Poultry Digest October/November 2018 by Rosemary Embery

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Volume 34, Number 2

October/November 2018

Casaccio Egg Farm gives consumers what they want as well as what they need

EW Nutrition Free Range Poultry Production Seminar Poultry Hub Ideas Exchange Conference 2018

Innovation and hard work deliver a happy lifestyle for a small organic farm

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Volume 34, Number 2

October/November 2018

EDITORIAL & DESIGN EDITOR: JOURNALIST/PHOTOGRAPHER PRODUCTION EDITOR

Peter Bedwell Alex Bedwell Rosemary Embery

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New technology unveiled at Casaccio Egg Farm. LtoR standing: Ash O’Brien, Farm Grading Manager with Sue Stark, Thomas Pearson, Samuel Mills and Brad McAuliffe, all from Macrospec with Nourredine el Molaka from Sanovo Technology. Front: Geoff O’Brien, Farm Manager and Luke Colla from Macrospec.

Features Page 10: Innovation and hard work deliver a happy lifestyle for small organic farm by Peter Bedwell

Page 22: Casaccio Egg Farm gives consumers what they want as well as what they need

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News Page 4: Poultry Hub Ideas Exchange Conference 2018 Page 18: EW Nutrition Free Range Poultry Production Seminar Page 26: Todae Solar – a modern solution to a modern problem for the poultry industry Page 30: SBA celebrates 25th Anniversary of Hy-Line Brown in Australia Page 34: Inghams appoints Jim Leighton as CEO Page 36. AGCO Chairman receives Legion of Honour

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Poultry Hub Ideas Exchange Conference 2018 One of the best initiatives of the two Poultry CRCs was the Ideas Exchange Conference and this year’s conference was held at the Brisbane Pullman Hotel from September 25-26. They differed from many industry oriented scientific seminars in that they combined currently leading scientists, established researchers and post graduate students at the early stages of their work with industry participants in an interactive format. That tradition has been carried over as Poultry Hub establishes itself as a leading industry research body. The presentations and topics covered everything from bugs to brains trust with plenty of lively debate in between. Dr Tamsyn Crowley, the head of Poultry Hub, welcomed delegates and stated the driving aim, enunciated by Pat Blackall, a leading member of the CRSCs, was “a formula in which the relationship with PHA will work so that the best bits of the CRC are retained for the benefit of the industry”. “In the pipeline,” Tamsyn said “were internships, workshops featuring data visualisation and capacity building with new PhD studies and interaction with both university and secondary school diplomas. “Research would be conducted using partner funding with matching federal business/entrepreneurs contributing,” she said Dr Angela Scott, now a seasoned presenter after her work with the Poultry Research Foundation. Her PhD title was ‘Avian Influenza (AI) risk mitigation for the Australian commercial chicken industry’. Her paper was ‘Feather to farm – PhD to Industry’. “Free range production is in demand, and in 2012 and 2013, highly pathogenic AI outbreaks occurred though the previous outbreak was in 1997. Experts are staring to freak out,” Angela stated. In answer to the question, what is known about AI? Angela discovered, in simple terms, “heaps but not much”. “Information needed to be gathered to answer vital questions by using farm surveys looking at management and security practices using wildlife camera trapping and developing a mathematical model with inputs like exposure levels and spread risk assessments. Angela’s work was long and arduous

but useful to the industry and now she has a job with PIRSA in Adelaide as a poultry food production officer. The day before she presented her report at ‘Ideas’ Angela learnt that her PhD had been confirmed after three and a half years of very hard work. Emily Dickson, in her first presentation, spoke about ‘Chicken training and engagement’. Her work was conducted with the help of Dr Peta Taylor from UNE and a key conclusion from Emily was that chickens are certainly more difficult to train than dogs and they display some intelligence. “At the end of the study I wished we had more time with our chickens. “There is a need to repeat our experiments with a larger group of students,” she stated. Dr Soressa Kitessa from SARDI Livestock Sciences (Pig & Poultry) spoke about ‘My perspectives as a researcher in industry’. With a background of working with ruminants as well as broilers, he stated a preference for incubation research. Lessons he acquired were that a broiler hatchery costs around AUD $50 million and that sweeping changes are not feasible and that adopting or not adopting the latest technology is based on pragmatic business decisions. “As a researcher in industry a grant was really helpful as it allowed me to spend time with people who have decades of experience and helped me to link with people across the value chain (breeding, hatchery and growing,” he said. “Not all exciting research ideas make money,” he concluded. ‘Researcher in Industry – My perspective’ was presented by Dr Natalie Morgan, now a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow & Education Officer at PHA, and Ryan Hopcroft, an assistant nutritionist at Inghams. They spoke about working together on the construction of commercial diets in a real life major commercial production facility including visiting feedmills and learning the practicalities of formulating diets, also understanding production facilities and the focus on animal welfare. “I learnt a lot including that the more relevant research is to industry, the more likely it is to gain funding,” Nat emphasised. Ryan enjoyed establishing a good w

1. Dr Tamsyn Crowley, Head of Poultry Hub. 2. Dr Angela Scott, PIRSA, Adelaide. 3. Emily Dickson, UNE. 4. Dr Soressa Kitessa, SARDI Livestock Sciences (Pigs & Poultry.)

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developed into an active community group with a website and 700 regular followers. The concept of equal value of what you produce from either a kitchen or a crop is a key element of the food swop philosophy,” Geogie said. Rachelle Osmond from Queensland DAF RD&E gave an insight into her organisations research work in her paper ‘An overview of poultry RD&E in DAF Queensland’. Litter management as well as litter re-use, fan efficiency and the advantages of variable speed designs, odour control and the use of sprinklers/ foggers in water use reduction, were topics mentioned. A campylobacter testing kit that could deliver a result within half an hour in processing plants with a cost of less than 50 cents per test, was mentioned as being a critical initiative. The final event of the day was an interactive session conducted by Lloyd Thompson and Tamsyn Crowley where delegates got to answer often tricky questions facing industry using their smart phones in ‘The Brains Trust’.

working relationship with a researcher and getting independent opinions from someone we can trust,” he said. Dr Kylie Hewson, from Agrifutures Chicken Meat, in her paper ‘Tell the story – not the methods’ encapsulated a problem common to the scientific community in communicating what potentially valuable research is actually about. “The whole point is to engage with who you speak to and avoid ‘talking down’ to people,” Kylie said. She then showed an example where a significant research program with potential significance to both human and animal health was pretty much lost in translation. “Telling the story doesn’t undermine the information - it makes it accessible,” she explained. This was a paper that sparked lively debate and Dr Isa Runke, a researcher at UNE, who has made many scientific presentations at both industry and academic seminars emphasised that “it is important to be transparent and allow to a certain extent, that the audience can follow the presentation,” she said. Kylie was clearly passionate about the method behind imparting the science and has set up a consultancy ‘Sativus’, to help in the better communication and understanding of research and it’s practical application. There is a is news item on her initiative in this issue of Poultry Digest. Georgie Townsend, an extension officer with the Agrifutures Chicken Meat Program in her report ‘It takes a village’ spoke about her experiences in creating a ‘food swop’ in her community. “Such initiatives have relevance in our extension activities,” she said. From a once a month meeting with just 100 participants, the initiative

One the many aspects of alternative production methods like free range produced interesting and divergent views! The opening address on September 26 was delivered by Tamsyn Crowley who gave a progress report ‘One year into the Poultry Hub’s creation’. She stressed the need for industry partnership with 20 projects identified and around $500,000 in funding. “We have 10 full proposals and nine specific funds established,” she said. Hen welfare and Spotty Liver research were just two critical areas of research mentioned. Tamsyn has that unique ability to be quietly but effectively direct. “If you don’t support Poultry Hub, it’s not going to last,” she warned. “If you have an issue we can respond quickly and with flexibility unlike some of the big scientifically based structures. “All admin costs are already covered with the UNE based Poultry Hub structure. “If you invest you get a say in specifically what research you think is w 1

1. Ryan Hopcroft, Inghams with Dr Natalie Morgan, Post Doctoral Research Fellow. 2. Dr Isa Runke, UNE. 3. Geogie Townsend, extension officer with Agrifutures Chicken Meat program. 5. Rachelle Osmond, Queensland DAF.

