The training seminar objective was to provide a forum to exchange ideas and information with hatchery managers and to help them produce the highest quality day old chicks from each of their hatcheries. It also provided the opportunity to update attendees with the latest technology and provide the best possible incubation environment for the modern breeder and broiler.

The seminar started with an interactive team working session to “break the ice” and get the seminar off to a quick start for the participants. The initial session was tasked with building an “incubator” that would hold eggs for a break out session three days later to look at the early embryonic development differences.

The agenda was detailed and covered many aspects of incubation and hatchery management. Topics included egg handling from farm to incubator, the essentials of incubation - particularly temperature, fundamentals of hatchery ventilation, setter profiles and the hatch window. The second day covered hatchery maintenance, transfer, sanitation programs, trouble-shooting hatch, chick holding and transportation and rounded out the agenda with trends in hatchery automation. Day three focused on interpreting and using hatchery data effectively, hatchery vaccination programs and techniques. The final period reviewed the opening incubator exercise and assessed early three day embryo development.

The seminar was well supported with 47 participants from customers in Japan, Korea, Bangladesh, Taiwan, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, New Zealand, India, Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand. Post seminar customer feedback also indicated that the training format had been appreciated….”You have done a terrific job on putting that training up….our team just loved it and hope that there’s more time in each topic (in the future)….we are eager to know the next year program….there’s a few topics that they want to know more about.”

Dr. Ampai Nangsuay, hatchery technical service manager, Aviagen Asia commented, “Providing optimal incubation management to produce good quality chicks is increasingly important to achieve maximum broiler performance. This year RATS has combined theory and practical incubation management from egg to chick. Participants had the opportunity to enhance their knowledge for better management in the hatchery.”

The international group of presenters provided information and insight on new and updated methods in a wide range of hatchery management subjects which will help the growing number of Ross customers enhance performance and profitability throughout Asia,” concluded Orapan Chansawat, vice president Ross Asia.

"It was good to see many of hatchery people from the region at the seminar and the participant interaction and great team work throughout the three day program," said Dr. Chang Hee Lee, Ross technical service manager, Asia.

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.