Autumn School 2023

The PPILOW autumn school three-day event recently took place from 25^th to 27^th October in Assisi, Italy, organised by EAAP and University of Perugia. The primary aim of the event was to introduce researchers, veterinarians, technicians, farmers, university and post-doc students to the PPILOW project and give them an overview of the most recent results obtained, and the novel techniques being used inside the project. Forty-five participants from Italy, Spain, Romania, Belgium, Netherlands, Finland, UK, Switzerland and Ireland attended the event. They had different backgrounds and a keen interest in welfare and animal breeding. The event provided an excellent platform for the participants to interact with each other and share their knowledge and experiences.

The training school was divided into two different sessions that focused on the various activities of the PPILOW project. The sessions were led by experts in the field who are directly involved in specific activities of the project. The topics included animal welfare and ethical issues, and the adaptability to outdoor rearing systems. At the end of each session, the participants animated practical team work sessions with the aim to analyse the viewpoint of the chain actors (Producers and breeders, Civil Society, Technical Experts, Supply chain, Academic/R & D experts) of poultry production, addressing topics as: the choice of poultry genotypes, housing system, management practices, diets, product quality, environmental impact, and action to overcome the main problems. On the last day, the students visited the Azienda Agricola San Bartolomeo, located in Viterbo, a unique reality in central Italy, where for years they used a free-range poultry rearing, in a huge agroforestry system (about 300 ha of consociation of olive trees and poultry).

Click here to read the Agenda. The school was recorded, below you will find the video link for the presentations and the pdf presentations.

Session 1: Animal Welfare and ethical issues

• “PPILOW Autumn school introduction and students presentation” – Riccardo Carelli (EAAP), Cesare Castellini (UNIPG)
• “Overview of the PPILOW project, objectives and agenda of the summer school” – Anne Collin (INRAE). Pdf presentation. 
• “Animal welfare management in organic and low-input outdoor production systems – PIGS” – Charlotte Vanden Hole (ILVO). Pdf presentation.
• “Animal welfare management in organic and low-input outdoor production systems – laying hens” – Bas Rodenburg (UU). Pdf presentation.
• “Stakeholder opinions regarding current production practices in organic and outdoor poultry systems; constraints and possibilities for adopting innovative strategies” – Raffaella Ponzio (SlowFood). Pdf presentation.
• “Rearing non-castrated male pigs and avoiding boar taint in pork” – Bénédicte Lebret (INRAE). Pdf presentation.
• “In ovo sexing techniques: current and future developments”– Sophie Rehault-Godbert (INRAE). Pdf presentation.
• “Evaluation of performance and economy of dual-purpose genotypes as an alternative to the elimination of one-day-old male layer chicks” – Helen Pluschke, Petra Thobe (Thuenen), Sarah Lombard (ACTA/ITAB). Pdf presentation.
• “PPILOW Autumn school – Team work/Day 1” – Simona Mattioli (UNIPG), the students and the teachers. Pdf presentation.

Session 2: Co-adapted systems, genotypes and animals

• “Overview of poultry industry and selection criteria adopted” – Maxime Reverchon (SYSAAF). Pdf presentation.
• “Principal characteristics of suitable broiler genotypes adapted to outdoor system” – Simona Mattioli (UNIPG), Claire Bonnefous (INRAE). Pdf presentation.
• “Expected/real improvement of outdoor use and pasture enrichment in chickens” – Cesare Castellini (UNIPG). Pdf presentation.
• “WP6: Innovative solutions for favouring positive behaviour, health and robustness” – Simona Mattioli (UNIPG). Pdf presentation.
• “How to develop a framework (MCDA) for the evaluation of One Welfare concept” – Lucia Rocchi (UNIPG). Pdf presentation.
• “Economic evaluation of innovations and rearing strategies” – Jarkko Niemi (Luke). Pdf presentation.
• “Improving the robustness of laying hens and piglets against parasitic and bacterial infections” – Marina Spinu, Vasile Cozma (USAMV). Pdf presentation.
• “Improving piglet robustness through genetics and farrowing housing” – Lene Pedersen (AU), Pia Vanggaard (Vanggaard Staldmontage). Pdf presentation.
• “Feedback on the work of the National Practitioners Group (NPG)” – Martina Re, Monica Coletta (AIAB). Pdf presentation.
• “PPILOW Autumn school – Team work/Day 2 and results” – Simona Mattioli (UNIPG), the students and the teachers. Pdf presentation.

Farm visit Azienda San Bartomeo video.