Facebook Twitter Instagram
    • FREE Email Newsletters
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • FREE Magazine Subscriptions
    •  
    Twitter LinkedIn
    Podcast
    Poultry News
    • Production
      • Broiler Production
      • Ducks
      • Egg Production
      • Game
      • Hatching
      • Housing
      • Turkeys
    • Processing
    • Business & Politics
      • Business
      • Economics
      • EU & Politics
      • Marketing
      • People
      • Training & Education
    • Welfare
      • Environment
      • Food Safety
      • Vet & Medication
      • Welfare
    • Feed
    • Genetics
    • New Products
    • Magazines
      1. June 2022
      2. May 2022
      3. April 2022
      4. February 2022
      5. January 2022
      6. December 2021
      7. November 2021
      Featured

      Protected: Innovation Supplement 2022

      By Michael BarkerJune 1, 2022
      Recent

      Protected: Innovation Supplement 2022

      June 1, 2022

      Protected: Poultry Business – June 2022

      June 1, 2022

      Protected: Poultry Business – May 2022

      May 6, 2022
    • Jobs
      • Browse Jobs
      • Post a Job
      • Manage Jobs
    • Events
      • National Egg and Poultry Awards
      • Poultry Fair
    Poultry News
    Events

    Managing slower growing birds on the agenda at Pig & Poultry Fair online forums

    Chloe RyanBy Chloe RyanApril 28, 20213 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

    Consumers are increasingly demanding higher welfare conditions for farmed livestock – and poultry is no different. The public wants outdoor-reared or extensively stocked chicken, so how can producers deliver that? That will be one of the topics at this year’s British Pig & Poultry online forums on 12 May. 

    According to Patrick Nicholls, Technical Sales Manager at Hubbard, it’s not as simple as it sounds. The answer, he says, lies in the genetics of the bird, combined with the feed it is given. “We have six different Premium breeder females and large choice of different males to select from and supply our breeders in every environment from almost the Arctic circle to Australia. There is a lot of genetic diversity to use.” When selecting the right breed, Nicholls says a producer must first look at what they’re looking for to produce. Do they want a 2.5kg bird at 49 or 56 days, or a 2kg bird at 70 days? Is it for indoor, free range or organic, and is there a feather colour requirement?

    In the UK, the two main Hubbard crosses for slower growing characteristics are JA787 and JA757; these are grown on free-range or organic farms and in enriched environment indoor systems. When it comes to management, the first few days are much the same as for conventional broilers in terms of the requirement for TLC. After that it’s down to the feed. “Diets will need to be tailored to the specific requirements of the breed and the production system.”

    Generally, the birds will be easier to manage, particularly if stocking rates are reduced, says Nicholls. In slower growing systems we tend to see health is normally good. Gut health also tends to be stronger, litter quality is significantly better, and liveability is excellent. “They are more active and range more than conventional broilers. I’ve also been told that the farmers themselves experience better job satisfaction with slower growing breeds.”

    So how big could the sector get in the UK? According to Nicholls, slower grown breeds currently comprise about 5% of the market. But in the Netherlands 100% of the retail market is slower grown. “I can’t see that happening to the same extend in the UK. There’s a balance to be found, but we could see slower grown birds make up 10-20% of the market in the next five years.”

    The forums are free to attend, to secure your place visit www.pigandpoultry.org.uk

    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Previous ArticleResearchers make breakthrough in fight against antimicrobial resistance in poultry
    Next Article Shoppers urged to buy a range of egg sizes to support hen welfare
    Chloe Ryan

    Editor of Poultry Business, Chloe has spent the past decade writing about the food industry from farming, through manufacturing, retail and foodservice. When not working, dog walking and reading biographies are her favourite hobbies.

    Read Similar Stories

    Events

    Vote for your Trade Supplier of the Year

    June 6, 2022
    News

    NFU raises over £6,000 for rural mental health charity

    May 13, 2022
    Poultry Fair

    How poultry can get smart and overcome its ‘massive’ sector challenges

    May 12, 2022
    Most Read

    Royal Veterinary College joins UK’s top scientists to combat increasing cases of bird flu

    June 23, 2022

    NFU: Government funding for Avian Influenza research is ‘positive step’

    June 23, 2022

    Farmers’ input sought for new animal welfare scheme

    June 22, 2022
    © 2022 Lewis Business Media. All Rights Reserved.
    Lewis Business Media, Suite A, Arun House, Office Village, River Way, Uckfield, TN22 1SL

    Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Terms & Conditions

    • AA Farmer
    • Farm Contractor
    • Pig World
    • OvertheCounter

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “ACCEPT ALL”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsREJECT ALLAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
    CookieDurationDescription
    AWSALBCORS7 daysThis cookie is managed by Amazon Web Services and is used for load balancing.
    cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary1 yearSet by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin, this cookie is used to record the user consent for the cookies in the "Necessary" category .
    PHPSESSIDsessionThis cookie is native to PHP applications. The cookie is used to store and identify a users' unique session ID for the purpose of managing user session on the website. The cookie is a session cookies and is deleted when all the browser windows are closed.
    Others
    Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
    CookieDurationDescription
    AWSALB7 daysAWSALB is a cookie generated by the Application load balancer in the Amazon Web Services. It works slightly different from AWSELB.
    explat_test_aa_weekly_lohp_2021_week_4517 days 8 hoursNo description
    ppwp_wp_session30 minutesNo description
    tk_ai14 daysGathers information for WordPress by themselves, first party analytics tool about how WP services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience.
    tk_qssessionGathers information for WordPress by themselves, first party analytics tool about how WP services are used. A collection of internal metrics for user activity, used to improve user experience.
    Advertisement
    Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
    CookieDurationDescription
    OAGEOsessionOpenX sets this cookie to avoid the repeated display of the same ad.
    OAID1 yearThis cookie is set when an AdsWizz website visitor have opted out the collection of information by AdsWizz service or opted to disable the targeted ads by AdsWizz.
    Analytics
    Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
    CookieDurationDescription
    _ga2 yearsThe _ga cookie, installed by Google Analytics, calculates visitor, session and campaign data and also keeps track of site usage for the site's analytics report. The cookie stores information anonymously and assigns a randomly generated number to recognize unique visitors.
    _gat_gtag_UA_31822138_71 minuteSet by Google to distinguish users.
    _gid1 dayInstalled by Google Analytics, _gid cookie stores information on how visitors use a website, while also creating an analytics report of the website's performance. Some of the data that are collected include the number of visitors, their source, and the pages they visit anonymously.
    tk_lr1 yearThe tk_lr is a referral cookie set by the JetPack plugin on sites using WooCommerce, which analyzes referrer behaviour for Jetpack.
    tk_or5 yearsThe tk_or is a referral cookie set by the JetPack plugin on sites using WooCommerce, which analyzes referrer behaviour for Jetpack.
    tk_r3d3 daysJetPack installs this cookie to collect internal metrics for user activity and in turn improve user experience.
    SAVE & ACCEPT
    Powered by CookieYes Logo