| Volume 54, March/June 2021 | Newsletter Editor: Dr G.B. Havenstein, |
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Executive Committee
Secretary's Report
Board meeting and latest news
The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has caused a disturbance of all our activities, whether these were national branch meetings, international scientific meetings or participation in exhibitions. Also contacts within branches sometimes are difficult. Several branches have organized online meetings, examples are the Indonesia and Sri Lanka branch. The Pakistan branch has formed a women wing of the branch. More on their recent activities is elsewhere in this newsletter.
The board will give as much as possible support to branches in order to keep them prepared for the post COVID-19 era. Proposals are invited by the secretariat.
The board of WPSA held a virtual meeting specially focused on the World’s Poultry Congress 2020, to be held 8-12 August 2021 in Paris, France.
The worldwide COVID-19 situation and the many travel restrictions (travel and issuing visas) are of big concern. With these concerns the organizers expect that the hybrid Congress they planned will not be possible. The World’s Poultry Congress now is postponed to 7-11 August 2022. More information on WPC2022: www.wpcparis2022.com.
The postponement of WPC has consequences for many other meetings, already planned for 2022. The World Waterfowl Conference, planned for 2022, hosted by the Indonesia branch will now be hold in 2023. Most of the new dates for international meetings, as the Mediterranean Poultry Summit, the Pan African Poultry Conference and the Asia Pacific Poultry Conference (16-18 November) in 2022 as well as dates for many European Federation working group symposia in 2023 are not yet confirmed. Please check the WPSA website calendar.
The World’s Poultry Science Journal hosted and produced by Taylor & Francis Publishers is now almost back on track. The June issue is now being finalised and ready for print.
WPS Journal editor.
Starting 1 June 2021, the WPSA board has appointed Dr Tom Porter, University of Maryland, USA, as the editor of the World’s Poultry Science Journal.
WPSA recently has joined the International Poultry Welfare Alliance (www.poultrywelfare.org). More details about the participation will become available soon.
More communications and other news can be found on the WPSA Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/wpsa.world/) and website. A special calendar is now reserved for webinars from associations and our supporting sponsors and advertisers. New activities can be sent to .
Dr Roel Mulder, General Secretary
Treasurer's Report
No wing web stab or eye drop, but I am grateful to state that my arm has been injected twice with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. Having said that, I realize that much of the world’s population is still unvaccinated and in lock-down.
While it may not be possible (or legal) for you to hold a normal/large meeting in your country, you certainly can be doing other projects to support your Branch members. I encourage you to think of ways to keep your members connected to WPSA and to your Branch during the pandemic. There may possibly be information that you would like all of your members to receive in hard copy form. It may be that your university(ies) with poultry programmes have worked out protocols so students can be in the classroom. If so, maybe your Branch can sponsor an event for the students and introduce them to WPSA. Obviously, all these activities require funds. WPSA has its Branch Development Programme available, and there are funds there that the Branch can apply for to improve your programmes.
I encourage Branch officers to visit the WPSA web site (www.wpsa.com) and then go to ‘Support for Branches’ and ‘Branch Development Proposal.’ Information can be found there on how to apply for these funds, and lists of recently funded applications are there for your perusal that you can use as a potential guideline for the development of a proposal for your branch. As I sit here, I am ready to wire funds for approved applications, but I remind you: You must apply in order to have the possibility of receiving Branch Development Funds!
I wish you a safe and healthy spring.
Dr Francine Bradley, Treasurer
26th World's Poultry Congress - rescheduled
Palais de Congrès, August 7-11, 2022, Paris, France
The highest priority of the French Branch of WPSA and the organizing committee of the 26th World’s Poultry Congress is to organize a successful congress, avoiding health hazards and welcoming participants from all continents.
Unfortunately, since the beginning of 2021, we are still facing a major sanitary crisis worldwide, and a lot of uncertainty remained with regard to travel and meeting requirements in the coming months.
Therefore, after consulting the members of the WPSA board, as well as the WPC sponsors, the Organizing Committee decided to postpone the 26th WPC to August 7 to 11, 2022 in Paris. The registrations recorded until now remain valid for the new dates. Awardees of the special programmes will be contacted directly to enquire about their possibilities.
Yet, we will celebrate the centenary of WPC with an on-line event on August 10, 2021 which will be open to all WPSA members.
Furthermore, we are going to value the abstracts received and accepted, by organizing monthly webinars from September 2021 to June 2022, to bridge the centenary of the WPC and the 26th WPC on August 2022. Webinars will be open to registered participants only. A ‘Centenary book’ with all abstracts is also planned with the support of the WPSA board.
In addition to the abstracts received in 2020, we will call for new abstracts in September 2021, in order to set up the final scientific programme for the 26th WPC next year.
We will be so happy to finally meet all of you in Paris in August 2022.
Until then, be safe, and watch our website for coming updates.
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Let's celebrate! |
Christophe Bostvironnois, President French Branch
Michael Duclos, Secretary, French Branch
Michèle Tixier Boichard, WPC2020, Chair of WPC2021
Poultry Educational Resources
In her role as one of the Vice Presidents of the WPSA, Julie Roberts from the Australian Branch has compiled a list of Poultry Educational Resources which are available free of charge via the internet. Some of the web sites listed also have resources for sale. However, the focus of this list is resources which are free and therefore available to all members.
The list is posted on the WPSA website, and will always be a ‘work in progress’ as some resources become available and added, or others, if they are out of date or no longer available, will be removed from the internet list.
