A large-scale study that is already changing the future of Russian poultry farming has started at SSAU. Work on the adaptation of the competitive domestic cross-country «Shift 9» is carried out in close conjunction with science, industry and students.
«The larger the study, the higher the interest and involvement of students,» says Elena Epimakhova, the project's scientific supervisor, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, Professor. «This is not just an experiment, it is a live learning process that provides future specialists with invaluable experience.»
Under her leadership, scientists are carrying out the industrial adaptation of the Russian Smena 9 cross. To ensure the purity of the experiment, three «competitors» were placed on the site: Smena 9, Ross-308 and Cobb-500. All livestock have been created absolutely equal conditions to assess their potential without any advantages.
«This is a real forge of personnel, — emphasizes Epimakhova. — Ten of our students are the core of the project, they work hand in hand with teachers and other departments. Students receive a full range of competencies and come to production as ready-made specialists. Without this symbiosis of science and practice, breakthrough results are impossible.»
But the theory comes alive in detail. Issa Veliyev, a 3rd year student, is an ideal example of this approach. His thesis is devoted to comparing the genetic potential of those three crosses. He spent the first week with the chickens almost around the clock: he fed, watered, checked the reaction to light and sound, recorded temperature and weight.
«I really like this job! — Issa shares. „My whole family is involved in poultry farming, and I am eager to introduce new technologies.“ The young man's enthusiasm is already bearing real fruit: during the holidays, he upgraded his father's poultry houses, and for the project he installed a voice-controlled camera in the vivarium with his own hands. Now you can monitor the chickens 24/7, communicate with them and monitor all the indicators remotely.
Working ahead of schedule
The uniqueness of this project lies in its exclusivity. Of the 56 agricultural universities in Russia, only four, including Stavropol Agrarian University, have the right and all the conditions for conducting such research with broilers. The university's research vivarium is a testing ground where the technologies of tomorrow are born.
«We are not just studying, we are solving specific problems of manufacturers, — says Elena Epimakhova. — Technologies are developed here at the university, and then transferred to enterprises. This is a direct contribution to the country's food security and technological sovereignty.»
Reference:
The domestic cross «Smena 9» is a worthy competitor to its Western counterparts. The purpose of the two—factor experience at SSAU is to conduct a comparative assessment of the realization of the genetic potential of the Ross-308, Smena-9 and Cobb-500 crosses using different feed formulations.