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important, “she emphasised. Fungal bio-control agents for poultry pests was the topic of an investigations conducted by Diana Leeman. Funding into the welfare and disease issue has been supported by Agrifutures and we at Poultry Digest intend to cover the topic in more detail. Assessing the impact of rearing enrichments on free range layer behaviour, welfare and production was reported on by CSIRO researcher Dana Campbell. “Impacts, especially during the rearing period and stress responses associated with transport to layer facilities were specific areas of focus in the program and included issues like floor eggs and ranging issues,” Dana explained in her report. A review of different rearing systems promised good results but more expense than floor rearing was mentioned. ‘Maggot Myths: Impacts and opportunities of insect farming for the Australia Poultry Industry’ was a fascinating insight delivered by Olympia Yarger. This is a concept that has been around for some time and offers much promise not only as an effective and affordable feed source but as a further use for waste generated by commercial poultry activity. Julie Coz appeared at the previous Ideas conference with her smoked eggs and for the 2018 event she reported on progress with the further commercialisation and expansion of her novel ideas. Interest from overseas markets including the US has the potential to create greater scale in what started as a highly localised small farming initiative. ‘Why AME matters’ was explained by Shubiao Wu whose extensive research into AME conducted at the University of New England, has revealed some interesting effects on feed additives. ‘Epidemiological investigation of Spotty Liver Disease in chickens’, research conducted by Hao Van, indicates that research is getting closer to identifying the specific causes of this disease that is both a critical welfare and production issue. Dr Peter Scott commented in the session and stated that, “now that we know it’s an infectious disease we can start to clean it up. “However we still don’t know where the ‘reservoir’ of the disease is specifically located,” he said. Investigating a solution on farm was

the day’s interactive event with three key players. Hilltop Poultry in SA had problems with Darkling Beetle which they solved by using a fumigation product VAPORPH(3) based on phosphine gas. Obviously with a tricky and potentially dangerous to handle product, the farm manager, Solvay (the product distributor) and a skilled application company, devised an approach that would be safe as well as effective. As this particular application involved some novel approaches the APVMA had to be involved but in the end through determination, cooperation and a lot of hard work the sheds were cleared of a pest that can affect both bird welfare and performance. The final speaker of the event was Dr Tamsyn Crowley who asked

industry to join Poultry Hub and have a say on what research it should fund to support the future of the industry. So join and cast your vote for projects to be considered by PHA’s Industry Committee. There are two ‘tiers’ to join PHA. Tier One at AUD$10,000, entitles participants to two votes for projects submitted to funding and a range of other industry benefits that PHA would be happy to explain in detail. Tier Two at AUD$40,000, entitles those participants to eight votes and a similar range of benefits. If industry, and those who supply services to it, getting behind PHA must help towards the future security of an industry that, like every other in protein production, is in transition to new consumer demands and market realities.

. 1. Olympia Yarger, Manging Director Goterra, discussed ‘Maggot Myths’.

2. Dana Campbell, CSIRO researcher. 3. Associate Professor, Shubiao Wu, UNE. 4. Lloyd Thompson, one of The Brains Trust.

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Hy-Line chicks at four weeks performing well – spinach supplement with organic crumble in feed.

Innovation and hard work deliver a happy lifestyle for a small organic farm

By PETER BEDWELL

nton and Nicola Wisse have a small organic farming operation at Cambooya on the Queensland Darling Downs and Poultry Digest visited the farm on October 29. Anton told Poultry Digest that his father, a Dutch farmer, set up a layer farm which did well in its early years but as new cage systems entered production, returns were seriously reduced. He also grew a variety of

crops in the usual ‘mixed farm’ model of its time in the Netherlands. Anton took a ten year diversion from farming and took local employment as a welder, building mining and farming equipment. “I was made redundant twice in a short period so I took the hint and followed my dream. They did me a favour really,” he explained. Those engineering and welding skills have come in handy building the new farm. Anton’s wife Nicola worked as a teacher so they acquired their small farm and with those determined genes the Dutch seem to have, he set to work building a viable organic farm business. His primary source of income comes from the sale, at various local farmers’ markets, of his organic free range eggs, and he adds to his income stream with organic garlic and a large variety of other vegetables which grow well on the farm. His farming method has been to integrate his cropping activity using composted hen bedding material on his expanding range of crops.

He restricts his hen population to less than 1000 birds and ‘cycles’ his paddocks by moving the shed and electric range fencing on a regular basis. It’s the ‘virtuous circle’ of using waste as fertiliser and resting the range areas before using them for growing vegetables and garlic by turn. The farm may be small but Anton makes use of every square metre of the property. The other advantage of the property is that it has a reliable supply of good quality bore sourced water for both the farm and farmhouse. Anton is not ‘evangelical’ about being a wholly organic grower, but practical in his approach. He can achieve a reliable supply of eggs and crops to sell by using organic management practice, so why not farm organically – he can do and it certainly has market appeal for his growing customer base in the region. Apart from the good diets supplied by Aus Organic Feeds, he has discovered that his hens benefit from

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crops like spinach and kale which grow well in the enriched soil. His current layer flock is Bond Brown genetics but his batch of pullets, now at four weeks of age, are Hy-Line Brown from Special Breeders Australia. Anton is impressed with the Hy-Line birds’ progress, noting good uniformity, hybrid vigour and very low mortality (only one bird at four weeks). He appreciates the loyalty of his customers and doesn’t believe in ‘exploiting’ the market driven demand for ‘clean’ local food by charging high prices. “With hard work, good planning and direct selling, I can make a good and enjoyable living by cutting out the middleman,” he said. “I grow my own crops and sell them so I can make a good living for me and my family and deliver good, affordable, food which my customers think of as being good value.” As with many small scale farming operations in Australia, a lot of engineering cunning goes into his farm strategies. Hand-made mobile sheds for the birds and a home-built travelling irrigator system for his crops are key aspects of efficient production. In fact, the single greatest investment in technology on the place is a smart John Deere tractor, essential for shed moving while cycling the crop/free range hen cycles. For a two person operation, Anton achieves a lot of production and any significant expansion of activity would probably involve acquiring more help. We discussed the concept of WWOOFERS (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) who are short stay volunteers, swapping food and accommodation for their labour. Certainly Australia is a chosen destination by many enthusiastic devotees of organic farming. However it did occur to Poultry Digest that there could be plenty of Australian agricultural students who could benefit from working with practical and skillfull small scale organic farmers like Anton and Nicola. Not much that Anton does in his long days is that different from time honoured farming practices developed over the ages, such as hard wok and the ability to grow clean foods that are increasing in consumer appeal in most developed, and even some emerging, economies. The global insurance giant Allianz conducts consumer research into current and changing consumer habits and attitudes and this is what it had to say recently about farmer’s markets and organic produce. ‘Farmers’ markets offer producers CONTINUED ON PAGE 16 w

1. Yes, that is rain on the horizon. 2. Pullet shed keeps temperature at around 23 degrees C. 3. Travelling irrigator and poultry waste are ideal for the crops like kale and spinach.

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v CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12 the chance to benefit from higher profits by removing the middlemen and selling food directly to consumers. Not only do customers enjoy fresh, quality and wellpriced produce at farmers’ markets, but shopping is a social event with increased opportunity for interaction with stall holders and other shoppers. They are a great place to taste new products, ask questions about produce and gain knowledge about how the food was grown and where it comes from. As more people become aware of the societal and environmental benefits of buying food closer to its source, farmers’ markets are also providing an important link between rural and urban communities and promoting sustainable food choices. Many consumers are turning to farmers’ markets to find a greater range of fresh food including organic, free-range and heirloom produce. The rising interest in organic food and its health, ethical and environmental benefits, has also added to the popularity of farmers’ markets. Organic farming avoids pesticides and synthetic fertilisers, and promotes the humane treatment of farm animals as well as the use of ecologically sustainable farming methods. Over the past five years, organic farming has been one of the best performing industries in the economy, with an impressive annual growth rate of just over 12%. Some of the best performers of the organic farming industry have been beef, fruit, vegetables and poultry, which are all organic fresh produce, available at most farmers’ markets. With a focus on quality and freshness as well as supporting local farmers and caring for the environment, it’s easy to see why farmers’ markets have become so popular. In the UK, where it is arguable that farmer’s markets first became a major feature in the consumer landscape, today organic produce sales are predicted to exceed 2.5 billion pounds by the end of 2018. US sales of organic food products are estimated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to have risen from US$28.4 billion in 2012 (4% of the total food market, to US$35 billion in 2014, and it’s still rising. In Europe, particularly the wealthier countries, suppliers of organic produce are struggling to keep up with demand. Ten years ago that market was worth 12 billion euros and today exceeds 26 billion euros. Anton travels weekly to Carseldine Farmers’ Market in Brisbane on Saturdays to achieve the high sales volumes needed to grow the business. Every Sunday sees Anton and Nicola at

the local PCYC market in Toowoomba where they supply more customers and exchange tips and recipes with other gardeners and foodies that are all part of the Darling Downs community. The reasons for the adoption of organic food consumption and the often association with grower’s markets are complex and constantly shifting. However the simple message is that it’s an established and growing phenomenon and will no doubt benefit not only small scale farming operations like Anton’s Birchgrove Farm, but also suppliers of the raw materials who can help to sustain the needs of organic producers.

2 3

5 1. Eggs find plenty of buyers at the local farmers’ markets. 2. Ranging areas are rotated using electric fencing. 3. Anton Wisse on his farm in Cambooya. 4. The organic garlic is another big seller at the markets. 5. One of the farm’s biggest investments in technology is the John Deere tractor.

