ICAR – Directorate of Poultry Research, Indian Institute of Oilseeds Research, Bharthi Vidyapeet, Pune are organising an Online Interactive meet on “Promotion and Production of Omega – 3 Enriched Eggs in Poultry” on 17 Feb 2021.
Members from poultry industry, researchers, feed millers and farmers are expected to attend the webinar.
Online link to join the meet : https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/865117757
The details of the event are as under:
Digesting feed and absorbing nutrientsDigestion of feed can be divided in two distinctive processes: (1) the mechanical digestion by chewing, grinding, churning and mixing in upper gastrointestinal tract (mouth/crop and stomach) and (2) chemical digestion using enzymes and bile acids to break down feed material into its constituent components in the small intestine. Nutrients are absorbed in the small intestine which has a large inner surface area due to folds of the epithelial layer (villi) and presence of microvilli on the enterocytes within the epithelial layer.
Intestinal integrity
Intestinal integrity is the ability of the GIT to act as a physical barrier, preventing the translocation of pathogens and potentially harmful molecules such as mycotoxins and endotoxins. It is considered to be mainly maintained through (A) the mucus layer, covering the epithelial cells, and (B) tight junction proteins, connecting the epithelial cells. Impairment of the intestinal integrity may lead to microbial translocation (pathogens and toxins such as endotoxins), possibly causing inflammation.
Gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT)
The GIT is considered to be the largest organ of the immune system as more than 70% of the cells of the immune system are located there. The GALT comprises of set of cells such as mesenchymal cells, dendritic cells, lymphocytes and macrophages located beneath the mucus layer and the single layer of epithelial cells. The main function of the GALT is to recognize and respond to pathogenic stimuli, without mounting an inflammatory response when it processes antigens from food or the commensal microbiota.
The gut microbiota is a vast group of microorganisms including bacteria, viruses and fungi residing predominantly in the hindgut, and that lives in symbiosis with the host. A healthy and well-balanced microbiota is key for a healthy animal as the gut microbiota contributes to the intestinal integrity, the digestion of nutrients and supports the immune system. Various stress factors can affect the gut microbiota and cause an imbalance or dysbiosis in the bacterial population by decreasing the beneficial bacterial population and increasing the unfavourable bacterial population.
Optimal gut health depends on the intestinal integrity, the mucosal immune system and the microbial population, and their interactions. Under ideal conditions, these components are in balance and most dietary nutrients are directed towards growth and production. However, modern production systems expose animals to various stress factors throughout their life cycle. These stress factors, such as pathogens, toxins, heat stress, vaccinations, feed quality and feed transitions, can lead to an imbalance between the intestinal integrity, the microbiota and the immune system. As a result, digestion and absorption of nutrients become ineffective and more nutrients are used by the immune system, at the expense of the zootechnical performance.
The increasing genetic potential of our livestock and intensive production systems together with the clear and inevitable need to move away from anti-microbial growth promoters requires alternative strategies to support and maintain an optimal gut health for improved animal welfare and performance.
Nowadays, feed additives have a crucial role to play in strengthening intestinal health and reducing antibiotic use by:
Global feed additive company Perstorp appoints Dr. Satyajit Jagtap to lead the sales activities for the Animal Nutrition business in the Indian subcontinent.
Perstorp’s Animal Nutrition Business has an ambitious growth strategy in Asia Pacific. Its portfolio is based on organic acids and esters of organic acids such as butyric and propionic acid. These solutions have exhibited highly effective properties in improving animal growth performance, gut heath and preservation, making them ideal candidates to support the transition to Antibiotic Growth Promoter (AGP) free production.
Dr. Jagtap will be responsible for continuing Perstorp’s growth in the Animal Nutrition Business in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal, and will continue to build on market presence and sales availability. His strategic focus will be on feed additives that support gut health, feed hygiene and water hygiene.
Jagtap has more than 17 years of experience in the animal nutrition industry, working at both multinational feed additive companies and local feed mills. He holds a Master’s degree in Animal Nutrition and a Bachelor’s degree in Veterinary Science.
NECTRA, France has developed an innovative system for Hatcheries where eggs arriving directly from farms get the processing done directly on the eggs trays.
