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Blood biomarkers could drive broiler nutrition decisions

Written by c001os on . Posted in Nutrinfo, Poultry.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning could analyze poultry blood biomarkers to detect potential performance and health challenges, leading to more proactive, data-driven decisions about bird nutrition.

“This technology uses machine learning to take all the data that’s collected – not just blood data, but also seasonality, the breed, the sex of the bird and other metrics – and feed it into the neural network technology that makes predictions and then beyond that even prescriptive type of diagnostics,” explained Matthew Livingston, Verax business development manager, dsm-firmenich.

Machine learning and AI can monitor trends and changes in blood biomarker levels, which serve as an early indicator of potential diseases of the bird. Examples of blood biomarkers include calcium, sodium chloride, protein, hemoglobin, etc.

The neural network learns on a model or blood biomarker dataset, it can then highlight and even predict when indicators of broiler health issues nutritional deficiencies start to appear in a flock in real-time. The technology can also recommend nutritional strategies to help manage bird health based on that data.

Producers can use this early warning system to proactively make feed and other management changes to prevent outbreaks before they start.

“In an ideal world, we do this about four times a year. We do know that we have seasonality differences, especially with thins like electrolytes and heat stress,” Livingston said. “The machine will show us the pattern. It may be things that are obvious, but there’s always a handful of things that we didn’t even think of logically.”

Challenges of using RNA vaccines in poultry

Written by c001os on . Posted in Nutrinfo, Poultry.

Ribonucleic acid (RNA) vaccines could provide a breakthrough in vaccine technology and offer a rapid response to pathogens in the poultry industry. Unlike conventional vaccines or vector vaccines, RNA vaccines, which together with DNA vaccines are classed as nucleic acid vaccines, utilize a small piece of the pathogen’s genetic material to prompt an immune response.

Poultry producers and veterinarians are facing challenges in launching RNA vaccines into the industry. Among those challenges is the licensing process that RNA vaccinations must be approved through.

“It currently takes a range of 3-7 years to license a poultry vaccine. If a platform license is first attained for RNA technology through U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) licensing, then adaptations in vaccines to the field can now take weeks to months rather than years,” explained John El-Attrache, Ph.D., Ceva Animal Health Global Director of Science and Innovation at the 2023 Poultry Tech Summit.

When creating RNA vaccines, developers must take the genetic sequence from an isolated event.

“To conduct integrated RNA vaccine development, companies need producers to provide vaccine developers with samples and farm information so that clinical and disease diagnostics can be performed. However, it is critical that the information is collected in a standardized manner,” explained El-Attrache. 

The analysis of metadata is a tool that can support the production of an RNA vaccine, however, it can be difficult for productions managers to collect that data on the farm. “In order for us to obtain metadata we have to make it easy for the production manager and the veterinarian to get the information to put it into an application,” El-Attrache stated.

“Production veterinarians are well attuned to the differences between the various vaccine types and know how to utilize them to optimize the balance between safety and efficacy. RNA vaccines will become another tool available that further optimizes this balance” he said.

El-Attrache believes that future poultry vaccines will consist of all three types of vaccines and that technologies such as whole genome sequence analysis and artificial intelligence will help the industry produce safer and more efficacious vaccines.

Turns out that “liquid gold” may not be gold

Written by c001os on . Posted in Cattle, Nutrinfo.

Colostrum has earned the unofficial moniker “liquid gold,” because of its typically golden color, along with the golden benefits it confers for calf health, growth, and lifetime performance. There’s a common misconception that colostrum’s gold color is indicative of its quality. That’s not necessarily the case, according to Hanne Skovsgaard Pedersen, a veterinarian, researcher, and calf specialist with Denmark-based ColoQuick.

“When I go out on farms, I often hear that we can evaluate colostrum by looking at its color and viscosity.” Pedersen stated on a recent colostrum webinar: “But we’ve learned that there is not a very strong correlation between color, viscosity, and antibody concentration.”

