P. Kunzmann

Controversial issues should be easy to settle if opposite sides agree on a road map how to reach results. In his paper "Ethics in the poultry industry", Prof. Peter Kunzmann, Ethics Center of the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, looks at the special situation of animal agriculture. He proposes a 3-step model, based on "pathocentric" criteria, to evaluate which forms of animal husbandry and treatment of animals can be justified and accepted by society in a given cultural environment.

published in 46 / 2011 (ISSN-number: 1617-2906)

I.M.I. Youssef, A. Beineke, K. Rohn and J. Kamphues

In the same context, Dr. Ibrahim Youssef and co-authors, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, conducted a series of experiments to determine causes of a wide-spread problem in broilers and turkeys: "Impacts of diet composition and litter quality on foot pad dermatitis in turkeys". The results confirm unpublished results from Denmark, which suggest that FPD in broilers is a seasonal problem in winter months unless litter is kept dry with proper ventilation.

published in 46 / 2011 (ISSN-number: 1617-2906)

L. FRIEDEN, C. LOOFT and E. THOLEN

Animal welfare issues are not limited to poultry: the European society demands that the conventional castration of boars must be stopped. In their paper "Breeding for reduced boar taint", Dipl. Ing. agr Luc Frieden and co-authors review the current situation in Europe and examine possibilities to solve the problem by systematic selection.

published in 46 / 2011 (ISSN-number: 1617-2906)

Hans-Wilhelm Windhorst

The demand for poultry meat continues to grow at a faster rate than the global human population. Prof. Hans-Wilhelm Windhorst, ISPA, University of Vechta, presents detailed statistics for global and regional changes between 1990 and 2009 in his paper "Patterns and dynamics of global and EU poultry meat production and trade".

published in 46 / 2011 (ISSN-number: 1617-2906)

Klaus Damme

Following the growing demand for poultry meat, a regional farmer may ask for advice before investing in production facilities. In his article "Economic aspects of poultry meat production in Germany", the author Dr. Klaus Damme, Bavarian Research and Training Center Kitzingen, used German field results to compare the production cost and potential income from broiler, turkey and duck production.

published in 46 / 2011 (ISSN-number: 1617-2906)

D. Cavero, M. Schmutz, W. Icken and R. Preisinger

Despite the fact that reproductive efficiency, a typical fitness trait, is difficult to improve by withinline selection, primary breeders have to include these traits in their continuing efforts to optimize selection strategies. In their article "Improving hatchability in white egg layer strains through breeding", Dr. Cavero and co-authors present parameter estimates from commercial lines and discuss how further genetic progress can be achieved by taking correlations with egg quality traits into account.

published in 46 / 2011 (ISSN-number: 1617-2906)

R. Schulte-Drüggelte

Commercial hatcheries are often faced with variable timing and size of orders. In his article "Recommendations for hatching egg handling and storage", the author Robert Schulte-Drüggelte, hatchery expert of Lohmann Tierzucht GmbH, briefly reviews general principles of hatching egg storage and shows how hatchability may be maintained over an extended storage period.

published in 46 / 2011 (ISSN-number: 1617-2906)

Etienne Corrent, Dr. Jörg Bartelt

The global feed industry is under continuous pressure to formulate least cost rations, making best possible use of available ingredients while keeping in mind society's demand to minimize environmental pollution. In their paper "Valine and Isoleucine: The next limiting amino acids in broiler diets", the authors Etienne Corrent and Jörg Bartelt focus on the requirements of fast growing broilers for two limiting amino acids.

published in 46 / 2011 (ISSN-number: 1617-2906)

Prof. Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Windhorst

We start with a look at developments in the global egg market. Prof. Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Windhorst, University of Vechta, Germany, reviews “The Changing Global Egg Industry” and shows that threshold countries account for the largest share of the increasing global production, whereas Europe is barely holding its own in total volume.

published in 46 / 2011 (ISSN-number: 1617-2906)

Dr. Donald Bell

Dr. Donald Bell, University of California, Riverside, USA, analyzed a large sample of field data to demonstrate the variation in egg production and egg size between flocks of the same strain (LSL LITE). “The Challenges of Management for Today’s High Performing Laying Hens” calls attention to the large differences due to farm management and non-genetic effects in realizing the genetic potential.

published in 46 / 2011 (ISSN-number: 1617-2906)

Arnold Elson

At a time when Europe is terminating conventional cages, we should remember how the egg industry developed before speculating where it will go in Europe and other parts of the world. Mr.Arnold Elson, ADAS Gleadthorpe, UK, reviews “Housing and Husbandry of Laying Hens: past, present and future”, with reference to extensive scientific publications which have accompanied the developments.

published in 46 / 2011 (ISSN-number: 1617-2906)

Thea van Niekerk and Berry Reuvekamp

Thea van Niekerk and Berry Reuvekamp, WUR Livestock Research, Lelystad, The Netherlands, describe “The Rondeel™ - a new housing design for laying hens”. The concept has been developed to meet higher standards of bird welfare and ecological efficiency than other floor systems and has found positive attention from visitors and the media. Time will tell whether the higher production cost can be recovered and whether beak treatment is not necessary in this system.

published in 46 / 2011 (ISSN-number: 1617-2906)

Prof. Dr. Heinz Pingel

Most people in Europe are familiar with duck and goose meat as seasonal food in winter months, and this is an interesting niche market. Prof. Dr. Heinz Pingel, Landsberg, Germany, is recognized as an authority in waterfowl on the basis of his research and teaching at the University of Leipzig before reunification of Germany. In his paper “Waterfowl Production for Food Security”, he reviews trends in regional production and consumption between 1991 and 2009 and discusses opportunities for future developments.

published in 46 / 2011 (ISSN-number: 1617-2906)

Prof. Dr. Gerhard Flachowsky

The EU Court has recently ruled that bee keepers can sue growers of GM plants if their honey is contaminated, and many consumers in Europe are opposed to GM food or feed in animal nutrition. Prof. Dr. Gerhard Flachowsky, Institute of Animal Nutrition, FLI, Braunschweig, Germany, looks at “Poultry Feed from Genetically Modified Plants” on the basis of the results of long-term experiments.

published in 46 / 2011 (ISSN-number: 1617-2906)

Prof. Dr. Heinz Jeroch

Recommendations for optimal nutrition have been a recurrent subject in this publication since the 1950s, when Lohmann got involved in poultry nutrition and promoted feed additives. Over the years, recommendations have been refined, based on new research results. Prof. Dr. Heinz Jeroch, currently at Warmia and Mazury University Olsztyn, Poland, reviews ”Recommendations for energy and nutrients of layers” and suggests specific needs for new research projects to provide a sound scientific basis for feed formulation under different management and climate conditions.

published in 46 / 2011 (ISSN-number: 1617-2906)