2,200 poultry professionals gathered in Valencia

From 24 to 28 June 2024, Valencia was the setting for the XVI European Poultry Conference, a landmark event for the poultry industry at international level. The Mediterranean city, renowned for its rich culture and modernity, welcomed professionals, researchers, veterinarians and poultry sector leaders to discuss the latest advances, technological innovations and future challenges facing the industry.
The XVI European Poultry Conference of the WPSA exceeded all expectations: around 1,200 professionals from across Europe had been anticipated, yet the final attendance exceeded 2,300 registered participants from around the world, once again demonstrating the dynamism of the poultry sector both in Spain and globally, making it the best-attended European Poultry Conference in the entire history of the WPSA.

The event featured six plenary sessions and 24 parallel sessions, receiving 500 scientific communications in the form of oral presentations and posters. The programme included plenary sessions, short oral communications and digital poster presentations, covering crucial topics such as physiology, genetics, incubation, management, nutrition, animal health and animal welfare, with the aim of improving the efficiency and sustainability of poultry production.

Organisation and Spanish Participation

Not only was the organisation impeccable — handled by the Spanish Association of Scientific Aviculture (WPSA-AECA) — but Spanish participation was also outstanding. Spanish companies presented innovative solutions in poultry feeding and management. Furthermore, the focus on sustainable practices strongly resonated with local professionals, many of whom are already implementing these technologies on the farms under their supervision.

Main Topics Addressed at the EPC

1. Innovations in Poultry Production

One of the most prominent topics was the use of advanced technologies to improve poultry production efficiency. Speakers discussed the role of artificial intelligence and data analytics in optimising feed management and bird welfare, as well as in predicting potential health problems before they develop into serious outbreaks.

The use of digital management platforms enabling producers to monitor production parameters in real time was one of the most widely discussed points. These innovations not only improve profitability but also ensure more sustainable and ethical farm practices.

2. Sustainability in the Poultry Industry

Another key area was sustainability. With climate change and the growing demand for animal protein, the conference focused on how the poultry sector can minimise its environmental footprint. Presentations covered sustainable poultry feeding, efficient water management and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions on farms.

In particular, discussions addressed the implementation of renewable energy systems in poultry facilities and the development of more sustainable feed ingredients, such as alternative plant-based protein sources.

3. Animal Welfare and Regulations

Animal welfare remains a priority, and the conference explored the latest European regulations, along with the challenges and opportunities producers face in meeting these standards. The research presented highlighted ways to improve housing conditions, reduce stress and enhance the quality of life of birds, which also has a positive impact on the quality of the final product.

4. Future Challenges and Opportunities

Conference discussions also addressed how changes in consumption habits and regulations may affect the sector in the coming years. The growth in poultry product consumption worldwide, particularly in Asia and Africa, presents major opportunities for European exporters. Additionally, the need for greater cooperation among the various stakeholders in the poultry sector was discussed, in order to adapt to emerging trends such as the demand for organic and antibiotic-free poultry products.

In further detail, the following is the summary compiled by NeXusAvicultura.com of the main trends and conclusions in poultry science presented at the XVI European Poultry Conference, grouped by sub-topic:

1: Poultry Nutrition: Additives and Phytogenics

• Enzymes and Digestibility: The use of multi-enzyme complexes with high-dose phytase was highlighted for improving feed sustainability by reducing nitrogen and phosphorus excretion. The addition of xylanase was also shown to improve nutrient digestibility. Furthermore, the potential of calcium humophosphate as a novel phosphorus source in broiler nutrition was explored.
• Essential Oils and Plant Extracts: Supplementation with essential oils, lysozyme and vitamin blends was investigated to improve laying hen performance, viral vaccination response and egg quality. Extracts of Quillaja saponaria and Yucca schidigera showed positive effects on intestinal health and broiler performance. A herbal-based product for intestinal health in broilers challenged with Eimeria spp. was also evaluated.
• Prebiotics and Probiotics: The use of probiotics to modulate the gut microbiota, improve intestinal health and enhance broiler performance was explored. The modes of action of three probiotic strains were compared against an antibiotic growth promoter. One study suggested that probiotic supernatant could inhibit pathogens such as Enterococcus.
• Other Additives: The inclusion of galactomannans in the diet of broilers challenged with Campylobacter jejuni was also investigated. The use of yeast beta-glucan to improve broiler performance in a necrotic enteritis challenge model was studied.