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EW Nutrition Free Range Poultry Production Seminar The EW Nutrition Free Range Poultry Production Seminar was held on October 24 in Camden, preceeding the Poultry Industry Golf Day. The theme for the event was ‘Challenges and successes both here and overseas’. David Sherwood from EW opened the proceedings by talking about the difficulties of free-range production and how we can handle these challenges. The morning session was sponsored by EW Nutrition, supporting the industry fundraising golf day. Robert Moore, Professor of Biotechnology RMIT University was the first speaker and his subject was ‘Free Range Layers: Gut Health, Microbiota and Spotty Liver Disease’. He spoke about the importance of gut health, the role of microbiota, how to manage gut “Consider the environment, pathogens and mycotoxins in free range production. How do you know if you have a gut health problem? Wet litter, wet and or fatty faeces and passage of undigested feed are just a few indications,” he said. “How do you then measure gut health?” he asked. “Look at the intestine, caecal content (consistency, gas) and gut integrity. The gut has a barrier function that stops viruses from getting in. A leaky gut allows toxins and antigens to get in and effect gut integrity. This is a major focus and a growing area of study. “The villus structure is important, the surface area and nutrient absorption. How are the birds fighting antigens and how do we train the gut immune system to fight pathogens? The microbiota has everything to do with the functions in the gut. “The ‘host’ chicken relies on the integrity of the microbiota. There is a relationship between the microbiota and immunity. Some of this work has been shown in human medicine as well. Are we keeping children too clean by not exposing them? The same goes for the chicken as they need a certain amount of exposure to aid their immunity/microbiota ‘training’. When the connection between the gut and the ‘host’ is not going well, the dysfunction can be seen in poor growth and production in the bird.

“How to improve the relationship between the ‘host’ and the gut? Spotty Liver Disease has a high mortality of around 10% and a decline in egg production of about 25%. The symptoms are 1-2mm grey-white liver lesions and are most commonly seen in free range and barn layer flocks and some broiler breeders housed in deep litter barns. “In the past Spotty Liver Disease was first seen in the UK and USA over 50 years ago and the cause has not been identified. The predisposing factors are physiological changes associated with the start of egg laying and a disturbance in gut health. Some of the husbandry issues affecting the incidence of Spotty Liver Disease are feed formulation change, wet feed and troughs and bird stress are just a few. “The farm should focus on animal husbandry. They should minimise management routing alterations, or anything around the first of lay. Do not change feed additives between placement and 40 weeks of age and be aware of water quality. “Consider feed additive choices as the key is to be consistent with use. If they are added when there is a problem, it is too late and may exacerbate the issue. Feed additives can assist with the prevention of a problem but consider that they may not always work. “The scientific community is working on a Spotty Liver vaccine, but it is slow going and will be a long-term project.” Ron Eek, Area Sales and Service Manager Layer- Type Breeders, Lohmann Tierzucht was the next speaker and his subject was ‘Nutritional issues and other challenges in cage-free production’. “Consider energy and protein and crude fibre. Energy is needed during lay, for maintenance 64%, growth <2% and egg mass >34%. The brown birds have an energy requirement that is consistent. “The energy requirement of cage free is different. Cage free birds require at least 10% more energy. The options are to increase energy density in feed, and layers need to eat a additional 12g/ per bird per day. Feed intake at week 40 is 132g/day. “The amino acid lysine requirement is maintenance 20%, growth 1% and

1. Professor Robert Moore, RMIT University. 2. Eduardo Bernardi, Area Sales Manager, Big Dutchman. 3. Judy O’Keeffe, Surefeed Nutrition. egg mass 79%. Energy requirements don’t change but you can change lysine requirements in the birds’ feed. It is important to check bird weights as this will ensure an increase of body weight after transfer before ranging. The use of fibres in feed is essential to get healthy digestion and means the birds’ behaviour is better. The birds feel better with fibre in their ‘belly’ especially in the case in free ranging birds, where there is a big group. “In Germany and Holland they are w

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NEWS v

banning beak trimming because the Europeans have examined what factors affect feather pecking in layers. There are external factors but diet and feeding strategy are all effected by the feed and how the birds are spending their time feeding. “You need to consider how they spend their time and how this can be affected? Interestingly enough, they are working with the genetics to change the shape of the beak and how this effects performance. When there is a 15% fibre addition in the feed for rearing and laying there is an improvement in feather cover. “The most common cause of injurious pecking is change. So make any changes gradually, in housing facilities and feed. Pay close attention to the birds after sudden changes in weather, sudden noises or bright light. As soon as you observe a change in behaviour like malicious pecking do provide new distractions like grit oats in litter or pecking stones or alfalfa straw. If the birds are not distracted, they need to be occupied. “Fibre supplement – 65% crude fibre – 1% inclusion rateLignocellulose, Opticell gran 0.4-2.0 mm. LTZ is currently implementing this in its diets and have trial work to show its benefits. “Feather spread in litter is an important indicator for flock condition (feed/digestion). If there are no feathers, then you have a problem. Feather loss (pecking) during production is an important indicator that something may be wrong like feed/and or parasites. Check protein levels, they should be changed slowly but it is difficult to stop the pecking once it has started. “What is causing smothering and how to prevent it. Reduce fear in stock, play the radio so they are used to noise, prevent stress, look at nutrition, the lay out of the house and prevent unwanted obstacles which may trigger smothering. Birds are attracted to lights and too long light will cause smothering. “Lessons that can be taken from European cage free producers is that if you are rearing in cages do not keep in cages too long. Provide as many ramps as possible for easy access to and from the scratch area in your system. “Provide scratch material in rearing and laying. Do not reduce light intensity in rearing too low especially for pullets bound for ranging. Provide feed with enough nutrient levels. “Also prevent selective feed pecking by a uniform, homogenous feed structure, regular feed runs, and empty

the trough till noon time. ‘Unravelling the nutritional requirements of free-range hens’ was the next topic by Judy OKeeffe, Poultry Nutritionist, Surefeed Nutrition. “Every free-range situation is unique,” she said. “The preparation of the pullet is vital. It starts with the breeder, depends on conditions in the hatchery, relies on the management of the growing chick and pullet and cannot be achieved without careful formulation and presentation of chick and pullet diets. You should change the diet by body weight and not by age. “For free range birds, focus on fibrous ingredients, limestone 2mm4mm diameter 50:50 fine/coarse limestone, no later than pre-lay phase. Use greater feed intake in early lay to support a good rate of lay. Also better medullary bone for better shell quality, especially in late lay. “In free range, the focus is to manage them to achieve the best possible uniformity under the circumstances. Ensure access to feed is not an issue and then formulate a diet that compensates for inconsistencies within the flock. “There are many variables and every situation is different. There will always be differences in hens, and each bird will have different requirements. Egg mass output will be different amongst birds. It is important to consider the tail of the flock, rather than the average, when determining the nutrient density of a free-range diet. Get to know your farms and where the performance can be improved and what factors effect requirements. Look at the tail of the flock, start their first. Management is key, similar strategies can work, but you need to consider management capabilities. Eduardo Bernardi, Area Sales Manager, Big Dutchman, reported on ‘Feeding and management on free range systems and aviaries: the U-Turn’. “As poultry became an industry, different types of housing and feeders were developed. This history has helped Big Dutchman develop its current poultry systems. “Why did we put birds in cages in the first place. It was to reduce disease, make egg collection easier, have cleaner eggs, uniform distribution of feed and easier manure removal to accommodate the chicken. In other words to produce more eggs, more efficiently,” he said. “The automation of systems, especially for feed, allowed feed to be stored in larger quantities for a longer period of time.

David Sherwood from EW Nutrition opened proceedings. “Automation made for an easier life for producers and chickens. “Today, producers use equipment to stimulate feed intake – the sound/ vibration of chain feeders is associated with new feed and this is a beneficial tool for producers. “The new systems are focusing on giving more space to chickens and tools for expressing natural behaviour. More space, larger groups, secluded areas for nesting, claw shortening devices, more height, scratching areas easier access. “Development is not going towards adapting to the birds needs and instincts. That is the U-Turn. Mimicking natural conditions, where birds have access to soil, nests, perches and sometimes even natural daylight. Feeders are strategically placed, usually inside the system, allowing for access from both sides, attracting birds to different levels, away from the floor. Stimulating birds to range and use the nest is imortant. Feeder placement helps to educate the pullets as teaching birds to use the perches and jump out of different levels means looking for feeders and teaching them to perch. “Range feeders will no doubt help attract more undesirable visitors so it’s not the best idea. So outside free range feeding is not a particularly attractive way to rear layers. There are feeding tricks to consider like manipulable material for layers, keeping them busy, hay, straw bales and compacted alfalfa blocks. Also pecking stones, activity blocks, beak wearing and mineral supplements. Anything to keep birds busy and wear down the beak. There are new developments from Big Dutchman with many different devices to keep birds ‘busy’,” Eduardo concluded.

Five steps to move your animalsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; nutrition at the pace of genetics. Issue Assessment

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STAALKAT Ardenta farm packer system can handle up to 108,000 eggs an hour.