Pedersen shared an example of three first-milking colostrum batches harvested the same morning on a single dairy. They ranged in appearance from thick and bright, golden yellow; to relatively thin and nearly white. Evaluation for quality with a Brix refractometer yielded surprising results. The best sample was the thin, white batch, with a Brix reading of 27. The thick, yellow batch showed a Brix reading of 18, while the intermediate-appearing batch scored 21. In this example, true quality was actually the direct inverse of perceived quality by visual assessment alone.

In addition to measuring colostrum quality, Pedersen emphasized timely administration, explaining that the sieve-like permeations in the intestinal wall close rapidly in the hours after birth, so the time window in which antibodies can be distributed into the bloodstream is small.

Likewise, heavy bacteria loads can clog that distribution process, so hygienic harvest and handling of colostrum are also critical. Pasteurizing colostrum can help to ensure clean colostrum, but it also can be a cumbersome process. ColoQuick has developed a closed-loop system in which colostrum is pasteurized and frozen in the same liner bag that fits inside a sturdy, plastic cartridge.

Cost increases and investment: the Polish dairy sector

Written by c001os on . Posted in Cattle, Nutrinfo.

Although the Polish dairy sector’s financial performance remains under pressure, companies are showing willingness to invest in their operations, a report from the Polish Chamber of Milk indicated.

During the first three-quarters of 2023, the dairy sector in Poland generated a net revenue of PLN 38.3 billion (US$9.62 billion), down 10.1% compared with the previous year. Exports revenue dropped by 6.9% to PLN 6.8 billion (US$1.71 billion). The sector’s financial performance is mixed, with the cost of milk delivered to dairy plants totalling PLN 11.6 billion (US$2.91 billion), up 2% compared with the previous year. Meanwhile, the average purchase price dropped by 8.3% to PLN 2.07 (US$0.52) per litre, the Chamber of Milk reported.

Cheaper raw milk was one of the key factors bolstering the dairy processing segment’s profitability. Overall, operational costs stood at PLN 38.3 billion (US$9.62 billion), which was 6.2% below the previous year, while energy costs jumped 13.7%. Costs associated with external services like transport and logistics jumped 7.2% and wages and salaries increased 7.9%.

In the first half of 2023, the Polish dairy industry generated a net loss, laying the ground for negative forecasts about the industry’s future. However, new statistical data shows that the Polish dairy industry is back above the breakeven point. The Chamber of Milk calculated that only 49.5% of dairy companies generated a profit, which compares to 79% in the previous year.

Remarkably, the worsening financial results did not discourage dairy companies from keeping up with their investment plans. In the first three-quarters of 2023, Polish dairy businesses invested PLN 563.9 million (US$141.6 million), almost equal to the same period of the previous year.

New phytogens validated as safe for gut health of layers and pullets

Written by c001os on . Posted in Nutrinfo, Poultry.

Feeding saponins and polyphenols made from plant products, also known as phytogenics, to pullets and layer hens has no negative effect on performance or egg quality, revealed a validation study conducted at North Carolina State University (NCSU). Recent research suggests that phytogenic feed additives can help improve poultry gut health, protecting against a variety of diseases. In particular, the combination of these saponins and polyphenols made from Quillaja saponaria and Yucca schidigera biomass are beneficial against coccidiosis and necrotic enteritis infections.

The results revealed that birds in the pullet phase given the phytogenic feed additive consumed less feed and had equal body weights compared to the control group. “We don’t know why because we didn’t look at intestinal histology, but we think it’s because the intestine is better able to absorb the nutrients they need,” explained Dimitri Malheiros at the 2024 International Poultry Scientific Forum (IPSF).

In addition, there were no statistical differences observed in performance or egg size, grade or quality for the laying hens compared to the control group. Malheiros noted that the hens in this study were unchallenged, meaning that the birds were not purposefully exposed to coccidiosis or any other diseases. “I would really like to see this trial done at scale with a challenge imposed,” he added.

