Poultry Science research topic of UGA conference

ATHENS — The UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will host the second annual Georgia Precision Poultry Farming Conference via Zoom May 3.

The $40 registration fee is waived for students, but registration — open until May 1 — is required for all attendees. The conference will be recorded to share with all registered participants.

“In this year’s conference, all speakers and panelists are well-known experts from academia and the poultry industry,” Lilong Chai, conference coordinator and assistant professor in the CAES Department of Poultry Science, said. “Our keynote speaker will be Dr. Daniel Berckmans, who is considered a founder of the field of precision livestock/poultry farming. In addition, Dr. Karen Christensen, the senior director of animal well-being with Tyson Foods, the largest poultry production company in the U.S., will share broiler welfare management strategies on commercial farms and the expectations from poultry growers on precision farming technologies.”

Todd Applegate, poultry science department head and R. Harold and Patsy Harrison chair in Poultry Science, will open the conference with an update on the department’s work. Remarks and updates from Mike Giles, president of the Georgia Poultry Federation, and Casey Ritz, UGA Cooperative Extension specialist in poultry science, will precede morning and afternoon technical sessions and a panel discussion before the conference concludes.

“Speakers will introduce research, development and application of precision poultry farming technologies to optimize production efficiency, poultry welfare and health management, food quality, and safety and sustainability,” Applegate said. “At this event, participants will learn and discuss how precision farming technologies can benefit the poultry industry.”

As the top poultry production state in the U.S., Georgia is home to many nationally ranked poultry production and processing companies as well as a multitude of companies supplying poultry technologies to the world.

The inaugural Georgia Precision Poultry Farming Conference in 2021 attracted 322 participants from more than 30 countries. More than one-third of participants were poultry/egg producers, service company employees, researchers and students from outside the U.S.

“This conference is another platform to internationally highlight UGA CAES Poultry Science, the best poultry program in the U.S.,” Chai said. “We expect to see increasing international collaborations and international students in our department as a result of the conference.”

A six-month training program created by the Department of Poultry Science for a worldwide poultry service company is one example of the international collaborations the Georgia Precision Poultry Farming Conference aims to create, Chai said.

In addition, conference participants will earn five hours of continuing education credit from the Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization.

The 2022 conference agenda can be viewed at poultry.caes.uga.edu or bit.ly/3IYLcLG. Registration is available through May 1 at t.uga.edu/7S8.

Special Photo: UGA/CAES