Treasurer's Report

This year’s IPPE in Atlanta, Georgia, was predominantly a North American event. We saw a few of our colleagues and friends from Asia and Europe. The Latin and South Americans had a larger turnout, but their numbers were well below average also. However, we were delighted to greet many members who were in attendance and we had the opportunity to educate a good number of other visitors to our booth about WPSA. In addition, we did our best to promote the Paris World Poultry Congress, and the potential value of having a booth there, to the allied industry representatives we met.

We hope that the French branch will have good, global attendance for the 26^th World Congress in Paris on August 7 -11 this summer.

I send my best wishes to all WPSA members that you will all enjoy a safe and healthy 2022.

‘Members of the Commerce, Georgia Future Farmers of America (organization for students studying vocational agriculture at American high schools) visited the WPSA booth at IPPE. They were interested to learn that if they pursued a poultry science degree in college that they could join WPSA and be eligible for Travel Grants. They all wished they were ready to present a paper in Paris!’	'Bright Owusu, a member of the WPSA Ghana Branch, who stopped for a photo with Dr Bob Buresh, and Dr. Francine Bradley at the WPSA Booth at IPPE.'

Dr Francine Bradley, Treasurer

WG3

Breeding and Genetics

The European Symposium on Poultry Genetics has been postponed to 8-10 November 2023. It will take place at the Maritim Airport Hotel in Hannover.

WG4

Eggs and Egg Quality

Along with the organizers of WPC2022, the WG4 Committee organized a webinar on ‘Egg Quality to Value’ based on the accepted abstracts for the WPC that had been submitted in 2019. This was done in an attempt to get in touch with those scientists who were waiting for the Covid delayed World Congress.

The webinar was held on November 9^th, 2021, and it included a very interesting programme that covered genetic, analytical, freshness, and quality aspects of eggs. The detailed programme for the webinar can be viewed at: https://wpcparis2022.com/webinar-egg-quality/.

For those of you who are registered for the 26^th WPC in Paris in 2022, but who missed the live webinar, replay is available at the following link: https:/wpcparis2022.com/webinars/.

Enjoy the presentations!

Christina Alamprese & Joel Gautron, Chairs of WG4

WG5

Poultry Meat Quality

As for all European Symposia, the next ‘XXV European Symposium on the Quality of Poultry Meat‘ conjointly held with the ‘XIX European Symposium on the Quality of Eggs and Egg Products’ have been postponed to 2023 and it will be held between September 7 to 9, 2023 in Kraków, Poland. Such events provide a unique opportunity for scientific community, practice sector, and for all associated with the poultry sector to exchange recent advances, hot topics and upcoming challenges in the fields of the quality aspects of poultry meat, eggs and their products. Location of the Symposium in Kraków, which is one of the most recognized cities of Poland shall provide excellent opportunities not only for gathering and exchange knowledge but also for behind-the-scenes conversations in the magic places of the City.

The next WG5 member meeting will be held during the World's Poultry Congress 2022 in Paris where a couple of specialized sessions will be specifically dedicated to poultry meat quality topics such as ‘Meat Construction of Meat Quality’ and ‘Meat Processing.’ Additionally, some object-oriented sessions will be held in which meat quality issues will be covered in a transversal way.

Massimiliano Petracci, Secretary Italian Branch of WPSA

A/P WG3

Ratites (ostriches, emus, rheas, cassowaries or kiwis)

A Ratite Research Session is being planned for the World Poultry Congress that has been re-scheduled in Paris, France from August 7 – 11, 2022. The actual date for the Ratite Session has not yet been determined, but please send any suggestions for contributions and/or topics that you have to . 

Researchers involved in research on any Ratites (ostriches, emus, rheas, cassowaries or kiwis) are asked to contact the Ratite Group. Please send an email to .

Anel Engelbrecht, Chair

Summaries

Chicken taste receptors and perception: Recent advances in our understanding of poultry nutrient-sensing systems

Y. YOSHIDA, S. NISHIMURA, S. TABATA and F. KAWABATA

The sense of taste plays an important role in the detection of nutrients or toxic substances in foods, and it is deeply related to the feeding behaviours of animals. Thus, elucidation of the taste-sensing system in chickens can improve our understanding of poultry nutrition and will be useful to make new alternative feedstuffs. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the study of taste buds, taste receptors, and taste perception in chickens. Recent studies have revealed the distribution of taste buds in the oral cavity of chickens and the expression of multiple taste receptors in the oral and gastrointestinal tissues of chickens. Functional analyses have shown that chicken taste receptors can recognize amino acids, fatty acids, and a wide variety of bitter compounds, and the activities of chicken bitter taste receptors can be inhibited by 6-methoxyflavanon. Behavioural analyses have demonstrated that chickens can respond to amino acids, bitter stimuli, salty stimuli, sour stimuli, and fatty acids, but chickens have a low taste sensitivity for sugars. The recent histological, molecular biological, and behavioural evidence indicates that chickens have well-developed nutrient-sensing systems.