3 days longer incubation makes a big difference

Written by c001os on . Posted in Nutrinfo, Poultry.

With SetCare, the new setter developed by HatchTech Incubation Technology, eggs are incubated for 24 days instead of the traditional 21 days. This results in 3% lower embryo mortality, which automatically means an improved hatching performance. The chicks that hatch will demonstrate an overall improved chick quality.
SetCare builds on HatchTech’s years of research into the beginning of the incubation period, in which embryo mortality is relatively high. This has long been accepted as an inevitable part of incubation, but a more in-depth research and a closer look at the natural incubation process, reveals that the industry-standard of a 21-day incubation process is sub-optimal. A 24-day incubation process with a more gradual increase in egg temperature is needed to help embryo cells to survive and to achieve the best hatch result.
“SetCare suits our promise to deliver superior chick quality” states Joost Ter Heerdt, Commercial Director of HatchTech Group. “SetCare reduces embryo mortality, resulting in an increase of hatchability by at least 3%. Also, overall the number of 1st grade chicks increases, as do average chick length and quality, and improved FCR while a smaller hatching window ensures higher uniformity.”
The unique precision-control set-up of SetCare incubation environment enables a consistent extremely slow warming process (+0,1 °C per hour). Combined with carefully controlled humidity and CO2 levels, this provides a uniform and optimal incubation environment both for layer and broiler eggs.

Animal feed sales down in Germany

Written by c001os on . Posted in Nutrinfo.

At 21.7 million tonnes, feed production in Germany in the 2023 calendar year was around 360,000 tonnes or 1.6% less than in the previous 12 months. This is according to the latest figures from the German animal feed association, DVT.

However, the year-on-year contraction represents a partial easing in the long-term contraction in the German feed sector. Figures from the European Feed Manufacturers’ Association FEFAC put the volume of feed produced in Germany in 2022 at just under 22.2 million tonnes. This was 5.8% lower than the previous year.

The decline in total national feed output is attributed by DVT President Cord Schiplage mainly to reduced sales of pig feeds. For this segment, production was down approximately 500,000 tonnes or 5.8% to 8 million tonnes for 2023. Fattening pig numbers in the November census had fallen significantly year-on-year by as much as 11.6%, he said. Overall in 2023, the country’s swine population contracted by 1.4% to 9.6 million.

In contrast, feed production in Germany expanded in 2023 for the other main market segments. For cattle, output volume was up around 100,000 million tonnes for the year to 6.5 million tonnes, while there was an 80,000 million tonnes increase in poultry feed production to 6.3 million tonnes.

In terms of revenue, DVT figures also indicate a drop in the value of feed sales in 2023 to EUR 9.4 billion. This compares with EUR 10.5 billion for the previous year. According to Schiplage, the increased availability of feed ingredients on global markets last year drove the decline in sales value — along with price and competitive pressures. During the comparative period of 2022, he said, raw material and energy costs had been exceptionally high.

In 2023, there were 276 compound feed companies in Germany, according to DVT. This was five fewer than 12 months previously.

Provisional figures for 2023 from FEFAC points to a further reduction in compound feed production in the EU-27 by 2% to 144.3 million tonnes.

Global atlas of edible insects is available

Written by c001os on . Posted in Nutrinfo.

East African scientists have produced a global atlas of edible insects, providing analysis of diversity and commonality that can contribute to food systems and sustainability as the planet faces uncertainties caused by population growth and a surge in demand for nutritious food.

The scientists say that edible insects, with their low environmental footprint, high food conversion ratio, rapid growth and nutritional values, can play a vital role in the global food system.

Until now, substantial knowledge gaps persist regarding their diversity global distribution and shared characteristics across regions, potentially impending effective scaling and access to edible insects. This led the scientists from universities in Kenya, South Africa and Uganda to compile and analysis the fragmented database on edible insects. They also identified potential drivers that elucidate global insect consumption, focusing on promoting a sustainable food system.

