The new broiler breeder product, the Cobb MV male, has been introduced to the Brazilian poultry industry at a series of workshops across the country. The meetings were in Chapecóm State of Santa Catarina, Cascavel, Paraná; Campinas, Sao Paulo; Para de Minas, Minas Gerais; and Recife (Pernambuco).
In opening the workshops, Jairo Arenazio, Cobb general manager for South America, said the new male had been developed for greater robustness and adaptability to different environmental conditions as well as superior feed conversion.
Among the benefits of the new MV male are reduced feed consumption of about 30 grams per kilogram of live weight and a larger appetite, resulting in one to two days less in reaching the final processing weight.
Broiler specialist Matthew Wilson, Cobb technical services director for Europe, said development of the MV male began in 2011 with the target of greater adaptability to different processing weights and climatic conditions.
In selecting the new line, emphasis was placed on animal welfare, robustness and enhanced disease resistance as well as the performance traits. Breeders and broilers were tested in a very cold climate in Switzerland, in extreme heat in Saudi Arabia, and high humidity in South Africa. The line was also tested using different types of diets based on corn and wheat and, said Wilson, in all cases the MV male showed better welfare traits and economic results versus the MX male.
"These results demonstrate the full genetic potential of the MV male. In all types of environments, the male excelled in feed conversion and weight gain, and it also showed lower mortality, high fertility and high hatchability continuing characteristics of the Cobb MX male.”
Rodrigo Terra, Cobb product manager in Brazil, presented the results obtained from tests using four flocks of MV males housed in Brazil.
He said, "The existing MX male was already an improved male, with great feed conversion and high fertility, and now the MV male represents further Cobb evolution. The broiler showed higher weight gain of about 90 grams and approximately three points better feed conversion at commercial level. The tests also confirmed the product's robustness.”
At each workshop, Bernardo Gallo, Cobb technical support director for South America, introduced the new team of 13 specialists who will work with customers to help them benefit fully from the new male.
