In March poultry producers, academics, and stakeholders from across the poultry sector came together to take part in the seventh annual NFU Poultry Research Seminar.
The event aims to bring members of the poultry sector together with academic researchers, innovative businesses and representatives from the wider supply chain to share ideas and bridge the gap between academic research and practical on farm solutions.
NFU member and seminar chair Liz Warner welcomed attendees to the event, which saw nine speakers present on a varied range of topics within three core themes.
Each session was followed by a lively and informative question and answer session that allowed audience members to delve deeper into each of the topics covered.
Emerging topics within poultry research
The first speaker was Dr Fiona Short, Innovation Lead for Animal Health and Nutrition at the newly created UK Agri-Tech Centre.
Formed from a merger of three previous Agri-Tech centres – CIEL, CHAP, and Agri-EPI Centre – the new UK Agri-Tech Centre aims to provide a combination of research and innovation facilities and agri-tech expertise to the industry, supporting innovation and economic growth.
Dr Short’s presentation focused on exploring the ways in which the organisation aims to bridge the gap between academic research institutions and practical, on farm solutions. She then moved on to discuss some of their current poultry research projects, with alternative proteins from marine sources being a topic of particular interest.
The value of poultry meat
The future of poultry meat food security was the next topic to be discussed in an insightful presentation from Professor Emma Roe from the University of Southampton.
Professor Roe is leading the cross-disciplinary TRI-SoMe Chicken research project. She began by recognising the importance of the poultry meat sector, which makes up 50% of the meat eaten in UK and is therefore key in allowing consumers to access an affordable source of animal protein.
However, she also noted that the sector is vulnerable to external shocks including climate change, AI (avian influenza), and the impact of adverse geopolitical conditions.
Above: The seminar was chaired by NFU member Liz Warner (right) who welcomed the University of Southampton’s Emma Roe (Left) to the floor.
The focus of her team’s research in the coming years will be to engage with stakeholders throughout the supply chain, from low-income consumers to primary producers, processors and retailers.
This, they hope, will allow them to better understand past, present and future practices within the broiler supply chain, how these impact the experiences of those involved in producing and consuming chicken meat, and how the sector can form part of a more resilient UK food system.
Ovo sexing
The final presentation in the first session came from Simão Santos, a researcher at KU Leuven’s Lammertyn Lab in Belgium.
In what proved to be a highly informative presentation, Simão explained recent changes in Europe that have seen countries including Germany, Austria, France, and the Netherlands introduce legislation to outlaw the practice of culling day-old male chicks in the laying hen sector.
Above: Simão Santos travelled from KU Leuven, Belgium to give attendees an overview of European legislation and emerging technologies in the field of in ovo sexing.
The audience were guided through a wide range of existing and emerging technologies that aim to allow the sex of chicks to be determined in the egg prior to hatching, a process known as in ovo sexing.
The technologies discussed ranged from genetic modifications that could see eggs containing male embryos fluoresce allowing them to be easily identified, to those which require fluid samples to be taken from inside the egg for DNA or chemical analysis.
Many techniques aim to allow the sex of chicks to be determined before day 13 of development when researchers believe chicks may first be able to perceive pain.
Advances in poultry health and welfare
Following a break to allow attendees to network, the second session began in earnest, welcoming Paniz Hosseini, a PHD student at the University of Cambridge.
Paniz presented findings from the recent FluMap study which investigated the use of AI biosecurity measures on UK poultry farms. The team conducted in depth interviews with farm managers from across the broiler, turkey, duck, breeder, and laying hen sectors, both on farms that had experienced AI outbreaks and those that had not.
Among their findings Paniz explained that while some biosecurity measures such as foot dips, changing boots, and wheel washing and disinfection were widely followed across farms, in many cases the age of buildings and perimeter fencing made it difficult to implement biosecurity well.
The inability to prevent wild birds from accessing commercial poultry premises was a key concern raised by many interviewees.
Other factors that affected how well biosecurity measures were implemented included farm managers’ perceptions of the risks associated with AI and their ability to control those risks, the age and level of experience of those individuals involved, and financial limitations which in many cases prevented farm managers from implementing more stringent biosecurity measures.
Using technologies to predicting health issues
Moving on to the topic of laying hen welfare, the next presentation came in the form of a joint talk by David Brass, CEO of the Lakes Free Range Eggs Co Ltd, and Carly Scott, a Director at FAI farms.
