James Truscott, director of Cobb Germany, who welcomed the delegates from hatcheries, laboratories and farms, spoke of the need to expand worldwide food supply at a time of dramatic population growth.

In the production chain for poultry meat he explained the correlation between the different stages and the importance of the hatch process in achieving good overall results.

Hatchery expert Dr Ron Meijerhof described the influence of chick quality on broiler results, showing an example of a three per cent difference in hatchability using eggs from the same origin in two incubators.

"The losses in the hatchery due to lower hatchability are multiplied in the economic losses on the broiler farm and then at the slaughterhouse," said Dr Meijerhof.

Dr Matthias Todte, supervising veterinarian of Cobb Germany and Wimex, stressed the importance of hatching egg hygiene and parent stock management. "The health status of eggs before disinfection is critical,” he said. "More emphasis should be placed on a clean mat in the nest, egg collecting times, dry litter and intestinal health of the flock."

The second day of the workshop began with a presentation by Saeid Najati, technical consultant of Cobb Germany, on chick transport. This is an important stage of the process, he said, where it is necessary to ensure a first class environment as this has such an effect on both chick quality and broiler performance.

“Our guests were delighted by the rich content of this seminar and the opportunity to exchange views on the achievements of the world's most popular broiler, the Cobb500,” added James Truscott.

Delegates at the two-day Cobb Germany workshop seminar in Köthen