NECTRA, the leading French manufacturer and supplier of Hatchery and Laboratory automation equipment (for Hatchery) has developed an award-winning innovation (at Eurotier 2021) called ‘’SMART’’ for hatching egg REFILLING made directly on tray. The innovation provides an ON TRAY ORDERLY EGG REFILLING SYSTEM // NO ROCK & ROLL ORDERLY REFILLING.
Current Practice:
Currently hatching eggs collected from Farms can only be collected by being rolled over on belt conveying System. The eggs from different source are all rolling on the same conveyor until they get processed, separated by weight, and packed small end down (air chamber up) into setter trays to be incubated.
In very large companies, with large number of farms (often in Asia but not only) it is preferred to process all the eggs in a same processing center within the hatchery where hatching eggs from various farms are brought on egg trays or directly on incubation stackable setter trays to save cost, unloaded onto a conveyor and start rolling to be processed.
Disadvantages of old collection system :
The Innovation: In Tray “NO ROCK & ROLL ORDERLY REFILLING TECHNOLOGY”
The new SMART refilling technology by NECTRA is part of an innovative system where the eggs arrive directly on incubation trays from the farm and get all the processing stage directly on the eggs tray, weighing the eggs, checking and removing or repositioning upside-down eggs but most important of all being able to refill random empty spot in tray whether the trays are mostly empty or mostly full in a single movement and in a very fast manner and without egg rolling.
This technology allows empty egg position randomly shared within a tray to be filled up automatically at high speed and in one single deposit regardless of how many eggs need to be refilled and regardless of their random repartition. Therefore, egg can be transferred from any type of farm egg trays into any other type of incubation trays in a fast manners regardless of whether the two trays match of not (no common divider factor between egg number of each tray) . it is done fast and in one shot.
It allows completion of incubation trays automatically without manual intervention regardless of the shape variation between farm trays and incubation trays and regardless of the number of eggs to move. It uses several NECTRA Contactless technology to detect the air chamber and remove or reposition the upside-down eggs. Until today handing hatching egg is quite time consuming so the industry was forced to transfer r hatching eggs on belt and let them roll hundreds of times …. therefore, increasing significantly the cracks and cross contamination of breeder hatching eggs and still displaying 2 to 4% upside-down.
With the SMART system, hatching eggs are no longer rolled; They are initially either collected or transferred directly on farm or hatchery setter trays. The SMART refilling technology process them directly on the trays without removing them for quality & crack checking and for individual egg weighing. Upside-down eggs are identified without contact and returned in the right position automatically ( Or manually); During the process eggs may be separated into various weight category directly on setter trays Any empty position in any tray is refilled automatically by the SMART refilling system. The system is composed of 3 parallel conveyors; the first one carries the trays to be refilled either in part of wholly, the second one carries the freely moving cups being filled up with one egg each and the third one carries freely moving empty cups.
The eggs are first transferred on moving cups able to move freely on a belt. At the start and at the end of the belt the cups filled with eggs pile one behind another to generate the exact shape of the tray to be refilled. Eggs on cup cannot hit or touch each other. Empty cups are removed by the ‘’SMART’’ innovative system able to refill eggs into trays or onto cups while at the same time removing cups without eggs on a side conveyor where they will return to get filled up.
The SMART refilling system for the first time provides a safe and sane solution to process hatching eggs at the hatchery and minimizes cracks, bioburden and shell contamination….. and even allows you to identify and save 2 to 4% of your eggs set upside-down in a contactless manner.
Source: NECTRA , France / EUROTIER 2021
Novus International, Inc., the global leader in nutrition and health solutions for the animal agriculture industry, announced plans to redefine its business through an enhanced focus on gut health and innovation. Agrivada – the Missouri-based company is making good on its strategy with a new partnership.
Agrivida, a privately held biotechnology company based in Massachusetts, was founded in 2003 by scientists from MIT who discovered a way to incorporate feed additives directly into corn grown for production animals. By having the additive inside of the grain, the molecules are more efficiently absorbed, and producers can improve both animal performance and their bottom line.
The partnership combines Novus’s nearly 30 years of research, sales and marketing experience with Agrivida’s unique technology, allowing both companies to grow the customer base as well as explore new innovative products and solutions through R&D collaboration.
Novus is making Agrivida products available to its customers in the U.S. immediately while registration is underway to expand to other countries.
For more information on Novus visit www.novusint.com. For more information on Agrivida visit www.agrivida.com.