Casaccio Egg Farm gives consumers what they want as well as what they need By PETER BEDWELL

n November 15, Poultry Digest visited the Casaccio family-owned layer farm at Terang in Victoria where the company has invested significantly in state of the art plant, equipment and has expanded production. The farm, previously known as Milroy’s, was established more than 50 years ago and Paul Casaccio informs us that the family acquired the farm in 2014 and has been going through upgrades ever since. We were there to meet Sanovo Technology Group’s General Manager for Asia, Nourredine el Molaka, whose company supplied a new STAALKAT Ardenta Farmpacker system and Brad McAuliffe (Director from Macrospec), supplier of poultry farm equipment and the Australasian agent for Sanovo. In the time since taking over the business, Casaccio Egg Farms has established free range layer sheds to complement the existing cage laid

facilities, an initiative that recognises the increasing consumer demand for eggs from alternative production systems. The mighty STAALKAT Ardenta 300 Farmpacker system not only automates egg handling, its multiple functions like crack and dirt detection and rapid handling from shed to ‘ready for sale’, help to ensure a safe and quality product for consumers. The machine can handle 108,000 eggs per hour or 300 cases per hour. Luke Colla, Business Development Manager at Macrospec, explained the ambitious and truly impressive project for the Casaccio layer farm. “With the assistance of Sanovo, we established the overall design and layout and completed the build project,” Luke said. “We perform regular monthly services, UPS protection and we integrated electrical functions as well as automation of the layer housing and conveyor systems. Further training and process development has been an important part of the process. “Our team at Macrospec worked with Sanovo’s technicians on all

aspects of the electrical and mechanical installation. “The Sanovo STAALKAT Ardenta 300 has 16 lanes and can handle 108,000 eggs per hour and we supplied the unit along with Sanovo Optilanes and Optidenesters. “The fully integrated automated system includes washable egg crack detection, fully integrated egg printing and dirt detection. The dirt detector with adjustable sensitivity, makes use of an advanced full colour camera vision system that identifies dirt down to 1.0mm2. “Blood spot detection, RFID batch scanning and full data extraction from the ‘Eggit Touch’ advanced touch screen control system, and washable load cells with 0.1 g accuracy and a 12 row Multiloader Kuhl washer system are key features of the installation,” Luke explained. Before visiting the Casaccio Farm on the evening on the 15th, Poultry Digest had some time to relax in the attractive town of Terang, set deep into the dairy belt of south western Victoria. CONTINUED ON PAGE 32 w

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NEWS

Todae Solar – a modern solution to a modern problem for the poultry industry Not long ago Australia had nearly the lowest cost energy supply on the planet, yet right now we are close to top of the list on energy prices and our poultry industries with modern sheds need a lot of that costly energy. Certainly, growers can reduce costs by replacing older fans and lighting systems with more energy efficient designs and by using more advanced ventilation technology. However growers and the integrators they supply, are still subject to a grid system that appears to be out of control when it comes to power bills. Todae Solar offers a solution to this problem by offering energy generation systems and services “that can reduce energy costs by between 15 to 30% dependent upon current contracts and energy requirements,” said Todae Solar’s Head of Strategy, Landon Kahn. Though ‘solar’ is part of his company’s name, Landon explained to Poultry Digest when we visited the premises and control centre in Sydney, that solar should be viewed more as energy management and security to help lower their customers’ energy costs. The other key difference between Todae Solar and the solar sector in general, is that Todae Solar supplies industry and public infrastructure rather than individual residential solar energy set ups. It is no small irony that while our current political class squabble and point score off each other over the vexed problem of a sustainable energy supply for Australia, our Federal Parliament – where much of the debate occurs, has a solar system installed by Todae Solar! Other major installations include hospitals and some of Australia’s best known companies, but more recently Todae Solar has become a key supplier of solar to agriculture, including wineries, dairy processing and now the poultry industry. “We have got to know the energy needs of the layer industry well and our company has supply contracts with major egg suppliers in Australia,” Landon said. Poultry Digest’s first question to him was, “your company’s scheme and technologies suit large commercial

Todae Solar’s Head of Strategy, Landon Khan (right) in the control centre. and government infrastructure, but is it adjustable for smaller operations like a typical broiler contract grower farm with three, four or five sheds?” “Very much so,” was Landon’s reply. “With any business, large or small, we first acquire all the energy usage data we can and then our experts tailor a site specific scheme that best suits that business, whatever it is. “What we do know is that the poultry sector in general is energy intensive so we can be really effective in reducing its costs,” he said. “We’ve found across the poultry industry, we can reduce cost per kWh charges by around 15 to 30% based on individual site and circumstances. “There are financing options with no up front costs and our systems are cash flow positive from the first day of operation. “Our contracts are typically 7 to 10 years and at the end of that period the operator owns the system with no extra costs involved. “Really when you look at our systems at Todae Solar, we offer a supply contract of 7 to 10 years rather than the shorter term one year supply contracts issued by most energy suppliers,” Landon explained. “However not only do we offer

considerable savings on a day to day basis, we deliver long term certainty to businesses that currently may struggle to control their energy costs.” In discussions about the best approach for poultry farmers using solar technology, Landon thought that “poultry farms which had reasonable space around and between sheds, offered a variety of solar panel placement options to deliver optimal efficiency and ease of management”. In an earlier meeting with Landon and other key members of Todae Solar’s team, he expressed some reservations about current battery technology. He told Poultry Digest that “while battery storage obviously offers another dimension to energy management, the current units may need further development to provide the kind of reliability we require,” he said. Poultry Digest has visited a number of farms which use renewable technology but one noticeable feature was that those who were benefitting from renewable energy had spent considerable time planning and installing systems to suit their requirements. “Todae Solar provides all that intellectual effort because any scheme we design has to work for both our clients and us as we provide and w

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operate that system” Landon said. “EPC we call it, engineering, procurement and construction.” On October 12, Poultry Digest met with Todae Solar’s new Marketing Manager Lindsey Guest, who like us, is a bit surprised that there hasn’t been a greater take-up of renewable energy systems in the poultry industry, given that increasing energy costs have become an issue. Poultry farming is a high volume, low margin business and any runaway cost element, be it feed, labour, interest rates and more recently, energy, can drastically affect profitability. Chicken meat became Australia’s most consumed protein source for many reasons, but mainly because of its low cost. In an environment of fierce competition in the retail space and flat wages, energy bills are front of mind to all sections of society including food supply. Any practical solution to lowering energy costs needs to be taken seriously, particularly by the poultry sector where returns are constrained, but energy costs are not. While the Morrison government has been working hard to persuade energy

Left: ‘Solar’ is viewed by the company, not just as using solar panels, but as energy management and security to help lower energy costs. Below: The new Marketing Manager for Todae Solar Lindsey Guest who is surprised there hasn’t been greater uptake of renewable energy systems in the Australian poultry industry. suppliers to reduce costs, an article in the Australian Financial Review of November 8 by Angela MacdonaldSmith, ‘Power retailers not promising any price cuts’ gives little hope for reduced energy costs from the big distributors in the near future. Here at Poultry Digest’s headquarters in Sydney we soak up the solar and our printers Kuhn Corp, located in Brisbane similarly has also reduced its energy costs by 50% by using renewable energy.

Applications open for the largest global university-level agriscience competition Since its inception in 2005, the Alltech Young Scientist (AYS) has had participation of more than 60,000 students from more than 70 countries and has awarded $1 million in prizes. It is considered one of the world’s most prestigious agriscience competitions for university students and has discovered some of the best and brightest upcoming researchers from universities around the world. Applications are now open for the 2019 competition. The Alltech Young Scientist competition began in 2005 as an expression of Dr Pearse Lyons’ passion for curiosity and innovation within education. As a scientist, he understood the challenges of research and the excitement that comes with breakthroughs that could solve real problems. Through the Alltech Young Scientist competition, he hoped to create a closer connection between the classroom and the agricultural challenges occurring in the field and on the farm. Most importantly, he wanted to inspire and showcase the talents of university students who represent

tomorrow’s solutions for our planet’s shared future. New for 2019, the AYS competition is open exclusively to university graduate students (master’s degree and PhD) and professor nominations are no longer required. Entrants will compete first within their home regions of North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific or Europe/ Africa. Then regional winners will be invited to attend an all-expenses-paid Alltech Young Scientist Discovery Week in Lexington, Kentucky, where they will compete in the global competition during ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference (ONE19), which will be held May 19–21, 2019. The prizes include USD$10,000 for the global graduate winner. “The Alltech Young Scientist competition provides a global stage for the next generation of agriculture scientists to present their research, further their education and interact with some of the best scientific and agribusiness minds of our time,” said Dr Karl Dawson, Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer at Alltech. “We are proud to offer this once-in-

a-lifetime experience in the hopes of highlighting and rewarding those striving to impact the agriculture industry through scientific research and innovation,” he said. Registration is currently open for the 2019 competition and will close on January 31, 2019. Students may submit scientific papers on topics such as animal health and nutrition, crop science, agriculture analytical methods, food chain safety and traceability, human health and nutrition, and other agriscience-related sectors. Paper submission may be completed online through to January 31, 2019, and regional winners will be announced in April 2019. Although the competition is for graduate students, AYS welcomes other budding scientists, from kindergarten and beyond, to engage with the program on Facebook and Instagram, where we feature special contests and other exciting content. For more information and to register for the Alltech Young Scientist competition, visit AlltechYoungScientist. com.

