Forum Objectives

To update Specialty Poultry Producers on Avian influenza:

AI virus Domestic and wild bird interface AI public health risk

To describe government funding programs for the specialty bird industry

To encourage membership in the Specialty Bird Association

To provide information on the emergency response data base and request specialty industry involvement

Forum sponsored by the UBC, SBA, MAL and SBRC committee

Specialty Bird Research

MAL Grant $1.5 million – 10 Years + interest

Purpose: To assist industry to be competitive, overcome constraints to growth and be sustainable through research in:

Economics and marketing Biology and genetics Environment Production and management Food science

Develop over the long run enhanced poultry research expertise and resources at UBC to service the industry

UBC’s grant; Directed by a framework; Guided by the SBRC industry/UBC/ PARC/MAL

Specialty Birds

TC’s, TC crosses, Hong Kong Golden, Blue Legged, Silkies

Organic broilers and organic layers, free run and free range egg layers

Waterfowl including ducks and geese

Ratites including emu and ostrich

Squab, Pheasants, Wild Turkey, Quail, Partridge, Tinamou and Guinea Fowl

Other birds as agreed upon by the SBRC and authorized by MAL

Supply managed and non supply managed specialty birds

Specialty Bird Research Advisory Committee (SBRC)

UBC

Dr. Kimberly Cheng

Dr. Jim Thompson

PARC

Dr. Valerie Stevens

Dr. Fred Silversides

INDUSTRY

Ken Falk Jack Vandraager George Pang Dr. Bill Code Rod Reid

MAL

Stewart Paulson

SBRC Role

Advises on priorities

Identifies expertise and linkages

Plans and budgets research

Allocates funding to approved projects

Leverages funding

Application Procedure

Idea from industry submitted to an SBRC member

SBRC member submits preliminary proposal to SBRC

Detailed proposal - sponsor and researcher

UBC researchers must be involved – “not a grant to others program”

INDUSTRY MATCHING FUNDS NOT REQUIRED

Challenges: Depleted research resources, facilities, staff, students, lack of industry organization

Projects – “Go status”

Balut Tinamou Salvage Taiwan Conference Alternative Housing for Layers Robotic Squab Feeder Emu Oil Carotenoids/Impact on Artheriosclerosis

Development Variation in Disease Resistance Genes in Local and

Commercial Layers Squab Production Manual-biosecurity

Duck Balut (partially incubated duck embryos)

Objective: Identify CCP’s for balut production and marketing

Gather data to develop risk mitigation strategies and sound regulations

Rationale: Lack of scientific information on risks associated with balut

production and marketing

Status: Analysis and summarization

Sponsor/Researcher: Ken Falk/ Drs. Cheng and Byrne

Tinamou Salvage

Objective: To maintain the tinamou line for commercial development

Rationale: The unique Tinamou flock developed by UBC has

commercially attractive production attributes– worth salvaging

Status: Tinamou is commercially placed and undergoing flock

expansion in preparation for a selection program

Taiwan Conference

Objective: To transfer information on AI in wild birds to BC

To build contacts and seek opportunities for joint projects

Rationale: H5 has been identified in wild birds in world fly ways. Wanted

information on risks to domestic fowl

Opportunities for joint research projects with Asia

Status: Drs. Robinson and Cheng attended Presentation of salient concepts re: AI surveillance

Alternative Housing for Layers

Objective: To determine the effect of housing systems on production and welfare of

hen strains

Rationale: To exploit growing domestic and export markets for eggs from less

intensive systems To respond to growing public concerns re: caged egg housing

Status: Planning stage/ Alta Funding Consortium, PIC, Alta Farm Animal Care and

Alta Egg Board

Sponsors/Researchers: Dr. Silversides, Dr. Cheng, John Church, Nigel Cook, John Feddes, Doug

Korver

Robotic Squab Feeder

Objective: To develop a robotic squab feeder for improved production efficiency

through faster recycling, more eggs, lower costs and improved disease control

Rationale: Pigeons produce 8-14 squab per year if young are raised by parent. If the

young are removed from the parents and brooded artificially, production could be increased to 35 to 40 squab per year

