Don’t forget eggs! //08 Mar 2010

Author: Wiebe van der Sluis

Forgotten? Forget it, when eating more eggs the chance of forgetting something diminishes. That can be concluded from a news release issued by DSM.

We all know for long that egg white is a nutritious and healthy protein source. Eggs are good for young and old, active and passive people. Some people still believe that eggs are causing high blood cholesterol levels in humans. Research has proven over and over that this is a myth.

Those who still believe this false declaration should be advised to not eat eggs so they can quickly forget why they should not eat eggs. The chance of forgetting this is bigger when staying away from eggs than eating eggs. On the other hand it would be good for them to eat eggs so they can better remember why eating eggs is good for their health.

The reason is to be found in a recent discovery by DSM. Researchers of the globally operating company discovered that certain a protein present in the egg white really supports specific brain functions, including memory. The protein, particularly when it comes to the essential amino acids Tryptophan and Tyrosin, is used in the body as building blocks for signaling molecules that play an important role in brain processes such as mood, sleep, stress, concentration, alertness and cognition.

The discovery of these amino acids prompted DSM to investigate whether the protein could be developed into a functional food ingredient, improving brain health. Indeed, this seems to be the case! The ingredient seems to also have a positive effect on mood, hand-eye coordination, Vigilance, and sleep. It is not ready available on the market yet, but the ingredient is in its last phase of product development and is tested in some human studies to fine-tune its conditions for use.

Would it be great for the egg industry to again be the prime provider of a new functional and very important human brain health ingredient?

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PCARRD messageboard information on free-range chicken production Q & A portion

Since 2007, I have been contributing to the PCARRD Messageboard in assisting the farmers on technical information and education. Also the messageboard has been an opportunity for me to propagate the Free-range system to the Pinoy farmer. You can visit http://hrdc.pcarrd.dost.gov.ph/message/viewforum.php?id=19

Here are some portions of the Q & A portion asked by newbie poultry farmers;

Question by Halord26 = Halord26 wrote:

Freerangepoultry,

What breed of chicken is suitable for the free range chicken growing? You have mentioned that after 60days the chicken is expected to weigh around 1.0kg or more. Would this weigh would also be achievable even growing our native chicken?

Cheers,

Harold

Thank you for your question sir.

Just for clarification, it is very important that we understand the available types of free-range chickens.
There are 2 basic types namely:

1. The Free-range Broiler meat types - These birds are for meat production purpose. Which means they convert the feeds the eat to meat.

They grow at 1.7 to 1.8 kilos at 60 days, If well fed.

It is a wrong notion that the free-range chicken will grow with grasses alone. This will create a wrong impression to innocent farmers.

To Grow free-range chickens for meat, you need cereals like corn and vegetable protein like soya.

Please look at the picture below.





We have available free-range chicks for meat it is called SUPERIOR F1 free-range broiler chicks.

If you use these birds for egg production they will produce only around 140 eggs a year. They will eat more than produce eggs.


2. In contrast to Free-range layer types, The Superior F1 free-range layer types will produce more eggs than meat.

They produce 250 eggs a year and eats less than free-range broilers.

The bird's configuration or body conformation is elongated and with less meat.

At 90 days the birds are almost 1 kilo only. So you can harvest lesser meat but has more eggs produced.
Please see the picture below:



These SUPERIOR F1 Free-range Layer Chicks will be available by June 2010.

The breeders were imported from DOMINANT CZ The CZECH REPUBLIC, EUROPE

You are assured of the quality and good technical service from us.

Lastly we give you TRUE, HONEST and CERTIFIED chicks and we never mis-declare our products as Dual types or convertible types of chickens just to make a sale.


I hope that I have enlightened you regarding your inquiry.
Doc erwin

Arsenic compound in chicken affecting Americans 29 Jun 2009

Arsenic compound in chicken affecting Americans 29 Jun 2009

Most people in the US are unaware that the chicken they eat is laced with an arsenic compound known as roxarsone, reports the Washington Post.

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In the US, most major poultry producers add roxarsone to their chicken feed. Inorganic arsenic is a Class A carcinogen that has been linked to heart disease, diabetes and declines in brain function, reports the Washington Post.

The poultry industry has been using the feed additive roxarsone -- purportedly to fight parasites and increase growth in chickens -- since the Food and Drug Administration approved it in 1944. Apparently the arsenic additive promotes the growth of blood vessels in chicken, which makes the meat appear pinker and more attractive in its plastic wrap at the grocery store, but does little else. The arsenic additive does the same in human cells, fueling a growth process known as angiogenesis, a critical first step in many human diseases such as cancer.

The arsenic additive also presents health risks to farmers who work with the chemical or fertilizers. Chicken growers have reported illness from contact with roxarsone while preparing feed. Because most smaller growers rely on contracts with larger chicken producers that mandate the use of arsenic in chicken feed, the smaller growers are often unable to avoid the health risks associated with roxarsone.

In 1999, recognizing that any level of inorganic arsenic in human food and water is unacceptable, the EU outlawed its use in chicken feed. Reportedly, several American chicken producers, including Tyson Foods and Perdue Farms, have acted responsibly by discontinuing the use of roxarsone in their animals. Other growers have turned to "organically fed" chicken operations. Nevertheless, as recently as 2006, 70% of the more than 9 billion broiler chickens produced annually in the US were fed roxarsone, reports state.

Source: The Washington Post

21 days old Superior F1 free-range broilers

400 heads of Superior F1 free range layers loaded last February 4, 2010. The quality of this batch quite good with a minimal mortality of 5 heads out of 408 heads. The birds are active and very healthy.

Enjoy Better Eggs! article by: Cheryl Long for Mother earth news

Have you ever thought of keeping a few chickens so you can enjoy farm-fresh eggs? Fresh eggs from birds that eat their natural diet of grass, grain and insects taste far better than the pale-yolked orbs sold in supermarkets.

Anyone can easily setup a small coop, but just be sure you choose a design that will keep the birds safe from predators and still allow them to forage on your lawn or meadow.

Recent research has revealed that eggs from free-range chickens (or from birds that are confined in outdoor pens but moved daily so they can forage on fresh grass) are far more nutritious than eggs from poultry confined in factory farms.

Mother Earth News tested four free-range flocks and found the free-range eggs had only half as much cholesterol as the USDA's official average levels in eggs. Plus, the free-range eggs had about 50% more Vitamin E and four times as much beta-carotene and Omega-3 fatty acids. (Several other studies have confirmed these remarkable results.)

Breeders at 11 weeks Robust and well recovered!

The Dominant Layer Breeders have recovered well from a minor respiratory incident. They are very hardy. Seen here are the females of Light Sussex, Rhode island red, Andalucian Blue and Barred Plymouth rock lines. In the background are the Condo Nest boxes that are being prepared for the breeding stage. I will be posting a series of pictures to show the colors and features of these lines in the succeeding blogs.

Fresh Clean water very important in Animal health care.

A very important, but usually neglected, part of poultry production is the availability of Fresh clean water. Our chickens can survive with fresh water alone as long as the containers are cleaned at least 3 times a day, the old stock must be replaced each time you clean the containers. Provide the birds easy access to water all the time. Measure the water consumption everyday. This is an indication whether you have obscure signs of diseases.