Winter 2012
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Shur-Gain’s
SEE INSIDE:
• Poultry progress and more to come...
• Coccidiosis: the hidden danger
• Research & development:
A productive year for Shur-Gain!
• Producer Profiles:
L & J Killough Farms − A successful transition
Leeming Farm Ltd. − A celebration of 25 years of farming
• Maximize your flock performance!
AT A GLANCE – Winter 2012 – Editorial
By Brian Terpstra,
Poultry Business Manager,
Shur-Gain
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The last 50 years have seen many performance improvements in the
poultry industry that have translated to increased growth and profitability
for poultry producers. Egg layers now produce almost an egg per day, 100
eggs more per year than in 1950. The time required to raise a 2-kg chicken
broiler today is just over five weeks, whereas in 1950 it took four months.
Performance improvements have helped make poultry products very
economical sources of protein and healthy food choices for consumers—
chicken consumption is now over 30 kg/person/year, more than double
the figure of 13 kg/person/year in 1975.
Genetic improvements have helped pave the way for many of these
benefits but, without the support of strong nutrition and sound poultry
management practices, these benefits would not be fully realized.
In this issue of “At a Glance,” you will read about our commitment to a
new program called “QUICK START–STRONG FINISH.” This program
includes new Broiler Starter Nutrition from Shur-Gain to enhance the early
growth and health of your chicken broilers. In order to maximize the full
benefits of this program, we are also offering on-farm management
support that includes a checklist used by our trained staff with poultry
producers to maximize flock performance.
We believe every flock deserves the best. By focusing on the starter phase,
we hope your flocks not only have a “Quick Start” but also a “Strong Finish.”
Happy reading!
Performance today can be significantly different between flocks with the
same genetics because of a shortfall in either nutrition or management
practices. When either one of these items is lacking in a broiler flock,
despite being placed on the same day with the same genetics, performance
can differ at marketing by as much as 300 grams of body weight and 25 points
of feed conversion resulting in the loss of thousands of dollars per flock.
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PAGE 2
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AT A GLANCE – Winter 2012 – Technical Article
By Marie Fredette, agr.,
Poultry Feeding Specialist,
Shur-Gain
& by Gilles Cyr, ing.,
Operation Manager, Les Embryons Lanaudière
and Commercial farms (Québec)
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Photo courtesy of Hybrid Turkeys
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Determined to always offer its clients leading-edge tools
and programs that address local producers’ needs, Shur-Gain
invested once again in 2011 in its R&D facilities.
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New turkey research facility
We are proud to announce our new turkey research facility, now in operation at our
Portage Farm, in Saint-Félix-de-Valois, Québec. The turkey barn houses 36 pens, each
with a capacity of up to 80 broiler hens or toms.
Interior of a broiler turkey research pen.
Our Portage Farm also houses a broiler chicken research barn, in addition to other
buildings used for validation trials in which we validate promising conclusive results
under normal breeding conditions prior to bringing our new products and programs
to the market.
Canada-Europe research project on laying hens
Shur-Gain is part of the Nutreco group, a global research leader in animal nutrition.
Our Saint Gabriel farm, located in Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon, produces eggs destined
for vaccine production, and is now involved in a Canada-Europe research project
involving the commercial scale validation of Leghorn laying hens.
Genetic testing
In the hatching eggs sector—crucial to the genetic improvement of the chickens—
a number of tests are underway to improve strain performance.
With all the activity surrounding these new facilities, 2012 looks set to be a year full
of new developments in all poultry sectors. These major investments in R&D will enable
Shur-Gain to consolidate its leadership position in poultry nutrition.
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At Shur-Gain, R&D work is dictated by the needs of the producers. Reseach innovations
are then developed into new products, programs and tools through the expertise of the
poultry team members. The power of research within your reach!
PAGE 3
A building at Portage Farm has been divided
into 36 pens for research on broiler turkeys.
AT A GLANCE – Winter 2012 – Technical Article
By Greg Page, Ph.D.,
Poultry Nutrition Research Manager,
Shur-Gain
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Great flock performance is the result of many factors, including good chick quality, excellent
barn management and good nutrition. This year, we are launching our new starter program,
QUICK START—STRONG FINISH, based on improved on-farm technical support to help optimize
environmental conditions, and an enhanced nutritional approach to allow your birds to express
their full genetic potential.