If members are aware of other resources that are available that could be added to the list, please contact Mrs Dorien Velner at the main office by email: with the title of the resource, how to access it and a short description.
All entries will be checked on a regular basis to make sure that they continue to be available, however if you find any irregularities, please contact us at .
European Federation
The European Federation has numerous conferences planned between now and on into 2023. A list of most of our upcoming conferences may be found on the WPSA Calendar at www.wpsa.com.
News from several European Federation Working Groups are provided below.
WPSA European Working Group News
WG2
Nutrition
In order to avoid overlapping with WPC in 2022, ESPN will take place at the same planned venue, Palacongressi in Rimini, from 21 to 24 June, 2023. Our Branch would like to thank again VET International and Palacongressi of Rimini for their cooperation and understanding during this time. The city of Rimini, is an ideal place for the European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition and the modern as well as eco-friendly Venue is the perfect stage for the event. Many attendees including both poultry research scientists and practitioners, leading speakers from across the world joining together to explore the past, share the present and helping to forge the future of poultry meat science.
WG3
Breeding and Genetics
The European Symposium on Poultry Genetics has been postponed to 8-10 November 2023. It will take place at the Maritim Airport Hotel in Hannover.
WG5
Poultry Meat Quality
As for all European Symposia, the next ‘XXV European Symposium on the Quality of Poultry Meat’ conjointly held with the ‘XIX European Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg Products’ have been postponed to 2023 (new date will be rescheduled asap) thanks to the cooperation with the Polish Branch. The venue will be the same in Kraków, Poland and website is already available. The next WG5 member meeting will be held during the World's Poultry Congress 2022 in Paris.
Massimiliano Petracci, Secretary Italian Branch of WPSA
WG6
Incubation and Fertility Research Group (IFRG)
Due to the current situation and uncertainties, especially for international travelling, the 2021 meeting will be held in virtual format.
The Incubation and Fertility Research Group (IFRG) invites you for the upcoming IFRG E-meeting, which will be held on the 14th and 15th of October, 2021. For each day we will have a meeting during 13:00h to 15:30h Central European Time (UTC +2).
The IFRG meeting provides an ideal platform for researchers and industry people to meet and share the latest research findings, new indeas and information. Although the pandemic situation prevents us to achieve the full benefit of a physical meeting, we hope to sustain the goals of the group with the E-meeting. Due to the limited time of the meeting, the focus of the meeting wil be relating to Fertility, Embryonic development, Egg incuation, Epigenetics and Chick quality.
We as organizing committee are exited to welcome you to join our first IFRG E-meeting!
For more information see the website.
Ampai Nangsuay, Secretary WG6
Asia Pacific Federation
WPSA Asian-Pacific Working Group News
A/P WG1
Small Scale Family Poultry Farming
A new team is being formed for the Asian/Pacific Federation’s WG1 that is centred around Small Scale Family Poultry Farming.
Backyard poultry are an essential component of African and Asian Pacific countries. Small Scale Family Poultry Farming is an important working group of the Asian Pacific Federation of the WPSA. In future, SSFPF will reorganise its team at the Asia Pacific Federation level. In line with this, it has been decided that the working group-1 ‘Small Scale Family Poultry Farming’ will aim to organise a National Chicken Conference every two years. Therefore, as a new group leader, I invite all relevant researchers and WPSA members to participate in this most important working group which can play a vital role in the vulnerable rural economy.
Dr Nasir Mukhtar, Chair, APF WG1
For Correspondence: Dr Nasir Mukhtar Group Leader of WG1 ‘Small Scale Family Poultry Farming’
(Department of Poultry Sciences, PMAS-Arid Agriculture University Rawalpindi-Pakistan)
WhatsApp/Mob: +92 (0) 3007200074 Email: ,
A/P WG3
Ratites (ostriches, emus, rheas, cassowaries or kiwis)
A Ratite Research Session had been planned for the World Poultry Congress that had been scheduled in Paris, France from 8-12 August 2021. Since the WPC has now been re-scheduled for Paris on August 7 – 11, 2022, that Ratite Session will also be re-scheduled. Please send any suggestions for contributions and/or topics to .
Researchers involved in research on any Ratites (ostriches, emus, rheas, cassowaries or kiwis) are asked to contact the Ratite Group. Please send an email to .
Anel Engelbrecht, Chair
World's Poultry Science Journal
Tom E. Porter appointed as new Editor of the World’s Poultry Science Journal
Starting 1 June 2021, the WPSA Board has appointed Dr Tom Porter, University of Maryland, USA, as the editor of the World’s Poultry Science Journal.
Dr Tom Porter received his PhD in Animal Physiology from the University of Minnesota in 1988. He conducted research as a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Anatomy & Cell Biology at the Medical University of South Carolina. In 1993, he joined the Department of Poultry Science at Texas A&M University as an Assistant Professor, and in 1997, he was recruited to the Department of Animal and Avian Sciences at the University of Maryland, where he was subsequently promoted to Associate Professor and Professor. He served two terms as Chair of the Department of Animal and Avian Sciences at the University of Maryland. Dr Porter served for six years as Editor-in-Chief of the journal Poultry Science, and he was named Fellow of the Poultry Science Association in 2016.
