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Coolchicks

30/08/2021 - 12:43

A company specific heat stress action plan for the poultry sector

About the project

The Coolchicks project is a collaboration between Pehestat, Proefbedrijf Pluimveehouderij, ILVO and Ghent University and receives support from the Flemish Government (VLAIO). It starts on 1 December 2021 and lasts 4 years. The overall objective of the project is to provide the poultry sector with a company-specific heat action plan.

Goal of the project

Voor het reduceren van hittestress worden verschillende maatregelen geadviseerd, gaande van het aanpassen van voeder- en watermanagement tot het toepassen van klimatisatie- en staltechnieken. Deze adviezen zijn zeer waardevol maar met de klimaatverandering en de hogere kans op hittegolven zijn meer inspanningen nodig om de dieren te vrijwaren van hittestress. Naast specifieke kennis ontbreekt een bedrijfsspecifiek actieplan met concrete verbeterstrategieën voor de Vlaamse pluimveehouder.

To reduce heat stress, various measures are advised, ranging from adapting feed and water management to applying climatization and housing techniques. This advice is very valuable, but with climate change and the increased chance of heat waves, more efforts are needed to keep animals free from heat stress. In addition to specific knowledge, a company-specific action plan with concrete improvement strategies for the Flemish poultry farmer is lacking.

To this end, the following sub-objectives are put forward:

1. Determine relevant animal parameters to quantify the consequences of heat stress;
2. Evaluate the impact of potential incubation, management, feeding, water, climate and housing strategies - and combinations - on production, health and animal welfare under standardised conditions;
3. Implementing and/or evaluating good practice techniques on individual farms.

It is essential to predict the tipping point at which chickens will experience heat stress, and this at the level of the poultry farm. Therefore it will be determined which parameters or possible combinations are the most predictive.

This will result in:

1. The development of a scientifically based online tool, indicative for the start of the heat action plan;
2. A company-specific heat action plan with recommendations for effective measures that are also economically and practically feasible.

Action plan

This action plan should increase support for the Flemish poultry sector and also improve its economic prospects. Heat stress reduction in poultry ensures a greater ROI (Return on Investment) through reduced mortality, fewer health problems and increased production results.