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Getting birds off to a good start is critical. Chicks have an underdeveloped
digestive tract, both in terms of digestive capacity (unable to produce full
complement of digestive enzymes), in addition to an immature immune
system. Our new program QUICK START–STRONG FINISH was designed
to address these issues, in combination with management recommendations
to improve broiler performance.
Our new starter program QUICK START–STRONG FINISH combines several
nutritional concepts to improve early broiler performance. While our testing
has repeatedly demonstrated that these technologies do not individually
improve broiler performance, the combination has demonstrated
consistent improvements in growth performance under controlled
conditions in multiple regions (Fig. 1). In an ongoing field validation study
in Manitoba, the new starter diet improved 21d weights by 5.8% relative
to controls, demonstrating even better performance than the 1.4-3.6%
improvement in our controlled studies. In this field study, birds fed
the control program were right on breed targets for both weight (Fig. 2)
and water intake.
Due to its underdeveloped immune system, the broiler chick relies almost
exclusively on maternal antibodies in the first weeks of life. But, nutrition
can play a critical role in the development and regulation of immune
response. Reducing inflammation can help improve immune status and
reduce the fever response. Fever induces protein breakdown, which can
result in growth depression. Our nutritional approach has been targeted
to reduce inflammation and stimulate the immune system, thereby
reducing protein breakdown in muscle.
PAGE 4
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The high temperature requirements of broiler chicks at placement, due
to their inability to regulate early body temperature, could predispose them
to heat stress conditions, which can cause respiratory alkalosis. The flip
side of this is regulating early body temperature and resistance to cold in
broiler chicks in harsh Canadian winter conditions, which cause significant
heat loss to the environment. Increased metabolism may be required
to maintain body temperatures, diverting nutrients away from growth and
proper development of the immune system. Our program targets several
specific barn management recommendations, such as optimized barn
temperature conditions, which are intimately linked with relative humidity
for optimal bird comfort. Nutritionally, we have targeted changes
to mitigate thermal stress risks.
SPECIAL
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Shur-Gain’s new starter program
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Fig. 1 Average market weights of broilers fed Quick Start–Strong Finish, based
on meta-analysis of data from four separate studies. No significant
difference (P>0.450) in average feed conversion between treatments.
One of the best early measurements available for assessing chick
start is measuring crop fill, with a target of 95% crop fill 24 hours
after placement. Your Shur-Gain representative will arrange a site
visit with you to evaluate your flock and give you recommendations
on flock management (e.g. water temperature, water flow, feed
presentation) to help you reach your performance targets.
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Fig. 2 Commercial Quick Start–Strong Finish flock performance at 21d
(approx. 13,800 broilers each).
To summarize, our new “Flock Service Report” will help you keep
track of all the relevant information on your birds, allowing us
to monitor the progress and success of your flocks.
During the 3rd-4th week of production, we will arrange a second
flock visit to assess flock performance and make any
recommendations or changes as required. We will also evaluate
growth rate, flock health and the coccidiosis status of your birds
to determine if a medication change or other nutritional
intervention is required to limit potential subclinical impacts
on performance during this critical growth period (please see next
article “Coccidiosis: The hidden danger”).
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Our Technical Service Team will also provide management
guidelines on temperature management in relation to relative
humidity, lighting recommendations, water line and broiler barn
disinfection procedures, in addition to performance targets,
all with a focus on improving your performance potential.
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Our new, proven, high-performance feed program,
QUICK START—STRONG FINISH, in combination with
expert on-farm technical support, will help you improve
your bottom line, one flock at a time.
PAGE 5
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Our new nutritional approach is a key component of our QUICK START–
STRONG FINISH program, but it is also based on increased technical
service and support:
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AT A GLANCE – Winter 2012 – Technical Article: Coccidiosis
By Jean-Philippe Doyon, D.M.V.,
Poirier-Bérard Ltd., Québec
& by Dr. Ghislain Hébert, D.M.V.,
Avian Veterinary Consultant
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The organism involved in coccidiosis, coccidium, is a tiny single-celled parasite (Figure 1). It is both highly complex
and resistant, characteristics that make coccidiosis both extremely prevalent and costly. In fact, all hen houses
are thought to be infested with coccidia, some to a greater degree than others. Coccidiosis is a highly contagious
and very prolific disease with a short reproduction cycle of 5-7 days in the intestine. In poultry, most coccidium
species belong to the genus Eimeria, and each one is specific to a bird species, so, for example, a chicken coccidium
cannot infect a turkey.