Can Feed Additives be used to Promote Positive Behaviour in Laying Hens? A Review

T.O. MAKINDE and D.I. ADEWOLE

The welfare of laying hens has been a subject of interest among consumers, breeders, and animal welfare organisations across the globe. Laying hens' behaviour is an important indicator of their welfare and provides feedback on how they perceive their housing environment. A relationship is believed to exist between serotonin levels and other coordinating axes of the brain such as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, which regulates various types of behaviour, and this provides us the opportunity to achieve specific targeted modulatory interventions. Despite increasing interest in the use of feed additives in poultry production, there are inconsistencies in their application to promote positive behaviour in laying hens because of several factors, including age, sex, housing system, and genotype of the hens. This mini review expounds on the use of various feed additives such as phytogenic substances, probiotics, essential oils, vitamins, minerals, amino acids, as well as dietary fibre additives for promoting positive behaviour and overall welfare of laying hens in housing systems. Feed additives have previously been used extensively for their immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anti-fungal properties in poultry production, but their potential for promoting positive behaviour in laying hens through physical, physiological, anxiolytic, anti-depressive, and neuromodulatory activities was reviewed in this article.

The economic and environmental impacts of removing ionophore coccidiostats from the UK broiler sector

J. GITTINS, S. WYNN, D. PARKER and S. LISTER

Ionophore coccidiostats are widely used in the UK broiler sector at present but their future use has been questioned. A review of published and technical literature has been undertaken to assess the likely impacts of removing ionophore coccidiostats from UK broiler production. Expert opinion from two poultry veterinarians has been used to establish the probable approach and interventions that would be needed in a ‘no-ionophore’ program and the likely impacts. Comparisons have been made between ‘standard’ and ‘no-ionophore’ programs, covering farm production costs and environmental impacts.

Key performance assumptions for the ‘no-ionophore’ program include one extra day of growing time to achieve target average liveweight of 2.26 kg and a five-point increase in feed conversion ratio (FCR) from 1.58 to 1.63. Any increase in mortality is considered marginal if other interventions are adopted and therefore this study has assumed no differences.

Veterinary opinion considers that a reduction in stocking density of 4 kg of liveweight per square metre would be needed to maintain good health in a ‘no-ionophore’ program; a two-day increase in house turnaround time between flocks is also recommended. Changes to feed specifications would be expected, together with the use of a coccidiosis vaccine.

Based on stated assumptions, farm production costs are calculated to be 5.7% higher for the ‘no-ionophore’ program than a standard program. Optimistic and pessimistic scenarios indicate cost increases ranging between 3.3% and 10.8%. The ‘no-ionophore’ program was also found to result in a 3.9% increase in greenhouse gas emissions per bird and to require 3.3% more land to grow crops for poultry feed. Increased production cycle length and reduced stocking density in the ‘no-ionophore’ program would mean that a 19% increase in UK broiler growing space is required, to maintain current chicken meat output levels.

Probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics: An overview of their delivery routes and effects on growth and health of broiler chickens

R. KHOMAYEZI and D. ADEWOLE

The world population is drastically increasing, and it is evidently necessary to have more secure food supply systems. Poultry meat is one of the most cost-effective and most popular sources of protein. For decades, poultry producers have depended on preventative antibiotics to increase growth performance by establishing and maintaining healthy and functional gastrointestinal tract in young animals. However, these practices are currently under immense regulatory and consumer pressure for termination, due to the development of antibiotic resistance arising from overuse of antibiotics. Antibiotics need to be replaced by alternatives that have similar beneficial effects in terms of modulating the gut microbiome and improving the health and growth of the animals. Various groups of alternatives have been studied in poultry production, including prebiotics, probiotics, synbiotics, organic acids, essential oils, enzymes, and other novel compounds that are continuously emerging. Probiotics, prebiotics, and their combination (synbiotics) are gaining popularity among the different potential alternative products to antibiotics. In addition to evaluating the effectiveness of different groups of alternatives in the chicken industry, the techniques and methods for administrating those alternatives is also an important aspect that has been studied in order to obtain optimal results. Thus, proposing new strategies to maximize the effectiveness of different alternatives has been growing simultaneously with the proposed elimination of antibiotics from food animal production. This review is focused on the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics as alternatives to antibiotics in the poultry industry, as well as descriptions of different application methods for delivering those alternatives to broiler chickens to maximize their effectiveness.