They focused on the research they are currently undertaking in collaboration with other partners as part of the FLOCKWISE project that aims to build on their existing BirdBox sensor system.
The project aims to integrate real-time health and behaviour monitoring data using AI to produce a system that can predict when issues are likely to arise in a flock. This could in turn allow a stock person to intervene before mortality occurs, potentially increasing flock efficiency, welfare, and lifespan.
Above: Poultry producers, wider stakeholders, and academics gathered at NFU HQ for this year’s seminar.
The future of poultry feed and nutrition
The final session of the day began with a presentation examining the potential of duckweed, a native aquatic plant, to clean aquatic systems while simultaneously producing a high quality alternative protein for use in animal diets.
The presentation was given by the University of Aberystwyth’s Dr. Dylan Gwynn-Jones who described duckweed as a “miracle plant”. It is tolerant of ammonium meaning it can be grown on a range of agricultural waste waters, removing nitrogen and phosphate pollution and converting it into a high-quality protein biomass.
So far Dr. Gwynn-Jones’ team have collaborated with several dairy farmers to trial growing duckweed on substrates such as slurry and digestate, but the plant also has significant potential to be beneficial in the poultry sector with future research likely to examine how duckweed protein can be incorporated into animal feed.
Improving laying hen feed efficiency
The penultimate presentation of the day was delivered by Dr. Sylwia Sobolewska, who presented the findings of her Nuffield scholarship entitled “Feed efficiency and targeted genetic selection as the key for sustainable performance and profitability in laying hens”.
Having travelled across three continents and eleven countries as part of her study tour, Dr. Sobolewska identified several areas that could be focused on to improve laying hen feed efficiency.
Among her conclusions was the need to consider hen longevity when calculating feed conversion ratios, the importance of educating consumers on the environmental benefit of white eggs, and that consistent use of feed additives such as phytase, xylanase and β-glucanase is essential for improving digestion for laying hens.
Above: Dr Dylan Gwyn Jones (Left), Dr Sylwia Sobolewska (centre), and Ian Mackinson (right) took part in a panel Q&A session following presentations on the theme of the future of poultry feed and nutrition.
Soya legislation
Ian Mackinson, Monogastric Technical Manager at Massey Feeds gave the closing presentation which focused on the often emotive subject of soya.
Ian explained that the livestock sector is often targeted in conversations regarding soya because 75% of the world’s soybean crop is used as animal feed. He noted that there is now a movement towards ensuring that the soya used within British agriculture has not been produced using deforested land or land that has been converted from other natural ecosystems.
Comparing the soon to be implemented EUDR (EU Deforestation Regulation), which applies in EU countries with the proposed UKFRC (UK Forest Risk Commodities) regulation, Ian suggested that while the new legislation may have an impact on the price of raw materials coming into the UK, differences between legislation in the UK and EU could provide a potential market opportunity for British producers.
Thank you to all those who attended the seminar, the speakers, and to Liz Warner for excellently chairing this increasingly popular and informative event. The NFU now looks forward to the eighth annual NFU Poultry Research Seminar in 2026.
If you have any suggestions for topics and/or speakers, please get in touch with a member of the NFU poultry team by emailing [email protected]
Meet the speakers
David Brass
CEO, The Lakes Free Range Egg Co Ltd
He joined the RAF and was in the Royal Air Force for 10years where the day job was a Harrier pilot, before retiring back to the family farm in late 1989, which he and his wife Helen took over.
The farm has grown from 200 chickens and in 1996, David and Helen set up Lakes Free Range Egg Co Ltd to sell their eggs.
The ethos even way back in 1996 was ‘to sustainably supply only Free Range and Organic Free Range eggs produced to high welfare standards, top 10% of UK performance and leading edge innovation’.
There has been a constant stream of innovation and research in partnership with some of the UK’s leading research institutions.
The business has now grown to several egg-producing farming businesses, a pullet rearing operation rearing well over one million birds per year and the Lakes Free Range Egg Co Ltd which now turns over £100 million and packs half a billion eggs per year from contracted producers across the midlands northwards, including to Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Currently, for a relatively small company, we have several PhD researchers seconded on major research programmes into all aspects of chicken behaviour, innovation, nutrition and welfare.
David will be presenting alongside Carly Brass on the FLOCKWISE project Lakes Free Range Egg Co Ltd have been undertaking in collaboration with FAI Farms.
