Hubbard has recently launched a new conventional breeder female, the Hubbard Efficiency Plus, which is the result of the company’s long-term research and development strategy ensuring high efficiency with low cost on all phases of production.
The Hubbard Efficiency Plus represents a perfect blend of advanced breeder and broiler performance. Customers will benefit from high egg and chick numbers, robust broiler growth rate with good health, and a high output of good quality saleable meat. Additionally, excellent feed efficiency results in economic advantages for producers and sustainability for the environment.
We have asked Olivier Rochard, Managing Director of Hubbard, to highlight the main points of this new product, outlining their long commitment to advancing R&D and their future strategies.
What are the specific traits of the new HUBBARD EFFICIENCY PLUS?
In a few words we can say that the Hubbard Efficiency Plus is our latest offer for the conventional market with improved numbers of eggs and chicks per hen housed, and better FCR and carcass conformation on broiler level. Based on internal trials the Hubbard Efficiency Plus is a competitive breeder and broiler in terms of live performance including feed efficiency.
Which were the reasons leading Hubbard to develop this new product?
During the last years (and in the future) more and more traits have become and will become part of our selection program to keep up with changing market demand. Therefore, some years ago we made a strategic decision to focus on one conventional female breeder to be more efficient and to be able to enlarge the population size of the pedigree lines, and as a result to increase the selection pressure for all these additional traits we have to take into account. This finally resulted in this new Hubbard female breeder replacing all other Hubbard Conventional female breeders.
You also mentioned additional investments on R&D-level, what did you do?
Indeed, we have stepped up our investments in the R&D centres in the USA and Europe leading to an even higher selection pressure. The use of the latest technologies has led and will continue to lead to further improved accuracy of measurements and predictions. On top, testing our pedigree lines under both “pristine R&D” and “challenging” field conditions allows us to predict much better how these birds perform under a wide variety of circumstances.
Can you give some examples of the latest R&D technologies that have been introduced?
An example of the latest technologies is advanced 3D imaging to improve selection for skeletal health, meat yield and quality. Also, Lifetime Feed Conversion Ratio (LFCR) technology is being implemented. This is a modern method to observe FCR and feeding behaviour during a bird’s lifetime in order to select birds that are the most efficient in converting feed to body weight. These additional gains in FCR made in recent years means that less feed – the single highest cost in poultry production – is needed to produce healthy and productive birds.
Which developments do you expect in the offering for the conventional markets?
Based on the data we get at R&D level today, we can predict that further improvements can be expected in feed efficiency, robustness, productivity of the PS females, fertility of the PS males, growth rate, meat yield and meat quality and the ability to adapt to diverse conditions.
Which are the HUBBARD EFFICIENCY PLUS target markets and your expectations on market reactions?
At this moment we are first targeting those markets around the world with a strong focus on high breeder productivity, robust broiler growth, low FCR and whole carcass or cut up.
The Hubbard Efficiency Plus delivers efficiency on all levels of production including high number of good quality hatching eggs and chicks at low cost, a high volume of good quality broilers and a high volume of quality saleable meat at low cost of production. Therefore, the whole value chain can benefit from this new offering. We have already had many positive reactions from the field, as it doesn’t happen that often that a primary breeder introduces a completely new product to the market. This is quite unique and very well received by our customers and prospects.
This new female breeder is available as from summer 2019, and we have already delivered numerous PS flocks in Latin America, Middle East & Africa and Asia. This shows you that the interest is really there!
Link to the Hubbard Efficiency Plus product
