USPOULTRY’s Hatchery Breeder Clinic brought together hatchery and breeder professionals in Nashville, Tenn., for a two-day event focused on the latest management insights and the significance of positive interactions between the breeder department and the hatchery. Attendees received best practice information to enhance performance from beginning to end, along with practical implementation suggestions.
Andrew Thompson, South Alabama area breeder manager for Wayne-Sanderson Farms, participated in a three-part presentation on raising today’s broiler breeder, where he focused on brooding best practices. He divided brooding requirements into five areas: pre-placement, feed management, water, temperature and ventilation, and lighting.
Thompson was followed by Dr. Benton Hudson, poultry nutritionist at CSA Animal Nutrition, who provided a deep dive into several dimensions of feeding programs. Feed rations, feeding schedules, sex-specific feeding strategies, nutritional components, amino acids and several other topics were all covered in detail to provide attendees with a thorough update of how feeding programs contribute to successful breeder management.
Ken Semon, technical service manager at Aviagen, then gave a detailed presentation of male management after transfer. This included the importance of ensuring a seamless transfer from brooding/rearing to production; male exclusion from hen feed; body conformation; male ratio; male feeding strategies; and spiking.
Kelly Sweeney, technical service advisor at Cobb-Vantress, Inc., identified four key areas of focus that must be controlled in order to maximize hatch: temperature, humidity, ventilation and turning. She discussed set plans as the starting point for successful hatchery operations, as the arrangement of eggs can widely affect the incubation environment.
Lee Anne Biller, hatchery manager at George’s, Inc., provided practical advice on improving chick quality and maximizing the effectiveness of hatchery equipment. After covering wet and dry bulb temperatures, moisture loss and turn angles, she moved on to what she considers the most important contributor to chick quality: cleanliness.
The content of the Hatchery-Breeder clinic was focused on the nuts and bolts, as well as practical strategies, that can be used immediately to help improve performance.