Dr Porter’s research interests centre on molecular and cellular endocrinology in poultry. Early in his career, he demonstrated that the production of steroid hormones in the ovaries of birds requires three different cell types, a situation which is different from that in mammals. One major focus of his research over the past 28 years has been on the mechanisms controlling cellular differentiation within the anterior pituitary gland during chick embryonic development. The overall goal of this research is to improve growth characteristics in broiler chickens through an increased understanding of the regulation of the bird’s own growth hormone production. A second major focus in Dr Porter’s laboratory has included genome-wide analysis of gene expression in the neuroendocrine system. The long-term goal of this research is to increase our understanding of global patterns of gene expression in the hypothalamus and pituitary gland and to identify the genes and gene networks controlling growth rate, body composition and feed intake in broiler chickens. Dr Porter is the author of 107 refereed scientific papers, 23 book chapters or reviews, and 155 abstracts. His publications have been cited more than 3,200 times.
The WPSA Board want to thank Prof Julie Roberts for stepping in as Interim Editor for the past months.
Upcoming articles
Articles in upcoming Journal(s)
- R.M.G. Hamilton - Relationship Between Egg Shell Breakage and Laying Hen Housing Systems – An overview
- F. Kleyn - Future demands of the poultry industry: Will we meet our commitments sustainably in developed and developing economies?
- R.A. Alhotan - Commercial poultry feed formulation: current status, challenges, and future expectations
- K. Honda - Peripheral regulation of food intake in chickens -adiposity signals, satiety signals, and others
- D. Narinç - Chick quality: An overview of measurement techniques and influencing factors
- R.Z. Abbas - Probiotics as Therapeutic, Antioxidant and Immunomodulatory Agents against Poultry Coccidiosis
- F. Khajalib - Flavonoid antioxidants in the chicken meat production: Potential application and future trends
- C.O. de Oliveiraa - Olive pomace for the feeding of commercial poultry: effects on performance, meat and eggs quality, haematological parameters, microbiota and immunity.
- U. Kaka - Effect of feeding fermented and non-fermented palm kernel cake on the performance of broiler chickens: A review
- R. Prabakaran - Wealth from poultry waste: an overview
- J. Kozák - Goose production and goose products
- P.K. Das - Role of backyard poultry in South-East Asian countries: post COVID 19 perspective
- S. Haunshi - Kadaknath: A popular native chicken breed of India with unique black colour characteristics
Summaries
Relationship between egg shell breakage and laying hen housing systems – An overview
R.M.G. HAMILTON and W.L. BRYDEN
Egg shell breakage is and remains a source of economic loss to the egg producer. In general, about 3% of the eggs laid by hens housed in battery cages or in free-run systems have cracked shells. This number increases about another 1% for hens kept in enriched cages or housed free-range and a further 1 to 2 % for those in aviaries. The range of cracked shells reported was from 2 to 12%, but there were few published reports for most production systems. The occurrence of dirty shelled eggs is about 2 to 3% higher that the incidence of eggs with cracked shells. Shell breakage is also influenced by manufacturer of enrich cage systems. The highest impact eggs receive as they move from the hen to the retail store is in the laying house; overall, eggs receive impacts that average about 13G. The material used to make egg cartons (paper pulp or plastic foam), the cases in which the cartons are shipped (cardboard or wire), and the location of a carton within the shipping case (top, middle or bottom) affect the occurrence of shell breaking when eggs are transported. Even apparently weak impacts to egg shells may cause microcracks to develop and if the impacts are stronger visible cracks become apparent or they may rupture the mammillary membranes which will allow the egg’s content to escape.
Future demands of the poultry industry: Will we meet our commitments sustainably in developed and developing economies?
F.J. KLEYN and M. CIACCIARIELLO
The world’s population is expected to reach 9.8 billion people by 2050. Increases in population size, coupled with socio-economic changes such as urbanisation, age demographics, and increasing affluence levels, will double the demand for poultry products by 2050. The primary objective of agribusiness is to ensure food security for the global population at affordable prices. Concurrently, there is a desire that all food products be produced sustainably. The poultry industry is well-positioned to achieve adequate nutrient-dense food provision because chickens are efficient converters of energy and nutrients into edible product. Poultry production plays an essential role in local food security and the alleviation of poverty in the absence of other nutrient-dense foods. The poultry industry possesses the technology, skills and capital to meet the expected demand targets. However, the demand for poultry products that fulfil the environmental, social and financial standpoints of sustainability will increase. Public opinion will prevent us from using many of the technologies required to achieve these goals. Consumers will need to change their expectations, behaviour and spending patterns in the best interests of sustainability.
Commercial poultry feed formulation: current status, challenges, and future expectations
R.A. ALHOTAN
Poultry nutrition has evolved tremendously over the past 100 years. Feed formulation, the applied side of nutrition, has gone through vast improvements from simple hand formulations to computerised formulations using modern software equipped with advanced capabilities, which allows for high accuracy, easy integration, and flexibility. In general, the modern commercial feed formulations are based on the concept of ‘least-cost’ and produced using linear programming, which requires the user to have sufficient knowledge in the nutritional requirements of birds, and ingredient compositions and prices. Stochastic programming can also be used in high uncertainty situations, such as nutrient variation in feedstuffs, to increase the confidence of meeting the requirement of a particular nutrient. Although profit-maximising models were recommended to maximise profitability in poultry production, their use is still limited. Several challenges are encountered when formulating feeds such as nutrient variability, ingredient shortages, ingredient price fluctuations, antibiotic-free production, and meeting the requirements of constantly changing genotypes. Adopting innovative technology has helped nutritionists and mill managers overcome most of the challenges that they face. In the future, poultry feed formulation is likely to receive more enhancements like implementing the true protein and net energy system and considering advanced profit-maximising models. The feed formulation solutions’ suppliers are expected to introduce more high-tech enhancements to the formulation solutions in response to the growing demands of the feed industry. Such enhancements should maximise profitability, meet nutritional needs more accurately, and reduce environmental pollution for more sustainable poultry production.