Source: Novus International
This article talks about how you could strengthen recruitment and selection process by making strategic decisions. Importance of internal talents and employee retention is focused upon. Also, this article provides few steps in making your hiring process effective and reduce hiring errors. The importance of coordinated efforts from all functions too is highlighted.
One of the things this pandemic has highlighted is the need for a well trained and engaged employees. Several CEO
surveys have concluded that getting right talent happens to be one of the top challenges for the CEOs. Our animal nutrition industry is no different as we are witnessing instances where teams have delivered while some others have not been so successful. What makes hiring difficult? Why some organizations are successful in attracting/retaining talents while several others struggle. We will examine these issues in this article.
To me there are two fundamental issues in how we hire today. They are:
Let us study them in detail here. On the first issue of dependence on external hiring, studies suggest that the percentage of positions filled with internal candidates has gradually declined over the past decades to below 15% now. Advantage with an internal candidate is that they need very little time to settle down and perform in the new role compared to an external candidate for the same roll where it takes about 1-2 years for them to deliver. When the organization predominantly looks to fill open positions with external hires, there is very little incentive for existing employees to stay back and grow. They start spending significant amount of time searching for opportunities outside the organization. Moreover, filling a position with internal candidate is very quick when compared to an external hire. I am not suggesting that all positions need to be closed with internal candidates. Please have a systems in place to provide opportunity to our existing employees before we start looking at the market. Internal movement also causes a cascading effect as we will need to fill the position vacated by the internal candidate. This creates lot of opportunities and helps an organization in managing employee aspirations.
On the second issue of inability to retain talent, let me state that studies suggest that about 95% of the positions that are closed today are replacement positions. This is a clear evidence of our inability to retain talents and key employees. Also, studies find out that more than two thirds of these employees who leave say that they left because of better career prospects. Question is why the current organization can’t provide that opportunity to these employees instead of making them leave. Problem with refilling an open position is that it takes lot of time and resources. On an average every position takes about 45-90 days for a closure. If this was a sales position, it causes direct revenue loss. Worst, that business is bagged by a competitor and we need to spend three times the resources to get back that business. Apart from time and resources, frequent re filling also causes a bad reputation in the market as more people come to know that same or similar positions are always open with the organization. Not to mention the fact that in several cases organizations end up paying more for the recruit compared to the person whom he/she replaced.
We come the question of what we could do to address these issues so that we could be very successful in the market. Based on my experience, I am suggesting the below measures.
While writing a JD for a position, managers need to take stock of the skills that are available in their function and decide which skill is needed. For instance, the head of R&D (during my last corporate stint) was smart enough to build a team of scientists with varied specializations like biochemistry, microbiology, molecular biology, organic chemistry etc. Over a period of 2 years, he was successful in building a strong team that had the expertise to take on projects on wide variety of subjects and species. Today, this R&D function tops in terms of innovation, paper publications and is a source for talents for other business units.
Managers/Functional heads need to have such a long-term thinking while hiring.
Investing on freshers pays dividends in long run as they could be trained in your way of functioning. Even before you decide to hire freshers, you may need to identify projects for them and have a structured training. They should be assigned to a mentor who shapes them. In my experience I have hired freshers in my HR function who have grown to occupy managerial positions in a span of 4-5 years.
Conclusion– As we have seen, recruitment requires a well-coordinated effort and must be data driven. Like any process, it too needs constant monitoring and correction. Recruitment needs to have a strategic approach by all functions and not just the HR function. Jack Welch says, “If you pick the right people and give them the opportunity to spread their wings and put compensation as a carrier behind it, you almost don’t need to manage them”. So True
About the Author: Mr. Pattabiraman Nagarajan is a HR professional, Consultant, trainer and an ICF certified coach. Has managed organization change and aligned HR practices to ensure business growth. He holds master degree in Social work and a PG diploma in Business management from IIM Trichy. He could be reached at npattabiraman@relyonus.in
The 2021 Global Feed Survey representing 142 Countries, was conducted by Alltech – both quantitatively and qualitatively and the analysis evaluates country, regional and global trends.
2021 Global Feed Survey Excerpts :
GLOBAL FEED PRODUCTION: 1% growth globally, 1,187.7 million metric tons produced.
The year 2020 was challenging for many industries and the feed, agriculture and food industries were no exception.
