Research: is it the broiler industry's partner into the new millennium?

Changes in broiler production parameters occur through a combination of genetic progress in the stock, improvements in management practices and flock health. Data from a comparative test conducted by Ross Breeders Ltd in 1994 involving commercial broiler stock and a control line established by them in 1976 showed that considerable improvement had been made in the rate of growth, feed conversion efficiency, yield and breast meat percentage during the 18 year period. Manipulations of lighting regimens have indicated that, under research conditions, it is possible to reduce the incidence of leg problems and total mortality, and on-farm experiments have demonstrated that profitability can be increased and flock health improved by the use of controlled feeding programmes and whole wheat feeding. In the future it is likely that feeding programmes, growth and the environment within large commercial broiler houses will be closely monitored by computers to produce optimum performance. It is vital, therefore, that trials in the future are conducted in facilities which allow the control group of birds to express their genetic potential to ensure that research findings are relevant to the broiler industry. The future of the broiler industry is difficult to predict but the use of in ovo vaccinations and novel feed ingredients, including targeted feed enzymes, is expected to increase whilst a better understanding of variability in wheat and the nutrient requirements of fast growing birds need investigation.