The new approach calls for multi-disciplinary research teams to collaborate and deliver a three-year program of research, rather than individual projects, with the aim of producing outputs and outcomes that will help industry to deliver a sustainable chicken meat production system.
Via the Open Tender, proposals will be assessed by the AgriFutures Chicken Meat Advisory Panel, with AgriFutures funding one proposal. One consortium will be awarded the funding to undertake the program of research as per the Terms of Reference.
It is expected that consortium members will hold their own discussions to pull together the expertise to deliver against the key focus deliverables of the AgriFutures Australia Chicken Meat Program RD&E Plan 2019-22.
AgriFutures Chicken Meat Manager, Research Georgie Townsend said, “The research will leverage existing knowledge of broiler nutrition, diet composition and feed efficiency; their impact on gut health; and interactions with the in-shed and external environment.”
“The program of research seeks to understand the complex interactions between these elements, and it is hoped that by further unravelling this story, the findings will contribute to chickens that are able to optimally develop while continually improving the industry’s impact on the environment.”
“Understanding the interactions of dietary nutritional composition, the impact on gut health and the internal and external environments, will deliver research with holistic answers back to industry, that result in better performance from individual birds and the overall flock,” said Ms Townsend.
