Poultry.Network

Tom Woolman and Tom Willings are joined by Dr Pablo Alarcon and Dr Mat Hennessey from the Royal Veterinary College to discuss the pressures shaping poultry's response to avian influenza - and why some of the biggest challenges cannot be addressed through farm biosecurity alone. As part of the Flu Trailmap project, the researchers have mapped poultry supply chains and spoken to people across the industry about their experiences.

Dominic Smith is to become Cobb-Vantress's general manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), as part of a leadership transition ahead of Roy Mutimer's retirement in 2027. Mr Mutimer, currently vice-president of EMEA and Asia-Pacific (APAC), will continue supporting both regions during the handover, working closely with the incoming leadership team.

Boparan Private Office has reported a 61% rise in turnover following the expansion of its poultry operations in the UK and Europe. Group sales reached £2.86bn in 2025, compared with £1.78bn a year earlier. Accounts for the 52 weeks ended 28 December 2025 show pre-tax profit increased by 20% to £135.9m, from £113m. Underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) rose by 34% to £180.2m, compared with £134.5m.

Are broiler drinkers delivering more water than birds can actually drink? Ziggity Systems' André van Rij made that case at this year's Poultry Meat Conference, questioning whether recommended flow rates leave farms dealing with unnecessary spillage-and whether catch cups introduce more problems than they solve. Recorded at the event, Jake Davies and Tom Woolman discuss his argument for removing catch cups and getting drinker height right.

The arrival of autumn has failed to bring any relief to a struggling egg market. The traditional September bounce, when the school holidays end and people go back to work, has been noticeably missing this year. See also: Ep 55 | Barry Jackson: Why the UK egg market has softened - and what comes next It follows a troubled summer for the trade, when imported eggs undermined the wholesale trade and hot weather suppressed retail demand.

PILGRIM's EUROPE has completed a £6 million-plus redevelopment of Potton Farm in Cambridgeshire, replacing the site's existing timber-framed poultry sheds with five larger steel-framed buildings. The company said the investment has increased the farm's capacity by making more effective use of the existing site footprint.

Joice and Hill has appointed Simon Bowden as its new sales director, succeeding Peter Cumbers later this year. Mr Bowden is currently the company's area technical sales manager for the Midlands, West and Wales. He joined Joice and Hill in 2022 from Potters Poultry, where his roles included pullet sales, technical service and aftercare.

Could the sounds inside a poultry house help producers spot health and welfare problems before they develop? This week, Jake and Tom are joined by Carly Scott, FAI director and BirdBox project lead, and Professor Lucy Asher of Newcastle University to discuss the next generation of BirdBox and the research behind its flock-monitoring technology.

With the next bird flu reporting season beginning on 1 October, it is still too early to predict what will happen, believes the head of the Avian Influenza Workgroup at the APHA. However, it was likely to be a similar genotype to the season just ending, which was good news, said Ashley Banyard at Poultry Network Live last week.

SPOT ration costs have climbed to their highest level since late 2023, after another month of rising feed ingredient prices. The result is an increase of £14 a tonne in our Basic Layers' Ration, taking it back to levels last seen at the end of 2023.