Aviagen^®New Zealand (NZ) is proud of its Ross^® customers who, through expert stockmanship and dedication, continue to outdo their best. The team is delighted to announce that 10 customers have achieved entry to the prestigious Ross 490 Club, which is open to Ross 308 SF growers across New Zealand and the Pacific Islands who reach a European Performance Efficiency Factor (EPEF) score of 490 or above. The top performer with an impressive EPEF of 501.81 is Michael Cunningham of Glenone, Christchurch, a grower for Tegel Foods Ltd.

Soaring to new performance heights

Ross producers in New Zealand continue to raise the bar on broiler breeder performance. The Ross 450 Club was recently introduced, and during its first year (July 2019-July 2020) saw a total of 89 farms reaching EPEF scores of 450 or higher (the requirement for the Ross 450 Club). Because of the overwhelming number of farms exceeding the 450 EPEF target, beginning in July, the New Zealand team increased the target to 490 EPEF.

“We again have the wonderful opportunity of congratulating and celebrating all the growers in our region for being inducted into this year’s Ross 490 Club. Their hard work and dedication have shown what is possible with the Ross bird. A very special congratulations goes to Michael Cunningham (Glenone) for having the highest EPEF during the year,” commented Abbey Mathew, Aviagen NZ Operations Manager

“Congratulations to all of those who gained entry into our new Ross 490 club. With good husbandry, chick quality, nutrition and environmental management, the Ross 308 has amazing potential. It is fantastic to see the care and attention given by these growers that produces amazing results,” added Debbie Fisher, Technical Services Manager, Aviagen Australia and NZ.

Breed of Choice in ANZ market

The Ross 308 is the breed of choice for poultry producers in the New Zealand/Pacific market. These growers benefit from the bird’s excellent meat yield, growth rate and efficiency, balanced with its robust health and welfare. Aviagen NZ is committed to supplying their customers with healthy, robust birds, and following up with continuous support, management advice and service to help them reach the highest potential of the Ross 308.