The poultry sector has witnessed significant developments due to advances in genetics, nutrition, and artificial intelligence. These innovations aim to increase productivity, improve meat and egg quality, enhance feed conversion efficiency, and strengthen resistance to diseases and heat stress. First: Genetic Improvement Genomic selection helps identify birds with superior production and health traits, while gene-editing technologies facilitate the study of genes associated with growth and disease resistance. Preserving local breeds also contributes to improving adaptation to environmental conditions. Second: Artificial Intelligence and Precision Farming Smart cameras and sensors are used to monitor bird movement, feed and water consumption, and temperature. These technologies help detect health problems early, improve flock management, and reduce production losses. Third: Modern Nutrition Precision nutrition focuses on meeting birds’ nutritional requirements. Feed enzymes, probiotics, and prebiotics help improve digestion and intestinal health, while safe alternative feed ingredients are being investigated to reduce production costs. Fourth: Disease Resistance and Heat Stress Management Proper ventilation, cooling systems, vaccination, biosecurity, and balanced nutrition contribute to maintaining bird health and improving productivity, particularly in hot regions such as Iraq. Fifth: Production Sustainability Sustainability can be achieved by optimizing the use of feed, water, and energy, improving waste management, reducing environmental impacts, and maintaining animal health and welfare. Conclusion Integrating genetic improvement, modern nutrition, digital technologies, and healthcare is essential for advancing poultry production, increasing efficiency, and reducing costs. These efforts contribute to strengthening food security and achieving sustainable development in Iraq.6. Genetic Improvement for Disease Resistance and Reducing Antibiotic Use Improving disease resistance is one of the main objectives of modern poultry breeding, particularly given the economic losses caused by infectious diseases and the restrictions imposed on the inappropriate use of antibiotics. A review published in Poultry Science in 2026 highlights the growing interest in incorporating disease resistance into commercial breeding programs through conventional selection, genome-wide association studies (GWAS), genomic selection, and methods for measuring health-related traits.7. Improving Egg Production and Quality Modern layer-breeding programs aim to combine increased egg production with improvements in both internal and external egg quality, while maintaining the hen’s health and sustained productivity. The priority traits include: - Number of eggs produced and total egg mass throughout the production cycle. - Eggshell strength and thickness, as well as the percentage of broken eggs. - Albumen quality and yolk height. - Fertility and hatchability rates in breeding flocks. - Feed efficiency per unit of egg mass produced. - Skeletal health and the hen’s ability to maintain production over a longer period. Integrating genetics, nutrition, lighting management, calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D is becoming increasingly important, as eggshell quality and production are not determined by genetics alone. Furthermore, advances in multi-omics approaches and predictive analytics are creating opportunities to better understand the interactions among genetics, metabolism, the microbiome, and egg quality. However, validating the findings in commercial flocks remains an essential step before adopting any new application. University of Al-Mustaqbal: Ranked First Among Private Universities in Iraq.
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