CPRC Update: February-March 2014

The Canadian Poultry Research Council (CPRC) dedicated its 2013 funding budget, plus additional funds from our member organizations, to our application under Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s science cluster section of the AgriInnovation Program (AIP). CPRC is returning to its practice of issuing annual calls for Letters of Intent (LOI) in 2014 with a call in early April.

CPRC issues calls for LOI under two of its five main priority areas each year:

1. Avian Gut Microbiology
2. Environment
3. Food Safety and Poultry Health
4. Poultry Welfare and Behaviour
5. Novel Feedstuffs

These priority areas are well-aligned with those identified in the 2012 document National Research Strategy for Canada’s Poultry Sector (available on the Research section of the CPRC website, www.cp-rc.ca). CPRC prepared the strategy based on a number of workshops, conferences, discussions with industry members and other industry stakeholders, and input from its member organizations.

1. Avian Gut Microbiology: The Avian Microbiology Network (AviMicroNet) is a communication network of researchers designed to encourage the investigation of the impact of gut microflora on the nutrition, feed conversion, pathogen carriage and health of poultry in an antimicrobial-free environment. This effort has been put forth in response to growing pressures to reduce, or possibly eliminate, antimicrobial drugs from animal feeds.
2. Environment: The CPRC’s research program on environmental issues in the poultry industry has supported a number of projects in a wide variety of areas. These projects  include studies of the prevalence and effect of veterinary pharmaceutical residues in the environment, the direct injection of poultry litter on agricultural land, the environmental implications of phosphorus and calcium flows in poultry production, workplace exposure to environmental contaminants in commercial poultry barns, useful products from spent hens, and emissions from poultry operations.
3. Food Safety and Poultry Health: This program covers a wide range of topics with potentially far-reaching implications for the sector, including immunization of broiler chickens against necrotic enteritis, understanding the biology of avian influenza virus and finding better ways to control it, novel multivalent vaccines for avian health, and new ways to control enteric pathogens.
4. Poultry Welfare and Behaviour Research within this program covers such topics as the impact of ammonia on the welfare of laying hens, improving transport conditions for broilers, alternative methods of euthanizing turkeys, effects of lighting programs on leg weakness in broilers, improving welfare for beak trimmed hens, maintaining leg and bone structure in turkeys, implications of toe-trimming turkeys, alternative feeding strategies for broiler breeders, and the impact of day length on turkey welfare and productivity.
5. Novel Feedstuffs: There is an emerging need for research on the use of feedstuffs that could be an alternative to current grains, prices of which are anticipated to remain high. Research is underway relating to the potential animal health benefits of feeding distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS), the nutritive value of cold-pressed meals from various grain sources, and the economic and nutritive impact of processing alternative ingredients in turkey diets.

The CPRC also funds projects that are of significance to the Canadian poultry industry, but may not fit into the broad research areas listed above. Researchers may apply for funding for these projects at any time throughout the year according to the CPRC policy on ad hoc proposals (see the research section of the CPRC website).

CPRC’s board of directors will decide on the two categories for the 2014 call for LOI In March, and the call will be issued in early April, with a submission date in early June.

For more details on any CPRC activities, please contact the Canadian Poultry Research Council, 350 Sparks Street, Suite 1007, Ottawa, Ont. K1R 7S8. Phone: 613-566-5916, fax: 613-241-5999, email: info@cp-rc.ca, or visit us at www.cp-rc.ca.

The membership of the CPRC consists of Chicken Farmers of Canada, Canadian Hatching Egg Producers, Turkey Farmers of Canada, Egg Farmers of Canada and the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors’ Council. CPRC’s mission is to address its members’ needs through dynamic leadership in the creation and implementation of programs for poultry research in Canada, which may also include societal concerns.