What to expect and why
The disease has always been detected primarily through the presence of
blood in the feces, accompanied by high mortality and profound depression
in the infected population, but, there is a broad range of non-specific clinical
signs, including fever, depression, diarrhea, and decreased water and feed
consumption (Figure 2). However, the infection is most often subclinical
thanks to current control methods, as described below.
To help you more clearly understand how the disease affects the bird,
we will compare the intestine to a mop.
Like a mop absorbs water, the intestine absorbs nutrients. As the coccidia
pass through the intestine, they do considerable damage, impairing
intestinal function (Figure 3)—a situation that can be compared to half
of the strands on your mop being cut off. As a result, the bird is unable
to absorb nutrients efficiently, which is the main reason why the subclinical
form of coccidiosis has technical/economic impacts, hence the importance
of adequately controlling this parasite.
Moreover, one of the most common repercussions of clinical coccidiosis
is necrotic enteritis, which significantly increases financial losses due
to a high mortality rate, the required treatments and the additional
productivity losses.
So, how do we control it?
PAGE 6
Use of anticoccidials in feed
There are two major classes of products that control the multiplication
of coccidia: chemicals and ionophores. These must be used sparingly, while
taking into account their strengths and weaknesses based on their
respective spectra and mechanisms of action. Precautions taken in this
regard are intended to prevent the development of coccidium resistance
to the products used. Rotation and strategic positioning of anticoccidial
classes, followed by regular assessments of intestinal quality during
necropsies, will ensure the long-term efficacy of these products.
This inexpensive, stable and predictable control method is the one most
commonly used around the world.
Use of vaccines in the hatchery
Several vaccines exist that contain different combinations of coccidia,
depending on the target bird, given the species-specificity of these
organisms. These vaccines are mainly administered in the hatchery in
aerosol form. The birds develop immunity as they come into contact with
the coccidia at different stages of their development. Vaccine reactions can
appear at 3-6 weeks of age and range from wet litter to varying rates
of mortality, depending on barn conditions and density, as well as other
factors. The cost is similar to that of anticoccidials, although the later the
age at slaughter, the more the use of vaccines is advantageous, since the
initial costs can be amortized. Vaccines also have the benefit
of potentially reversing anticoccidial resistance.
Breeding practices
Now, we’re going to exaggerate somewhat and almost caricaturize the barn
management conditions conducive to a coccidia outbreak: the presence
of young birds of a given species, a temperature approaching the animals’
body temperature, high humidity, high degree of crowding, inadequate
cleanout between flocks, deficient drinking troughs that lead to wet litter
conditions, improper washing and disinfecting of the barn, and finally,
cleaning water left onsite—the perfect storm. Obviously, not all of these
conditions will be present at the same time in the same flock. The challenge
is to optimize each one of these factors to prevent situations conducive
to sporulation, i.e. the stage at which the parasite becomes infectious.
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FIGURE 2
Fever, depression and presence
of urates
Specificities per bird type and production
Broiler chickens
The ultimate goal is to repress coccidia as much as possible so as to limit
the impacts on feed efficiency, flock uniformity and weight gain. Various
anticoccidial protocols are used regularly, on a rotating basis. The disease
hits the hardest around 4 weeks of age. Intestinal lesions are easily
distinguishable between coccidium species, and several data are available
to assess potential losses according to the type of lesions observed during
necropsies, thus allowing us to act quickly.
Turkeys
Since the grow out time for turkeys is longer than that for broiler chickens,
the goal is to control and limit the multiplication of coccidia, rather than
to repress it, in order to develop immunity so as to complete the grow out
period without the use of anticoccidials. Nevertheless, it is essential
FIGURE 3
Intestinal villi damaged by coccidia (left)
and healthy intestinal villi (right)
(Bayer Animal Health)
to rotate and periodically change the products to ensure their efficacy.
