Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
describes the comprehensive software and
prediction tools developed by this group:
1.
Broiler Economics for Energy and Protein
(BEEP) aims to determine optimal dietary
energy and amino acid density, subject to
composition and costs of available ingredi-
ents, target product mix and market prices,
and projected biological response. Aviagen
has conducted numerous trials using a wide
range of nutrient density and measured bird
ages (i.e. diets ranging from 2723 to 3386
kcal ME/kg, 0.89% to 1.65% digestible ly-
sine with all essential amino acids being
indexed to lysine, and BW 1.09-4.70 kg).
Results from these trials were utilized to
build this model to estimate biological re-
sponses, such as live performance and car-
cass component yield to nutrient density
changes, and determine dietary levels of en-
ergy and amino acid requirements that
maximize margin over feeding cost (MOFC)
on a per broiler or per broiler annualized
basis. The effects of incrementally changing
feed or meat prices on optimal energy and
amino acid levels is evaluated via paramet-
ric analysis. The model can be exploited to
enhance decision making under volatile
market conditions.
2.
Broiler Lighting Design
is designed to
predict the optimal lighting programme
schedule for broiler production. Based on
experimental data developed by Aviagen
and the University of Saskatchewan, Canada
(Hank Classen), the model estimates the ef-
fects of lighting regimes on broiler live and
processing performance and, similar to BEEP,
optimizes MOFC for live bird or processed
meat markets.
3.
Business Process Analysis (BPA) - Broiler
analyses broiler flock settlement records
from corporate databases. The time span
typically used for analysis is a rolling aver-
age of
3
years of data. Flock record data are
utilized to estimate the pure effects of nu-
merical variables (e.g. dietary energy or
amino acid density, temperature; down-time
between flocks, stocking density) and class
variables (e.g. genotype, sex, drinker type,
feeder type). Pure effects are estimated for
objective variables (FCR; BW, mortality,
condemnations and MOFC). Proprietary
'ideal adjustment' procedures are applied
on FCR and BW to ensure comparability
among flocks harvested at various ages.
BPA - Breeder
analyses breeder flock re-
cords from corporate databases. The flock
records data are utilized to estimate the
pure effects of numerical variables during
rearing and laying periods, as well as class
variables. Pure effects are estimated for
objective variables (e.g. egg production,
hatchability, mortality and number of chicks
produced). The optimal BW trajectory is esti-
mated via orthogonal function transform-
ations specifically designed for the task.
4.
A collection of prediction tools have
been developed which can be utilized inde-
pendently or integrated into comprehensive
software like the aforementioned two. These
prediction tools include:
(iii)
Curve
estimates BW or specific car-
cass components via a modified Gom-
pertz equation.
(iii)
Adjustment
estimates BW trajectory
via a modified Gompertz equation, FCR via
a proprietary approach, and adjusts FCR
to a selected BW by a proprietary 'ideal ad-
justment' approach.
(iii)
Energy Requirement
estimates the
energy requirement of broilers and broiler
breeders. The model takes a unique ap-
proach by utilizing a time age-variant
maintenance energy function, which is
estimated via a proprietary non-linear
optimizer.
(iv)
Multi-parameter age-variant function
tools to estimate, from partial datasets of
breeder flocks, egg production, hatchability,
fertility, livability, egg weight and hatch
emergence rate.
5.
Uniformity Prediction
is a multi-parameter
prediction tool that estimates the live BW
distribution of a flock and quantifies the
number of birds per cohort weight range
subject to uniformity constraints and defined
weight interval boundaries.
6.
Experimental Design
estimates the re-
quired number of replicate pens and birds
per pen to achieve a successful trial at a de-
sired level of probability.
Development of a new broiler management
programme is currently underway to simulate
