Page 9 - National Poultry Newspaper

Possible solution for spotty liver disease
Ingham’s FY 2021 poultry sales up
DESPITE the impact of COVID, profits and output for Ingham’s continued to grow in the financial year 2021, with core poultry sales at 446,900 tonnes be- ing up 4.2 percent on the previous financial year’s result.
• Bumper Austral- ian wheat harvest in late 2020 of more than 30 million tonnes saw wheat prices ease dur- ing January-June
The figure is part of Ingham’s results re- leased recently for the year to June 30, with un- derlying net profit after tax at $86.7 million, up 57.4 percent on last year.
• January-June wheat prices firmed due to strong international demand, with inves- tor flows and physical commodity demand pushing some offshore grain markets higher
Underlying earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amor- tisation at $448.7 mil- lion was up 9.6 percent on the previous year.
• Higher than ex- pected export in Janu- ary-June have reduced stocks domestically in some regions, creating some domestic price volatility
Ingham’s chief execu- tive officer and manag- ing director Andrew Reeves said the compa- ny’s strong 2021 results were backed by solid volume growth and operational efficiency gains.
• Soymeal pricing has started to ease from highs seen in January-March. Further growth seen
“These strong finan- cial results are under- pinned by solid poultry volume growth and a recovery across the ma- jority of our key chan- nels during the year,” Mr Reeves said.
Ingham’s said it ex- pected to see consumer recovery restart when COVID vaccination rates increase and cur- rent lockdowns are lifted.
Ingham’s operates in Australia and New Zealand, and Mr Reeves said the entire Ingham’s team had contributed to the result.
In line with this, vol- umes are expected to show continued growth with new busi- ness across its channels – retail, quick service restaurant, food service, wholesale and export.
In Australia, core poultry volume growth of 3.9 percent was driv- en by greater demand as COVID-19 restrictions in place in the middle of the year were eased and removed, while New Zealand recorded growth of 6.3 percent.
In retail, Ingham’s and Woolworths have agreed in principle to an ongoing supply agree- ment for poultry prod- ucts.
Poultry inventories de- clined by $30 million as the company reduced excess frozen processed poultry stock that had built up as a result of the effects of COVID-19 disruptions and lock- downs late in 2020, and stocks are now within the desired band. Volatility in grain
Key projects for In- gham’s in the 2021 fi- nancial year included two new HatchTech hatcheries, with the Pa- kenham facility in Vic- toria now operating, and one at Muckenburra in Western Australia due to follow suit in around December.
Ingham’s is one of Australia’s major grain users and its Murray Bridge South Australia feedmill alone uses around 400,000 tonnes of grain annually.
The company’s re- sults point to further expansion in Western Australia, where a spin chiller was installed at its Osborne Park pro- cessing facility, which is currently processing around 360,000 birds per week.
The company said feed costs had stabi- lised in the six months to June, but volatility in international commod- ity markets has led to domestic pricing hold- ing firmer.
The spin chiller is the company’s largest single piece of equipment and cost around $8 million.
Ingham’s said it con- tinued to hold three to nine months forward purchase cover on key feed ingredients.
In New Zealand retail demand dropped due to reduced tourism as a re- sult of COVID.
Feed market obser- vations delivered in its 2021 financial year re- sults were:
Ingham’s 2021 results include the sale of its Hamilton feedmill and associated dairy feed business in New Zea- land for almost A$11 million.
Ingham’s said in- creased local travel due to closed state borders created a strong in- crease in demand from regional areas in the Australian food-service sector.
SPOTTY liver disease is an infectious disease caused by the relatively recently identified bacte- rium campylobacter he- paticus.
ing to reduce the usage of antimicrobials.
compared with untreated and challenged hens.
It has been increasing in prevalence in Australian egg-laying flocks due to an increase in birds farmed extensively, including free range and barn systems, where the chances of fae- cal-oral transmission of C hepaticus are increased.
In a recent manuscript, jointly published by Scolexia and RMIT Uni- versity in Poultry Science, a plant extract containing isoquinoline alkaloids was tested against an oral chal- lenge of C hepaticus.
Finally, the expression of the inflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 was reduced in the treated hens com- pared with the positive controls.
The only way to control spotty liver disease out- breaks nowadays is with the use of antibiotics.
The treatment also pre- vented a significant drop in egg mass that has been pre- viously seen to be induced by C hepaticus one week after challenge.
In conclusion, the preven- tive use of isoquinoline al- kaloids in the diet of free range egg laying hens may offer an aid in reducing the negative effects produced by a challenge with C he- paticus, reducing produc- tivity losses associated with spotty liver disease.
The current field evalua- tion of autogenous vaccines is continuing, with mixed results.
Dr Jose A Quinteros
Scolexia Animal and Avi-
an Health Consultancy Scolexia research facility.
Results showed a sig- nificant reduction in the amount of liver lesions found in the treated hens compared to the controls – untreated and challenged with C hepaticus.
That reduction in this marker could be related with a reduction in the in- flammatory response and liver damage.
Chicken liver affected with spotty liver disease.
Intensive animal produc- tion in Australia and the world are constantly aim-
Egg production was also improved in those hens treated with the alkaloid
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National Poultry Newspaper, October 2021 – Page 9