CRPC Update: December 2010
The Canadian poultry sector is fortunate. We have access to a wide range
of scientific expertise that can help us meet new challenges and find
solutions to the problems we face. The Canadian Poultry Research Council
(CPRC) is developing research programs that will make good use of this
valuable intellectual resource.
The Canadian poultry sector is fortunate. We have access to a wide range of scientific expertise that can help us meet new challenges and find solutions to the problems we face. The Canadian Poultry Research Council (CPRC) is developing research programs that will make good use of this valuable intellectual resource. In conjunction with other funding organizations, universities and government departments across the country, the CPRC is administering a wide range of research efforts. Here are a few examples of projects that recently got underway.
Campylobacter vaccines
Gastroenteritis (infection or irritation of the intestinal tract) in people is often associated with the bacterium Campylobacter jejuni. Reducing numbers of C. jejuni in poultry would reduce the incidence of gastroenteritis linked to poultry products. Dr. Byeonghwa Jeon and his team at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) are developing a vaccine that may do just that. To date, an effective vaccine has been elusive, but Dr. Jeon’s previous work with C. jejuni revealed characteristics of the bacterium that may lead to a vaccine design that effectively targets the bacterium while leaving other beneficial bacteria in the gut unharmed. This work complements that of other research groups in Canada and abroad working towards effective methods of reducing numbers of C. jejuni in poultry. Funding is provided by the CPRC, the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC), the University of Prince Edward Island and the Government of Prince Edward Island.
Environmental impact of poultry production
Commercial poultry operations emit various airborne pollutants such as ammonia and particulate matter (PM). With financial support from the CPRC, the Poultry Industry Council (PIC) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Dr. Bill Van Heyst at the University of Guelph is leading a study that includes a broad assessment of the environmental impacts of these emissions. While there have been previous studies aimed at measuring emission levels, this project is unique in that it also considers secondary inorganic aerosols (SIAs), which pose a potential health threat to farm workers. SIAs are formed in the presence of reactive gases such as ammonia, which is found in significant amounts in commercial poultry operations. This study also includes investigations into minimizing ammonia emissions from composting poultry mortalities (an effective and increasingly popular method of disposal). These methods involve such factors as control of pH of the pile and choice of bulking agent.
Potential health effect of DDGS
In the face of ever-increasing feed costs, the CPRC has identified an industry need to explore alternatives to traditional feedstuffs. There has been much interest in the suitability of distiller’s dried grain plus solubles (DDGS), for example, as a way to reduce the need for expensive grain ingredients in poultry rations. Drs. Bogdan Slominski and Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Lecompte at the University of Manitoba are leading a unique study looking at the potential for yeast-derived DDGS to contribute to gastrointestinal tract development and immunostimulation in broiler chickens. The concept of reducing feed costs while simultaneously improving gut and immune function is very attractive to the poultry industry. This work could yield very important information on the potential for DDGS to accomplish these goals. The CPRC, the PIC, the NSERC and Canadian Bio-Systems Inc. are all providing funding.
Understanding necrotic enteritis
There has been considerable research worldwide on the cause of necrotic enteritis. The bacterium Clostridium perfringens has long been considered the causative organism of the disease, but the mechanism by which it does so is still under debate. It was once believed that a specific toxin produced by the bacterium caused the tissue damage associated with the disease, but recent studies have cast doubt on this hypothesis. With support from the CPRC, the NSERC and Lilydale, Drs. Andrew Olkowski and Bernard Laarveld at the University of Saskatchewan are adding to the knowledge base by studying poultry-environment-bacterial interactions and teasing out details of how and why necrotic enteritis develops. A better understanding of the disease will lead to effective measures to control it. The researchers have already made some observations that, if confirmed, may lead to relatively simple management practices that could reduce incidence of this disease.
