Symposium summary and challenges for the future

The poultry industry has grown and prospered over the past 50 yr by a repeated pattern of careful analysis of factors limiting production, followed by replacement of biological functions with management practices. Examples include assisted incubation, selection of sires, and survival via novel housing. Each resulted in a period of enhanced product output. Trends developing over the past decade raise the potential for consideration of another intervention, that of assisted reproduction. Examples illustrating the need to consider, and adopt at several levels, assisted reproduction are provided. Three critical aspects of poultry production should be monitored by careful documentation of: 1) genetic throughput from pedigree to product, best assessed by monitoring number of chicks produced per male; 2) product cost, best assessed by optimizing rate of lay and fertility of laid eggs for each hen; and 3) product quality, reflected in the homogeneity of progeny for desired traits. Each segment of the industry (turkey, egg or broiler; breeder or producer) will find unique solutions to these interacting factors. Presentations within the symposium are reviewed and integrated, and comments are provided relative to challenges facing the industry in the 21st century.