The survey showed that, regionally, COVID-19 had varying effects. Some regions, such as Africa, cited more challenges than others, and in many cases, this was a country-by-country determination. The rise of e-commerce was seen around the world and is expected to be ongoing for food purchasing in the future.
Feed prices greatly affected producers. Additional challenges to these prices included government regulations of more sustainable practices, such as lowered nitrogen use and the reduction or elimination of antibiotics.
FEED MILLS: 3% reduction in Feed Mills growth.
It is estimated that nearly 1,000 feed mills closed in the last year. Many other countries fluctuated between an increasing and decreasing number of mills open.
TOP TEN COUNTRIES
The top 10 countries are responsible for 63% of global feed production. They have average feed costs around 9% less than the global average and have an average growth of 2%.
LAYERS:
Poultry meat and eggs are generally considered universal foods. Some industry challenges arose from the widespread shutting down of restaurants. Disease, such as avian influenza, was also a concern and remained a challenge for many in the business. However, offsetting any declines in feed production due to these challenges was an increased interest in eggs as an inexpensive protein, particularly for those in economically suppressed areas.
Globally, layer feed production remained flat. Disease, such as avian influenza, has affected Europe, especially in the end of latter part of the year.
There is a greater movement toward antibiotic-free (ABF) feed production especially in parts of Europe and Latin America. In some countries, such as Italy, the regulation of ABF is done through the government. Other countries, such as the U.K. and Brazil, are seeing producers adopt practices to comply with consumer demands.
BROILERS:
The changes in broiler feed production were, in some cases, a direct result of COVID-19 and its effect on the restaurant and food-service businesses. Although this was generally considered a short-term effect, there were instances of permanent change. Disease, such as avian influenza, also affected the industry. Overall, however, the industry fared well due to the short growth cycle and the easy adaptability of production methods.
Globally, broiler feed increased by 1%. Feed production growth was led by Asia-Pacific —
especially China, but also Bangladesh and Vietnam — as well as Latin America, including Brazil, Venezuela and Chile.
Some declines in broiler feed were seen initially as the result of the closing of restaurants and hotels, although this was later offset by increased at-home cooking, particularly as this meat is considered low-cost and easy to cook.
On antibiotic free broiler meat, there were increased investments in some countries, such as Brazil. Others are adopting the practice of ABF to meet consumer demand.
PIGS: Pig feed increased globally by 1% (286.36 MMT in 2020 as compared to 282.58 MMT in 2019).
DAIRY: Globally, dairy feed production remained relatively flat (128.81 MMT in 2020, 128.77 MMT in 2019).
AQUACULTURE: The overall global growth of 3% was the strongest among all of the primary
protein species (49.39 MMT in 2020 as compared to 48.04 MMT in 2019).
PETS: The pet industry was one of the few industries that reaped benefits from COVID-19 and the related lockdowns, with pet adoption rates soaring. (29.33 MMT in 2020 as compared to 27.09 MMT in 2019).
Source : 
Broiler performance is graded in India by comparing Average body weight, Average day gain, FCR, CFCRs, Livability and EEF/PPI (European Efficiency Factor or Poultry Performance Index). 9 out of 10 Poultry Production companies in India work on performance optimization. They formulate very high-density feed so that they can grow birds to be marketed early say at 32 to 35 days with very low FCRs (some getting even below 1.4). They celebrate these achievements and proudly share this performance in forum and medias.
There are also some poultry producers who work on Profit optimization. Their performance is average to low, but they make good profits silently. They don’t pat their backs for good performance and achievement but are growing month on month in their business.
Impact of 1-point FCR difference:
Let’s start by calculating what is the impact of 1-point FCR. The cost of 1-point FCR depends upon the cost at which feed has been made and reference FCR. For e.g., the same 1-point FCR cost will be higher for feed calculated at ₹30/kg than at ₹29/kg. Similarly cost of 1-point FCR will be higher when reference FCR is 1.5 than it is 1.6 or above.