Organic acids and their potential role for modulating the gastrointestinal tract, antioxidative status, immune response, and performance in poultry

T.A. EBEID and I.H. AL-HOMIDAN

Using antibiotics as growth factors has been banned due to increasing the problem of antibiotic resistance and presence of antibiotics residues in poultry products. Therefore, organic acids (OA) could be utilized as a promising alternative to antibiotic growth promoters because of the increased require for antibiotic-free and organic poultry products. Scientists have paid much attention to the benefits of OA due to their ability to preserve a healthy intestinal microbial balance. Dietary OA supplementation could enhance the gut structure integrity, physiological function, intestinal immunity and health. Organic acids products have also been involved in enhancing the antioxidative status via activating the antioxidative enzymes and reducing lipid peroxidation. Moreover, dietary OA are able to stimulate the humoral- and cell-mediated immunity and regulate cytokines in the host. These physiological and immunological benefits of OA are translated into various improvements in growth performance, laying performance, egg quality, meat quality, and the products' safety. Interestingly, OA have positive impacts on alleviating heat stress in poultry. The current review is an endeavour to throw the light on the recent findings related to the benefits of dietary OA on gut development, nutrient absorption, gut microbiota, antioxidative properties, immune response, productive performance, heat stress, food quality and safety in poultry.

Caecal protein fermentation in broilers: A Review

M.L. ELLING-STAATS, M.S. GILBERT, H. SMIDT and R.P. KWAKKEL

Protein fermentation (PF) is the degradation of protein by microbiota in the gastro-intestinal tract. It results from high intake indigestible protein and/or increased endogenous losses, and it may be the cause of gut health issues. This is important as the use of less digestible protein sources for poultry is expected to increase as a consequence of the food-feed discussion. Here we review the relations between dietary protein, caecal PF and gut health and identify critical knowledge gaps. Finally, we suggest methods for the investigation of caecal PF. The majority of the microorganisms have never been cultured, however, through cultivation-independent molecular approaches, many new taxa have been identified. Researchers have identified taxa that are enriched in healthy/ unhealthy birds. The mechanisms underlying these associations remain unclear. PF results in the production of potentially detrimental metabolites. This generally results in a higher pH, further encouraging PF. Studies on the effects of PF (metabolites) on gut health in poultry are limiting. For the in vivo evaluation of PF an increase in protein flow into the caeca is required, which can result from an increased level of dietary indigestible protein. Heat damage reduces protein digestibility and can therefore be used to create a within ingredient contrast for in vivo studies. A remaining challenge is that the relation between indigestible protein level and subsequent PF is not straightforward, as fractional separation of digesta occurs in poultry, allowing part of the digesta to bypass the caeca. To further study the extent to which microorganisms will ferment the protein fraction flowing into the caeca, in vitro studies can be applied. However, their application depends on the ability to separate the fraction of pre-digested feed that is likely to enter the caeca. Altogether, an increase in PF will affect microbiota composition, metabolite production, and potentially gut health.

Effect of in ovo injection of some B-group vitamins on performance of broiler breeders and their progeny