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Red Mite Impact

• Increased stress, nervousness, pecking. • Agitation of the hens which may lead to serious consequences such as loss of production, anemia and cannibalism. • Weakened immune system • Reduced laying performance • Spotted eggs, reduction in egg size • Increased mortality • Skin irritation for farm workers Including the usual treatments, the cost of red mite can easily reach 67 cents per layer, per year.

Alphamites DW – How does it work? It works by making the blood indigestible to the mites, thereby depriving them of their feed. This turns the layer itself into a living, breathing red mite repellent.

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500mL per 1000 litres of water during use.

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NEWS

SBA celebrates 25th Anniversary of Hy-Line Brown in Australia Specialised Breeders Australia (SBA) recently celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the first Hy-Line Brown genetic import into Australia. From humble beginnings, the Hy-Line Brown has become the most popular breed for Australian commercial egg producers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Hy-Line Brown is renowned for feed efficiency, prolific egg numbers, excellent egg quality as well its docile nature and outstanding liveability. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It is the combination of these attributes that has lead the Hy-Line Brown to market leadership in Australia,â&#x20AC;? said Jonathan Leslie, National Sales and Marketing Manager for SBA. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The investments made to create a world class breeding program by our partners at Hy-Line International have seen the Hy-Line Brownâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s genetic gains improve dramatically over time,â&#x20AC;? he said. With Hy-Line Internationalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s continued development of advanced genomic technology, which allow for more rapid and better targeted genetic selection from its breeding program, we can look forward to even more improvements in the years to come.â&#x20AC;? Jonathan Cade, President of HyLine International, explained â&#x20AC;&#x153;We congratulate the team at SBA on reaching the 25 year mark as a Hy-Line distributorâ&#x20AC;?. â&#x20AC;&#x153;SBA has been a fantastic partner in

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the Australian market, offering industry leading support and advice to egg producers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The capital works program that SBA has instigated in recent years has delivered a state of the art hatchery and improved chick quality, alongside new breeding facilities which improves long term supply security for Australian egg producers.â&#x20AC;? Kerrie McManara, who currently works with SBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandparent breeding flocks, helped manage the hatching of the first Hy-Line Brown import through the Torrens Island quarantine facility in 1993. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Some of the equipment was pretty basic, one of the incubators was made of timber and the hatching eggs needed

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Above: Kerrie McManara who works with the SBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s grandparent breeding flocks. Below: The HyLine Brown.

to be turned manually five times a day â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which meant that one of us had to shower in to the hatchery five times to turn a wheel then shower back out!â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Once we got the genetic stock to our facility we noticed how different the Hy-Line Brown was to our locally bred birds. They were much calmer chooks, particularly the males and much better layers. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The breeding performance was also a lot better, because of this after 18 months we were able to move from artificial insemination to natural breeding which was far more efficient.â&#x20AC;? For more information SBAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Technical Service team can be contacted via www.specialisedbreeders.com.au.

NEWS

Jefo has appointed Dr Avril Grieve Earlier this year, Jefo announced the hiring of two renowned swine specialists, Dr Roger Campbell as Global Technical Manager – Swine and Dr Marcio Gonçalves as International Swine Consultant and has now announced that Dr Avril Grieve will join the Jefo Australia Team as Technical Sales Representative – Monogastrics. “Avril will be an outstanding asset to the Jefo Australian team. She is well known in pig and poultry industries and her technical background and training will provide incomparable support to Jefo’s clients. “Avril will also work closely with Jefo’s International Monogastric R&I Teams in what Jefo calls Applied Scientific Curiosity,” said Wayne Bradshaw, Jefo Australia’s Managing Director. Mr Jean Fontaine, President and Founder of the Jefo Group, said how proud he was that Avril has decided to join the Jefo Team. “Avril is a fantastic asset to our team led by Wayne Bradshaw, who has been working with our strategic partners within Australia /New Zealand for 14 years now and our commitment is stronger than ever. “Jefo is working on some exciting projects that will be launched within the next few months,” he said. Wayne Bradshaw also added that “Jefo is committed to the advancement of the Global Intensive Farming Industries through proven scientific solutions and Dr Grieve’s appointment is another great addition to the Jefo Family. Avril obtained her Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Animal Science) and a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology). She furthered her education by completing a Doctor of Philosophy titled ‘The role of protease in unlocking the nutritive value of sorghum grain for pigs’ at the University of Queensland. In addition, she has just completed her Graduate Diploma in Education (Secondary). She has worked in Australian and New Zealand intensive industries for 15 years and has knowledge in all areas of monogastric production including genetics, nutrition, animal health and research, development and extension. Dr Avril Grive can be contacted on mobile 0475 301 123.

Aviagen Management Essentials Alex Chang Senior Poultry Nutritionist, Aviagen Alex has worked in the feed and poultry industry for over 20 years. Alex works with Asia Pacific customers. Alex comments: “Good gut health is essential for optimum nutrient utilization, efficient growth and bird health and welfare, as well as final product quality”.

Enhancing Broiler Gut Health via Nutrition Objective Use nutrition to enhance gut health in broilers. Key Points 1. 2. 3. 4.

Dr Avril Grieve,who has been appointed as Technical Sales Representative – Monogastrics with Wayne Bradshaw, Managing Director, Jefo Australia.

Maintaining good gut health is important with the withdrawal of antibiotics from feed. Gut health relies on development and maintenance of gut microflora communities (microbiota). Shifts in microbiota indicate mal-absorption, providing more nutrients for bacteria, less for the bird. Some changes in nutrition to enhance gut microbiota: a. Coarse particle size - coarsely ground corn and wheat to stimulate ‘normal’ gizzard development and function. Larger particle size leads to longer feed retention time, beneficial bacterial fermentation in the caeca and drier litter. b. Good pellet quality with minimum fines. c. A roller mill will give a more even distribution of particle size. d. Good diet formulation - matching nutrient contents with nutrient requirements. i. Digestible amino acid basis (protein digestibility) ii. Balanced protein (ideal amino acid profile) iii. Avoid excess crude protein iv. Proper electrolyte balance e. Quality ingredients, free of mycotoxins and anti-nutritional factors. f. Feed enzymes to breakdown anti-nutritional factors. g. Avoid sudden changes of ingredients in diets and frequent diet change. h. Strategic use of health products improve gut integrity, stimulate beneficial flora, inhibit pathogens, improve gut function and health and reduce use for antibiotics. Probiotics, prebiotics, organic acids, butyrate, and essential oils can be used successfully, especially in combination. There is not one gut health additive to fit all systems and compensate for poor management factors. Maintaining good gut health is not only about using gut health products. Ensure any antibiotic use is necessary. Understand flock gut health status and provide attention to all farm management areas.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22 A chat with the manager of the Terang Hotel revealed some details of the long history of first, the Milroy’s layer farm and now the expanding Casaccio enterprise. “The farm has been a valuable part of the Terang community, providing not only great eggs but employment and even a source of learning for school kids. Firstly Geoff O’Brien, Farm Manager from Casaccio Eggs, took Poultry Digest on a tour of the new and existing developments. “Though cage system production is dominant with more than 148,000 birds housed, free range production at 15,000 birds is growing and will continue to expand as will a move to barn laid sheds,” Geoff said. Genetics are Hy-Line Brown and the birds’ diets are supplied by Reid Stockfeeds. Another critical innovation is an 80 kW solar system which includes solar heater roof panels which produce hot water for both egg washing and conversion to energy to power refrigeration for cool rooms and egg pulp freezer storage. The sophisticated Solvis hot water/ energy system was the subject of finishing touches to the installation with Solvis tech staff still working after 8.30 p.m. on the night of the 15th – impressive! The cool room is also truly impressive and can hold up to three days production. The materials handling systems have been designed to eliminate the need for fork lifts. The loading bay at one end of the egg storage areas has a simple but effective loading dock. Water storage on site stores rain water with a 145,000 litre capacity which is treated before use. Geoff confirmed that the company often runs tours for school kids which, apart from cementing community links, provides the children with a closer understanding of where their food comes from and they all go home with a box of eggs! Other community related projects include using the farm’s transport to deliver goods for charity and associated events. Macrospec (formerly HMI Electrical) is the supplier and installer of the STAALKAT Farmpacker system and is based at Lara, near Geelong in Victoria. The company designs, supplies and installs a wide range of agricultural automation systems for the poultry industry. “Our objective is to create optimum conditions for our customer’s product lines by supplying and installing market v

