The advantages of the new Cobb MV male were outlined to more than 200 delegates at seminars for the Chinese market held in Kaifeng, Henan Province, and Haicheng, Liaoning Province.
“We are excited to see the improvement in the broilers from the MV males,” said Chanchai Chaikittiporn, Cobb technical service manager for China, sharing broiler data analysis with the audience. “From the field data we’ve collected, we are seeing superior livability and feed conversion, and ultimately a better European Production Efficiency Factor.”
Dr. Alvin Arucan, Cobb regional technical service manager, stated: “You’ve probably seen this in your operation already – our data indicate the MV male will have at least the same or 1% better hatchability than our previous male, but at least 2% superior hatch to competing breeds. This male requires a lower male/female ratio, which can reduce feed cost for your operations.”
Neal Scanlon, Cobb technical service manager, spoke about female management. “If your birds have the correct fleshing scores, appropriate fat reserves and standard bodyweight at 20 or 21 weeks, you should light stimulate your birds at 147 to 154 days,” he said. “If the birds are ready, do not wait any longer for light stimulation. Manage the fundamentals well to obtain good uniformity and you should be able to achieve superior production performance.”
The purpose of the four-day seminars was to introduce the new male to the customers in China and discuss some of the differences that Cobb is expecting.
With about 40 million parent stock produced each year, China is Asia’s largest broiler market. Cobb and its distributor in China, Beijing Poultry Breeding Company, have invested heavily to supply the market with top quality parent stock chicks.