Page 1 - National Poultry Newspaper

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NATIONAL
Vol 4. No. 1 January 2021 National Poultry Newspaper PO Box 162 Wynnum 4178 Phone (07) 3286 1833 Email ben@collins.media
Big 2021 planned for poultry industry
I TRUST you all had great Christmas and new year celebrations.
lem in a controlled en- vironment the poultry research group at UNE developed a necrotic en- teritis disease model that is able to study whether and how antibiotic alter- natives can alleviate the impact of the disease on chicken health and poul- try production.
transporters.
“While we have found
by TAMSYN CROWLEY Director
It’s been a wet one for us here in Armidale, a stark contrast to a year ago.
indications that funda- mental improvements in animal health and nutri- ent use may alleviate the impact of enteric disease such as necrotic enteritis on chicken growth and production, the search for a definitive answer continues,” Assoc Prof Wu said.
While it was wonder- ful to have a break and a well-earned rest, I know many of you had your Christmas plans inter- rupted by COVID-19, as did I.
and questions by email- ing us at poultryhub@ ue.edu.au
gious and often fatal dis- ease that can decimate poultry farms.
Lead researcher Asso- ciate Professor Shubiao Wu said, “Our model infects meat chickens with pathogenic bacteria called clostridium per- fringens to study how antibiotics work and to search for alternatives.
“UNE is one of the top institutes globally that specialises in the ne- crotic enteritis research and we collaborate with major feed additive com- panies across world.
Though, I would like to focus on the suite of plans Poultry Hub has planned for 2021.
Looking to the future, below is an extract from an article contributed by Professor Bob Swick and Associate Professor Shubiao Wu on the race to find an alternative to antibiotics in poultry feed, as featured in our December newsletter.
Industry research co- ordinator for the Poultry Hub at the University of New England Profes- sor Robert Swick said, “We’re in a race against time to find a suitable alternative to antibiotics for the poultry industry.”
First, I would like to announce our next fund- ing round, which will open in early March, check our website for further details.
“The bacteria given at two weeks of age are enough to reduce growth but do not otherwise make the birds very sick.”
“We’re playing an es- sential role in the study to search for the antibi- otic alternatives and the outcome will make food production more sustain- able, not only in Aus- tralia but also globally.”
We have also been busy preparing for our under- graduate hackathon, apt- ly named ‘Chook Chat Hack’.
Antibiotics are widely used for the prevention, control and treatment of diseases and bacterial infections in human and animals.
“Not only to combat disease outbreaks in poultry, but also to ef- fectively manage the production costs of meat chickens.”
Alternatives examined so far include short and mediate chain fatty ac- ids, essential oils such as tea tree oil, brewer’s yeast extract, plant ex- tracts and reduced pro- tein in the diet.
The UNE poultry re- search team’s work has attracted a high level of industry support over the past 10 years, includ- ing funding of around $2 million and as at late 2020, the team has pub- lished 48 peer-reviewed papers, including many related to finding alter- natives to in-feed antibi- otics.
This event will focus on novel ideas and how we can create the next generation chicken.
It is also widely used to boost growth in livestock, including chickens.
Prof Swick explained that when antibiotics are removed from feed, birds may require up to an additional 10 to 20 percent more grain and protein meals to reach the same market weight as they did with the an- tibiotics.
Centred around en- gagement and the shar- ing of ideas, university students will be invited to form teams and sub- mit a short video detail- ing their ideas.
However, the rise in ‘superbugs’ or antibiotic- resistant bacteria linked to antibiotic use in ani- mal feed in recent years resulted in pushback from consumers and the medical community, and resulted in a ban on the use of in-feed antibiot- ics in Europe and other parts of the world.
Potential alternatives have been assessed that can improve gut health, control the immune system and intestinal microbiota, and regu- late the expression of enzymes and nutrient
Videos will be judged by a panel of industry experts and the winners will receive a cash prize.
To investigate the prob-
If you would like to be involved, stay tuned for our official announce- ment in early February.
In Australia, the man- date to remove antibiot- ics from feed is volun- tary but fast food and supermarkets require their chicken meat to be free of antibiotics.
We will also be run- ning PoultryGrad mid- year and a suite of schol- arships for honours stu- dents.
The best way to stay up to date is to check out the programs page at poultryhub.org
While good news for consumers, the reduced use of antibiotics in ani- mal feed has resulted in more frequent outbreaks of animal-enteric dis- eases, including necrotic enteritis, a highly conta-
PHA looks forward to engaging with you over the coming year.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with your ideas
NFF president and Liverpool Plains farmer Fiona Simson said panic buying and temporary su- permarket shortages had caused angst for many Australians.
Females were also more likely to be more con- scious of the source of their groceries at 31 per- cent, compared to men at 24 percent.
“It is logical that Australi- ans have taken a greater in- terest in the origin of their meat, dairy, eggs, bread, fruit, vegetables and more,” Ms Simson said.
National Agriculture Day celebrates the plenti- ful, quality, safe and sus- tainable food and natural fibres grown in Australia and the farmers behind it.
“Inquiring consumers will have been pleasantly surprised to find that up to 96 percent of the food on their supermarket shelves is home grown.
“Importantly, AgDay is also an opportunity for farmers to have an on- going conversation with consumers about how and where our food comes from,” Ms Simson said.
“All Australians should take comfort in the fact that Australia is one of the most food secure nations in the world.
“Supply chain disrup- tions and a return to home cooking brought Austral- ians back to basics and in effect, closer to farmers.
“Every year we produce up to two thirds more food than we can consume at home.”
“A deeper connection and understanding be- tween farmers and con- sumers are essential to NFF’s goal for agricul- ture to be Australia’s most trusted industry by 2030.”
Photo: Atoms on Unsplash
Australians more
aware about their
food origins
RESEARCH from the National Farmers Feder- ation shows that almost one quarter of Austral- ians said that COVID-19 had made them more conscious of where their food comes from.
was greatest in older Aus- tralians, with 1 in 3 over 55 reporting to now think more about the origins of their food.
The increased interest
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