Peripheral regulation of food intake in chickens -adiposity signals, satiety signals, and others
K. HONDA
Broiler chickens eat more feed and grow faster than layer chickens. However, hyperphagia-induced excessive accumulation of body fat in broiler chickens has become a serious problem in the modern poultry industry. Species specificity in terms of the physiological role of appetite-regulating hormones and neuropeptides can make it difficult to understand the mechanisms underlying the central regulation of food intake in chickens. Therefore, although the appetite regulatory system of chickens has been a focus of research in recent decades, the mechanisms underlying the hyperphagia of broiler chickens is not fully understood. Our previous studies demonstrated that peripheral hormones significantly suppress food intake in chicks. These findings suggest that postprandial elevation of peripheral anorexigenic hormones play important roles in appetite regulation in chickens. This review provides an overview of recent findings on the role of peripheral hormones in the regulation of food intake in chickens and propose the new insight of avian-species specific system of peripheral regulation of food intake and promising strategies for reducing body fat mass in broiler chickens.
Chick quality: An overview of measurement techniques and influencing factors
D. NARINÇ and E. AYDEMIR
The production quantity of poultry products is increasing in the world economy with every passing day. The increase in chick quality is synonymous with the increase in the number of saleable chicks in terms of the poultry industry. In addition, in order to obtain high-quality products, one should start production with high-quality chicks as well as providing the ideal environmental conditions starting from the first day of incubation. The additive gene effects on chick quality are very low, whereas environmental factors have a large effect. Environmental factors affecting chick quality can be classified as egg storage period and conditions, age and genotype of breeder flock, incubation conditions, incubation types and post-hatch handling. Both quantitative and qualitative methods are used to determine chick quality. The quantitative methods employed include such morphological measurements as chick weight, chick length, leg length, chest circumference, and the diameter of shank. The qualitative methods used to determine chick quality are visual assessment-based methods which are called the Pasgar score and the Tona score. In recent years, the Tona and Pasgar methods have been used frequently in studies carried out with respect to measuring the effects of various environmental practices on chick quality. This paper aims to review the studies carried out concerning chick quality, the factors influencing chick quality, and the determination of chick quality and makes some suggestions for future studies to be conducted on chick quality assessment.
Probiotics as therapeutic, antioxidant and immunomodulatory agents against poultry coccidiosis
M. MOHSIN, R.Z. ABBAS, G. YIN, Z. SINDHU, A. ABBAS, Z. HUANG, M.T. ALEEM, Z. SAEED, M.Z. AFZAL, A. EJAZ and M. SHOAIB
Avian coccidiosis is an important parasitic disease of birds, caused by genus Eimeria, and having great economic importance. The estimated global economic loss due to coccidiosis is up to US$3 billion annually. Approximately 80% of these losses are associated with performance parameters, including decreased weight gain, heavy mortality, poor feed conversion ratio and the remaining 20% of losses include the cost of prophylaxis and treatment measures. This disease has been controlled by different anticoccidial agents, but synthetic drug-resistance is the major issue due to which researchers are trying to develop modern alternate effective approaches. Moreover, drug residues cause health hazard issues for poultry product consumers, which have led to the cessation of such practices in developed countries. Control through vaccination can be considered as a good practice, but due to the high cost and complexity of Eimeria species, development of a cost-effective vaccine has proved challenging. Among other options, probiotics have shown favourable effects against coccidiosis. Use of probiotics can reduce 70-80% of losses faced by the poultry industry worldwide. They have shown excellent results due to their antioxidant, immunostimulatory and positive effects on intestinal health of infected birds. Furthermore, details about the expression of the host biological responses against poultry coccidiosis and how probiotic supplementation assists in improving these responses in chickens are described in this review.
Flavonoid antioxidants in chicken meat production: Potential application and future trends
F. RAFIEI and F. KHAJALI
Meat-type chickens (broilers) are highly prone to oxidative stress because of genetic selection for their growth rate and because of the environmental conditions in which they are reared. Oxidative stress has significant impacts on chicken meat quality and safety. As such, antioxidants are often added to the diets of chickens to prevent oxidative stress and to ensure the quality and safety of the meat. This paper discusses sources of oxidative stress (pro-oxidants) in the chicken meat industry, from the raising of live birds to the production of chicken meat. The potential of flavonoids – the biggest group of natural antioxidants – is also explored with a discussion of their natural sources, bioavailability, and their potential application in the chicken meat industry.
