Aviagen®’s Arbor Acres® distributor, Arbor Acres South Africa, held a series of broiler farmer visits for customers across the country, in collaboration with Broiler Consultant, Henry van Dungen from 15-24 April. The events were well attended with a total of 256 attendees.

The visits focused on a number of key broiler topics including:

• Brooding
• Winter brooding
• Targeting 7-day weights for better processing weights
• Update on Avian Influenza (AI
• How to save energy

The Arbor Acres South Africa local customer support team including Marlie Saunders, Technical Manager were in attendance. Two guest speakers were also in attendance, Dr. Greg Celliers, Veterinarian, Eagles Pride, who gave an update on the AI situation within South Africa, and Dr. Chris Travers, Broiler Farmer, who discussed his experience with new technologies that he has installed in his own broiler houses.

Discussing the visits, Marlie commented, “The broiler farmers days were a great success. All attendees found the events to be insightful, and they gained valuable knowledge and practical insights to assist in enhancing their farming practices. The topics discussed during the visits were not new to our participants, however they provided them with a fresh perspective, inspiring them to reconsider their approach to poultry farming and the design of their poultry houses. It summoned ideas on how they can make positive changes to optimize their operations and enhance the wellbeing of their flocks.”

“Aviagen is committed to strengthening Arbor Acres South Africa’s customer success by helping maximize the performance and efficiency of Arbor Acres flocks. Events such as this assist local producers with continuously progressing the performance of their broiler flocks. The transfer of knowledge and awareness of the genetic improvements are key to managing Arbor Acres birds. Thank you to all customers for their continued support and for contributing to the success of the Arbor Acres breed within the South African market,” commented Florian Blevin, Aviagen Regional Technical Manager, SSA.

Gerrie Venter, Strategic Accounts & Marketing Manager, Eagles Pride added, “The Arbor Acres Broiler Day was highly informative, featuring three expert speakers who provided valuable insights on important topics for broiler farming. Henry van Dungen’s presentation on winter brooding provided clear explanations on complex concepts, making them easy to understand and apply in the field. Dr Greg Celliers update on Avian Influenza in South Africa highlighted the importance of being vigilant and proactive in managing the disease. The seminar concluded with a presentation from Dr. Chris Travers on farming efficiency where he gave advice on how to manage the rising energy costs and environmental concerns. Overall, the seminar was a great success, and offered valuable knowledge and practical solutions to aid broiler farmers in improving their operations.”