The new FeedMixer App makes feed mixing easier by calculating whether the feed mixtures farmers use contain the right balance of key nutrients, by age, type of chickens, and available ingredients. (Image source: World Poultry Foundation)

In an attempt to make optimal poultry nutrition easier, while also helping farmers save money and improve profits, a free mobile app called the FeedMixer App was designed by poultry nutrition experts at the Poultry Science Department at the University of Georgia in the US

Rising commercial feed costs as well as limited grain supply is urging poultry farmers in Sub Saharan Africa and most regions around the world to self-mix their chicken feed. However, a majority of farmers lack adequate knowledge, causing them to fail at achieveing the right balance of grains, oils and other available ingredients needed to ensure optimal nutrition for different types of birds at different stages.

The new FeedMixer App, a relaunch of an older version of the app, makes feed mixing easier by calculating whether the feed mixtures farmers use contain the right balance of key nutrients, by age, type of chickens, and available ingredients.

Sean Chen, assistant professor/extension specialist at the Department of Poultry Science at the University of Georgia highlighted how farmers are often unaware of the fact that the nutrient needs of chicken may vary depending on the stage of life they are currently in, which is why broilers and layers for example, would need to be fed differently. Selecting the appropriate feed components would therefore be essential for optimising bird health and productivity, while at the same time minimising resource wastage. 

"We feed various types of feed mixes to different breeds of birds because different breeds have distinct characteristics and purposes," said Chen. "For instance, broiler chickens are primarily raised for meat production. These chickens grow rapidly and require a diet supporting muscle development and efficient feed conversion into meat. Broiler chickens need feeds rich in proteins, carbohydrates, and fats to ensure optimal growth and flavourful meat production. On the other hand, laying hens are specifically bred to produce a consistent supply of eggs. They require a different set of nutrients to support their reproductive system and the formation of solid eggshells. Their diet should include adequate proteins, vitamins, minerals, and calcium to support strong eggshell and egg production."

Maureen Stickel, director of the International Programme Development at the World Poultry Foundation also underscored how the app would help guide farmers who might have trouble accessing traditional feed ingredients such as soy or corn due to cost or local availability.

Users simply click on the type of chickens they are feeding, and select the ingredients they have available to them, such as maize, cassava, oil, bran, soybean meal, fish meal, and salt, in the proportions they intend to blend. The app will indicate whether their chosen feed mix delivers adequate energy, protein, fibre, vitamins and minerals to efficiently nourish the birds without wastage. Users can input the cost of the ingredients they use, to calculate whether their feed mix is cost effective, and they can save their own feed mix formulas in the app for future reference.

To make it convenient for users, the app is currently available in a number of languages including English, French, Spanish and Portuguese. It also offers useful content and resources such as preloaded feed mix examples for different types of birds, and diet guidelines for each breed and age of bird.

Marel’s WingMaster is a flexible module, providing a precise anatomic wing cut with perfect skin coverage for mid-wing as well as drumette. (Image source: Marel))

Chicken wings—spiced, marinated, or just as they come—are an ideal fast food meal component, perfect for on-the-go eating or as a TV snack

To cut such QSR wings efficiently and consistently accurately, Marel offers a wide range of precision tools. 

Anatomic or not

The small size of the wing segments makes the accuracy of the cuts more difficult. Usually, wing cuts are anatomical, not splitting any bone. Such wing processing demands precise, high-yield cuts exactly between the two joints. Non-anatomic cuts, as preferred by certain QSR chains, have other interests to serve.

Weighing and quality grading

QSR wing products must be of a given size and without blemish. Carcass weight, wing quality and customer order usually determine which wing products are made from which carcass. For most fast-food applications, the cut between drumette and mid-wing joints must be done accurately and anatomically. Marel’s ACM wing cutting modules ensure repeatable accurate cutting at high speed. Marel’s WingMaster is a flexible module, providing a precise anatomic wing cut with perfect skin coverage for mid-wing as well as drumette. The result is an excellent wing presentation with higher yield.