3 4

1. Spacious cool room can store up to three days of production. 2. LtoR: Brad McAuliffe, Nourredine el Molaka, General Manager for Asia, Sanovo Technology Group, Thomas Pearson, Samuel Mills and Luke Colla, Business Development Manager, Macrospec. 3. 16 lane STAALKAT Ardenta 300. 4. Opti grader touch screen controls the system.

leading systems and software,” Luke Colla said. “Our supplementary and turnkey solutions include feeding automation, sorting and grading systems as well as ventilation and conveyor systems. “The ebmpapst AgriCool shed ventilation system has been specifically developed for the Australian poultry market. It can achieve power savings of more than 75% and so significantly reduce total running costs of broiler sheds. “Retrofit trials have shown that the total number of fans used in a broiler shed can be reduced while at the same time providing higher air velocity for cooling. “AgriCool fans provide effective growing conditions for the birds through a stable temperature profile and even airflow through the shed. “Macrospec is the Australian distributor for STAALKAT equipment and the local experts in installation, maintenance, fault finding and repair of all its equipment. “STAALKAT products cover a complete range of machines and equipment for egg handling and grading and are designed to provide production facilities with a high degree of flexibility and efficiency. “From the innovative ALIS contact-

less lamp system to 30W floodlighting, specifically designed for harsh poultry environments, Macrospec and Agri Lamp can supply you with a high quality product to suit most needs,” said Luke. “Our range has been developed for new build projects as well as retrofit solutions and our lights are purpose built for the agricultural industry ensuring a robust design and build. “The spectrum that is emitted by our light bulbs has been customised to suit poultry vision and this has been shown to reduce stress and increase productivity. “Used in conjunction with our dimmers and dawn to dusk controller options, this will allow for optimum results and an even spread of light,” company supplied information states. ‘Macrospec has a very dedicated team of highly skilled technicians and we offer a full after sales support with critical spare parts stored locally. “We have also developed a training and development process at Macrospec to match the advanced technology we sell and support. “There is also a dedicated office team whose expertise we can call on located in Malaysia, The Netherlands, and Denmark,” Samuel Mills, Macrospec’s Operations Manager concluded.

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NEWS

Inghams Group appoints Jim Leighton as CEO Jim Leighton’s experience with 40North Foods, Perdue, ConAgra and Hain Celestial make him ‘the standout candidate, said the company Chairman. Mr Leighton, an experienced executive in the US poultry industry, has been selected to become the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Australian-based poultry company Ingham’s. According to a statement from the company, Mr Leighton has started in his new role after the completion of visa formalities recently. “Having conducted a global and domestic search, we have no doubt that Jim is the right person to lead Ingham’s. He was the standout candidate and we are thrilled he is moving to Australia from the United States to take up the role,” said Peter Bush, Chairman of Ingham’s Group. “Jim has a perfect mix of experience and skill sets for Ingham’s. As well as deep experience in the protein/poultry industry sector, he brings us a valuable blend of commercial and operations functional expertise. “His career was built coming up through the ranks of manufacturing and supply chain management, with a focus on driving operational improvements and efficiencies. “During his career he has been recognised for his ability to build capability and teams, and scaling operations to support business growth.”

Mr Leighton currently serves on the board of Aryzta, a EUR4 billion (US$4.56 billion), public, global specialty baking business head quartered in Europe, and is currently working on a number of special projects to help the company as it navigates through a significant business turnaround. He was most recently President and founder of 40North Foods, which was a start-up venture backed by Pilgrim’s Pride and JBS. Prior to that, he served as Chief Operating Officer, interim CEO and director at Boulder Brands, where he played a key role scaling the business and ultimately selling it to Pinnacle Foods. Mr Lieghton also spent seven years at Perdue Farms and, in his last role there, served as President of the company’s global multi-billion dollar food group (retail branded and non-branded, food service, and turkey and chicken businesses). He spent his formative years in a variety of operations roles at Nabisco Foods, The Hain-Celestial Group and ConAgra. “I am extremely excited, privileged and honored to accept the role of managing director and Chief Executive Officer of Ingham’s, Mr Leighton said. “There are very few companies that have the rich heritage and legacy of success as Ingham’s.

New CEO and Managing Director of Inghams, Jim Leighton. “I am looking forward to working with the board and all the Ingham’s team members to stimulate progress and growth, while sustaining the core of what has made Ingham’s successful for the past 100 years”. Quinton Hildebrand served as the acting CEO of Ingham’s during the search for a permanent leader until Mr Leighton began his employment with the company. The CEO position became open in August, when Mick McMahon departed following his June announcement of his intent to resign as the company’s chief executive.

VNU Exhibitions appoints new Managing Director International event organiser Jaarbeurs/ VNU Exhibitions has announced the appointment of Heiko M. Stutzinger as its new Managing Director for the Asia Pacific region. With more than a decade of experience in senior management positions in trade show business and management consulting, Heiko is a known expert for the development of new business areas, strategic growth as well as restructuring and turnaround management. He has an excellent track record of intercultural leadership, operations excellence and corporate management and most recently serves as Deputy General Manager of Messe Düsseldorf Shanghai as well as Deputy Managing

Director of Messe Düsseldorf China based in Shanghai. He holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from EBS University and is active as Guest Professor at the Shanghai University of International Business and Economics (SUIBE). Heiko will oversee the entire Asia Pacific region and will be responsible for setting the strategic direction as well as defining the growth strategy of VNU in that region. “Heiko is an experienced, highlyrespected executive that shares our vision for future growth, operations excellence and superior customer service.

He has demonstrated the ability to build and grow business, operations and projects in China,” said Albert Arp, CEO of Jaarbeurs/VNU. “Heiko will help us to bring our regional operations to the next level and strengthen our position in this critically important part of the world. “For the past years VNU continues to drive growth in the Asia Pacific region. “We have built several strong events and a passionate team and look forward to Heiko leading and further strengthening our Asia Pacific business,” said Ton Otten, Director Jaarbeurs International and Member of the Board of Directors VNU Exhibitions Asia Pacific.

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AGCO Chairman receives French Legion of Honour AGCO, a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery and solutions, announced that Martin Richenhagen, Chairman, President and CEO of AGCO Corporation, has been named a Chevalier (Knight) of the Légion d’Honneur (Legion of Honor) by the government of France. This high-ranking honorary decoration was bestowed during a recent ceremony held at AGCO’s global headquarters in Duluth, in the presence of the French Consul General in Atlanta, Louis de Corail. The Legion of Honour, established by Napoléon Bonaparte in 1802, is the highest distinction conferred by the government of France. It is awarded to recognise those people and organisations that have made outstanding contributions to

France in a variety of fields. AGCO began operations in France, when the group became the parent company of the Massey Ferguson brand in 1994, taking ownership of the Beauvais Massey Ferguson plant. Opened in 1960, the Beauvais AGCO site remains today the Global Centre of Excellence for Massey Ferguson engineering and manufacturing, as well as the first private employer of the whole Picardie region. Summing up its operations from Beauvais, Ennery and Courcouronnes, as well as its joint ventures GIMA and AGCO Finance, AGCO has approximately 2,500 employees in France. As Europe’s second largest economy, and one of the largest markets for farm machinery, France represents a strategically important market for AGCO.

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Martin Richenhagen, CEO AGCO. In France, AGCO actively drives business activities centered on the design, manufacture and distribution of farm machinery, strongly contributing to the French economy. This decoration is in recognition, under Martin Richenhagen’s leadership, of AGCO’s contributions to the development of France and France-USA relations. Conferring the Legion of Honor on behalf of French President Emmanuel Macron, Dr. Monique Seefried, Chevalier in the Order of the Legion of Honour said: “I would like to thank Martin Richenhagen for his personal commitment and trust in our country’s economy. I pay tribute, through him, to the strength of AGCO Corporation and to its willingness to expand and develop in Europe, and especially in France where AGCO’s French-made tractors are admired and respected.” Martin Richenhagen commented: “It is indeed an honor and privilege to receive this prestigious decoration from the French Government. “I am delighted and proud to have our French operations receive such high recognition. In developing our business in Europe, a region which for AGCO is first in revenue contribution, France is a strategic market of great importance. During the past six years, we have invested more than 300 million euros in our Beauvais and Ennery operations, creating close to 300 new jobs to support our ambition for growth. “This would not have been possible without the outstanding commitment of our 2,500 employees and this CONTINUED ON PAGE 39 w

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Dr Rafael Monleon appointed by Aviagen In keeping with its goal to strengthen service to Asia Pacific, a highly important and rapidly growing region, Aviagen has appointed Dr Rafael Monleon Business Manager for Asia Pacific (pictured), effective November, 2018. In the interim, all commercial business managers will report

