The demand for and the manufacture of products from poultry farming has been rising constantly for years; the consumption of approx. 220 eggs and 20 kg of poultry meat per capita exceeds the production output of the approx. 45 million laying hens and 94 million broilers in Germany. Germany is therefore a net importer of poultry products. It is a worldwide pioneer in the animal- and environmentally-friendly design of poultry farming.
On March 10 and 11, the members of the German Association for Poultry Science will meet for their spring conference in Rostock. The conference will be held at the Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) in Dummerstorf and the Faculty of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences of the University of Rostock. The conference will present current research topics on poultry as well as the latest findings by experts from universities, companies and the FBN. Representatives of the media are cordially invited to the conference (see programme).
Four years ago, FBN expanded its research activities in response to the growing need for research in poultry farming and the search for alternatives in husbandry. For this purpose a stable building in Dummerstorf was converted into a modern experimental poultry facility. The research results obtained in the meantime will also play a major role at the spring meeting of the German Association for Poultry Science next week. One of the main topics will be the keeping of dual-purpose chickens. The main focus here is on the feasibility of using a dual-purpose chicken for both fattening and egg production in order to integrate male chicks into the production process. Further topics are the efficient use of the valuable and increasingly scarce raw material phosphorus and the alternative use of insect proteins from larvae of the black soldier fly in feeding. In addition, management and hygiene measures to improve animal welfare, the reduction of antibiotic resistance and technical solutions for exhaust air purification are discussed.
The Leibniz Association
The Leibniz Association connects 93 independent research institutions that range in focus from the natural, engineering and environmental sciences via economics, spatial and social sciences to the humanities. Leibniz Institutes address issues of social, economic and ecological relevance. They conduct knowledge-driven and applied basic research, maintain scientific infrastructure and provide research-based services.
The Leibniz Association identifies focus areas for knowledge transfer to policy-makers, academia, business and the public. Leibniz institutions collaborate intensively with universities – in the form of “Leibniz ScienceCampi” (thematic partnerships between university and non-university research institutes), for example – as well as with industry and other partners at home and abroad.
They are subject to an independent evaluation procedure that is unparalleled in its transparency. Due to the importance of the institutions for the country as a whole, they are funded jointly by the Federation and the Länder, employing some 19,100 individuals, including 9,900 researchers. The entire budget of all the institutes is approximately 1.9 billion Euros.
www.leibniz-association.eu
Photos FBN:
Poultry meat is enjoying increasing popularity worldwide. Nevertheless, the industry is facing many challenges. Several research projects are currently underway in Dummerstorf, here Dr. Norbert K. Borowy (front) and Dr. Gürbüz Daş in the poultry experimental facility.
Attachment: Program
Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN)
Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf
Director: Prof. Dr. Klaus Wimmers
T +49 38208-68 600
E wimmers{at}fbn-dummerstorf.de
Scientific Organisation:
Dr. Norbert K. Borowy
Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf
T +49 38208-68 605
E borowy{at}fbn-dummerstorf.de
www.fbn-dummerstorf.de
