The European broiler production sector is challenged to balance animal welfare, environmental sustainability, and affordable meat prices. Although strategies such as circular feed ingredients, coccidiostat-free diets, and alternative management practices are promising, their trade-offs for animal health, performance, environmental impact, and economic viability are not yet fully evaluated.  

The PPP “Pecking the Future’’ aims to evaluate these strategies and their trade-offs by focusing on four key areas:  

• Animal health, welfare and behaviour  
• Performance  
• Environment 
• Economics  

Within the circular feed framework, the project will explore the use of insects and insect-based products to support a circular economy, focusing on valorising circular ingredients that are unsuitable for direct use in livestock feed and study their effects when fed to broilers.  

In addition to classical animal-based measurements, advanced technologies, such as cameras, sound monitoring, and artificial intelligence, will be used to objectively assess broiler behaviour and welfare.  

The goal: In the final phase, best practices will be integrated providing a practical decision-making tool for the industry, enabling stakeholders to make informed choices towards a sustainable and future-proof broiler production system. 

Start project: 01/01/2025
End of project: 01/01/2029

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