‘Optimizing Broiler Performance and Economic Returns’ was the title of the six-day School, which has built up a reputation over the past few years for its unique interactive format.

All aspects of the broiler industry chain were covered and this was evident with guest presentations from Duncan Sinclair, Agricultural Manager at UK retailer Waitrose and Aviagen customer Ian Dowsland, Head of Agri Improvement Projects at Moy Park.

Graeme Dear, General Manager Aviagen UK Limited, said: “Aviagen has a long history of providing education to the poultry industry, and an important aspect of the School’s success and popularity has been the emphasis on sharing knowledge, working together and providing expert insight that allows the next generation to flourish.”

“The week was about practical problem solving, identifying the problems and discussing options using teamwork to find a best solution. These skills always prove valuable as they can be directly applicable to students’ every day work when they return to their companies.”

Particular emphasis was placed on educating and sharing knowledge around the effect on bottom line performance and consumer requirements, with a number of team-working exercises taking place throughout.

One student, Emanuele D’Erasmo from Euroagricola Avizoo in Italy, said: “For me the School was all about improving my own knowledge in broiler farming and updating my skillset with new information from the tutors and other students. The School gave us the instruments to improve our problem-solving approach and this proved an invaluable experience.”

Ciprian Butunoi from Agricola International Inc. in Romania also commented: “Hearing from the expert tutors on how to be financially mindful and how to offer preventative measures rather than treatment was of particular interest. It is about seeing the big picture, not a small one and that is the biggest learning point I took from the School.”