2: Poultry Nutrition: Alternative Ingredients and Sustainability

• Insect Meal: The inclusion of black soldier fly larvae in different forms (meal and whole) in broiler diets was evaluated, with positive effects observed on growth performance and breast fatty acid composition. The inclusion of larval meal in laying hen diets was also evaluated, yielding positive results in feed conversion ratio.
• Agricultural By-products: The use of grape and apple pomace, owing to their antioxidant capacity, as a potential dietary inclusion for poultry was investigated. The use of Ganoderma lucidum combined with phytase to ferment agricultural by-products and produce functional feeds was studied.
• Fats and Oils: The effect of including Echium plantagineum oil on the modulation of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) metabolism in the liver and muscle of Canarian broilers was investigated. The use of lipid nanoparticles with n-3 fatty acids in Korat chickens was also investigated.
• Low-Protein Diets: Broiler responses to reduced-protein diets, including branched-chain amino acids, were explored. The amino acid profile was determined to be important for maintaining intestinal health in turkeys.

3: Genetics and Animal Breeding

• Bone Quality: Bone quality was assessed through keel palpation and tibial density measurement by X-ray in a purebred White Leghorn population.
• Disease Resistance: The antibody response to experimental infection with Ascaridia galli in three local chicken breeds was investigated. The immune response in Guinea fowl to Salmonella was also studied.
• Morphological Traits: The morphological characteristics of breeding males at 60 weeks of age and their relationship with fertility and testicular development were studied.
• Genomic Selection: Genetic markers associated with tropical adaptability in Guinea fowl were explored using whole-genome sequencing. Selective sweeps associated with tropical adaptability in Guinea fowl were identified.
• Productive Performance: The effect of including eggshell thickness in a genetic improvement programme for laying hens was investigated. The use of impedance spectroscopy to determine body condition and pelvic fat content in broiler breeders was investigated. The genetics of daily feed efficiency in broiler lines divergently selected for digestive efficiency was studied.
• Dual-Purpose Breeds: The egg and meat production performance of three dual-purpose hen genotypes reared under free-range conditions was evaluated.

4: Poultry Health: Infectious Diseases

• Avian Influenza: Studies on avian influenza information management through an integrated approach were presented. A transcriptomic signature in chicken blood associated with resistance to highly pathogenic avian influenza virus infection was identified. Results on avian influenza vaccination in ducks were also presented.
• Infectious Bronchitis: The impact of infectious bronchitis virus on drops in egg production in multi-age flocks was studied.
• Newcastle Disease: Host-pathogen interactions of Newcastle disease virus were investigated.
• Avian Adenovirus: The effect of FAdV-1 on gizzard erosion and C. perfringens growth in laying hens was studied.
• Avian Mycoplasmosis: Molecular characterisation of Mycoplasma gallisepticum and Mycoplasma synoviae in clinical poultry samples from Spain was carried out.
• Enterococcus cecorum: Information on Enterococcus cecorum as an emerging pathogen in broilers was presented.
• Campylobacter spp.: Colonisation by different strains of Campylobacter jejuni and their effects on broiler performance were investigated. The immune response and intestinal integrity changes caused by Campylobacter jejuni were also explored. The effect of galactomannans in broilers infected with Campylobacter was studied.