Equations used to calculate are:
Current FCR * Feed cost per kg = Feed cost per live kg
Feed cost per live kg/Projected FCR = Future feed Value
Future feed value – Original feed cost = Cost of 1-Point FCR in ₹
(Figure 1 – Cost of 1-Point FCR in different field perspectives)
In the above table, cost impact of 1-Point FCR at different feed cost and standard reference FCR is mentioned in ₹. From the table is can be made out that if feed cost is ₹30/kg and someone getting 1.60 FCR for his farm cost of 1-Point FCR is ₹0.19 or 19 paisa in terms of Feed costing.(Figure 1 – Cost of 1-Point FCR in different field perspectives)
Production cost and margin impact:
Similar mathematical modeling can be applied for calculation of production cost as well as profit optimization also. Assuming current chicks’ price ₹45/unit (its high but this is the prevailing rate), management cost ₹4/bird and standard liquidation/selling weight 2.2kg/bird production cost has been calculated at various feed rates.
(Figure 2 – Broiler Production cost/kg in different field perspectives)
One thing which can be clearly made out from the table is, for profit optimization only better (lower) FCR is not important but also formulation cost. For someone formulating very high-density feed at ₹32/kg and getting 1.50 FCR will have production cost of ₹70.27 whereas moderate density feed formulated at ₹28/kg and getting FCR 1.70 will have production cost of ₹69.87 and will run with more profits.
Some field veterinarians may disagree to this calculation as they have observed more mortality and field challenges with birds growing slowly. They complain of issues related to gut health, respiratory tract after 20 days and feel good when birds are liquidated at 33-35 days. But with good gut health and respiratory infection prevention plan in place, disease challenges can be easily managed. Also, production is a big stress in birds, slow growing birds are less prone to immunosuppression and metabolic disorders. Lower Average Day Gain doesn’t always mean higher mortality which can also be corelated to broiler grown on welfare norms and free range in western world.
Interpretation and commercial use:
(Figure 3 –Line graph demonstrating FCR, PC and Feed Cost)For references, questions and feedback write to Novel Life Consultants, Bangalore. Email id is novellife.bangalore@gmail.com and contact no Landline 080-41326221 Mob- 9611337444)
(This article is a work of Novel Life Consultant and is for public information purpose only. This has been written to share knowledge on poultry nutrition and is not a legal information or statement. Reference to any specific product or entity doesn’t constitute an endorsement or recommendation by the company. The views expressed by the writer are their own and their appearance does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.)
On 1 Feb 2021, EW Nutrition completed the acquisition of the Feed Quality and Pigments business from Novus International, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, EW Nutrition becomes the owner of world-renowned brands such as Santoquin® feed preservative, SURF●ACE®, a feed mill processing aid, and feed ingredient Agrado®. The acquisition also gives EW Nutrition ownership of a state-of-the-art production facility in Constantí, Spain.
“This transaction will bring additional value to our customers, further reinforcing EW Nutrition’s global market position, and increasing its product portfolio and geographical reach,” says Michael Gerrits, Managing Director of EW Nutrition. “The products acquired will further support EW Nutrition’s mission to mitigate the impact of antimicrobial resistance by providing comprehensive animal nutrition solutions.”
Dan Meagher, President and CEO of Novus International, Inc., explained that the sale is part of Novus’s Project Destiny, a multi-year plan to focus the company’s resources on core platforms and emerging technologies, with a focus on gut health.
“We are pleased to have found a committed owner for these platforms so that they may continue bringing value to the industry,” said Meagher. “This event is a significant milestone in our Project Destiny journey. Now that our Feed Quality and Pigments platforms are in good hands with EW Nutrition, we are excited to focus our energies on developing new, innovative technologies into meaningful nutrition solutions for our customers.”
A robust services agreement between the companies is governing critical activities to ensure customers are supported through the transition. The range of products is immediately available to customers.
EW Nutrition is a global animal nutrition company that offers integrators, feed producers, and self-mixing farmers comprehensive, customer-focused solutions for gut health management, antibiotic reduction, young animal nutrition, toxin risk management and more. For details, visit https://ew-nutrition.com
Proteon Pharmaceuticals India invites you to join the FREE webinar on – Natural guard against E. coli – Ensure a better future of your farm.
Panelist – Dr. Sudheer Rukadikar and Ms. Justyna Andrysiak
Date: 9th February 2021
Time: 15:30 hrs to 16:30 hrs
Place: Zoom Meeting
Click here to register Free.
The webinar will cover:
Proteon Pharmaceuticals S.A., headquartered in Poland, is a leader in bacteriophage (phage) technology for livestock farming. It is the first company to develop precision bacteriophage based feed additives to combat bacterial infections in poultry.