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directly to Aviagen CEO Jan Henriksen, who is the acting president for Asia Pacific. The transition period will be seamless to customers in the region, who will continue to receive the highest level of quality care from the Aviagen Asia team. Dr Monleon will help bolster the businesses of Aviagenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Asia Pacific customers with a wealth of expertise, as well as strong leadership skills. He will reside close to a large concentration of Aviagen customers in Bangkok. Before joining Aviagen, he served as General Manager, Cluster (Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia), for MSD Animal Health in Kuala Lumpur, as well as Business Unit Manager of Poultry for BioChek in Thailand. He gained a firm understanding of the needs of the region while working as a regional veterinarian for Aviagen in Asia Pacific from 2006 to 2013. Living in Asia for the past 11 years has also given him an in-depth understanding of the opportunities and challenges of this highly important, diverse and rapidly developing region. His extensive education includes a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Universidad Complutense de Madrid, as well as a Masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in Specialized Veterinary Medicine from North Carolina State University. He also recently achieved a dual Global Executive MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles, and the National University of Singapore. In addition to Dr Monleonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s assignment, Aviagen has made other strategic personnel decisions. Yash Jaiswal has accepted the position of Commercial and Technical Support for the Arbor Acres brand, and Sukanda Haoharn will also join the team in October as a Customer Service trainee. The new team members will enable the company to continue offering customers great service, while keeping up with the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ever-increasing demands for quality, highperformance broiler breeding stock. Aviagen CEO Jan Henriksen spoke about his confidence in Dr Monleonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to provide strong leadership to the region. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re pleased to welcome Rafael to the Asia Pacific team, as he will add great value to the businesses of our esteemed customers in this highly important region,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He will be of benefit to them with keen insight and knowledge, but more importantly, he has a unique understanding of the challenges and needs of our Asia Pacific customers and is committed to their success. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Moving forward, we will continue our investments to improve and strengthen our team in this high-growth and dynamic region.â&#x20AC;?

NEWS v CONTINUED FROM PAGE 36 recognition is also theirs. “We truly consider France as a business friendly environment supported by an entrepreneurial policy led by President Emmanuel Macron. “We hope to make ever-more progress in our development, to contribute to further growing the relationship between France and the USA.” Martin Richenhagen was selected by the Board of Directors in March 2004 as President and Chief Executive Officer of AGCO Corporation. He was appointed to Chairman of the Board on August 15, 2006. Under his leadership, AGCO’s operations in France have been through outstanding transformation and success including the following key milestones: • 2013 – The Beauvais 2 Cab facility and International Sales Training Centre for the Massey Ferguson brand opens. This 15.5 million euros investment created 100 new jobs. • 2016 – The Beauvais site receives two coveted awards: Best Foreign Exporter 2016 as the first producer and exporter of farm machinery in France; and Factory of Year 2016 for its lean manufacturing implementation and number one in quality approach. • 2017 – At Ennery, AGCO’s European Parts Warehouse and Distribution Centre moves from 30,000 m² to 100,000 m² and will create 62 jobs by the end of 2018 after a 2.1 million euros investment. • 2018 – Only five years after the opening of its new cab facility, on August 28th, AGCO launches the operations of its new Logistic Centre in Beauvais after investing another 11 million euros and creating 103 new jobs.

Antimicrobial Conference 2018 Between November 11 to13, Poultry Digest attended the Australian Veterinary Antimicrobial Stewardship Conference at Twin Waters on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. It was a simply sensational conference with a line up of speakers that not only represented Australia’s best minds on the globally critical issue of antimicrobial stewardship, but also included internationally renowned experts on the topic. A full report will appear in the December /January 2019 issue of Poultry Digest.

Dr Mark Schipp, Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer.

NEWS

Poultry Industry Golf Day in Camden NSW Poultry Digest attended the EW Layer Seminar on October 24 held at the Camden Lakeside Country Club and then the Poultry Industry Golf Day. Christine Clark, now General Manager at Premium Agri and fully involved in the layer industry, took notes while Poultry Digest took the pics. There was a great turn out with 61 players attending for the 1.00 p.m. shotgun start after the lunch and player briefing.

It was a great networking opportunity for all the poultry industry colleagues to get together over a game of golf and the dinner which followed the event. All proceeds went to the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia and the event was sponsored by EW Nutrition and Special Breeders Australia. And the results were: The Jock Smith Trophy went to Paul Micaleff with the Best Nett score 74.

The Best Scratch score was also won by Paul Micaleff with an 84. 1st Ambrose winners were: F. Heame, C. Crudgington, I. Huxtable, S. Hall with 58 7/8 2nd Ambrose winners were: G. Logan, T. McNamara, B. Scott, R. Freilich with 61 The Nearest to the Pin prize went to Gwyn Askham, the Longest Drive went to Russell Garnett and the Longest Putt to K. Hockey. 2

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Sativus – for a better understanding of research in agricultural industries Dr Kylie Hewson, from Agrifutures Australia, who is passionate about making science behind the research more understandable and transparent, has set up a consultancy called Sativus. “I’ve held a few different roles in the poultry industry in the last decade, and to varying degrees they have all required me to be able to understand and interpret scientific information from all facets of poultry production,” Kylie explained. “There’s no way I can be an expert on it all and I used to disparage the fact that whenever I was speaking with someone I’d try to bring the conversation down out of the high-level technical language, citing my lack of understanding of jargon and the field, but my need to understand what was being said. “Earlier this year I realised that I had actually refined a skill that could be particularly powerful in addressing issues related to extension and adoption of research in agriculture where the scientist and the end-user usually speak very different ‘languages’ and I had ended up in the middle as a ‘translator’. “The realisation that this could be particularly powerful for addressing issues with getting scientific outcome adopted in agriculture was a watershed moment for me. “So, I decided to turn what was something I disparaged into something that could help scientists convey their messages to broad audiences, and other agricultural stakeholders to understand science. “Sativus is Latin for ‘cultivate’ and I believe that by translating scientific outcomes into something that broad audiences can understand, it cultivates enormous possibilities for improving agricultural production systems through increased adoption of science.” So is it just science communications? “Science communication,” said Kylie, “is usually targeted at increasing awareness in the general community about science. “The purpose of Sativus is to use the general principles of science communication to translate the language of scientific outcomes with the specific purpose of improving extension and adoption of research outcomes in the field. ‘Science translation’ is also a term

that can specifically relate to taking R&D out of the lab and into the field, however, particularly in agriculture, the language translation also needs to occur for adoption in the field to be successful - this is where Sativus fits into the picture.” Should scientists learn how to ‘translate’? “Absolutely, and part of what Sativus does is to help scientists develop this skill to engage with the end-user of their research,” she said. “The difficulty for scientists, particularly in agricultural science, is that they need to articulate the outcomes of their research in both the scientific language related to their field and the language that the end-user will understand. Translating the language of scientific outcomes does not undermine the research - it merely dramatically increases its accessibility.

Dr Kylie Hewson, Agrifutures.

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Powering a diversified broiler poultry industry With surging electricity prices, intensive agricultural industries are looking for newer and smarter technologies to deploy on farm. So, when an opportunity arose to undertake a Nuffield Scholarship, 2016 Scholar Ben Edser seized it. Based in Brisbane, Ben is the Business Development Manager of an investment company that manages a broiler poultry enterprise, which produces around ten million broiler meat chickens each year in South Australia. Ben oversees the value-adding and sustainability arm of the business, and is responsible for the delivery of 700kw of solar power across the farm. As part of the business’ sustainability initiatives, around 45,000 tons of poultry waste is processed and composted for use across horticultural industries. With generous support from AgriFutures Australia, Ben undertook a Nuffield Scholarship to research whether poultry or other intensive livestock waste could be used as an alternative energy and revenue stream for farm businesses, and as a mechanism to reduce operational costs on farm. “The way things have been done in the past will not be the way things are done in the future. The energy industry is ripe for disruption with limited competition. There is a real need for consistent policy, as well as significant

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investment in several energy generating and storage technologies,” Ben said. “Intensive agricultural industries have experienced escalating electricity and gas costs over the past ten years, and for broiler poultry businesses, looking at renewables is going to be a key focus in the future as businesses strive for efficiency and lower production costs. “For most poultry businesses, around 75% of their operating costs fall into four key areas - labour, electricity, gas and bedding. If producers can tackle one or more of those areas, they can certainly gain a competitive edge. “My Nuffield Scholarship unveiled the latest alternative energy solutions and their applicability and commercial viability for our broiler poultry industry.” Ben travelled widely and his final report looks at key renewable energy technologies such as anaerobic digestion (AD) and solar in intensive poultry production. “I was most interested in AD, which is a technology that can be used to recover energy from organic waste. Prior to my scholarship, I thought that an AD plant where the majority of feedstock was chicken manure, would fail.” “In contrast to this, and to my excitement, I discovered that feedstock with high chicken manure content was

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Ben Edser, Nuffield Scholar. technically and operationally possible, and was successfully proven by two companies in Denmark and the US. “As a solution that can potentially generate up to three times the energy required to operate a traditional farm, and create an alternative income stream for producers by selling their excess power, this is really exciting.” Ben explains that large-scale investment in green energy technologies around the world has seen a substantial reduction in the cost of renewables, including in the solar photovoltaic (PV) space. “Today, implementing a solar PV installation at a broiler poultry operation is a viable investment, but location and season will mean there are variations in the intensity and energy generated.” “Scaling up this technology creates a diversified business opportunity where a network connection is cost-effective, and the exported power can be sold to a third party for a reasonable price. “In China I visited the largest solar panel producing factories in the world, including Trino Solar, Jinko Solar and Candania Solar. Their manufacturing process was productive, efficient and utilised robotics wherever possible, significantly driving down costs. “I was able to see their solar program first-hand, which focuses on storage and the use of battery technology, providing a great opportunity to explore the use of storage integration in solar, which is a crucial component in the overall business case here in Australia.” Ben’s report provides an in-depth analysis on the opportunities to convert waste into energy, and the feasibility of tailoring how renewables such as solar can be used in the broiler poultry industry.