Olive pomace for the feeding of commercial poultry: effects on performance, meat and eggs quality, hematological parameters, microbiota and immunity
C.O. DE OLIVEIRA, A.A.P. ROLL, F.M. GONÇALVES, D.C.N. LOPES and E.G. XAVIER
The present study aims to gather the research carried out worldwide in the last two decades with the use of olive pomace in the diet of broilers, laying hens and laying quails to highlight the nutritional importance of such biomass and its effective use in poultry nutrition. The olive pomace from the extraction of olive oil has important chemical properties from a nutritional standpoint such as a high concentration of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. In addition, it can be a significant source of fatty acids (12 – 22%), minerals and phenolic compounds. Thus, combining the use of olive pomace and seeking to adapt it to animal feed in a sustainable way, research has been carried out around the world with the use of olive pomace in the diet of commercial birds. The results presented in different studies demonstrate that the inclusion of up to 10% of olive pomace in the diet of broiler chickens, commercial laying hens and Japanese quails does not negatively affect the performance of the birds and improves the quality of meat, such as odour and flavour. Additionally, an increase in the egg weight and yolk index has been observed when olive pomace is supplied up to 9% in diets. The inclusion of olive pomace can also alter the lipid profile of the chicken meat and egg yolk, increasing the series of monounsaturated fatty acids and reducing the saturated ones. Haematological parameters of the different categories of birds do not change regarding albumins, globulins, total proteins, haematocrit, aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) with up to 20% olive pomace in the diet. The gut microbiota of birds that receive olive pomace in their feed is altered and broilers have better antibody titres for Infectious Bronchitis and Gumboro.
Effect of feeding fermented and non-fermented palm kernel cake on the performance of broiler chickens: A review
M.I. ALSHELMANI, U. KAKA, E.A. ABDALLA, A.M. HUMAM and H.U. ZAMANI
Palm kernel cake (PKC) is a by-product of oil extraction from palm fruits and has been included in poultry diets as an alternative to soybean meal and yellow corn. Due to its high content of fibre, coarse texture and gritty appearance, the use of PKC in poultry nutrition is limited. In order to increase the nutritive value of PKC, there is a tendency nowadays to create solid state fermentation (SSF) by using cellulolytic microbes. This paper reviews the impact of feeding fermented and non-fermented PKC on the performance of broiler chickens. Recent studies have reported that SSF by cellulolytic microorganisms improved the nutritive value of PKC. The nutrient digestibility has been increased significantly in PKC fermented using Paenibacillus polymyxya ATCC 842 or Weisella confusa SR-17b. The availability of valine, histidine, methionine and arginine was 70.42, 71.50, 71.92 and 81.15%, respectively, in PKC fermented using P. polymyxa ATCC 842. The digestibility of crude protein (CP) increased by 61.83% and 59.90% in PKC fermented using P. polymyxya ATCC 842 or W. confusa SR-17b, respectively. In addition, body weight gain (BWG) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) improved significantly in broilers fed 15% fermented PKC compared to those fed 15% non-fermented PKC (2000.43 g versus 1823.23 g and 1.75 versus 1.91, respectively). The intestinal Enterobacteriaceae decreased (4.03 CFU/g) and lactic acid bacteria increased (5.56 CFU/g) in birds fed 15% PKC fermented by P. polymyxa ATCC 842. Therefore, fermented PKC can be included in a broiler diet up to 15%, replacing part of soybean and yellow corn in the diet, leading to a decrease in the overall cost of poultry feeding.
Wealth from poultry waste: an overview
R. PRABAKARAN and S. EZHIL VALAVAN
Poultry production generates a huge volume of waste from hatchery, poultry farm, processing plant etc. which carry potential health hazards as they lead to air, water and land pollution. Disposal of these wastes by processing and recycling offers greater scope. Hatchery waste meal contains up to 44.63% of crude protein and 26.46% of crude fat and hence can be profitability used as an animal feed source. Appropriately processed dried poultry manure / litter would help in reducing the dependence on chemical fertilizers. India produces about 38.33 million tons of poultry manure annually sufficient to fertilize about 3.56 million hectares of farmland. While composting and combustion of poultry litter have been tried, biogas production could also be a good alternative. Poultry by-product meal (PBPM) obtained by rendering showed very high protein (63.7%) and fat (24.5%) contents and could be a cost-effective feed ingredient for monogastric animals that would also ensure efficiency of production. Biodiesel production from chicken fat by the transesterification process also offers good potential and India is keen on taking advantage by incorporating 5% of biodiesel in diesel to bring down its dependence on crude oil imports. Effective and efficient disposal of poultry waste will ensure sustainability of poultry production in developing countries.
Goose production and goose products
J. KOZÁK
Goose keeping can expand the choice of basic food materials and provides materials (feather and down) for light industry. There are various ways to produce goose meat using preferably white feathered breeds. Intensively reared broiler geese attain a slaughter weight of 5 kg by 56-63 days of age; under semi-intensive keeping they reach a slaughter weight of 6 kg by 16 weeks of age, and under extensive keeping (grazing) they can be slaughtered by 22-24 weeks of age. Fattened liver is produced with 9-24 weeks old liver type (Landaise) geese via cramming (force feeding) for 14-21 days by which time the liver weight can reach 600-1000 g. Goose fat is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and along with goose meat can be considered as functional foods. The fattened goose liver is a delicacy, while goose eggs are mostly used as propagating material albeit with occasional consumption in some Asian countries. Most of the worldwide feather and down production originates from slaughtered geese; only 1-2% of the global production is removed manually. At scalding, the percentage of feather in body weight amounts to 3.8-5.5% in broiler vs. 3.4-5.3% in fattened goose, respectively. The feather and down obtainable from young geese (8-10 weeks old) per capita at their natural moulting time is 80-100 g on the first occasion. Six to seven weeks later it amounts to 100-130 g and after another 6-7 weeks 140-170 g, respectively. In the EU only those countries where it is and was a traditional practice are allowed to harvest feathers from and force feed geese. Some believe the objection and ban of these activities are scientifically unfounded.
