Practical ideas on reducing or eliminating the use of antibiotics in producing poultry meat and eggs were presented by speakers at Poultry Summit Europe 2016, organised by VIV worldwide. Scroll down to read some of their suggestions.

Cut antibiotics in poultry

1: Start with better hygiene

A poultry chain approach to cutting back on antibiotics has been emphasised at Poultry Summit Europe 2016, organised by VIV worldwide. Conference delegates heard in particular that there should be a clear focus on hygiene at every step of the production chain, including in the feed mill and the hatchery.

Hygiene precautions in feed manufacturing were discussed by Dr. Béatrice Conde-Petit, food safety officer for Bühler Corporate Technology. The target typically is to achieve Salmonella control, she pointed out. But it can be challenging, given that incoming grains and oilseeds along with by-products often carry the bacteria into the mill. Adding to potential problems is that Salmonella to be distributed unevenly through lots, so that scrupulous sampling procedures need to be observed. It is also persistent, able to withstand quite high temperatures and to survive for years on metal surfaces or in grains as long as the environment is dry.

For clean feed

In the process called feed hygienization for Salmonella control, Dr. Conde-Petit continued, conditioning combined with a period of retention in the pelleting stage can be designed as a kill step. For good hygiene results, however, it is not enough to specify only the time and temperature for the treatment --- you should also say how much microbial reduction you want, since this will differ according to the initial contamination of the feed and the value of the birds receiving it. In addition, do not forget the influence of moisture content on the amount of time and temperature required to achieve a set percentage kill rate.

Bouke Hamminga, director of international sales and business development, Pas Reform Hatchery Technologies, urged delegates at Poultry Summit Europe 2016 to recognize the importance of hatchery hygiene.

The layout should separate clean and dirty production flows and air flows, he insisted. Machines need to be made of materials that can be cleaned easily and effectively. Floor surfaces must be free of obstacles. In such ways, design works with management to achieve optimal hygiene that safeguards chick health.

Floors without litter

More hygienic conditions inside poultry houses help to prevent disease and make antibiotic treatments less necessary, Poultry Summit Europe 2016 was told by Dr. Jasper Heerkens, poultry specialist with Jansen Poultry Equipment.

“Separating broilers from their litter removes what is probably the major...