Protecting against disease threats, boosting efficiencies and reducing emissions are at the top of many poultry producers’ agendas. And such topics will be firmly in the spotlight at this year’s British Pig & Poultry Fair, with expert speakers taking to the stage to explore how farmers can make the most of their broiler units.
In the specialist Poultry Forum, visitors can hear about the outlook for the poultry market in a headline session chaired by Ralph Bishop at Premier Nutrition, the panel for which will include David Neilson, commercial director at Avara Foods. “With favourable consumer trends alongside the industry’s most damaging disease challenges in recent times, this forum will be a fantastic opportunity to hear from different parts of the supply chain and gain their perspectives on the road ahead.”
In addition, at a time when avian influenza (AI) remains a huge threat to the industry, producers can find out what lessons have been learned from the past year, with an opportunity to question Gordon Hickman, exotic disease policy lead at DEFRA.
AI will also be a hot topic in the Innovation Forum, where producers can hear more about steps to reduce disease risk year-round. “Farmers are under increasing pressure to strengthen biosecurity, improve preparedness and make more data-driven decisions,” explains Julian Sparrey, Technical Director of Livetec. “This panel brings together vets, producers and biosecurity specialists to explore practical, year-round approaches to managing disease threats, covering cross-sector learnings and improvements in predictive modelling.”
Moving onto efficiencies, Phileo by Lesaffre will be leading a session on how managing the gut microbiome can help maintain animal health, productivity and profitability as part of the ‘new normal’ — with fewer traditional inputs available to farmers. “The gut microbiome is a central driver of immunity, reproduction and lifetime performance,” says Georgina Phillips, monogastric specialist at Phileo UK & Ireland. Using recent research, the session will highlight management tips and new tools to improve growth rates, feed conversion ratio and CO2 emissions.
Sticking to the topic of nutrition, Jefo will explore how second generation micro-encapsulation technology is helping to deliver precise intestinal nutrition while starving pathogens of key nutrients. This session will include case studies of proven performance improvements through greater metabolic efficiency and animal health.
Animal health is also intrinsically linked to the housed environment, and a team of experts will consider how to both design new buildings and retrofit existing sheds, to improve air quality, energy efficiency and animal welfare. “With buildings being a primary source of emissions and a major capital expense, producers need a net zero roadmap and an understanding of the latest low emission technologies,” says Bell.
Renewable energy is a key part of achieving this, and producers can learn all about the economic viability of pairing solar panels with battery storage. “By walking through live case studies, we’ll highlight the scenarios where battery storage delivers the strongest financial returns, from managing peak demand to improving resilience during outages,” says Jack Gawthrop, commercial manager at East Green Energy.
Also in the Innovation Forum will be a session with Lallemand Animal Nutrition looking at cost-effective measures to reduce ammonia in housing. Chaired by independent consultant Dom Charman, this session will examine how to measure ammonia, what its implications are for human and animal health, and how recent trials led to a 42% cut in emissions.
With more than 340 exhibitors set to attend, the Fair will give visitors the chance to explore the latest thinking, technology and practical solutions. “The whole industry will be under one roof, making it a great chance to exchange ideas, explore new opportunities and take-home insights that could make a real difference to your business,” says Jonny Lester, general manager at event partner ABN.
The British Pig and Poultry Fair is free to attend and takes place on 13-14 May at the NEC, Birmingham. For more information and to register for your free ticket visit www.pigandpoultry.org.uk.