Role of backyard poultry in South-East Asian countries: post COVID-19 perspective
P.K. DAS and I. SAMANTA
The potential growth of the poultry industry was halted globally during COVID-19 although poultry birds were not affected directly by the virus. Distress in the poultry industry during the pandemic is primarily due to restriction of movement imposed on various items such as poultry feed, chicks, medicine and vaccines, and poultry products both locally and globally particularly in Asia, where 10 countries executed national lockdowns and 12 countries employed localized lockdowns. Rumours about spreading of SARS-CoV-2 virus through poultry meat caused further collapse in the domestic market economy. The export market of poultry products has declined in certain regions like Asia, Europe and North America. It is expected that worldwide chicken meat trade may be lowered by 4 percent although there is increased demand for animal protein among consumers. Hence, an integrated approach is needed to revive the poultry industry. Apart from commercial poultry maintained in integrated farming systems with moderate to high level of biosecurity, there is a ‘backyard’ or ‘village level’ poultry sector with minimal biosecurity. In the backyard sector, native birds or locally available breeds are maintained and the birds or their products are mostly consumed locally. The strategy to adapt backyard poultry as an alternative system to generate income not only augments poultry production but also guarantees the availability of animal protein to the poorer section of the society, as well as improving the purchasing capacity of this section, and guards against the ‘reverse migration’ of labour during the post COVID-19 period. Furthermore, smallholders could play a vital role in fulfilling the demand for animal products in developing countries. Some initiatives to distribute chicks, feed and medicine for rearing among the marginal farmers were detected in India, Bangladesh and Cambodia during lockdown to mitigate the catastrophic effect of COVID-19 on the rural economy.
Kadaknath: A popular native chicken breed of India with unique black colour characteristics
S. HAUNSHI and L.L.L. PRINCE
Kadaknath is the most popular and unique native chicken breed of India. This breed is experiencing higher demand in recent times due to its unique characteristics and perceived health benefits of its meat and eggs. The entire bird including plumage, skin, shank, and internal organs is black. The black colour of this bird is due to hyperpigmentation associated with the fibromelanosis caused by the Fm gene. Three varieties of the Kadaknath breed have been identified based primarily on plumage colour: jet black, pencilled and golden. Kadaknath is a small-sized bird with small shanks (51.5 mm at 8 weeks). It attains the body weight of 865 g at 20 weeks. Cocks and hens weigh about 1500 and 1200 g, respectively, at 40 weeks. The average age at first egg is high (185 days) and the egg production potential of this breed is somewhat less (50 to 55 eggs in 40 weeks). Egg production up to 52 weeks was 90 to 105 eggs and the annual egg production is estimated to be in the range of 120 to 140 eggs. This breed has good fertility (80 to 85%) and hatchability (83 to 90%) status. Eggs are small in size (42 to 45 g) but have good shell quality (10.47% shell) with light brown to brown coloured shells, and low yolk to albumen ratio (0.51). Consumers prefer Kadaknath meat due to its desirable flavour and lean meat (0.11 to 0.52 % abdominal fat) as compared to broiler meat (1.74 to 1.85% abdominal fat). Increased demand for healthier meat among modern consumers has led to the rearing of Kadaknath birds in intensive and semi-intensive systems around the major cities in India. The current paper describes the growth, production, and reproduction performance, status of immune-competence, carcass characteristics, meat quality, egg quality traits and future research needs of the Kadaknath breed.
Obituary
Professor Dr. agr. Johannes Heinrich Petersen
29 August 1934 – 4 February 2021
On February 4, 2021, Prof. Dr. Johannes Petersen passed away at the age of 86. For decades he had a decisive influence on German poultry science. Johannes Petersen was born on August 29, 1934, in Hörpel, Soltau County, and grew up on a farm in Lower Saxony. After practical training in agriculture and attending the Albrecht-Thaer-Seminar in Celle, he became a ‘state-certified farmer’ in 1958. He then studied agricultural science with the focus on animal production at the Technical University of Berlin, graduating in 1963. At the Berlin Institute for Animal Production, he received his doctorate in 1969 with a topic on egg shell stability measurement. Here he took up an assistant professorship for small animal breeding and special biometry and habilitated in 1977 for the teaching field of small animal breeding. Shortly thereafter, he moved to the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität in Bonn, where he was appointed Professor of Small Animal Breeding and Husbandry at the Faculty of Agriculture. He represented this department until his retirement.
In his research, Johannes Petersen distinguished himself by critical expertise and high scientific standards, both in experimental performance and biometric evaluation. In small animal research, Johannes Petersen covered almost all animal species and worked on areas of genetics, product quality, husbandry, ethology, animal welfare, environment and business management. A major focus was on studies in laying hens. In addition to the long-standing research foci ‘Emission reduction in laying hen husbandry’ and ‘Egg quality’, he investigated the interactions between lighting programs and feeding, in particular, the results of which have also found their way into practice. Even after his retirement, Johannes Petersen continued his scientific activities as author and consultant as well as in professional associations.
Against the background of his extensive practical training, Johannes Petersen was able to convincingly convey the liaison function between science and practice. Thus, he was co-editor of the journal ‘Archiv für Geflügelkunde’ (European Poultry Science) for many years and organized the handover of the editorship from Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Siegfried Scholtyssek to Prof. Dr. Martina Gerken and to private lecturer Dr. Michael Grashorn in 1998. He also acted as editor of the ‘Jahrbuch für die Geflügelwirtschaft’ for many years.