NEWS

WVPA success for young Nigerian veterinarian At the 4th Asia Meeting of the World Veterinary Poultry Association (WVPA), held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the WVPA/Zoetis Young Poultry Veterinarian Award for 2018 was presented to Dr Mary Angani from Nigeria. Mary is currently in the third year of her PhD on novel diagnostics for coccidiosis at Nottingham University’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science in the UK, having previously gained her veterinary degree and her MSc in poultry medicine at Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria. After gaining her veterinary degree she worked with Nigerian poultry farmers educating them on better poultry production practices, especially in relation to Gumboro disease control which is a major cause of losses to the

Nigerian poultry industry. Six years ago she joined the veterinary college in Makurdi where she taught, undertook research and participated in community work. She always showed an infectious enthusiasm for her work and rose through the ranks to become a lecturer grade II in 2012 and grade I in 2017. For a young veterinarian she has already spoken at an impressive number of meetings, however she intends to return to her first love of helping Nigerian poultry farmers to improve their flocks. On returning to Nigeria, she will become a senior lecturer which will see her handling bigger roles and responsibilities. Professor Paul Ayuba, who nomi-

nated Mary for this award said “she has achieved so much in such a short time and her passion, enthusiasm and zeal will ensure that she remains a positive role model who will inspire up and coming generations.” C K Mah of Zoetis, sponsors of the award, added, “I have only known Mary for a couple of days but I can see why she is a worthy winner. She joins a prestigious list of previous winners from the USA, South Africa, India, Malaysia, the Philippines and the UK.” Nigel Horrox, President of the WVPA, indicated that the request for nominations for the 2019 Young Poultry Veterinarian Award will soon be made. This award will be presented at the XXI Global WVPA Congress in Bangkok, Thailand, in September 2019.

Scott McKenzie’s Vencomatic appointment Vencomatic Group has announced the appointment of Scott McKenzie as Sales Manager Australia and Pacific. The appointment coincides with current Sales Manager Simon McKenzie moving to the role of Director of Sales Asia/Pacific following the retirement of Peter Schreurs in December this year. Well known within the industry, Scott McKenzie takes up the role after several years in managements positions within and outside the poultry sector.

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Aviagenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Dr Eric Jensen addresses attendees at World Nutrition Forum in South Africa Dr Eric Jensen, Aviagen North Americaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vice President of Veterinary Services, addressed attendees at the World Nutrition Forum during October in Cape Town, South Africa. Aviagen is viewed as an industry leader in biosecurity and protecting its poultry breeding stock from harmful pathogens, and Dr Jensen was asked to share his knowledge on controlling salmonella in broiler breeders. Since 2004, the nutrition forum has served as a platform for an exchange of knowledge and expertise on important issues facing the industry, and this year the forum welcomed close to 800 poultry professionals from 80 countries. Dr. Jensen was also invited to attend a workshop

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focusing on food and feed safety and security activities in Africa. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was honored to address my distinguished industry colleagues at the World Nutrition Forum this year in Cape Town,â&#x20AC;? said Dr Jensen. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At Aviagen, helping our industry address food safety is a top priority, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why we value opportunities to share our expertise. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Biosecurity and disease prevention are areas where we can benefit others with our insight and proven methods. Globally, consumers desire poultry that meets their expectations, so the industry must work together to meet, if not exceed, these expectations.â&#x20AC;? Aviagen is a global poultry breeding company that develops pedigree lines for the production of commercial broiler chickens under the Arbor Acres, Indian River, and Ross brand names. The Rowan Range and Specialty Males are specialty breeding stock from Aviagen that offer greater flexibility for customers to meet specific or niche market requirements. The company is based in Huntsville, Alabama, USA with a number of wholly-owned operations across the United Kingdom, Europe, Turkey, Latin America, India, Australia, New Zealand, and the USA, and joint ventures in Asia. Aviagen employs more than 4,600 people and has a distribution network serving customers in more than 100 countries. For further information, please visit www.aviagen.com

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NEWS

Alltech expands its base with a new manufacturing facility in Pune, India Alltech, a global leader in animal nutrition, officially opened its state-of-theart manufacturing plant in Pune, India, on Oct. 27, 2018, with a ceremony attended by more than 150 industry stakeholders. With a production capacity of 25,000 tons per year, it is the largest organic trace mineral plant in Asia. Alltech India opened its office in 2001, with production operations in Bengaluru, India, beginning in 2004. Over the years, the company has grown twenty-fold, serving poultry, dairy and aqua feed mills and farmers to improve their efficiency and profitability. “When we outgrew our plant capacity in 2016 and decided to expand our business and invest in a bigger plant, Pune was the first choice,” said Dr Mark Lyons, president and CEO of Alltech. “Pune is one of India’s fastest growing cities. With a population of more than five million people, proximity to the port and speedy development, this was an ideal place for us to serve our customers in a more efficient way. “The Chakan industrial area is considered as one of the best,” noted Dr. Aman Sayed, managing director of Alltech India and regional director of South Asia. “The Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation has developed this area, which stretches 246 hectares, with basic as well as high-grade-quality facilities.” The Pune facility spans a total area of 132,000 square feet and employs 50 full-time team members. It features modern scientific technology and utilizes advanced quality systems. “The plant is equipped with features such as natural gas as its energy source for reducing carbon emissions, fire hydrant systems ensuring safety, and segregated docks for raw material and finished products, enabling free movement of vehicles and clear demarcation and traceability of material in and out of the facility,” said Sayed. “We have a fully-fledged lab for testing our raw materials and finished goods internally, ensuring that they meet our quality standards and guarantees before being shipped out to customers,” said Raghu Saraki, Quality Manager South Asia. “We are required to follow the Alltech Quality System and our Alltech

Q+ (Quality Plus) program, ensuring the quality, safety and traceability of every batch of product manufactured here.” The Alltech Quality System, or AQS, is recognised throughout the feed industry for its stringent standards. AQS delivers the same level of quality assurance and traceability in each of Alltech’s geographical markets, based on standardised processes designed to meet and exceed other third-party systems of certification as well as global regulations. The facility will soon obtain certifications such as ISO22000:2005 (for food

safety management), FAMI-QS certification (for European food standards) and ISO14000:2015 (for environmental management). Dr Lyons said that Alltech intends to continue making investments within the region, creating jobs and following its guiding ACE principle, referring to the company’s commitment to develop safe solutions for the Animal, Consumer and Environment. “The Pune facility exemplifies another milestone in Alltech’s efforts to strengthen its presence in the emerging Asian market,” Dr Lyons said.

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NEWS

Alltech opens inaugural Nepal office Global animal health and nutrition company Alltech, has strengthened its presence in Asia with the official opening of its Nepal sales and support office in the city of Kathmandu in October. Alltech serves feed manufacturers, producers, farmers and ranchers in more than 120 countries. It has had a presence in the Asia-Pacific market since 1986 through its first distributor in Japan and established its first Asian office in Beijing, China, in 1994. Alltech has been operating in Nepal for 16 years, and the company witnessed a 60% growth in its business within the country last year. Approximately 80% of Nepal’s population is engaged in agricultural work, and the agriculture sector contributes to nearly 30% of Nepal’s GDP. Dr Mark Lyons, President and CEO of Alltech, inaugurated the new regional office in Kathmandu. Also present were Steve Elliott, Global Mineral Director; Matthew Smith, Vice President of Alltech Asia-Pacific and Dr Aman

Don’t

Subin Shrestha, Regional Manager of Alltech Nepal, and Dr Mark Lyons, President and CEO of Alltech (right), together open the company’s first office in Nepal surrounded by other Alltech staff and members of Alltech’s South Asia team. Sayed, Managing Director of India and Regional Director of South Asia, along with managers and members of the Alltech team in South Asia. “The growth of the feed market here is quite significant, and we are the first animal health company to enter into the market,” said Mr Lyons at the opening of the office.

“Our team in Nepal is committed to supporting feed manufacturers and farmers as they meet the growing demand for meat and milk.” “Kathmandu was a sensible choice for us and for our clients,” said Mr Sayed. “Our goal is to ensure that producers in Nepal get the timely service and support they need.”

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