project MiniAB#Broiler - Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences

MiniAB#Broiler

Minimizing the use of antibiotics

The overall goal of the MiniAB#Broiler project is for farms that have high antibiotic use (ABU) to learn from farms that have comparably low ABU and to identify and optimize parameters to improve animal health. The specific objectives of the project are:

to improve biosecurity and overall hygiene of broiler farms,
to improve the animal health of broiler chickens,
minimizing the use of antibiotics,
knowledge transfer between low and high ABE broiler farms,
optimization of risk areas based on knowledge transfer.

There should be an intensive exchange of experiences between farmers who have different levels of ABU. Thus, farms that have a high need for antibiotic use at the beginning of the project will learn which parameters they can and should optimize to improve animal health and minimize antibiotic use.

Farm management factors that have a potential impact on animal health and consequent necessary ABE will be evaluated and collected during the practical phases of the project. These factors are divided into respective work packages (WP), which are worked on by the project partners.

This includes

the biosecurity of the farm and hygiene management (processed by FLI & UROS)
cleaning and disinfection (UROS),
animal health and stable or herd management (TiHo and LMU),
as well as knowledge transfer (UROS).

The project thus involves farms that have already been able to minimize their antibiotic use through innovative measures, optimized management and improved housing conditions. In addition, farms that are interested in improving animal health and minimizing antibiotic use and want to learn from other farms are invited to participate.

The project is part of the Model and Demonstration Projects (MuD) Animal Welfare in the Federal Programme Livestock Production. Funding is provided by the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag, the project executing agency is the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food (BLE), (funding code 2820MDT230)".