Held in Lusaka, Zambia, from April 10 to April 12 the event highlighted the importance of good egg handling from farm to hatchery.

The seminar is organized annually by Ross Africa, specifically for its Sub-Saharan customers, and every second year focuses on hatchery management, with training delivered by hatchery equipment supplier Pas Reform. The Ross Middle East and Africa Customer Focus Team was represented by Sales Manager Bulent Tanyildizi and senior Technical Manager Robert Haggarty, who work closely with Ross Africa throughout the year.

The event was attended by 27 hatchery managers and supervisors from 10 different countries. Held at Ross Africa’s flagship broiler hatchery, presentations and practical interactive sessions were designed to train the trainer and ensure best practices are transferred from the customer back to their own organizations. The participants investigated and discussed a range of topics including, “What Are Good Hatchery Results – Commitment to High Hatchability,” “Optimal Egg Quality from Breeder Farm to Hatchery,” and “Energy Efficient Hatchery Climate Control and Ventilation in Different Climate Zones.”

Raymond Laing, technical director Ross Africa, explained, “First-class chicks require first-class care, and that’s why our hatchery training is so important. Chick performance can only be maximized when every aspect of management is carefully considered. Good hatchery management, the focus of this seminar, is a central component of this. We were delighted to welcome so many of our Sub-Saharan customers to our hatchery management seminar to share these messages and enjoyed the vivid exchanges of best practices and their enthusiastic involvement in the workshops very much.”

About Aviagen
Since 1923, Aviagen® has established itself as the world's leading poultry breeding company, developing pedigree lines for the production of commercial broiler chickens under the Arbor Acres®, Indian River®, and Ross® brand names. The Rowan Range® and Specialty Males® are specialty breeding stock from Aviagen that offer greater flexibility for customers to meet specific or niche market requirements. The company is based in Huntsville, Alabama, USA with a number of wholly-owned operations across the United Kingdom, Europe, Turkey, Latin America, India, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S., and joint ventures in Asia. Aviagen employs more than 3,900 people and has a distribution network serving customers in more than 100 countries.

For further information, please visit www.aviagen.com.