Dr Dylan Gwynn-Jones
Reader in the Biological Sciences, Aberystwyth University
He researches how pollution and environmental stress impact upon plants and ecosystems.
Over the past decade he has focussed on agricultural systems and embracing the circular economy.
As part of this work he has developed systems focused on duckweed that have the capacity to clean aquatic systems, whilst at the same time producing valuable protein.
Paniz Hosseini
Research associate, University of Cambridge
She will be presenting research findings from the FluMap project, which focused on trying to understand farmers' use of biosecurity on poultry farms in relation to the UK avian influenza outbreaks.
Ian Mackinson
Monogastric Technical Manager, Massey Feeds
He has worked with a diverse range of poultry businesses including broiler, layer, turkey and gamebirds.
In 2020 he joined Massey Feeds as Monogastric Technical Manager and works closely with the three feed mills within the group as well as supporting the sales team.
In his talk he is going to give an overview of new legislation that is going to affect soya and highlight the potential implications within the poultry supply chain.
Emma Roe
Lead Investigator and Social Scientist, University of Southampton
Emma will present the three-year UKRI/DEFRA funded research project, entitled “Towards Resilient Industrial Socio-Metabolic Relations of Chicken. (TRI-SoMe Chicken),” which started in the Autumn of 2024.
She will be accompanied by Prof Damian Maye (University of Gloucestershire), who leads the workstream studying the experiences of poultry farmers to disruptions, and Prof Justin Sheffield (University of Southampton), who is leading efforts to build a systems dynamic model of the poultry food system to explore scenarios and impacts on those often regarded as ‘externalities’.
The TRI SoMe Team brings together diverse expertise around food, crossing different disciplines, and including poultry industry stakeholders (Food Insecure Communities, UK Poultry Growers and Global Poultry Supply Chain Consultants).
Simão Santos
Researcher, KU Leuven’s Lammertyn Lab and NAMES Lab
They are pioneering in-ovo sexing technologies to eliminate day-old chick culling.
By combining optical and non-optical techniques, they aim to deliver industry-ready solutions.
They have extensively reviewed scientific and patent literature, publishing a systematic review and co-authoring white papers advocating for an EU-wide ban on chick and duckling culling.
In this presentation, Simão will share the latest updates on European legislation, newly implemented sexing techniques worldwide, and the future of in-ovo sexing.
Carly Scott
Director, FAI Farms
Carly has a background in Genetics and has held diverse roles at FAI, supporting research projects in commercial and trials settings, managing strategic programmes with FAI’s industry partners, and guiding the development of FAI’s data platforms to support farming and supply chain insight.
Alongside Lakes Free Range Egg Co and partners Newcastle University and UK ATC, FAI were recently awarded an Innovate grant for FLOCKWISE, a 3-year project to spearhead the integration of real-time hen health and behaviour indicators for laying hens to address key flock challenges and improve performance and sustainability of egg production.
Dr Fiona Short
Innovation Lead (Animal Health & Nutrition), UK Agri-Tech Centre
Fiona has over twenty years' research experience and a further seven in industry, with previous employers including ADAS, Anpario and Rumenco.
Within the UK Agri-Tech Centre, Fiona provides scientific insight and translation of technical research to support industry members and help ensure its impact is realised across the supply chain.
Fiona works closely with industry and academia to bring together consortiums focused on solving industry issues, particularly in the area of nutrition, health, welfare, and sustainability.
In this presentation, Fiona will be covering what the UK Agri-Tech Centre is and what it does following its formation in April last year, as well as introducing some of the poultry research projects they are currently undertaking.
Dr Sylwia Sobolewska
Commercial poultry nutritionist, Trouw Nutrition
She came to the UK in 2017 as a research assistant at Harper Adams University and for the last seven years has worked in an independent British manufacturer and international distributor of natural feed additives for animal health, nutrition, and biosecurity.
Now, she works as a commercial poultry nutritionist for Trouw Nutrition which is a global leader in innovative feed specialties, premixes and nutritional services for the animal nutrition industry.
Last year, she completed her Nuffield scholarship which was entitled ‘Feed Efficiency and Targeted Genetic Selection as the Key for Sustainable Performance and Profitability in Laying Hens’.
During her time as a scholar, she investigated whether feed efficiency and targeted genetic selection hold the key to performance and profitability in laying hens. She focused on feed additives, robotics and artificial intelligence, and genetic selection tools.
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