Led by international experts (from left), Emilio Cura, Eddy Van Lierde, Nick Dorko and Marcelo Silva, the virtual meetings explored hot topics relevant to Latin American poultry production.
CAMPINAS, Brazil – Aviagen® Latin America was excited to welcome customers to its new webinar series in April and May. The sessions brought together more than 2,500 poultry professionals who engaged in a lively exchange of ideas and knowledge on relevant topics such as breeder and broiler nutrition, incubation and health. Aimed at the Latin American poultry market, the webinars were offered in Portuguese, Spanish and English.
Webinar 1: Nutrition – Key to unlocking genetic potential
Held on April 18, the first webinar was presented by Aviagen global Nutrition Specialist, Emilio Cura. Cura highlighted the importance of careful nutrition management to grow healthy, productive birds with good welfare, especially during the early production phases. Qualities such as healthy growth, uniformity and fertility are greatly impacted by nutrition for both males and females, according to Cura. "As bird performance is enhanced due to breeding development, we must adjust our management strategies to reap the full benefit from these genetic improvements," he emphasized.
Webinar 2: Effective incubation management
Global head of Incubation Services Eddy Van Lierde engaged with attendees on April 25. He discussed effective incubation management techniques, accenting the importance of correct egg management and care directly after hatch, and the special attention that must be given to chicks that hatch from young breeders.
Webinar 3: Optimal sanitary interval management
On May 2, Global Director of Veterinary Services Nick Dorko gave his insight on how to optimize performance through skillful management of the sanitary interval – the time between when the last flock leaves the poultry house and entry of the next flock. This is the moment when hygiene, sanitization, litter treatment and disposal, among others, should be thoroughly carried out meticulously, through good prior planning, aiming at maximum flock protection against harmful pathogens. He offered tips such as increasing internal time to improve daily weight gain, livability and feed conversion rate (FCR).
Webinar 4: Underlining nutritional management
During the fourth webinar held on May 9, Global Director of Nutrition Marcelo Silva explored with attendees effective nutritional management. According to Silva, while genetic progress has served to strengthen growth rate, FCR and meat yield, unlocking the birds’ full potential depends on meticulous management of the birds’ nutrition and environment. The needs vary at different developmental stages, and special attention must be given to providing chicks with a good start to life. Furthermore, better feed efficiency also impacts feed consumption and nutritional needs, and Silva explained the interconnectedness of these vital factors.
Flexible approach to knowledge sharing
Mário Sérgio Assayag, Aviagen's Regional Technical Manager for Latin America, emphasized that the webinar, tailored to the specific needs of the region, is just one of the many dynamic approaches to provide customers with cutting-edge knowledge and industry breakthroughs. "We deeply appreciate our Latin American producers, and it is of utmost importance to give them the freedom to access training and the latest information in a flexible manner. The webinar series, which has gained immense popularity among our customers in recent years, is just one of the many valuable resources in our extensive training library."