Aug. 31 marked an evening of celebration for Aviagen® UK and its Ross® customers. During the 17th annual UK Flock Awards, the Aviagen team honored 28 winners who reached exceptional performance levels with their Ross broiler breeding stock.

Hard work, dedication and management talent rewarded

The Flock Awards are presented to the committed professionals who give excellent care to the birds at each stage: the Breeder Manager, the Hatchery Manager and the Rearing Farm Manager.

“These outstanding caretakers are the backbone of the U.K. poultry industry, and through the Flock Awards we commend their hard work and talent,” said Alan Thomson, Aviagen’s regional technical and commercial manager. “The efforts of these people who work behind the scenes are often unseen, but their contributions are invaluable.”

Thomson added that Aviagen has seen significant improvement in Ross 308 breeder performance, particularly in the past year. “However, it takes excellence in flock management to provide the best environment for the birds to perform in. With outstanding stockmanship, combined with steadfast diligence and dedication, the Flock Award winners were able to tap into the rich genetic potential of Ross birds.”

Value-add of winning breeders

The parents within the nine winning flocks represent the top 3 percent of Ross flocks placed in the U.K. The performance scores of this year’s winners were exceptionally high, exceeding Aviagen performance standards.

Their strong results are especially impressive considering the major influential obstacles of the past year, namely the economic uncertainty created by Brexit, Avian Influenza outbreaks and the ever-changing political landscape, which have all provided a challenging backdrop for the entire poultry industry.

Celebration of people behind the performance

Before commencement of the awards ceremony, participants began the afternoon with a lunch and welcome, followed by a host of relationship-building outdoor activities.

This year’s ceremony took a slightly different approach than those of years past, bringing to life the results, the people behind the performance and the year’s challenging conditions under which they were achieved.

The ceremony was followed by dinner and entertainment, including a unique performance from Richard Jones, the first-ever magician to win “Britain’s Got Talent.”

About Aviagen

Since 1923, Aviagen® has established itself as the world's leading poultry breeding company, developing pedigree lines for the production of commercial broiler chickens under the Arbor Acres®, Indian River®, and Ross® brand names. The Rowan Range® and Specialty Males® are specialty breeding stock from Aviagen that offer greater flexibility for customers to meet specific or niche market requirements. The company is based in Huntsville, Alabama, USA with a number of wholly-owned operations across the United Kingdom, Europe, Turkey, Latin America, India, Australia, New Zealand, and the U.S., and joint ventures in Asia. Aviagen employs more than 3,900 people and has a distribution network serving customers in more than 100 countries.

For further information, please visit www.aviagen.com.