In this species, intestinal lesions are highly non-specific, which is why
necropsies are less useful. The disease usually manifests in two peak
periods, between four and eight weeks of age, after which immunity
prevents subsequent infections. The turkey is highly sensitive to certain
ionophores used in chickens, for example. Precautions need to be taken
at all levels of feed production and distribution to avoid cross contamination
between broiler chickens and turkeys.
The end stage...
Controlling coccidia remains a priority in the poultry industry, where it is
important to obtain optimal productivity, hence the ongoing relevance
of anticoccidial and vaccine programs. Barn conditions should also
be continuously monitored to avoid the multiplication of this parasite.
By constantly monitoring the incidence of clinical and subclinical
coccidiosis, we can control this invisible but fearsome enemy.
PAGE 7
FIGURE 1
Non-sporulating chicken coccidium
(Merck Animal Health)
PRODUCER PROFILES
L & J Killough Farms
By Greg Weeden,
Poultry Feeding Specialist,
Shur-Gain
A successful transition
Diversification
Judy and Larry Killough.
In 1984, Larry and Judy Killough started share
growing tobacco with Judy’s father John Walker.
They were making a good living but, in 1994, the
Killoughs began to give more thought to
diversification as the tobacco industry was
becoming increasingly unstable. They sold
some of their tobacco quota to buy broiler quota
and build a barn. Bolstered by the success of
this move, they sold the rest of their tobacco
quota four years later, bought more chicken
quota and put up a second barn.
went out into the field to tell them exactly what
he’d done to fix the problem. The Killoughs get
very good results with their Shur-Gain program;
in fact, they are currently growing a 2.8 kg
cockerel in 41 days with a 1.80 FCR.
The next generation
A smooth transition
Larry and Judy want to make sure they have
something to pass down to their three sons, and
feel that a chicken farm is the perfect legacy.
Brett, their eldest boy, is married to Holly; they
have a new baby and operate a cash crop farm.
Kyle works with his grandfather in agriculture;
and Troy has just started high school.
Larry and Judy credit the smooth transition
between industries to the help they received
from industry players like Shur-Gain. They both
share a fond memory of a busy tobacco day,
with a barn full of sick birds: Their Shur-Gain
representative drove to their farm, set up the
water treatment system for their birds, and then
The Killoughs’ planning and foresight have
helped to ensure the long term prosperity of
their family farm. Shur-Gain congratulates Larry,
Judy and the rest of their family for their choices
and looks forward to offering them continued
service and support.
Leeming Farm Ltd.
By Don Corby,
Poultry Feeding Specialist,
Hensall District Coop
A celebration of 25 years of farming
summer, as the hens rest during the hot hours
of the day and are active at night. Flock
performance is excellent, averaging 336 eggs
per hen housed, with a feed intake of 92 grams/
hen/day. According to the Leemings: “We work
closely with Hensall District Co operative to
customize our all-grain textured feed; it is
balanced for the flock’s egg production for peak
performance. We use a two-bin system for each
barn so we always have a full bin; Al and Pete at
the feed mill are very attentive to our needs.”
Long, busy days
Carol and Bob are very active in their
community. Carol is currently Vice-President of
the Huron County Federation of Agriculture and
Chair of the Huron County Egg Farmers. The
whole family has been involved in several
different 4H clubs over the years and continues
to play an active role in this organization. The
Leemings are truly inspirational in their
commitment to family, the environment
and their community.
The Leemings have two laying barns, the first
built in 1989 and renovated in 2006, and the
second built in 2003. The couple both have jobs
off the farm—Bob part time and Carol full time—
so they have become adept at making sure
everything runs smoothly. The hens actually
sleep during the day (lights out) and are awake
all night, meaning that the eggs can be gathered
before everyone leaves home for the day
(chores begin at 6 a.m.). This works well in the
Community leaders
From left to right: Carol, Laura, Troy and Bob.
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Bob and Carol Leeming, along with their children
Laura, Jessie and Troy, operate their egg layer
and cash cropping business in the heart of
Huron County. Bob and Carol believe that
sustainability depends on achieving a balance
between farming practices and the environment.
In 2006, they installed an 80 kw 40-m tall wind
turbine and in 2010, a 10 kw ET Solar Tracker
system. In 2008, Bob and Carol were awarded
the Certificate of Recognition for Energy
Conservation by the Ontario Power Authority’s
Conservation Bureau.