Boost performance with technical insights at the Pig & Poultry Fair

Egg and poultry producers will be able to get valuable insights into the latest developments in precision nutrition, health and welfare in the brand new technical hub at the British Pig & Poultry Fair in May.
Stemming from the popularity of the main forums, the new technical poultry hub has been created to provide visitors with take-home advice from expert speakers. Topics including nutrition, data management, legislation and technology will be covered and brought to life with inspirational farmer case studies.
Precision feeding for the modern broiler will be a key focus for event partner ABN, with Brian Kenyon, senior nutrition manager, hosting this session. “Precision feeding is the practice of meeting the nutrient requirement of animals as accurately as possible in the interest of safe, high quality and efficient production while ensuring the lowest possible load on the environment,” says Kenyon.
The industry norm is to feed at least three different diets in the first three weeks of a broiler’s life, with some significant changes in nutrient density. “This potentially creates periods of imbalance in the supply of key nutrients to the bird which can have significant impact on its growth and health.”
Mitigating these step changes in diet by accurately blending two balanced diets over this period can deliver improvements in bird performance as well as reducing feed costs, and visitors to the event can find out more in this session.
Improving bird health and welfare will also be under the spotlight in a session on how understanding and harnessing farm data can drive performance and productivity. Broiler producer Robert Lanning will provide a practical example of how he has used real-time data to micro-manage environmental conditions within his poultry sheds, improving bird uniformity and reducing mortality. With margins growing ever tighter, Suzy Ackerley, veterinary adviser at Poultry Sense, will also discuss how producers can continue to make further advances by enhancing data collection and analyses.
Technology for controlling shed environments is ever evolving and James Cooper at ebm-papst will be explaining how producers can use environmental data to help maximise bird performance and efficiencies through optimising housing conditions.
Other changes which producers should be aware of include the Lion Code’s recent update, requiring the removal of birds after a positive test for Salmonella. This will potentially cause huge costs to farmers, and Julian Sparrey from Livetec Systems and BFREPA vice chairman Trevor Sellers will be discussing producer options.
The session will summarise the steps producers should follow after a positive test, based on experience of depopulating Salmonella positive flocks. Sellers will also give an update on the BFREPA report about secondary cleaning and disinfection requirements for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) flocks, identifying the similarities and differences with the requirements following a Salmonella outbreak.
“The forum programme has always been popular at the British Pig & Poultry Fair, and we wanted to build on this by adding more technical, take-home content,” says event manager Alice Bell. “That is why we created the new hubs. In 2018, 80% of visitors planned to make changes to their business as a result of their visit. This year, with even more practical tips and advice, we hope that everyone can take home valuable information and ideas which will drive efficiencies in their own businesses.”