One of the challenges of poultry farming today is to implement sustainable solutions in its systems. How has plastic equipment managed to be so innovative and sustainable in poultry farming?

Sustainability is a concept that has become increasingly important in animal production in recent years. Production systems around the world have improved over time and are now more efficient and optimized. Within these improvements, the implementation of sustainability in poultry farming seeks to develop solutions that are in balance with current resources and the environment.

Thus, there are materials that mankind has developed to meet these needs while maintaining respect for nature, industrial efficiency, and process optimization. Plastic plays a leading role in the world because of its many advantages.

The Italian company Giordano Poultry Plast, to solve the various challenges that lie ahead, has created several alternatives to meet these challenges. These alternatives are made of plastics because of their multiple characteristics and advantages. The equipment and facilities that poultry farming requires today must be sustainable, economical, resistant, safe, easy to handle and clean.

Global poultry farming: success figures and upcoming challenges

The growth in human population over the past few decades continues to require an increase in the amount of feed available. High quality protein is at the forefront of this demand.

To meet this challenge, the poultry industry worldwide has improved its production processes, genetics, nutrition, hygiene, facilities, and equipment. As a result, poultry meat and egg production has successfully increased.

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Historically, China has been the largest producer of poultry meat, followed by Brazil and the United States. In 2023, global poultry meat production is expected to grow by 2% from 2022 to reach 102.7 million metric tons.

On the other hand, about 1.627 billion eggs will be produced in 2022, with China being the largest producer. Nearly 60% of the world’s eggs are produced in Asia, which is also a major consumer.

Developed countries have implemented solutions to respond to this high and increasing production. At the same time, developing countries continue to upgrade their facilities and equipment to become more technologically advanced farms. This collaborative effort between different countries is designed to meet the demand for feed, but it also presents new challenges.

The impact of sustainability in poultry production

In recent years, the environmental impact of animal production systems has been studied. Poultry farming has been characterized as the least polluting sector, with a smaller carbon footprint and more sustainable practices.

In laying hen, breeder and broiler poultry operations, improvements can be made to equipment and facilities that contribute to a more sustainable operation, such as

• Use of plastic cages: These durable and highly hygienic materials allow poultry to be transported in comfort and welfare, which reduces travel time (lower greenhouse gas emissions). It also reduces injuries, trauma, and associated diseases.
• Use of plastic egg handling: these materials reduce egg loss, transport, and logistics times. In addition, Giordano Poultry Plast egg handling trays are made of environmentally sustainable plastics.
• Use of plastic slats: flooring is a critical factor in poultry farms. Giordano Poultry Plast slats are made of highly resistant and sustainable plastic, which contributes to a more hygienic, sustainable, and efficient management of the surface where the poultry live.

Day-old chick farms play another critical role in the production chain that is closely related to the quality of their equipment and facilities. In this way, with optimal tools, several processes can be improved, such as

• The use of automatic drinkers: this reduces the waste of drinking water and the humidity of the litter due to splashing. Water management is an important part of the sustainability sought by production farms.
• Use of plastic feeders: these Giordano Poultry Plast equipment have the best hygiene and resistance characteristics that allow to provide quality feed and avoid its deterioration and waste. It is estimated that about 70% of the costs in poultry farming are related to feed, so it is essential to maintain an efficient feed management.
• Plastic transport boxes: Transporting chicks requires great care and proper handling to avoid injury or trauma. For this reason, plastic boxes are available that are designed exclusively for the poultry at this stage to ensure comfort during handling or transport.

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Plastics: an innovative and sustainable solution for poultry farming

A relevant sector for the poultry industry are the companies that produce equipment and installations for poultry farms. Giordano Poultry Plast has been a leader for more than 60 years in the development and implementation of these sustainable and efficient solutions.

To meet the best standards of hygiene, strength, cost, ease of use and accessibility, plastic has been used as a raw material. This material is suitable for use in poultry farming due to its versatility.

Plastic has its own characteristics that set it apart from other materials. On the one hand, plastic equipment does not suffer from corrosion or oxidation, so it does not cause animal diseases or deterioration. On the other hand, the modern designs allow easy assembly and disassembly of the installations, since they are delivered in disassembled modules, as well as their adaptability according to the species of poultry or production stage.

In addition, Giordano Poultry Plast has been recognized for the implementation of several environmental sustainability strategies. These include the reduction of emissions during production, the efficient use of water resources, recovery and recycling, digitalization, and waste management. In addition, the Italian company was recognized for its self-generation of energy using animal fat, whose biomass allows it to obtain clean energy.

Seven benefits of choosing plastic for poultry farm equipment

With the growing demand for animal products and the constant advancement of poultry farming worldwide, plastic offers several advantages over other materials.

1. Plastic is environmentally friendly: Giordano Poultry Plast’s manufacturing practices allow its plastic farm equipment to reduce the carbon footprint of poultry farming.
2. The durability and strength of plastic: plastic equipment offers great resistance to environmental changes, shocks, liquids, weight, and transportation. These characteristics are a great advantage that reduces costs associated with changing materials or equipment on the poultry farm.
3. Plastics offer better hygiene and cleanliness: thanks to their composition, plastic equipment accumulates less dirt, debris, and contaminants. In addition, their texture makes them easier to clean and disinfect than other materials such as wood.
4. Good manufacturing practices: the plastic equipment produced by Giordano Poultry Plast meets the highest quality standards. This makes it possible to obtain long-lasting products with an environmentally sustainable production that meets international requirements. In addition, the plastic can be recycled to produce new products, which means that it can be reused countless times.
5. Plastic is easy to handle: Plastic is characterized by its light weight, flexibility, and adaptability. These characteristics make it easy to install, replace, move, and clean plastic equipment and installations.
6. The use of plastic equipment reduces costs: the implementation of plastic in the poultry farm reduces the costs associated with replacement due to damage to facilities and equipment. Similarly, the costs associated with diseases and low productive performance of poultry due to deficient equipment and facilities due to low durability or quality materials.
7. Plastic improves animal welfare: Farms that implement plastic equipment and facilities notice an improvement in poultry welfare. Optimized feeding, drinking, and flooring systems contribute to a better environment for the poultry. This is related to better production due to the comfort provided.

CONCLUSIONS

The global poultry industry is growing steadily, as evidenced by the successful figures in the annual reports. However, this growth poses new challenges to poultry farms in terms of poultry management and good use of equipment and facilities.

For this reason, Giordano Poultry Plast has developed a range of products that are ideal for use on farms. These products are mainly made of plastic because of its many advantages and characteristics.

On the other hand, an unavoidable challenge for poultry farming is to continue its transition towards a fully sustainable sector. Therefore, these plastic materials play an important role in achieving this, thanks to their advantages such as: high durability, low cost, good hygiene, versatility, and innovation.

Each stage of poultry production has unique needs, whether it is day-old chicks, layers, breeders, or broilers. Each flock requires different innovative and sustainable solutions.

On the other hand, the implementation of plastic equipment on the poultry farm not only has economic benefits, but also has a positive impact on the welfare of the poultry. Optimized feeding, drinking, and flooring systems contribute to a more comfortable and healthier environment, which translates into better production.

Finally, it is emphasized that choosing plastic equipment for poultry farming is a smart strategy in terms of sustainability, efficiency, and animal welfare. With Giordano Poultry Plast at the forefront, poultry farms can improve performance, reduce costs, and do their part to preserve the environment.