WATT PoultryUSA - October 2011

Genetics plays large role in
poultry industry’s future
Genetics and selection for robustness are the keys for the poultry industry in the next ;ve
years, with nutrition, veterinary care and management playing supporting roles.
BY C.Z. ALVARADO

Current economics and questions surrounding the future of food agriculture are hot topics for people in today’s poultry industry. To address these topics, the Poultry Science Association recently sponsored a symposium in St. Louis addressing the future of the poultry industry.

Experts in poultry science examined the ;elds of genetics (Dr. Jim McKay, Aviagen),

Tapping the genetic potential
The poultry industry has been extremely
successful in supplying food
for our nation while keeping
the cost reasonable for con-
sumers. After all, poultry
is the most consumed meat
in the United States. The
reason the industry has been
so successful is improve-
ments in genetic potential
of breeds to achieve ef;cient production
standards with proper nutrition, environ-
mental management and health.

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Read more Poultry industry faces research challenges at www.WATTAgNet.com/25101.html Poultry breeders see paradigm shift with genomic selection at www.WATTAgNet.com/24577.html

vaccination/immune modulation (Dr. Hyun Lillehoj, USDA’s Agricultural Research Service), coccidiosis control (Dr. Greg Mathis, Southern Poultry Research) and antibiotic use (Dr. Bernadette Dunham, FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine).

Genetics Nutrition Environment Hatching Health ©RichardGriffin I Dreamstime.com

nutrition (Dr. Steve Leeson, University of Guelph), hatchery management (Dr. Mike Wineland, North Carolina State University),

Technology will play important role in poultry industry’s future
Single-stage versus multi-stage incubation: Flock performance measured at
processing plant
Total
condemnations,
%

Mortality, %

Avg. Wt. (Kg)

Feed
conversion

Single-stage 2.18 4. 34 2.166 Muklti-stage 3. 27 4. 35 2. 21 Source: Wineland, et al., 2009, North Carolina State University

0.76 0.96

Ef;ciency of poultry production involves less feed while maintaining the same growth rates, less environmental impact, more affordable products for consumers, less waste produced and more sustainable production. However, there are still continued challenges to poultry production. According to Lillehoj, these challenges include, but are not limited to, climate change, global food security and biosecurity.

More speci;cally, noted McKay, challenges can include demands for “clean stock” from consumers, producers, national programs and international trade. In addition, birds have to perform under a wide range of disease and environmental challenges.