Page 8 - National Poultry Newspaper

Researchers develop tissue tests to detect emerging bird flu strains
THE research project hopes to create tissue tests to support disease surveillance measures by identifying strains of bird flu that could become more danger- ous.
neke Vervelde said, “We know that mild H5 H7 strains can become very dangerous, but it is becoming clear that other mild strains are to our surprise becoming more virulent.”
The team will also as- sess how these viruses interact with wild birds and poultry to under- stand the potential risks from viruses that pass between the two groups.
Led by the University of Edinburgh’s Roslin Institute, the project will focus on both mild and more severe strains associated with recent outbreaks.
“It is critical we seek to better understand the risks associated with these potentially harm- ful viruses.”
Experiments will test the impact of the strains on various tissues to check for signs of se- vere disease that would be expected in domestic or wild birds
The results could identify the risks linked to emerging strains, so those with a high poten- tial for disease can be better managed.
As part of the project, researchers will seek to discover the biological factors that cause sev- eral low-risk avian flu strains to become more dangerous.
The project is a col- laboration with Royal GD Animal Health in the Netherlands, the University of Veteri- nary Medicine in Han- nover, Germany, the National Veterinary Research Institute of Poland, and the Nation- al Food Chain Safety Office Veterinary Di- agnostic Directorate in Hungary.
Scientists say the out- comes could also sup- port ongoing global sur- veillance measures for avian flu.
They will do this by manipulating the ri- bonucleic acid of select influenza strains in the laboratory to identify the genetic code linked to the risk of harmful disease.
Roslin Institute pro- ject lead Professor Lon-
The research project hopes to create tissue tests to support disease surveil- lance measures by identifying strains of bird flu that could become more dangerous.
Partnering with Coles to bring higher welfare standards to poultry production, Hazeldene Chickens promotes itself as a pioneer of RSPCA Approved chicken in 2011.
Large poultry producer up for sale
HAZELDENE Chickens has been placed on the market at a time when protein production com- panies remain in strong demand by prospective acquirers.
Sadly, Jack was killed in the war and so, over the next 70 years Dick devoted his life to turning those 200 fowls into a thriving poul- try business.
ism and ultimate success saw the establishment of free-range chicken coops at Lockwood.
and frozen products.
The company is on the
Based in Bendigo, cen- tral Victoria, the Hazeldene story began in 1938 when Jack Hazeldene left Ben- digo to pilot Wellington bombers during World War II, leaving the task of car- ing for his 200 fowls to his 10-year-old brother, Dick.
Hazeldene’s has its roots in Kangaroo Flat, a sub- urb of Bendigo in Central Victoria, where it began in various types of hand-built shedding and machinery.
Hazeldene’s Chicken Farm was incorporated in 1957 and has grown rapidly ever since.
market when revenue for poultry meat farming in Australia is expected to rise by 1 percent in the 2021 financial year, according to IBISWorld.
Across its farming, hatching and processing business, Hazeldene produces free-range chicken, RSPCA Approved chicken and an extensive range of fresh and frozen products.
Across its farming, hatch- ing and processing busi- ness, Hazeldene produces free-range chicken, RSP- CA Approved chicken and an extensive range of fresh
Working on the sale is advisory firm PwC.
Dick and Mavis Ha- zeldene became a formida- ble partnership in 1951.
With breeding and rearing farms, a hatchery, growing farms and a processing fa- cility now scattered across central Victoria, the heart of the business still lies in the unassuming country area of Lockwood.
The global pandemic has limited demand from food- service establishments for poultry in the past year, as restrictions on movement and gathering have forced many venues to limit their operations.
Their drive, professional-
Behind Ingham’s Chick- en and Baiada, Australia’s third largest poultry pro- ducer may sell for about $350 million.
But industry revenue is forecast to return to growth over the next five years, as improving demand conditions support higher poultry consumption and prices.
Partnering with Coles to bring higher welfare stand- ards to poultry production, the business promotes itself as a pioneer of RSPCA Ap- proved chicken in 2011.
One of the challenges for the poultry industry has been strong price compe- tition, with supermarkets Woolworths, Coles and ALDI all competing for market share and rising costs.
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Page 8 – National Poultry Newspaper, May 2021
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