Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    • August 2025
    • 2025 Poultry Health supplement
    • July 2025
    • 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    • June 2025
    • 2025 Innovation supplement
    • May 2025
    • April 2025
    • March 2025
    • 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    • February 2025
    • January 2025
    • December 2024
    • November 2024
    • October 2024
    • September 2024
    • 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    • August 2024
    • 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    • July 2024
    • 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    • June 2024
    • 2024 Innovation supplement
    • Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    • May 2024
    • April 2024
    • March 2024
    • February 2024
    • January 2024
    • December 2023
    • November 2023
    • Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    • October 2023
    • Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    • September 2023
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
  • FREE Email Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us
Twitter LinkedIn
Podcast
Poultry News
  • Production
    • Broiler Production
    • Ducks
    • Egg Production
    • Game
    • Hatching
    • Housing
    • Turkeys
  • Processing
  • Business & Politics
    • Business
    • Economics
    • EU & Politics
    • Marketing
    • People
    • Training & Education
  • Welfare
    • Environment
    • Food Safety
    • Vet & Medication
    • Welfare
  • Feed
  • Genetics
  • New Products
  • Magazines
    1. August 2025
    2. 2025 Poultry Health supplement
    3. July 2025
    4. 2025 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    5. June 2025
    6. 2025 Innovation supplement
    7. May 2025
    8. April 2025
    9. March 2025
    10. 2025 Feed and Nutrition supplement
    11. February 2025
    12. January 2025
    13. December 2024
    14. November 2024
    15. October 2024
    16. September 2024
    17. 2024 Building for the Future supplement
    18. August 2024
    19. 2024 Poultry Health supplement
    20. July 2024
    21. 2024 National Egg and Poultry Awards finalists supplement
    22. June 2024
    23. 2024 Innovation supplement
    24. Pig & Poultry Fair 2024
    25. May 2024
    26. April 2024
    27. March 2024
    28. February 2024
    29. January 2024
    30. December 2023
    31. November 2023
    32. Processing Equipment Supplement – Nov 2023
    33. October 2023
    34. Building Supplement – Sept 2023
    35. September 2023
    Featured

    Poultry Business – August 2025 issue out now

    By Chloe RyanAugust 13, 2025
    Recent

    Poultry Business – August 2025 issue out now

    August 13, 2025

    2025 Poultry Health supplement out now

    August 13, 2025

    Poultry Business – July 2025 issue

    July 1, 2025
  • Jobs
    • Browse Jobs
    • Post a Job
    • Manage Jobs
  • Events
    • National Egg and Poultry Awards
    • Poultry Fair
    • Webinars
Twitter LinkedIn
Poultry News
Production

Comment: For a successful Christmas free of AI, turkey producers must think biosecurity, biosecurity, biosecurity

Chloe RyanBy Chloe RyanDecember 3, 20203 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

By Aimee Mahony, chief poultry advisor, NFU

As Christmas edges closer, families across the country will be thinking about their Christmas arrangements and making sure they’ve ordered their turkey. For farmers, their current priority is focused on getting this centrepiece ready for the most talked about dinner of the year.

Poultry businesses have had several challenges to overcome so far in 2020; in addition to the day-to-day management of their usual production and processing operations. In particular, the impacts of COVID-19, the recruitment of seasonal labour and more recently Avian Influenza.

When we consider the issues surrounding the recruitment of a skilled workforce, we know that we face challenges across the sector in a range of permanent roles. However, the spotlight has more recently been shone on our requirement for labour in the seasonal poultry sector. Lockdown restrictions, not just in the UK but across Europe, quarantine measures and Brexit uncertainty means recruitment has been a real challenge this year.

There has now been a significant breakthrough for the industry as the government granted an exemption from quarantine rules for seasonal poultry workers. This is a real victory and something the NFU lobbied hard for on behalf of members and this move recognises the invaluable role seasonal workers play for hundreds of poultry businesses across the country.

What it means in practice is that workers will not need to quarantine for the 14-day self-isolation period and will be able to work at a designated farm or processing plant. Outside of working and travelling, they must self-isolate in line with local restrictions.

There are many requirements that businesses must meet as part of the exemption and I would encourage seasonal producers to visit NFUonline for more guidance on this, to ensure the run up to Christmas goes as smoothly as possible for all concerned.

Alongside Christmas, the not so cheery side of winter means we are also on high alert for Avian Influenza and we have already seen a number of confirmed cases in both poultry and wild birds in England.

I know from speaking to members that protecting birds from AI is the number one priority for poultry businesses right now and I would urge everyone to keep this up. Biosecurity, biosecurity, biosecurity.

As well as maintaining enhanced biosecurity on your own site, please consider how you can let friends or family members and the wider community know about how they can protect their own birds as well.

As we know, there are many more households with a few chickens in the garden as a result of an increase in lockdown purchases and these people can be hard to reach with key messages surrounding the risk of disease. It may only be a small step but if we each tell only a handful of people it’s a good start and it all contributes to the bigger picture of protecting the national flock.

 

Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
Previous ArticleNew wildlife initiative at Traditional Norfolk Poultry
Next Article Defra to introduce housing order in latest avian flu measures
Chloe Ryan

Editor of Poultry Business, Chloe has spent the past decade writing about the food industry from farming, through manufacturing, retail and foodservice. When not working, dog walking and reading biographies are her favourite hobbies.

Read Similar Stories

Production

UK poultry meat production holds firm throughout July

September 5, 20252 Mins Read
Housing

NFU survey reveals ageing UK poultry housing

September 3, 20252 Mins Read
Production

Poultry numbers grow in England, driven by broilers

August 29, 20251 Min Read
Latest News

UK poultry meat production holds firm throughout July

September 5, 2025

EU broiler price holds above €3/kg mark

September 5, 2025

New pedigree breeding facility for Hendrix Genetics

September 4, 2025
Sponsored Content

How can UK farmers make poultry profitable without losing welfare?

September 1, 2025

Precision Nutrition: A global approach to reducing broiler feed cost.

August 1, 2025
© 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions

  • Farmers Weekly
  • AA Farmer
  • Farm Contractor
  • Pig World

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.