The Trbousany farm consists of four houses and has been designed and built to meet Aviagen's strict biosecurity and welfare standards. The farm has been developed with future expansion in mind; with space to accommodate a fifth house and automated egg packing facilities if required.

This project is further evidence of Aviagen's commitment to ongoing investment and support for its European customer base. Developed in partnership with Susárna Pohorelice s.r.o. (SP), a Czech broiler grower, the completion of the new facility marks the return of Ross GP farms to the Czech Republic and is planned to be the start of several GP farm investments within the country. The farm will supply Aviagen's hatchery in Hungary but is also expected to provide eggs to the company's new hatchery in Russia, which is due for completion later this year.

To celebrate the opening, a full day of activity for the 70 invited guests was organised. Presentations on the construction of the farm preceded a full tour and a ventilation workshop. Neil Clark, Technical Service Manager, discussed ventilation systems, their operation and the tools and techniques to monitor them in the morning. This was followed in the afternoon by practical demonstrations on the farm where visitors were shown how to monitor the system with simple techniques and see the effects of under, over and correct pressure in the houses.

Nick Spenceley, Aviagen's Regional Quality Assurance and Production Development Manager, said: "Aviagen's Ross brand has a long history of GP production within the Czech Republic. The opening of this farm is yet further evidence of Aviagen's commitment to Central and Eastern Europe. It is a direct reaction to increasing customer demand for our products and part of a strategic plan to locate Aviagen’s GP production in several countries to allow the maximum of flexibility in our European supply network. The farm is technologically advanced and will serve the region very well for many years.

"Our aim is to be as close as possible to our customers, cutting transport times and improving chick quality even further. We have been supplying Ross birds to the Czech Republic, and the European poultry industry as a whole, for almost 50 years and the product remains incredibly successful. We are constantly reviewing and enhancing our supply network in order to provide the best customer service we can, one of the reasons why Aviagen is the supplier of choice."

Ribbon-cutting at the new farm at Trbousany