Results from these and other projects will be shared as they become available. For more details on any CPRC activities, please contact Gord Speksnijder at The Canadian Poultry Research Council, 483 Arkell Road, R.R. #2, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 6H8. For more information, phone 289-251-2990, fax 519-837-3584, e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or visit us at www.cp-rc.ca. n
The membership of the CPRC consists of the Chicken Farmers of Canada, the Canadian Hatching Egg Producers, the Turkey Farmers of Canada, the Egg Farmers of Canada and the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors’ Council. The 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.
Campylobacter vaccines
Gastroenteritis (infection or irritation of the intestinal tract) in people is often associated with the bacterium Campylobacter jejuni. Reducing numbers of C. jejuni in poultry would reduce the incidence of gastroenteritis linked to poultry products. Dr. Byeonghwa Jeon and his team at the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) are developing a vaccine that may do just that. To date, an effective vaccine has been elusive, but Dr. Jeon’s previous work with C. jejuni revealed characteristics of the bacterium that may lead to a vaccine design that effectively targets the bacterium while leaving other beneficial bacteria in the gut unharmed. This work complements that of other research groups in Canada and abroad working towards effective methods of reducing numbers of C. jejuni in poultry. Funding is provided by the CPRC, the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC), the University of Prince Edward Island and the Government of Prince Edward Island.
Environmental impact of poultry production
Commercial poultry operations emit various airborne pollutants such as ammonia and particulate matter (PM). With financial support from the CPRC, the Poultry Industry Council (PIC) and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC), Dr. Bill Van Heyst at the University of Guelph is leading a study that includes a broad assessment of the environmental impacts of these emissions. While there have been previous studies aimed at measuring emission levels, this project is unique in that it also considers secondary inorganic aerosols (SIAs), which pose a potential health threat to farm workers. SIAs are formed in the presence of reactive gases such as ammonia, which is found in significant amounts in commercial poultry operations. This study also includes investigations into minimizing ammonia emissions from composting poultry mortalities (an effective and increasingly popular method of disposal). These methods involve such factors as control of pH of the pile and choice of bulking agent.
Potential health effect of DDGS
In the face of ever-increasing feed costs, the CPRC has identified an industry need to explore alternatives to traditional feedstuffs. There has been much interest in the suitability of distiller’s dried grain plus solubles (DDGS), for example, as a way to reduce the need for expensive grain ingredients in poultry rations. Drs. Bogdan Slominski and Juan Carlos Rodriguez-Lecompte at the University of Manitoba are leading a unique study looking at the potential for yeast-derived DDGS to contribute to gastrointestinal tract development and immunostimulation in broiler chickens. The concept of reducing feed costs while simultaneously improving gut and immune function is very attractive to the poultry industry. This work could yield very important information on the potential for DDGS to accomplish these goals. The CPRC, the PIC, the NSERC and Canadian Bio-Systems Inc. are all providing funding.
Understanding necrotic enteritis
There has been considerable research worldwide on the cause of necrotic enteritis. The bacterium Clostridium perfringens has long been considered the causative organism of the disease, but the mechanism by which it does so is still under debate. It was once believed that a specific toxin produced by the bacterium caused the tissue damage associated with the disease, but recent studies have cast doubt on this hypothesis. With support from the CPRC, the NSERC and Lilydale, Drs. Andrew Olkowski and Bernard Laarveld at the University of Saskatchewan are adding to the knowledge base by studying poultry-environment-bacterial interactions and teasing out details of how and why necrotic enteritis develops. A better understanding of the disease will lead to effective measures to control it. The researchers have already made some observations that, if confirmed, may lead to relatively simple management practices that could reduce incidence of this disease.
Results from these and other projects will be shared as they become available. For more details on any CPRC activities, please contact Gord Speksnijder at The Canadian Poultry Research Council, 483 Arkell Road, R.R. #2, Guelph, Ontario, N1H 6H8. For more information, phone 289-251-2990, fax 519-837-3584, e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or visit us at www.cp-rc.ca. n
The membership of the CPRC consists of the Chicken Farmers of Canada, the Canadian Hatching Egg Producers, the Turkey Farmers of Canada, the Egg Farmers of Canada and the Canadian Poultry and Egg Processors’ Council. The 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.