Recovering broiler breeder performance delivered a larger than expected supply of chicks to a domestic industry dealing with sharply falling meat prices at the end of 2022.
Compound feed production for all species is thought to have contracted in the European Union last year, with inflation and disease outbreaks largely to blame.
The new initiative looks to pool and disseminate new science and best practice to help European broiler producers raise standards in the areas of sustainability, welfare and health.
We must adjust our thinking on feeding hens housed in cage-free systems to allow for their increased movement, social interaction and exposure to environmental hazards.
Cage free does not necessarily mean free-range layers. Hens are still kept in-house on floors with bedding material or in open aviaries (multi-storied cages with open access).
Education is essential not only for ensuring that poultry and egg farms are as productive as possible, but also to ensure that their practices contribute to the sector’s sustainability.
Brazil is often criticized for failing to care for its natural resources, but is this really the case? Are the country’s livestock producers being unfairly blamed?