Breast meat attached

Most QSR restaurant chains, however, like their wings harvested with a rosette of breast meat (aka silver dollar). When cutting up carcasses for the famous QSR 9-piece chicken buckets, all pieces must have similar weights, taking the same amount of time to fry. Logically, none of the 9-piece cuts is anatomic, resulting in unique wing, breast, thigh and drumstick cuts. Marel can provide the perfect wing cutting module to achieve this silver dollar cut, as part of the QSR-approved ACM Convenience Food line.

Wings further processed

Most QSR wings are marinated. From the ACM cut-up system, wings can be fed automatically to ValueDrum for marinating to produce high-quality Hot Wings or Buffalo Wings. For homestyle wings, the flouring, battering and breading processes can also be done with Marel solutions, such as the RevoCrumb or RevoBreader.

Boneless wings

A relatively new item on the fast-food menu is the boneless wing, a popular product in the Americas that isn’t a wing at all. They are portioned pieces of whole-muscle breast meat cut into the shape of chicken wing, as opposed to chicken nuggets made from ground meats. Thus, their processing is entirely different, taking place in the deboned breast meat department with the help of an I-Cut 122 portion cutter.

Experts verify Infectious Bronchitis Virus in Ghana's poultry industry. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Scientists at the Veterinary Service Department and the CSIR – Animal Research Institute have confirmed IBV in Ghana’s poultry industry

The IBV impacts the respiratory, reproductive, and renal systems of chickens, leading to severe economic repercussions. Originating in the USA during the 1930s, IBV has since spread globally, including sub-Saharan Africa, with Ghana being notably affected. Despite the significant presence of IBV, vaccination against the virus in Ghana is not practiced, complicating efforts to control its spread.

Samples collected by scientists at the Veterinary Service Department and the CSIR – Animal Research Institute from farms across nine regions revealed the presence of IBV, a coronavirus causing significant economic losses. The virus leads to reduced poultry output, lower egg production, and a 5% mortality rate.

In a Channel One News interview during a stakeholders' workshop in Koforidua, Senior Research Scientists at the Animal Research Institute, Dr Matilda Ayim Akonnor and Dr Theophilus Odoom discussed their findings on IBV's prevalence, serotypes, and pathotypes in Ghana. They highlighted that IB (Infectious Bronchitis) is a major factor behind the closure of many poultry farms in the country.

Dr Akonnor stated, “Indeed, we have confirmed that the virus is present in all nine regions we visited. We have taken samples, analysed some, and confirmed the virus’s presence. We have also identified the serotype that is circulating around the country from outbreak investigations, and we hope to use this information to develop a vaccination schedule for the country’s poultry farmers.”

Feed the Future Innovation Lab team members currently or formerly associated with Iowa State's Department of Animal Science. (Image source: Iowa State University)

Scientists at Iowa State, the University of California-Davis and livestock research institutions in Kenya, Ghana and Tanzania have undertaken a 10-year project to enhance African poulry production

Outbreak of diseases like the Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV) is seen as a serious threat to production. Despite the availability of vaccines and biosecurity measures, it would be difficult to practically implement these programmes in countries like Africa where chickens are likely to be present in small numbers and scattered around. Warm temperatures also increase the susceptibility of these birds to infection.

In order to effectively address these issues, a large, multidisciplinary initiative was undertaken by the Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Genomics to Improve Poultry, with their findings summarised in a recent paper published in the World’s Poultry Science Journal.

The project adopted a number of unique approaches which included the development of a series of focus groups to understand the priorities of smallholder poultry farmers and the interventions they would find suitable. Scientists also studied birds exposed to disease in natural situations, rather than in more controlled experimental environments. 

Results showed that a regional breed, indigenous to the Fayoum region of Egypt was nore resistant to infection fom pathogens and to heat compared to a commercial Leghorn line derived from chickens in the US. Several genes were also identified as important candidates due to their influence on NDV viral replication. Researchers were also able to learn about the genetics of NDV and the strains prevalent in the various poultry-producing regions studied. This information is likely to help in the development of more effective methods to fight disease in the future.