Following the acquisition of Hubbard by the Aviagen Group in February of 2018, US$10 million will be invested in advancing the research and development base of Hubbard in Walpole, New Hampshire.

The project currently underway will involve adding, expanding and modernizing the pedigree farm base and hatchery with state-of-the-art technology and equipment.

Customers in the US and abroad will benefit from improved performance, health and welfare of Hubbard’s conventional male and female broiler breeder lines, the company said in a statement.

The upgrade of the Walpole facilities is slated for completion by the end of 2020, and will enable Hubbard to triple its pedigree program in the US.

To increase the accuracy of genetic selection methods, the Hubbard farms and hatcheries will use the same state-of-the-art technology and techniques used in Aviagen research and development, such as advanced 3D imaging to improve selection for skeletal health, meat yield and quality.

The Walpole facilities will also incorporate Lifetime Feed Conversion Ratio (LFCR) technology – a method that observes FCR and feeding behavior during a bird’s lifetime in order to aid selection for birds that are the most efficient in converting feed to body weight.