my family and myself. With this, we will not only supply our needs, but we have a surplus for third parties and, in particular, to export best quality products," said Ariztía.
He explained that the hatchery aims to produce the best chickens at the end of the chain. "The idea is to improve the genetic pathway of our company, the results of which will be to have more uniform, vigorous chicks, with more eggs per breeder, higher conversion rates, less mortality, etc. Our challenge is to always be a world-class company."