Exchange programme of poultry specialists
The key objective of the expert exchange programmes organised in the context of CEPI is to provide a platform for personal discussions between poultry professionals of Hungary and Austria. Hot topics include current issues of poultry production, issues of animal health, and local experiences. Besides, expert exchange programmes aim at providing opportunities for professionals of the field to get acquainted with enterprises operating in the poultry sector of the respective other country. Additionally, it is possible to discuss local challenges of production and potential ways to address the emerging issues. Advisory board members from both countries, representatives of poultry production, feed production, poultry and egg processing companies participated in the joint professional event in February 2019.
The programme included visits to companies with profiles unique both in Austria and Hungary. The first item on the agenda was a visit of Prophyl Ltd. (Mohács, Hungary), where the managing director Zsófia Benyeda and her colleagues introduced the range of activities of the company. The Specific Pathogen Free (SPF) egg production of the company represents a significant share of the SPF egg production in Europe. SPF eggs are produced by a special stock of laying hens, which are free of 35 specific pathogens. The hens are kept under strictly defined conditions in completely isolated houses with filtrated air and water supply, overpressure, autoclaved feedstuffs, and restricted movement of staff. Eggs produced under these circumstances are used for human and veterinary vaccine production. These husbandry and feeding technologies and the maintenance of the pathogen free conditions represent one of the most specific segment of poultry production.
After the presentation and detailed introduction of the diagnostic laboratories of the company, the group visited Prophyl’s facility in Bár, where several scientific studies are carried out in animal houses with different levels of biosafety.
After a quick lunch, the programme continued in Palotabozsok, where Attila Jordán, managing director of Palotabozsoki Ltd. introduced the special broiler production facility of the company. Here, a so-called Patio system is applied. The speciality of the technology is that hatching of the chicks takes place on-farm, not in a hatchery. Therefore the transport of day-old chicks from the hatchery to the farm is avoided. This means that the chicks have immediate access to feed and water instead of the 24-48 hours delay. According to the managing director, this system is animal friendly, reduces heating costs significantly and increases the production capacity of the company.