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Keel Bone Damage Training School, Zagreb, Croatia, April 29th 2020

The Keel Bone Damage (KBD) Training School will be held at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture, Croatia on April 29th 2020. The focus of the training school will be an overview of keel bone damage knowledge and to provide training for palpation as a method to assess keel...Read more...


Invitation for contribution to special Issue "Sustainable Organic Agriculture for Developing the Agribusiness Sector"

Dr. Nikola Puvaca (University Business Academy in Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia) is inviting you to contribute to Special Issue “Sustainable Organic Agriculture for Developing the Agribusiness Sector” of the journal Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050; Impact Factor: 2.592, CiteScore: 3.01, a peer-reviewed, Open Access Journal). More information here:
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Application open for Keel Bone Damage Training School, 10th October

Register now for the Keel Bone Damage (KBD) Training School in Novi Sad, Serbia on October 10th. Application deadline: August 30th.

The focus of the training school will be an overview of keel bone damage knowledge and to provide training for palpation as a method to assess keel bone damage using...Read more...


New PhD position at the University of Bern

We are currently looking to recruit for a 3 year PhD position focusing on comparison and development of behavioural observation methods using traditional techniques (e.g. video and direct observations), as well as novel methods at the level of the individual and group. More information HERE

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A new Masters student at the University of Bern.

As part of an STSM with KeelBoneDamage Net, Ms. Vivian Witjes of Ultrecht University will be doing a 4 month stay with Dr. Michael Toscano at the ZTHZ, University of Bern investigating the links between laying hen activity, bone health, and keel bone fractures.  Exciting results are sure to follow!

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Keelbone damage lecture for poultry producers in Slovakia

On Tuesday, November 27th, annual seminar of the Union of the Slovak Poultry Producers took place at the foot of High Tatra mountains in the Grand Hotel Permon, Podbanské, Slovakia. Among other international and Slovak speakers, dr. Michael Toscano from the University of Bern, Switzerland, gave invited talk about...Read more...


A Training School covering avian bone histology and a WG Meeting on the causes of KBD

Dear Action CA15224 participant, The Action is in the process of organizing two back to back events (A Training School covering avian bone histology and a WG Meeting on the causes of KBD; see the attached flyers) in Scotland that we hope you will be interested in attending.

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Assessing keel bone damage in laying hens by palpation: effects of assessor experience on accuracy, inter-rater agreement and intra-rater consistency

In a recent study published in Poultry Science, researchers from Belgium, the Netherlands, and the UK describe that experience improves the accuracy of keel bone damage assessment by palpation, but only to a minor extent. Depending on the type of keel bone damage, experienced assessors classified an additional 4-12%...Read more...


A standardized method to assess radiographs of keel fractures

A new study investigating the reliability of a scoring system for keel bone fractures has been published in Frontiers of Veterinary Science by researchers of the Center for Proper Housing: Poultry and Rabbits at the University of Bern, Switzerland. The tool is intended to provide an objective and...Read more...


2ND KEEL BONE DAMAGE TRAINING SCHOOL - JUNE 14TH, 2018

The 2nd Keel Bone Damage (kbd) Training School will be held on June 14th at the Experimental Poultry Centre in Geel, Belgium.

The focus of the training school will be an overview of kbd-topics and improving participants assessment of kbd.

Target audience is the Benelux poultry industry...Read more...


Radiographic examination detects differences in KBD between layer lines and housing systems

A new study using radiography to examine the keel bone throughout the laying period has recently been published in PLOS ONE by researchers of the Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut. The aim was to compare the prevalence and severity of keel bone fractures and deviations between layer lines differing in phylogenetic background and laying...Read more...


Keel bone fractures in broiler breeders too!

New research from the University of Bern, Switzerland led by Dr. Sabine Gebhardt and published in Applied Animal Behaviour Science identified for the first time that keel bone fractures occur in broiler breeders as well.  The study’s principal focus was to identify appropriate perching structures for hens through...Read more...


1.4 million USD in funding from the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research for Keel Bone Damage Research

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), a nonprofit established in the US 2014 Farm Bill, awarded three grants totaling $1.4 million USD to Purdue University, University of California, Davis (UC Davis) and University of Edinburgh, respectively, to improve the health and productivity of egg-laying hens.

www.keelbonedamage.eu) by clicking on the respective link for your language.  The leaflet explains the basics of the Action, what we are trying to do,...Read more...


Keel bone fracture susceptibility and genetic variation – A new study from Switzerland’s ZTHZ

Switzerland’s ZTHZ latest publication on keel bone fracture is now available online from Poultry Science.  Susceptibility to fractures were assessed using an ex vivo impact testing protocol in combination with a study design that minimized environmental variation to focus on genetic differences. Results found dramatic differences between genetic lines confirming the important...Read more...


Keel bone damage - training school at the University of Bern

The University of Bern will be organizing a two day training school providing lectures and practical exercises on the assessment of keel bone damage and related topics such as pain assessment. A specific purpose will be to provide training for palpation as a method to assess keel bone damage using...Read more...


Activities of KBD members

Lubor Kostal and Ine Kempen, Leader and Replacement leaders of the Dissemination and Exploitation Support Group, are seen here displaying the poster advertising the KBD Net Action at the recent European Poultry Welfare Conference in France. Great job!

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FFAR released call for KBD research

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture (FFAR) has released a major call for research investigating solutions to Keel Bone Damage. In combination with a second theme of castration in swine, the FFAR, in partnership with the Open Philanthropy Project, has committed 2 million USD to the call.  Truly an extraordinary...Read more...


Egg Industry Center to fund a study examing rearing of laying hens

Professor Hongwei Xin, Director of the US-based Egg Industry Center (<www.eggindustrycenter.org>), has announced his organization will be funding a study … read more
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Dr. Michael Toscano at the Mid Atlantic Nutrition Conference

Dr. Michael Toscano was an invited speaker at the Mid Atlantic Nutrition Conference <https://ansc.umd.edu/extension/mid-atlantic-nutrition-conference> in Maryland, USA hand spoke on several Animal Welfare topics where nutrition will be key to provide an understanding of the problems and solutions.  The major focus of the talk involved...Read more...


2017 Egg Forum Conference

The Egg Industry Center is preparing to host their 2017 Egg Forum Conference in Columbus, Ohio,  USA, April 19-20th. The meeting will be a great event to bring scientists, producers, and stakeholders together to discuss current and emerging issues within the industry, including keel bone damage. ...Read more...


WG meeting Ljubljana

The first Keel Bone Damage Net Working/Core Group Meeting took place on March 21/22, 2017 in Slovenia was attended by over 50 participants from three continents and 17 nations. With a composition of scientists, industry leaders, and representatives from various national egg producers associations, the meeting provided many opportunities to...Read more...