BARBADOS IS RATED among the best in the world in terms of chicken production.

President of the Barbados Egg and Poultry Producers' Association (BEPPA), Carlyle Brathwaite, said the island was "in the Top 10 in the world in terms of growth and development and in the Top 3 in terms of our efficiency".

At a BEPPA and Pinnacle Feeds seminar on Tuesday at Sherbourne Conference Centre called Managing Disease Challenges In The Broiler Industry In Barbados, the island came in for high praise from both local and international pathologists.

Veterinary pathologist in the Ministry of Agriculture, Dr Stephen St John, spoke on diseases like infected yolk sac, gout, rickets and baby chick stress.

"Our biggest problem is infected yolk sacs but it is still uncommon. We do not have a high rate of diseases in Barbados," he said.

He added the major challenge the lab faced was getting farmers to leave proper histories and samples which would represent any problems.

Guest presenter was first-time visitor to Barbados, Dr Steve Fitz-Coy, a pathologist-parasitologist from Salisbury, Maryland, in the United States. He said Barbados was on the "right path" despite its accelerated growth rate.

"If you grow your birds too fast, any stressor will be expressed more readily than slower grown birds. It is nice to have a fast growth rate but you must realise there might be consequences.

"From what I've seen you are on the path and are doing some very good things, just remember to pay attention to detail," he said.

This sentiment was echoed by Brathwaite, who urged farmers to be conscious of bio-security.

"What I am trying to get farmers to understand is that there is a need to be more observant in their pens and be more careful in the way they prepare their pens and the way in which they keep their birds," he said.

He added they had to look at what was happening in other countries in order to ascertain how not to let it happen here.

"Our conditions are more suited than some of the more developed countries as they have different climates so we can make sure our birds are comfortable throughout their lifetime."

Brathwaite added they held these kinds of seminars regularly in order to keep farmers abreast of what was happening and how they could keep themselves "within the lines of profitability".

(CA)