By Charles Bourns, broiler grower, Gloucestershire
Firstly, happy new year to everyone and let’s hope it is a prosperous one when we finally conquer the scourge of avian influenza. Without it we would have a very good industry and maybe we can start to get our just rewards for what we do.
I always question when the other proteins are enjoying a price bonanza worldwide why we are still so cheap. Places in the world where food was once cheap are now expensive like America where a friend of mine paid $150 for a steak. As a matter of interest and being a complete nerd, I put the prices I was receiving 10 years ago into my last flock result and I would have been £10,000 better off, so it is not only the hospital doctors that have taken a hit to their pay.
Talking about AI, it seems to me looking at the daily cases we need to be able to vaccinate our turkey flocks. In addition, if we cannot persuade small multi species farms to give up, then I think they should vaccinate them, especially as they act as a reservoir and keep the disease going. It was the same with Gumboro and many moons ago Salmonella. If the industry had not been allowed to vaccinate the breeder flocks I am told we would not have had an industry.
I am told there will be a shortage of day-old chicks due to the loss of some breeder and rearing flocks.
My son’s house is coming on well despite the weather. He does keep me away from it if the building inspector is here because he has added so much to the cost of it that even the builder himself does not agree with him but has to do it so he can be paid. I do wonder why my house built in 1998 is still standing!
Anyway, I hope 2026 brings every success to your business.