V. TUFARELLI, F. GHANE, H.R. SHAHBAZI, M. SLOZHENKINA, I. GORLOV, F.M. VIKTORONOVA, A. SEIDAVI and V. LAUDADIO

Many researchers around the world have been attracted by the delivery of various nutrients, supplements, safety factors, vaccines and drugs through in ovo injection to enhance the production performance, immunity and health of broilers. The purpose of this review is to summarize the information on in ovo injection of some B-group vitamins into the eggs of broiler breeder flocks and their progeny. The available results of different trials showed that in ovo injection of thiamine as well as riboflavin at 100 μg concentration improved hatching, conversion factor and body weight in broilers. It improved the chickens' performance and other performance indices such as conversion coefficient, one day weight and body weight, and also had a positive effect on the immunity (such as increasing IgM and IgG levels and increasing lysozyme activity) of experimental treatments. On the other hand, in ovo injection of choline did not affect the hatchability rate, but improved the performance indices of the experimental treatments, as well as the effect found with in ovo injection of folic acid. In ovo injection of 40-100 μg of folic acid had no effect on hatchability rate, but had significant effects on immune system (increasing IgM and IgG levels and increasing lysozyme activity and increasing lymph node weight in experimental treatments) and performance. In addition, in ovo injection of pyridoxine at a concentration of 100 μg as well as cobalamin at 40 μg improved the hatchability and performance indices (feed conversion ratio, body weight). Furthermore, in this review, we attempted to provide a comprehensive overview of this issue by outlining the reports and explaining the mechanism of action of these vitamins.

Chicken semen cryopreservation: importance of cryoprotectants

H.-L. LIN, E. BLESBOIS and A. VITORINO CARVALHO

Sperm cryopreservation is an important strategy to conserve animal genetic diversity and transmit superior genetic background, facilitated by a non-invasive sampling and collection of large amounts of sperm. In chickens, various freezing protocols and cryoprotectants (CPAs) have been developed to freeze sperm, but each lab still debate and compete to disclose the most suitable freezing conditions. Many key points, such as semen donor selection, collection tips, diluent compositions, CPAs selection, pre-freezing manipulation, semen packaging type, freezing and thawing rates, are all impactful to the efficiency of chicken sperm cryopreservation. Whereas glycerol is believed as the most efficient and the less toxic CPA, it also presents an unwanted contraceptive effect after insemination. Thus, one of the major developed strategies to conquer this issue is removing glycerol before insemination but current protocols remain not efficient to completely abolish glycerol contraceptive effect. Novel methodologies will bring us a better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in sperm cryobiology to decipher the challenges of chicken sperm cryopreservation.

Lighted incubation: embryonic development, hatchability, and hatching quality of broiler chicks

B. TAINIKA and Ö.H. BAYRAKTAR

This paper reviewed the effects of lighted incubation (in ovo lighting) on incubation performance and chick quality in broilers. Globally, the broiler chicken industry is among the fastest growing commercial sectors. Chicken meat has the fastest growth rate compared to other common animal protein sources, and its demand will always increase due to increasing population growth worldwide. Therefore, a need for a proportional increase in hatchery efficacy is also increasing with this demand. In past decades, implementation of artificial light during incubation in broiler chickens accelerated with key considerations such as light colour, light source, photoperiod, eggshell colour and pigmentation, light shape, and light intensity. Photostimulation has a significant effect on embryo development during the last quarter (from 14-21 day of incubation). However, incubating eggs under light from day 1-18 improves embryo development and hatchability compared with lighting for 21 days. Photoperiod of 12L:12D improves hatchability, chick weight, and leg health compared with 24L and 24D. High light intensity decreases hatching traits such as chick weight. While incubation under green light increases muscle growth and weight gain of chicks, lighted incubation with red and white light enhances hatchability compared with other wavelengths and darkness. In conclusion, it is important to continue studies on lighted incubation to identify the exact mechanisms of how other light colours impact embryogenesis and investigate the interaction or synergistic effects of a combination of two or more wavelengths.

Impact of heat stress on poultry production

J. BISWAL, V. KENNADY, T.K. BHATTACHARYA and H. RAHMAN

The ever-increasing demand for meat and egg has placed the poultry sector as a priority farming avenue for both small-scale backyard farming by rural farmers and commercial enterprises. The elevated temperature over the years has been affecting the poultry production systems through reduced growth and egg production all over the world. At a time when heat stress is perceived as a universal issue and with climate change predicted to have a further significant impact on the global temperature increase, the adverse impact on the poultry sector is expected to intensify further. An extensive review is made to discuss the impact of such heat stress on feed intake and feed conversion efficiency, poultry growth and production, egg production, physiology, reproduction, immunity, and disease incidence. Advanced biotechnology tools can be used for identifying suitable molecular markers and designing worthy breeding programmes which may lead to the development of heat tolerance strains in poultry. Further, suitable mitigation strategies have also been suggested for reducing the impact of such stress conditions on the poultry for minimizing the economic loss of the poultry growers.

