23 September 2022

3 minute read

By: Aviagen

27 students from 17 countries recently came to Edinburgh for the 9th Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia (EMEAA) Production Management School, Breeder Module. Together with Aviagen tutors and guest speakers, they explored the essentials of “Optimizing Parent Stock Performance and Economic Returns.”

Working as project groups on a real-life case study, participants studied and discussed best practice in key subjects such as rearing and production flock management, ventilation, flock health, nutrition and data analysis.”

Lee Meredith, Poultry Farm Manager from Almarai, Saudi Arabia, remarked that he enjoyed “meeting with industry experts and learning from the best, while sharing knowledge and learning new ways to solve problems in other countries.”

Stephen McGee, Farm Compliance Manager from Moy Park, UK, appreciated the opportunity to “gain more experience managing a breeder farm efficiently to get maximum performance out of the flock.”

For Louie Zandro Zubia, Contract Breeder Manager for Foster Foods, Philippines, the key learning was the importance of management consistency. “My skills for presenting data have also greatly improved.”

The winning team

Claus Stefansen from Skov, Denmark; Matteo Borgogno, O.R.A. Agricola srl, Italy; Connie Reeves, Moy Park, UK; Antonio Maya, Sada Group, Spain; and Piotr Florczyk (EW), Cedrob S.A., Poland

The course culminated with presentations from each group, which included findings and an action plan on how to improve performance given the scenario in the case study. The “yellow” team was chosen to receive the award for the best presentation of the 2022 Breeder module.

“Working on a project together with excellent industry colleagues from other countries was an unforgettable experience,” said Antonio.

Connie added, “I enjoyed the class and learnt so much throughout the week. I was pleased that our teamwork, ideas and knowledge came across in our presentation. The course made it clear that knowledge is the most important aspect when it comes to poultry production. Those who don’t move with the research will fall behind, as the genetics of the bird are constantly changing.”

“This award was extra satisfying, knowing we were able to work seamlessly together with people from different cultures and languages and produce a presentation that was worthy of recognition by our course leaders,” concluded Matteo.

Tim Engelan – David Butler Award winner

Alan Thomson, Global Head of Technical Transfer, presents David Butler award

At the conclusion of each EMEAA course, Aviagen takes the opportunity to recognize an exemplary student who has demonstrated a high level of interest, commitment, communication, and teamwork during the week. This award was established in memory of former Aviagen Global Technical Director and industry leader David Butler. The 2022 Breeder School recipient of the David Butler award was Tim Engelan, Egg Planner and Production Manager for Angel Eggs, Netherlands. Tim showed exceptional leadership skills, teamwork, communication, innovation, and determination.

Rob Evans – Next-Gen scholarship winner

In April Aviagen UK introduced the Next-Gen scholarship program as an encouragement to young poultry professionals. Rob Evans, Farm Manager at Avara Foods, was awarded the sponsorship for the 2022 EMEAA Breeder School.

Rob names the favorite part of his job at Avara Foods as “being around chickens every day,” and attending the Breeder School confirmed that “you should always listen to the birds.” He added that collecting and analyzing “good data” is also important to improving performance, health and welfare. A highlight for Rob was “networking with like-minded individuals from different backgrounds. Attendees and tutors were all open and honest, leading to new ideas and perspectives.”

Rob Evans from Avara Foods was the Next-Gen student