Breeder Signals
A practical guide to optimal management for broiler breeders
Author: Rick van Emous
Pages: 196
Paperback book | € 55,90 | |
Online book | € 43,90 |
Sample – demo
Breeder Signals
Chicken breeders need full attention. Two sexes with completely different requirements are like keeping two different species of animals in one flock.
Poultry meat is the most important animal protein source for human nutrition. As a result, global production of chicken meat is growing rapidly to over 125 million tonnes in 2020, with a relatively small number of broiler breeders having a major impact on the entire poultry meat chain. The continuous increase in the genetic potential of broilers makes the production of top quality chicks increasingly difficult. Modern management is crucial for a successful flock. Differences in results of up to 10 day-old chicks per hen used are not uncommon and cost tens of thousands of euros.
Breeder Signals contains practical information for hatcheries to ensure maximum production of top quality hatching eggs. With practical tools and modern insights to optimise sexual behaviour, fertility, egg production and hatchability, based on the look-think-act approach. Feathering gives you signals about the quality of your flock. Too beautiful? Then they hardly mate at all. Too little? Those hens won’t mate because it’s painful. The book follows the arrival of day-old chicks in the rearing house through the laying period to the transport of the eggs to the hatchery.
Breeder Signals is indispensable for anyone working in the poultry meat chain as a breeder, farm worker, consultant, veterinarian, student, etc.
Breeder Signals is part of the Poultry Signals series.
Book: Breeder Signals
Technical Information
ISBN: 9789087403324
Format: Hardcover
Dimensions: 20,5 x 26,5
Pages: 196
Author of the book Breeder Signals: Rick van Emous
Rick was born in Putten, where he also spent his childhood on a farm raising dairy cattle, sows and broilers. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in animal production in 1990 and worked as a research assistant at the poultry research centre ‘Spelderholt’ for two years. He then worked as a technical-commercial consultant for Cobb-Europe for five years. From 1998 he returned to ‘Spelderholt’ as a researcher. Here he first worked with laying hens and from 2003 he focused on broiler breeding. In November 2010 he started his PhD (Feeding the modern broiler breeder) and completed it on 6 February 2015. Currently, as Senior Researcher Poultry at Wageningen Livestock Research, Rick works intensively with breeders on many topics such as nutrition, husbandry, welfare, housing, etc.
Look-Think-Act: Optimise results by using the signals from breeders
The continuous increase in the genetic potential of broilers makes the production of top quality chicks an ever increasing challenge. Modern management is crucial for a successful flock. Results that differ by up to 10 day-old chicks can make a difference of tens of thousands of euros.
Breeder Signals offers 196 pages of important knowledge, summarised in a practical (online) book with helpful photos, diagrams and charts. This book is indispensable for anyone involved with broiler breeders. It is their practical guide to breeder-centred management.
Breeder Signals contains science-based but practical knowledge on broiler breeder management. It provides visual practical tools and modern knowledge to optimise sexual behaviour, fertility, egg production and hatchability. The (online) book follows the arrival of day-old chicks in the rearing house through the laying period to the transport of the eggs to the hatchery.
Practical approach: Look – Think – Act
Breeder Signals is based on the look-think-act approach of the famous Poultry Signals© series. This approach challenges the user to understand and act on breeder signals and ensure maximum production of top quality hatching eggs. The Signals© concept is highly visual and based on three fundamental questions:
- What do I see (hear, feel, smell, taste)? What is the signal? (LOOK)
- How did this happen? What is the explanation for it? (THINK)
- What should I do? Is it okay or should I do something about it? (ACT)
Managing chicken farms is not an exact science. If you only look at technical indicators (daily growth, feed and water consumption, floor eggs, etc.), you may miss important signals from your animals and their environment. The real art is learning to recognise, interpret and respond correctly to the signals you encounter in practice. And this art can be mastered.