By Alpha Ngunyale In Tanzania, many myths and misconceptions surround the consumption of exotic poultry, particularly broilers, which limit their consumption in various regions. These beliefs are often rooted in a lack of understanding, ignorance, and sometimes deliberate misinformation. Admittedly, it can be challenging to understand how broiler chickens can increase to such a large size, especially for those accustomed to seeing chickens take years to reach a kilogram in weight. This lack of understanding leads to the assumption that these chickens must be wrong. While this conventional thin ..read more

The World Poultry Foundation (WPF) is bringing a much-needed boost to small-scale poultry farmers with a brand new set of training materials. These resources aim to equip these individuals with the knowledge and skills necessary to not only improve their farming practices but also significantly increase their income potential. The WPF specifically targets farmers who start small, often raising just a handful of chickens in their backyards. Over time, these farmers may expand their flocks, transitioning from subsistence farming to producing chicken meat and eggs for sale alongside what they con ..read more

Mozambique can now celebrate the lifting of its ban on South African poultry goods.  This decision is the result of the fact that for more than six months, neither Mozambique nor South Africa have reported any new cases of avian influenza, or bird flu. Prior to the restriction, certain poultry products from South Africa could only be imported into Mozambique through the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MADER).  Producer chicks, day-old chicks and ducks, hatching eggs, and frozen chicken meat were among them. Mozambican households and businesses can now import these poul ..read more

By Geneticist Eduardo Souza, Vice President of Research and Development, Aviagen, Inc. In a world working to feed a growing population while minimizing environmental impact, balanced genetic selection is essential. The core of our approach is to balance bird productivity, welfare, environmental sustainability, and economic success. We do so through innovative genetic selection practices enriched with genomic tools. Decades of progress in welfare, performance and efficiency Over the past two decades, broiler genetics has seen remarkable progress. In the 2000s, at 42 days, a typical chicken weig ..read more

The global need for protein is steadily increasing, spurred by a growing population. Traditional meat production methods struggle to keep up, resulting in a substantial environmental impact. Modular insect farms emerge as a game changer, providing a long-term and scalable option for chicken feed. These pioneering farms’ one-of-a-kind design is transforming protein production. Unlike traditional insect farms, modular systems are composed of self-contained components. This enables customization and scalability. Poultry farmers can select separate modules for breeding, nursery, growing, waste man ..read more

Researchers have taken a surprising turn in the quest for sustainable energy solutions – they’re turning chicken fat into super capacitor electrodes! Published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, this innovative technique offers a cost-effective and environmentally friendly way to create crucial components for energy storage. The research team, led by Mohan Reddy Pallavolu, Jae Hak Jung, and Sang Woo Joo, tackled the challenge of developing sustainable and affordable methods for producing carbon nanomaterial. Unlike traditional approaches that require high temperatures and specialized e ..read more

In 2021, Ceva Santé Animale in partnership with GALVmed, and with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) launched the PREVENT (PRomoting and Enabling Vaccination Efficiently, Now and Tomorrow) initiative to introduce hatchery vaccinations for day old chicks (DoC) in mid-size hatcheries in Africa. By Marie Ducrotoy, Senior Manager Development Projects and Partnerships, Ceva Santé Animale, and Tom Osebe, Senior Manager, Commercial Development & Impact, Africa, GALVmed. Improvement in poultry production is one of the most promising options to provide a ..read more

The poultry industry in South Africa is cautiously feeling relieved. After a difficult year with many outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), it seems that the number of new cases is starting to decrease. Nevertheless, the industry is acutely aware of the damage inflicted and is earnestly looking for solutions to enhance resilience against potential future risks. Just in the last few weeks, a new outbreak was confirmed, but it actually started in August 2023. This single instance, which concerns a chicken farm in the Gauteng Province, demonstrates the ongoing impact of the previ ..read more

In a landmark two-day meeting held at the East African Community (EAC) headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania, Kenya and Tanzania have successfully addressed longstanding concerns regarding the export of poultry and poultry products between them. Led by Mr. Rabson Wanjala from Kenya and Dr. Benezeth Lutege Malinda from Tanzania, the meeting emphasized the critical importance of trade between the two countries and the necessity for ongoing consultations to streamline and facilitate trade processes. Both parties committed to fostering trade relations, emphasizing collaborative efforts to ensure increa ..read more

The recent gathering between a group assigned to address poultry issues in Lesotho and Prime Minister Ntsokoane Matekane indicates a possible move towards strengthening the country’s own poultry sector. According to the Lesotho News Agency, this government initiative proposes an active effort to investigate methods for enhancing Lesotho’s poultry production and possibly decreasing dependence on imports. The purpose of the task team’s trip to neighboring Eswatini was probably to gain knowledge from the practices that are already in place there. By analyzing how Eswatini handles import expenses ..read more