Reason #1 At YAN20, you can get up close and personal with farmers – the UK’s broiler farming specialist, David Speller, and Denmark’s Michael Nielsen will dish the dirt on their cutting-edge production methods.
“On our farms, we say that a good flock of broilers is like a good firework, you seem to intervene for only a very short but decisive period at the start, like lighting the firework, and then you watch as they grow and end as a fantastic performing flock,” comments Speller.
Reason #2 Innovation lead at ForFarmers, Ad van Wesel, will tell us why the first feeds that young animals receive are not only crucial for the growth of the animal, but also for the development of the organs and microbiome.
Feed composition and structure
Reason #3 We will find out why moist diets at early ages stimulate feed intake in young broilers.
Reason #4 Well-known Dutch pig nutrition researcher, Francesc Molist, will inform us as to why feed structure has such a positive effect on the stomach and the gut health of young pigs.
Reason #5 Dr Emily Burton from Nottingham Trent University is talking about how partial replacement of soybean meal in pre-starter broiler diets with a more digestible protein such as fishmeal, maize gluten meal or potato protein may have performance benefits.
Reason #6 A panel discussion will hear about optimum pre and post-weaning strategies to help the swine sector tackle production constraints such as zinc oxide removal or antibiotic free diets.
Enhancing mother nature
Reason #7 You can learn how to have more robust piglets by enriching sow diets, or how certain additives might boost poultry progeny growth performance.
Reason #8 What is the key to next generation probiotics for broiler chicks and piglets? Dr Ivan Rychlik has the answer.
Protein levels
Reason #9 Scotland-based Jos Houdijk will enlighten us as to why the net benefit of using high protein diets on weaner productivity may be limited.
Reason #10 We have not forgotten about the slower growing birds. The Dutch industry has increased the number of slower growing chickens in recent years following a campaign there that increased public pressure and consumer concern, leading to a change in supermarket requirements due to the perceived welfare issues associated with fast growth. Dr Ellen van Eerden from Schothorst Feed Research will tell us about the nutritional needs of the slower growing breeds from starter phase and beyond.