LOHMANN BREEDING FOR SUCCESS ... TOGETHER

Oxidation is one of the most common but least recognized reasons for poor performance in commercial layer flocks.

It silently destroys the quality of fats, oils, grains, proteins, vitamins, and finished feed during storage, transport, and feed milling.

Even when diets appear normal, oxidized ingredients can reduce energy value, damage nutrients, create toxic by-products, and impair the health and productivity of laying hens.

Welcome to PODCASTby LOHMANN – where science meets practice, and performance starts long beforethe first egg is laid.

Today’sepisode dives into one of the most underestimated phases in poultry production:rearing. What really happens in those first weeks of life? And how doearly decisions shape the health, resilience, and performance of a flock forits entire lifecycle?

To explorethis, we’re joined by Mark Allen, Global Technical Manager – Flock Managementat LOHMANN BREEDERS.

With years ofhands-on global experience, Mark brings a fresh and practical perspective toflock management. In this episode, he challenges us to rethink rearing – not asa preparatory phase, but as a critical window where we “imprint” the immunesystem.

We’ll talk about:

• Why the first six weeks define long-term performance
• How feed becomes a training tool, not just nutrition
• The hidden role of gizzard and crop development in immune resilience
• And why successful producers start thinking more like trainers than caretakers

If you’reaiming for better persistency, stronger flocks, and smarter managementdecisions—this conversation is for you.

🎧 Let’s get started.

When we think about managing the performance of laying hens, we often focus on the production house - feed formulation, lighting schedules, egg curves.

But in reality, the true foundation for a successful laying cycle is laid much earlier, and in a much quieter way.

It starts on day one, in the rearing house, often unnoticed, but absolutely crucial: this is the time when we imprint the immune system.

In today’s episode, we focus on a topic that is gaining importance in cage-free systems: coccidiosis vaccination and post-vaccination management.

Vaccination is only the first step — what truly determines success is what happens afterwards. How does immunity actually develop? Why is oocyst recycling essential? And which management factors make the difference in the first weeks of life?

To answer these questions, we speak with our Global Technical Manager Veterinary, Dr. Andreas Bublat, who shares practical insights and field experience on how to build strong and lasting immunity in modern layer systems.

With the rise of more cage-free systems such as aviaries, coccidiosis has re-emerged as a significant challenge. One of the main reasons for its increased prevalence in these systems is the direct contact birds have with their own manure1. This contact allows the parasite to complete its lifecycle, enabling it to reproduce and spread.

Hatchery contamination can be one of the most serious challenges for the entire production management, since the hatchery is the main hub of the poultry industry, connecting breeder farms to commercial farms.
Preventing contamination within a hatchery depends on knowing 4 core principles.

It is common to see in nature how birds during foraging consume a certain amount of constituent materials including structural remains of plants . Such materials have traditionally been referred to as “FIBRE”.

Today we have a very special episode for you. We’re in a bit of a summer lull, and we thought—what better time to try something new? For the first time ever, we’ve invited Artificial Intelligence speakers to join us and tackle the big question: How do you cook the perfect egg?

Sounds simple? Not quite! In this episode—“The Scientific Art of Boiling an Egg”—we’ll dive into temperature control, cooking times, egg freshness, and even the chemistry behind getting the yolk just right.

Whether you’re part of the egg industry or simply love a good breakfast, we think you’ll enjoy this lighthearted, summer-style conversation that combines tradition, technology, and a dash of humor.

So grab your coffee, sit back, and let’s crack this topic wide open!

In this episode of PODCAST by LOHMANN, we explore one of the most underestimated challenges in poultry production: mycotoxins. These toxic compounds, produced by fungi during crop growth, harvest, and storage, can silently compromise feed quality, bird health, and egg production. Drawing from the latest LOHMANN TOOLBOX insights, we discuss the most common types of mycotoxins, their effects on laying hens, and the importance of proper monitoring and mitigation strategies. Whether you’re a nutritionist, producer, or industry professional, this episode offers valuable guidance on safeguarding your flock against hidden feed contaminants.

In this episode of Podcast by Lohmann, we uncover the hidden dangers of mycotoxins—microscopic threats that can cause major challenges in poultry production. Join host Jan Kraßmann and nutrition expert Juan Valle Diez as they dive deep into what mycotoxins are, how they sneak into feed, and why they’re becoming more relevant in a changing climate.

You’ll learn about the difference between masked and emerging mycotoxins, why traditional feed processing isn’t always enough, and what practical steps producers can take to protect their flocks. Whether you’re a feed mill manager, veterinarian, or poultry professional, this episode offers essential insights and real-world solutions to stay ahead of the curve.

Don’t miss this science-based, solution-focused conversation that might just change how you look at your feed bins.

In the poultry business, one of the main and most important aspects is undoubtedly nutrition and feeding. Understanding how birds digest feed is crucial for creating suitable diets that meet their nutritional and functional needs, including feed texture and fibre requirements.

Let’s have a closer look at each part of the digestive system and its main functions:

Digestion involves a combination of mechanical, chemical, and microbiological processes.

Today, we're diving deep into the digestive system of laying hens - how it works, why it matters, and what it means for nutrition and productivity.

Our guest is Nelson Aguilar - Nurtionist at LOHMANN BREEDERS

The rearing period of laying hens plays a crucial role in determining the success and longevity of their production cycle.

With advancements in breeding and nutrition research, it is now possible to extend the production cycle of commercial laying hens to 90-100 weeks.

This extended production cycle not only contributes to increased profitability but also promotes more sustainable food production.