He was a long-time member of the German Branch of the World's Poultry Science Association (Deutsche Vereinigung für Geflügelwissenschaft e.V.) and brought his expertise and mediating skills to the board. He served as President of the German Group from 1996 to 2002. During this time, he contributed significantly to organizing the European Poultry Conference (EPC) in Bremen in 2002, which was very successful and contributed significantly to the reputation of the German Group in the world organization. Together with Prof. Dr. Martina Gerken, he was also the editor of the chronicle on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the German Association for Poultry Science e.V. in 2003. The chronicle reflects in the best way the whole spectrum of scientific research of the association members in poultry science.
In addition to his professional commitment, Johannes Petersen, as a committed Christian, took on a variety of tasks, especially in the Evangelical Lutheran Church, which he deepened after his retirement. His special interest was the Lutheran Theological College Oberursel.
In addition to his distinctive professional abilities, Johannes Petersen was highly respected for his humane manner, always respectful of others, and his personal integrity. He achieved his goal of reconciling scientific work and supportive assistance in an outstanding manner. With his attitude toward scientific diligence, his commitment and his great personality, he remains a lasting role model. The German Branch of the World’s Poultry Science Association will always keep him in grateful and honorable memory.
Lüneburg, February 2021
Dr. Michael Grashorn, Prof. Dr. Martina Gerken and Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Südekum based on the laudation by Prof. Dr. Franz Ellendorff on the occasion of the 65th birthday of the deceased.
Branch News
France
The 2021 general assembly of WPSA-France took place online 18 March 2021. Four new members of the Board were elected on that occasion. The Branch also held at a scientific session on that date called ‘WPSA Thursday,’ dedicated to the topic ‘Resilience of the poultry production chain following one year of COVID-19’. The event was freely accessible to all 2021 members of the French Branch of WPSA, who can access all documents at https://www.wpsa.fr/12-qui-sommes-nous/79-jeudi-de-la-wpsa-2020
In its subsequent online meeting, the board elected Christophe Bostvironnois as president, Michel Duclos as secretary, Catherine Hamelin as treasurer, Michel Lessire and Michele Tixier-Boichard as vice-presidents.
Christophe Bostvironnois, President, and Michel Duclos, secretary WPSA France
Italy
The next annual national meeting will be organized in conjunction with the 2021 edition of FIERAVICOLA which will be held at the Rimini Expo Centre from 7 to 9 September. General information on the International Poultry Exhibition is available on the website: https://www.fieravicola.com/en/.
The Annual Meeting will be jointly organized together with the Italian Branch World Veterinary Poultry Association (WVPA).
In order to avoid overlapping with WPC in 2022, ESPN will take place at the same planned venue, Palacongressi in Rimini, from 21 to 24 June, 2023. Our Branch would like to thank again VET International and Palacongressi of Rimini for their cooperation and understanding during this time. The city of Rimini, is an ideal place for the European Symposium on Poultry Nutrition and the modern as well as eco-friendly Venue is the perfect stage for the event. Many attendees including both poultry research scientists and practitioners, leading speakers from across the world joining together to explore the past, share the present and helping to forge the future of poultry meat science. More details are already available at the Symposia website: https://www.espn2023.eu/.
Pakistan
DR MUHAMMAD ASLAM
1 August 1953 – 21 December, 2020
At the end of the day, it is not about what you accomplished or how much wealth you attained, but it is about who you have lifted up and who you have made feel better. It’s about what you have given back to this world. It’s about how hard you worked and what you worked hard for. And that is what he used to say: ‘Work like labour, live like king.’ We were walking in the fields full of fruit and pine trees which he had planted. I asked him why he had planted those trees which would take years and years to grow. ‘You and I may not be able to reap the benefits of these trees but the coming generations will.’ I did not understand that until now. He did not plant them for himself, he was simply stating that someone would be sitting in the shade today because someone had planted a tree a long time ago.
Dr Aslam was the epitome of being the person who always thought of giving back to the people in some way. He was a very down to earth man, always smiling and helping others. I would ask him often: "Abu, what is the reason behind your success? I spent more than what my pocket had on people.” He replied. He was a friend, a father, a husband and a businessman. To many, he was a source of comfort, for others, he was a source of guidance. But for me, he was a reflection of my own self, passing everything of him onto me.
Every successful businessman has his own story, his own struggle to the top. Dr Aslam had his own story. In the 1970s, the young Dr Aslam had left his village from the district of Okara to pursue further studies in Lahore. The young man ended up securing a place in UVAS, Lahore and graduated from there as a DVM. Later on, he graduated from Rawalpindi medical college as an MBBS doctor. The young graduate then started a small poultry farm in 1981 that housed only a couple of thousands of birds, delivering and selling the products himself on a rented van. At that time, the poultry industry was emerging in Pakistan. With hard work, dedication and honesty he established one of the biggest poultry companies in Pakistan. He always adapted latest innovations & technologies and set high standards for himself and his team, which resulted in high quality products, some of the principles that he had laid for the company. And that is the foundation on which the company stands on today. Looking after the employees was the basis running his company. He would say, “The business has to grow every year to give better benefits to employees.” He was declared businessman of the year in 2011 by RCCI.
Dr Aslam acted on his ideology of giving back to society throughout his life, he was a very charitable man. He built District Public School, Gogera based on that principle; to provide excellent education to the underprivileged by spending from his own pocket when needed. He also did charitable donations to Allied hospitals, Rawalpindi as the Chairman of the board to strive and make the visiting patients’ lives much easier. Today, they possess some of the most modern medical equipment in the country. As a representative of Flood relief Committee Rawalpindi, he raised and distributed over 15M rupees to flood victims, benefitting over 600 families. He would also distribute Cheque at doorsteps of needy people in all in all the union councils of Rawalpindi. Additionally, he remained Chairman Public Safety Commission, district Rawalpindi for three years, serving and providing to hundreds of families.
