Page 18 - AWA Vol. 42-No.4 issue

Dairy FarmiNg

hubbard organises Second Edition
“rencontres hubbard Premium”

On March 31st and April 1st, 2026 Hub-
bard brought together a large group
of technicians in charge of managing
breeder flocks across French operations.
Held every two years, this 2026 edition
took place in a seaside setting and fea-
tured a program of cutting-edge presen-
tations combined with highly valued op-
portunities for discussion and exchange.
The first day opened with an overview
of the European Premium chicken mar-
ket, followed by a closer look at the mar-
ket situation in France. A presentation on
the performance of the main Hubbard
Premium breeds provided an analysis
of customer feedback and highlighted
the importance of sharing field data. The
next session, focussing on the genetic
selection of the Premium breeds (from
pedigree to field performance), empha-
sized once again the critical role of data
in the performance analysis and genetic
selection. Combined with manual mea-
surements, the accuracy and volume
made possible by the latest technologies
make data collection and data analysis a
cornerstone of Research & Development.
Finally, a dedicated session on Premium
male management outlined key recom-
mendations by the Hubbard Customer nutritional strategies, are critical factors. for egg collection, handling, and storage
Support Team to ensure optimal growth Jean-Luc Martin (Tell-Elevage) then pre- — particularly on-farm — as well as the
and performance in both rearing and sented a series of key points for the de- importance of the cuticle, serving as a
production. sign and management of poultry housing natural protective barrier in challenging
The second day was dedicated to more to achieve optimal environmental con- environments.
technical topics, addressing needs iden- ditions. This was followed by a session This second edition brought together
tified by the Hubbard Customer Sup- on the importance of early growth: from not less than 48 participants from across
port team. It started with a focus on the day one, the rearing environment has a the country. A gathering of professionals
importance of maximising egg weight direct impact on the development of the who value the opportunity to meet with
at the onset of lay; both age and careful chicks. The final presentation addressed
growth control, along with appropriate fertile eggs, emphasizing best practices the Hubbard team. It also provides a
valuable platform to introduce new gen-
erations of technicians and share with
them the richness and challenges of our
demanding and rewarding professions.

We are very thankful to all participants
for their strong attendance and for mak-
ing these “Rencontres Hubbard Pre-
mium” a success.
Remaining at your service, the Hubbard
Customer Support Team is there to assist
you in managing your operations in the
best possible way.
Circle 22 on enquiry card
16 Vol. 42 No. 4