GENETICS ▶▶▶
ranging from performance to practical handling, especially whether the hens are calm and easy to handle.
The offspring crosses for each purebred breed, one with Ranger and one with White Rock, are in an ongoing performance test in different barns.
Genetic and feeding aspects In August of this year another project will start in the context of research into dual-purpose chickens in Germany. “In that study, OekoGen, we will be examining the genetic aspects of dual-purpose chickens even more closely,” says Dr Tiemann. “So, we will look at health, behaviour and breeding pro- grammes, as well as feeding and marketing opportunities. Welfare indicators covering the health of the animals, in particular, including robustness against bird flu, internal par- asites and the strength of the bones, as well as behavioural coping strategies will be in focus.” The feed for the research hens is supplied by Reudink, a producer of organic diets for mainly poultry, swine and rumi- nants (owned by ForFarmers, Netherlands). Ludger Beesten, a specialist from Reudink told us: “For two years we have been working with the University of Bonn and supplying special organic feed for the hens. The hens are fed with a special feed composition, without rapeseed cake.” Together with the researchers at Bonn, Beesten looks at what is the optimum ration for each crossbreed. This turns out to be not a standard composition. “What we run into,” says Dr Tiemann, “is that we do not really know what ration these types of crossbreeds need. So we are also looking at that together with Reudink. The challenge is that the roosters actually need more energy in the feed and the hens get fat too quickly.”
Males and females are selected and housed separately.
In a special barn on the grounds of the research centre Campus Frankenforst in Königswinter, 350 Ixworth hens and roosters are housed in separate pens.
34 ▶ POULTRY WORLD | No. 7, 2022
Life cycle assessment According to Dr Tiemann, the animal welfare assessment in dual-purpose chickens is also very important. “The life cycle assessment provides a more complete picture. We check whether the chickens free-range easily, that they do not peck each other, how lively they are and whether they use their nests. For us that is the main goal of the current research but, of course, poultry farms also look at the economic per- formance of our crossings.” Like the 19 German Naturland farms that are currently conducting practical trials with all the crossings. Besides performance, they look at the marketing scope for the eggs and poultry meat in the region. It is still too early for results, says Tiemann. “The hens from the crosses are now only 30 weeks old. So which one is best still remains to be seen.” The results of the projects will be published at the end of this year. Afterwards, the research will continue, says Becker. “Of course, we will continue to breed with those individuals laying the most eggs and that also per- form well against the other parameters,” says Becker. Meuser concludes: “We have noticed that commercial poultry farming is increasingly interested in our research into dual-purpose hens. The use of the crosses in commercial poultry farming is not yet on the agenda but it will happen as soon as the Euro- pean market starts asking for it.”
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