Phytobiotics’ new golden boy: Chicken Checker 

12/03/2025

Innovations and Emerging Trends

The first day of the scientific program, held at the Andreas Hofer Hotel Kongress-Saal in Kufstein, began with opening remarks from Phytobiotics CEO Hermann Roth, General Manager Kurt Wegleitner, and Global Product Development and Innovation Director Francesca Blasco. The speakers provided information about Phytobiotics’ latest products and innovations, underlining the company’s commitment to advancing the field of animal nutrition.

Thought-provoking presentations were given throughout the day by leading experts. Dimitri Freitas, Phytobiotics’ LATAM Regional Technical Manager, introduced the “Chicken Checker,” an innovative monitoring system designed to help detect health problems early by acting as a “smoke detector” in broiler houses. Christine Clark from the University of Sydney captivated the audience with her presentation on “Cracking the Code: Exploring Eggshell Quality,” providing new insights to improve poultry production and welfare. Waraporn Kraitavin and Dimitri Freitas updated the audience on emerging trends in Asia and the Americas, while Professor Sergio Vieira from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul discussed the growing potential of amino acid chelated minerals in poultry nutrition.

Innovation, animal nutrition and health

The second day of the seminar began with presentations focusing on animal nutrition and health. Dr. Georg Dusel discussed the impact of feed intake on performance in pig nutrition, while Hermann Roth and Francesca Blasco discussed how disruptive innovations are transforming the animal production industry. Dr. Anna Catharina Berge discussed the importance of calf health and colostrum, while Carlo Sgoifo Rossi discussed the balance of productivity in sustainable cattle breeding.

The event was not limited to scientific discussions, but was also enriched with cultural and technical experiences. Participants visited the Phytobiotics production facility, took a closer look at the production processes of feed additives, and then had a traditional Bavarian lunch. A trip to Munich’s famous October Festival strengthened the social ties of professionals in the sector. The 2024 International IQ Seminar emphasized the importance of innovation in animal nutrition and production, shedding light on the role of artificial intelligence and new technologies in future research and applications.

“Phytobiotics is the company that embraces and adapts to innovation the fastest”

According to Kurt Wegleitner, every innovation is another opportunity and these opportunities play an important role in the progress of the companies.

What does innovation mean for Phytobiotics and why is it important?

Phytobiotics has always been a very innovative company. Even before I joined the company, I was aware of how much they value innovation and this has always been a feature I liked about Phytobiotics. It is in the DNA of the company and our teams constantly adopt this approach. They strive to do new things. This spirit of innovation drives our company forward and helps us to be better.

Can we say that Chicken Checker is this year’s golden boy?

Chicken Checker is currently getting the most attention and is added to our normal workload and is completely new to us. But this is related to our commitment to innovation; we are open to trying new things that many companies avoid. We are doing something completely new, that no one has done before. I talk to the programmers in meetings and I believe that this is a great tool that we have developed. It will keep us busy for years to come because there is still a lot to do. As Dimitri Freitas points out, we also need to expand in other areas such as breeders, free-range poultry, turkeys and quails. There is a lot of room for further development. I think this will become a diagnostic tool in the future and help us detect problems. So Chicken Checker is not only the golden boy of this year, but also of the next 10 years.

Are expectations rising again for Phytobiotics in the Turkish market?

Yes, of course. Turkiye is the largest chicken producer in Europe with its excellent performance and very good people working in the sector. Therefore, I see no reason why chicken production should not continue to grow. The same applies to dairy products and beef production will also recover. I expect the same for lamb meat because Turkiye has the best sheep in the world but their numbers are very few. Therefore, this market is very interesting for us and has a great growth potential.

“We will be a pioneer in Turkish poultry farming with Chicken Checker”

Arpacı, who stated that innovation and artificial intelligence, which are the motto of Phytobiotics IQ Inside Seminar 2024, will be strong guides in future animal husbandry, gave the message that they will be a key company in the future of the Turkish poultry sector with Chicken Checker.

How do you see the development of Phytobiotics? What are your thoughts about the IQ Inside 2024 seminar?

The “IQ Inside Seminar 2024”, which is organized every year and brings together technical people from the leading countries in the world in animal husbandry, has a very important place in terms of knowledge and experience exchange. When we want to evaluate the point that Phytobiotics has reached in Turkish animal husbandry, I believe that innovation and artificial intelligence are the most important domino stones in the development of companies.

Why do you think Chicken Checker is such an important innovation?

Chicken Checker is not just a software program. There is a very important investment of Phytobiotics R&D behind it. The most important development tool in world poultry farming is data. The registration system and strong data will play an important role in the development of Turkish poultry farming