A review of the lesser mealworm beetle (Alphitobius diaperinus) as a reservoir for poultry bacterial pathogens and antimicrobial resistance

R. SMITH, R. HAUCK, K. MACKLIN, S. PRICE, T. DORMITORIO and C. WANG

The lesser mealworm beetle (Alphitobius diaperinus) is one of the most abundant and resilient insect pests within poultry houses and has been observed dwelling in all types of poultry operations. The beetle is a nuisance and causes structural damage to poultry houses, which is costly for producers. Most importantly, it has been demonstrated that the lesser mealworm beetle is capable of carrying a wide variety of poultry-specific and zoonotic viral, bacterial, and parasitic pathogens. This article will focus on investigating the lesser mealworm beetle's role in the retention and transmission of bacterial pathogens and its contribution to the development and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Field and laboratory studies conducted to investigate the relationship between the lesser mealworm beetle and poultry-associated bacterial pathogens will be reviewed to summarize the current understanding of the beetle's contribution to bacterial pathogen transmission and antimicrobial resistance, and to provide a foundation for future studies.

World occurrence and related problems caused by Megninia ginglymura (Mégnin) (Acari: Analgidae) in commercial poultry farms – A Review

A. SULZBACH, N.J. FERLA^A, G. LIBERATO DA SILVA and L. JOHANN

Mite infestations can have negative impacts on the poultry industry, especially on egg-laying hens. Controlling ectoparasites is critical to maintaining farm biosafety, and lack of control increases the risk of poultry-related health problems and economic losses. Among the mite species that can infest laying birds, Megninia ginglymura (Mégnin, 1877) has been described in several countries, which means they have great importance in the poultry industry worldwide. The present review aims to outline the global distribution of M. ginglymura, as well as major issues, related symptoms, and control methods in poultry production. Searches were performed in three different databases, and keywords that should appear either in the title or abstract were ‘Megninia’, ‘Megninia ginglymura’, and ‘birds’. From the initial query, 45 papers were returned, reaching a total of 33 publications after the exclusion criteria. M. ginglymura has already been reported in the American, African, European, Asian and Oceanian continents. Problems related to this species have been reported for decades, and its dissemination and occurrence take place in different parts of the world. Therefore, there is a need to disclose and approach the impacts of the species and the ways used for control it worldwide, as a way of taking information to the places that attend or will suffer from this mite.

Review of food grade disinfectants that are permitted for use in egg packing centres

A. WALES, E. TAYLOR and R. DAVIES 

The handling and packing of eggs in commercial production creates opportunities for the spread of those pathogenic micro-organisms that can survive on the surfaces of eggs and equipment, and in organic soiling such as egg contents and faeces. Salmonella Enteritidis is a key zoonotic pathogen, and its spread between egg production premises in recent years has implicated cross-contamination via egg handling and packing equipment. Cleaning and disinfection to prevent such spread has to be performed using food-grade agents, which limits the options available to manufacturers of disinfectants and sanitisers. The present review examines the active components of such products, based upon the most frequently used disinfectants and sanitisers in this part of the egg industry in the United Kingdom. Peer-reviewed data are summarised for the main bactericidal elements, comprising sodium hypochlorite and surfactants including quaternary ammonium compounds. In addition there is brief consideration of ancillary agents with cleaning, pH-modulating, water-softening and additional bactericidal effects. The amount of published surveillance and experimental data for the effect of these agents on Salmonella spp. and related organisms is very variable, and in addition findings illustrate substantial differences in biocidal effect between and within studies. Some of these relate to test variables such as surface material, concentration, exposure time, and the presence of organic soil or biofilm. Other differences reflect inherent variability in disinfectant testing. It is suggested that inadequate disinfection may occur under some foreseeable conditions of application, even if concentration and exposure time recommendations are followed. Further testing may be useful if it more closely replicates the products and conditions of use.

Propolis: effects on the sanitisation of hatching eggs

G.D.S. OLIVEIRA, V.M. DOS SANTOS and C. MCMANUS

The use of sanitisers, with natural compounds as active ingredients in their formulations, can be of great value in the sanitisation of hatching eggs. Here we review the effects of sanitising hatching eggs with propolis on the eggshell microbiota, hatchability and survival of post-hatch chicks. We demonstrate that propolis is an appropriate and promising option for sanitising hatching eggs, as it helps in the reduction of microbial load on the eggshell (total aerobic mesophilic bacteria and fungi) and increases embryo safety. Typically, propolis does not negatively affect the hatchability percentage and can, in some cases, improve this rate by up to 11%. Thus, we reinforce the positive impact of natural products on poultry production.