Over the past two years, Europe has had to

deal with the largest Highly Pathogenic Avian

Influenza (HPAI) outbreak ever. Official data cites

that between winter 2021 and spring 2022, 2467

outbreaks were detected affecting around 48

million farm animals and more than 3500 virus

detections in wild animals.

Housing and brooding periods are one of the most critical phases in whole life of a laying hen. This stage along with proper rearing to achieve a top-quality pullet, are the main pillars of a successful laying period.

Die Einstallungs- und Aufzuchtphase sind die kritischsten Phasen im gesamten Leben einer Legehenne. Sie bilden den Grundstein für eine erfolgreiche Legeperiode.

Pre-warming of eggs prior to incubation is a common practice of most hatcheries in the world, either running single or multistage machines. It allows the embryos to achieve a homogeneous temperature before the incubation starts, which promotes a more uniform development in the beginning.

Das Vorwärmen von Eiern vor der Bebrütung ist in den meisten Brütereien der Welt, die entweder Single- oder Multistage-Maschinen betreiben, eine gängige Praxis. Dadurch können die Embryonen vor Beginn der Bebrütung eine gleichmäßige Temperatur erreichen, was eine gleichmäßigere Entwicklung zu Beginn fördert.

Fats and oils are normally included in poultry diets. However, some feed diets are already missing them. Let’s take a review of some reasons we should include them at the time of formulating our diets.

Fette und Öle sind normalerweise Bestandteil des Geflügelfutters. In einigen Futtermitteln fehlen sie jedoch bereits. Sehen wir uns einige Gründe an, warum wir sie bei der Formulierung unserer Futtermittel berücksichtigen sollten.

Enjoy listening to our experts Andreas Bublat and Mark Allen talking about “Chickens & Cage Free Systems”

You may have heard us talk recently about strategic active management or  SAM for short, but have been left scratching your head over what it  actually means.

In this article I hope to clear this up for you and highlight a few  examples of what SAM actually is and how it should be implemented in  your day-to-day management program.

Vielleicht haben Sie uns kürzlich über strategisches aktives Management  (SAM) sprechen hören und sich gefragt, was das eigentlich bedeutet.

In diesem Artikel möchten wir diese Frage für Sie klären und anhand  einiger Beispiele verdeutlichen, was SAM eigentlich ist und wie Sie es  in Ihr alltägliches Management integrieren sollten.

Some personal greetings from the management.

The trend of alternative production systems is not just an important topic for Europe.

In other countries, for example the USA, floor, free-range or  organic management is becoming increasingly popular and is getting  importance.
In accordance with the motto “The right hen for every management”,  LOHMANN has already considered the additional requirements of  alternative systems in its breeding programme for quite some time.

Der Trend der alternativen Legehennenhaltung ist nicht nur in Europa ungebrochen.Zunehmend ist auch in anderen Ländern die Boden-, Freiland-  oder ökologische Haltung vertreten und gewinnt stark an Bedeutung wie z.  B. in den USA.
Gemäß dem Motto „Für jedes Haltungssystem die richtige Henne“ nimmt sich LOHMANN in seinem Zuchtprogramm seit langem den zusätzlichen Anforderungen der alternativen Haltung an.

Prolapse in laying hens is one of the most common causes of concern amongst poultry farmers.

During the process of laying an egg, the lower part of the reproductive tract (oviduct) is temporarily turned inside out which allows the hen to lay a clean egg and reduce the possibility of bacteria entering the oviduct.

Sometimes the tissue does not retract after the egg has been laid and this condition is referred to as a prolapse.

Der Kloakenvorfall ist ein Problem, das den Legehennenhaltern häufig Sorgen bereitet.

Während der Eiablage wird der untere Teil des Legedarms vorübergehend hervorgestülpt. Dadurch bleibt das Ei bei der Ablage sauber und es wird verhindert, dass Bakterien aus dem Darm in den Eileiter gelangen.

Gelegentlich zieht sich der Legedarm nach der Eiablage nicht wieder vollständig zurück, was letztlich als Kloakenvorfall oder Prolaps bezeichnet wird.

One of the most significant hatchery changes around the world during the last years is the migration from multi-stage to single-stage systems. Although the majority of birds still hatch on multi-stage systems.

Eine der bedeutendsten Veränderungen der letzten Jahre in den Brütereien weltweit ist die Umstellung von multi-stage auf single-stage Brutsysteme.  Dennoch schlüpft bis heute der Großteil der Küken noch immer in multi-stage Brutsystemen.

The science behind poultry vision is an interesting one which has been  under scrutiny for many years. Current research tends to focus on light spectrumsi.e. the colours hens see and how it affects natural behaviours.

Die Wissenschaft über den Sehsinn des Geflügels ist interessant und die  Forschung in vollem Gange. Diese konzentriert sich in der Regel auf  Lichtspektren, d. h. die Farben, die Hühner sehen, und wie sie das  natürliche Verhalten beeinflussen. Das Hauptziel ist die Aufnahme des  natürlichen Tageslichts in den Geflügelstall, um die Leistung und das  Herdenverhalten zu verbessern.

By the way, did you know that Salmonella Enteritidis is one of the major risk for contaminated eggs? But there are more Serovars which have to be considered thinking about producing save food. Have a deeper look.... 

Wussten Sie übrigens, dass Salmonella Enteritidis eines der größten Risiken für kontaminierte Eier ist? Aber es gibt noch mehr Serovare, an die gedacht werden müssen, um sichere Lebensmittel zu produzieren. Hören Sie rein...

Welcome to Podcast by LOHMANN! Here you can find...

Willkommen zu Podcast by LOHMANN! Hier erwarten Sie