Status: Camera setup with computerized direct DVD recording

Sponsor/Researcher: George Pang/Dr. K. Cheng

Emu oil

Objective: To determine if the antioxidant and anti inflammatory properties

of emu oil slow down atherosclerosis onset

To characterize the antioxidant carotenoid profile of emu oil

Rationale: To exploit the opportunities for emu oil in the high value medical

and nutriceutical markets

Sponsors/Researchers: Drs. Code, Cheng and Godin CK Life Sciences - Dr. Luk

Survey of Disease Resistance Genes in Layers and Broilers

Objective: To measure the variation in disease resistance genes in the local

and commercial layer lines of poultry

Rationale: Many stocks used in the specialty industry originated from Asia

and may be genetically divergent from commercial stocks and may be able to contribute to our genetic resources for disease resistance

Sponsors/ researchers: Egg Marketing Board Scholarship, Drs. Cheng, Fulton and Lamont, grad student Izadi Pacific Egg and Poultry Association funding

Squab Production Manual

Objective: Provide a bmp manual for BC pigeon producers

Rationale: Disease prevention through good management practices is

highly cost effective

Biosecurity and disease control through technology and management advances

Sponsor/Author/Researcher: Drs. Marini, Cheng and Bowes

Preliminary Proposals

Ivermectin – off label use for pigeons/residue Reinhardt Gromueller

Quail value added egg products/tech transfer Evert Vandenborn

Diatomaceous earth for internal parasite control- preliminary literature review - in vitro work

Rod Reid

Squab body wt/feather pattern - selection program Walter and Al Bergen

Selenium eggs- nutritionally enhanced eggs Ralph Van Nuys

Develop your ideas!!

Take the opportunity provided by research

Enhance your competitiveness

Ensure your sustainability

Grow your business

Alternative Housing

Small bodied leghorn, Lohman White, commercial Brown and Shaver Brown Egg Cross x conventional cage, furnished and free run

Egg numbers, egg quality, feed conversion, bone density, feather condition

Prelay and nesting behaviors, roosting, preening, dust bathing and aggression and avoidance behaviors

Status: Planning stage/ Alta Funding Consortium, PIC, Alta Farm Animal Care and

Alta Egg Board

Sponsors/Researchers: Dr. Silversides, Dr. Cheng, John Church, Nigel Cook, John Feddes, Doug

Korver

Survey of Disease Resistance Genes

6 non-commercial flocks and 3 commercial lines will be screened for 12 immune related genes

MHC - A series of genes that produce immunoglobulins will be compared across flocks lines

Sponsors: Egg Board Scholarship, Dr. Cheng, Susan Lamont, Fariba Izadi Pacific Egg and Poultry Association Scholarship

Emu oil

Characterize antioxidant/carotenoid profile of emu oil compared to other poultry oils

In vitro work on antioxidant properties of emu oil on human blood cells

Tests of emu oil mixed with CKBN-01 (soybean derived natural food supplement) using SUS quail line as a model

Sponsors/Researchers: Dr. Code, K. Cheng, Dr. Godin, Dr. Luk CK Life Sciences ?

Duck Balut, con’t

Testing eggs at the production level for pathogens - AHC Measure shelf life and quality and safety impacts of storing

balut at different temperatures Market research at the retail level

Status: Analysis and summarization

Sponsor/Researcher: Ken Falk/ Dr. Cheng/Dr. Byrne

Survey of Disease Resistance Genes

Goals: Identify genetic variability in disease resistance in free range and organic

production flocks

Examine specificity of avian influenza receptors in these flocks

Examine the association of the immune response variability with production traits

Robotic Squab Feeder

Study feeding behavior

Hand feeding experiments – rates, training, frequency, brooding temperatures

Designing and testing robotic brooder

Status: Camera setup with computerized direct DVD recording

Sponsor/Researcher: George Pang/Dr. K. Cheng