As the pioneer of the poultry industry of Pakistan, he remained the chairman of PPA several times during his career and contributed substantially towards the betterment of the industry. Dr Aslam did not just leave behind a legacy that would be remembered for generations, but he also left behind people who feel his absence daily. He did not leave amassing a great wealth but he left amassing the blessings and prayers of many. And that is what a visionary is supposed to be; to live forever in the hearts of everyone yet, still not be around. May Allah Grant him the highest of ranks in Jannah, Ameen!
Positions held:
- Executive Member Islamabad Chamber of Commerce & Industry
- Chairman, Pakistan Poultry Association
- Member Punjab Bait-ul-Maal Council, Lahore
- Chairman Public Safety Commission, District Rawalpindi
- Convener Flood Relief Committee, Rawalpindi
- Member Punjab Poultry Board
- Member Human Rights Commission, District Rawalpindi
- Chairman Board of Management Rawalpindi Medical College/Allied hospitals
- Life Member of World’s Poultry Science Association
WPSA Women wing
WPSA Pakistan branch is the first WPSA branch in the world to have its women wing. Like elsewhere in the world, female students are slowly dominating the veterinary, animal husbandry and Poultry Sciences Universities and will also change the ratio in the Poultry Industry.
Keeping this situation in mind, WPSA Pakistan branch female member Dr Fareeha Talha floated the idea of a women's wing. The idea was approved by the executive body WPSA Pakistan branch and the women wing was developed with Dr Fareeha Talha elected its first president.
Dr Fareeha Talha is the first female veterinarian from the north of Pakistan and the first female veterinarian entrepreneur in the poultry industry of Pakistan. She has the vision to support females related to the poultry industry for entrepreneurship and to facilitate female students and researchers to be more innovative and practical in solving problems related to poultry industry. Dr Fareeha Talha aims to develop better liaison between industry, academia and poultry research institutes. Keeping in view the social norms of the country, women can be the best researchers, poultry lab workers, farm managers and feed mill nutritionists.
The WPSA Pakistan branch women wing's first executive and general body meeting was held on 11th Feb 2021. The executive body outlined their programmes for 2021 which included national level seminars, consumer awareness on poultry products among females as they have most say in the kitchen, membership drive for females related to industry, organising awareness lectures for females on entrepreneurship in poultry industry and providing opportunities for them.
WPSA Online Lecture Series 2021
The WPSA Online Lecture Series 2021 - Coaching and Nurturing Young Talent has started with the first presentation on Poultry Disease by de joint Secretary of WPSA-PB Women Wing, Dr Sumaira Ali on May 22, 2021.
Dr Shahzad Naveed Jadoon, Director/CEO Alltech Pakistan opened the meeting by sharing the key principles of WPSA-PB (World’s Poultry Science Association Pakistan Branch), which are: Research, Education and Organization. He appreciated the dedicated zones of WPSA-PB including Northern, Southern, Research and Development and Women wing and their valuable contributions towards the improvement of poultry industry Pakistan. He shared that the purpose of arranging this Online Lecture Series is to convert the challenge of limited interaction because of COVID-19 into a learning opportunity. He added that the main objective is to support the young talents and provide them with an opportunity to polish and improve their skills, learn from experiences and share their knowledge and ideas. He stated that two sessions per month will be scheduled.
Dr Sumaira Ali gave a brief presentation on Infectious Laryngotracheitis Diseases in Poultry and elaborated its devastating impact on commercial poultry and local small scale poultry farms. She discussed its etiology, transmission, clinical signs and diagnosis, also shared the preventive measures and vaccination programmes that could be effective in lowering the severity of the disease caused by virus.
Dr Fareeha Talha, President Women Wing WPSA-PB attended the session and thanked Dr Jadoon for his idea of coaching and nurturing young talent. She stated that WPSA-PB’s aim should be to promote the young scientists, researchers and young talent. She emphasized that WPSA-PB should be a blend of veterinarians, researchers, scientists and youth, people from diverse backgrounds rather than relaying on only poultry companies. The first step is always the hardest, but women wing has come forward and initiated the run. She thanked Dr Sumaira for her presentation.
Calendar
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12-6-2021 |
Dr Aayesha Riaz |
Application oof gene editing in poultry diseases prevention |
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27-6-2021 |
Prof Dr Akram Munir |
Impact of viral diseases on poultry performance and profits |
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3-7-2021 |
Dr Mehr U Nisa |
Recent advancements and future aspects in poultry nutrition |
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17-7-2021 |
Dr Irum Bhugio |
Use of kitchen waste for backyard poultry |
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25-7-2021 |
Dr Zahra Zaman |
Marek’s disease in poultry & its prevalence in backyard poultry |
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31-7-2021 |
Dr Roheela Yasmeen |
Effect of particulate matter & gaseous emission on poultry farmers |
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7-8-2021 |
Dr Fareeha Talha |
Opportunities for women in the poultry sector |
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14-8-2021 |
WPSA family |
Impendence celebration with WPSA family |
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21-8-2021 |
Dr Hidayaullah Soomro |
Use of turmeric in induce molting techniques on performance of layer management as alternative source |
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28-8-2021 |
Mr Shahid Bokhari |
Importance of hatchery ventilation |