Data was collected from a variety of sources, including lists of edible insect species from the literature and various research databases. Subsequently, they performed a series of analytics at country, regional and continent levels.

The study revealed some common and specific practices related to edible insect access and utilisation across countries and regions. Although insect consumption is often rooted in cultural practices, it exhibits correlations with land cover, the geographical presence of potentially edible insects, the size of a country’s population and income levels. People living in Africa, Asia and Latin America eat insects as it is part of their culture while increased consciousness and the need for food sustainability are the driving forces in Europe to evaluate eating insects.

The study concluded that edible insects are becoming an increasing significant part of the future of planetary food systems and that more proactive efforts are required to promote them for their effective contribution to achieving sustainable food production.

Seed shortage threatens Russian grain farmers with bankruptcy

Written by c001os on . Posted in Nutrinfo.

A surge in operation costs could drive many Russian grain farmers into bankruptcy in the current season, Arkady Zlochevsky, president of the Russian Grain Union has said during a press conference in Moscow. The key concerns are associated with seed prices, which have spiked as the government capped imports from Western countries.

The Russian government has imposed import quotas on seeds from countries deemed unfriendly at the end of January. Under the new rules, Russian farmers are allowed to import 33,100 tonnes of seeds through December 31, 2024. Import quota on corn seeds is set at 5,000 tonnes, barley at 600 tonnes, while quotas on wheat and soybean seeds at zero. In 2023, Russia imported 57,700 tonnes of seeds, a lion’s share of which was delivered from Western countries.

The existing quotas have been distributed among Russian grain farmers, though Zlochevsky described the division as “unfair.” He revealed that farmers with no experience dealing with government agencies failed to secure the necessary quotas to keep their operations running smoothly. As a result, large stocks of seeds have accumulated at the Russian customs warehouses, Zlochevsky said. The batches ordered before the government implemented the import quotas should be either returned to the sender or destroyed.

Import quotas triggered a price hike in the Russian market. Compared with the previous year, the average price of seeds nearly doubled, according to Zlochevsky. The cost of fuel and plant-protecting agents has recently subsided, but this only partly compensated for farmers’ losses due to the jump in seed prices.

Zlochevsky said that switching Russian production to domestic seeds in general is the right move. He, however, warned against using import restrictions as an impetus for the development of domestic seed production.

Supporting coccidiosis-challenged broiler chickens through nutrition

Written by c001os on . Posted in Nutrinfo, Poultry.

When broiler chickens are busy fighting the parasitic infection coccidiosis, they can’t absorb nutrients efficiently or put energy toward growth. In addition to traditional medicine, new research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign suggests diet changes might help.

In the experiment, described in a study published in the journal Poultry Science, the university research team the research team induced coccidiosis, and then altered the diet to understand the roles of various ingredients. The team adjusted the starch, oil, and amino acid content of the classic broiler diet and monitored body weight gain and feed conversion ratio.

“If you visualize a triangle, the three points represent diets with the highest starch, oil, and amino acid content,” doctoral student Julianna Jespersen explained. “We used varying proportions of those three ingredients to mix 10 experimental diets, one being a control diet with an equal proportion of each ingredient.”

The optimal diet mix — the diet leading to the highest body weight gain in coccidiosis-challenged birds — consisted of 35.8% starch, 8.9% oil, and 101.3% of recommended amino acids relative to the control diet.

The researchers acknowledge 9% oil inclusion is well above practical levels for the industry. “That level of oil is going to be hard for producers to fathom. But previous research from our lab has shown this parasite reduces lipid absorption in the gastrointestinal tract, so the birds can’t get as much energy or lipid components out of the diet,” said senior study author Ryan Dilger. The researchers acknowledge 9% oil inclusion is well above practical levels for the industry. Producers might look at that and laugh, but the bird is telling us why it should be that high for optimizing outcomes in disease-challenged birds.”

Jespersen says although it may not be feasible to include oil at 9%, the results show that increasing oil to any level above the usual 1% should be beneficial.