5: Poultry Health: Microbiota and Intestinal Health

• Microbiota-Gut-Brain Axis: The importance of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in poultry production was addressed, and how this knowledge can improve bird health and behaviour.
• Respiratory Microbiota: An analysis of the respiratory tract microbiome in chickens and the factors influencing its composition was presented.
• Gut Microbiota: The influence of diet on the caecal microbiota was investigated. The effects of thermal manipulation on chick quality, linked to the microbiota, were explored. The effect of oregano oil on the intestinal microbiota of broilers was studied.
• Necrotic Enteritis: Dietary supplementation with lauric and butyric acid glycerides in a subclinical necrotic enteritis challenge model was investigated. The effect of a synbiotic in turkeys during an Eimeria spp. challenge was studied.

6: Animal Welfare and Production Systems

• Laying Hen Welfare: A tool to assess laying hen welfare at the slaughterhouse was presented. The ideal perch space for pullets in Canada was studied. The impact of beak trimming on laying hen welfare was investigated.
• Housing Systems: The behaviour of white and brown hens in an aviary system during the laying phase was evaluated. Environmental enrichment elements in different hen genotypes were studied. The relationship between range use, performance and health- and welfare-related traits in organic broilers was analysed.
• Incubation Management: The effect of thermal manipulation on chick quality was investigated.
• Turkey Welfare: The effect of light as an enrichment tool in commercial turkey production was studied. The welfare of female turkeys with unrimmed beaks under enriched housing conditions was also studied.
• Stunning: The effectiveness of CO2 stunning in broilers was analysed.

7: Technology and Precision Poultry Farming

• Precision Farming: How precision farming can improve sustainable poultry production was explored. An automated scale for continuous body weight monitoring in broiler rearing was evaluated.
• Behaviour Tracking: An automated method for annotating animal behaviour tracking was presented.
• Virtual Simulators: The development of a virtual poultry slaughterhouse simulator for training veterinary students was described.

8: Meat Quality and Food Safety

• Sensory Evaluation of Meat: Innovation in the sensory evaluation of poultry meat and meat products was investigated.
• Muscle Myopathies: The use of nuclear magnetic resonance and dielectric spectroscopy to detect wooden breast anomaly in broilers was investigated. Myopathies in broiler breasts at an Argentinian slaughterhouse were studied. The nutritional value and meat quality of poultry affected by white striping, wooden breast and spaghetti meat myopathies were analysed. A comparison of meat quality traits among the main categories of chicken marketed in Italy was carried out. The effect of a black soldier fly larvae diet on broiler breast quality was studied.
• Antimicrobial Resistance: Phage therapy against superbugs was explored as a promising strategy. A meta-analysis on gut microbiota modulation through phage therapy was conducted.
• Contaminants: The transfer of undesirable substances from feed to meat and eggs was studied. The use of alfalfa leaves as an aflatoxin B1 adsorbent was also investigated.
• Food Safety: The role of surveillance in food safety associated with poultry production was analysed.

9: Sustainability and Economics

• Sustainable Production: A holistic vision of sustainable development in poultry production was presented. The environmental impacts of poultry production, including methane, nitrous oxide and ammonia emissions, were analysed.
• Life Cycle Assessment: The metabolisable energy content of broiler diets and its impact on sustainability was studied.
• Production Economics: The impact of zootechnical parameters on the cost of broiler meat production was analysed. The economic outlook of the Dutch broiler sector was presented. The consequences of geopolitical tensions on the global poultry sector were discussed.
• Innovation Networks: The BroilerNet network, which seeks to identify best practices for the benefit of broiler producers across Europe, was presented.

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At NeXusAvicultura.com we attended the event and were pleasantly surprised by the youth of the poultry research teams from around the world in attendance, and by the very high proportion of women — arguably the highest we have ever seen at a poultry industry event. The XVI European Poultry Conference 2024 concluded as an outstanding success, reaffirming the central role of the poultry industry in the future of sustainable food production.

The next edition, the XVII European Poultry Conference, will be held in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 2028.