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Hatching baby chicks Helping ostrich hatchlings get the best possible start
by WCDOA pubs
by Dr Zanell Brand
IIn the aftermath of COVID-19, it was time to meet the experts to get updated on new research and technologies. The Incubation and Fertility Research Group Meeting (IFRG) was held in the beautiful city of Leiden, The Netherlands, during October 2022.
More than 70 delegates attended the meeting and the group consisted of people from the industry, universities and research centres that have an interest in incubation and fertility in avian species and especially poultry. The 28 speakers included delegates from West and East Europe, North and South Africa, as well as South and Central America. A wide range of topics was covered, including egg storage and handling, the effect of flock age and contamination on hatchability, and management of chicks after hatch. Early post-hatch feeding and transport conditions were hot topics with the stricter regulations being implemented worldwide.
The programme was divided into seven different sessions, which included:
• embryology, egg storage and SPIDES (short periods of incubation during storage)
• fertility, egg quality, egg handling and egg storage
• incubation and chick vitality
• in ovo sexing; incubation and early life post hatch
• incubation, hatching phase and early life post hatch
• a poster session.
For more information!
Dr Zanell Brand submitted an abstract for an oral presentation on “Effect of lighting regimes in automatic setters and hatchers on ostrich hatching performance”. Being the only presentation given on incubation research on ostriches, shows that the Western Cape Department of Agriculture plays a vital role in research that aims to ultimately improve productivity and ensure the viability of the ostrich industry. AP
The annual meeting of the IFRG followed to arrange the next combined IFRG and the Fundamental Physiology and Perinatal Development Group (FPPDG) meeting in Wrocław, Poland, in September this year. Scan the QR code or visit https://ifrg.be/
For more information, contact Dr Zanell Brand:
