For egg producers Gareth & Lewis Morgan, pest control is essential for profitability and continuous production. Poultry Business visited Russeldene Farm in South Shropshire to see how a holistic approach to pest management is supporting the production of barn eggs.
The Morgan family business operates across two sites – one producing free range eggs for Fridays and the other barn eggs, for Noble Foods, supplying Tesco. The free-range unit houses 48,000 hens, while the barn unit has 34,000 birds split across a total of six sheds.
At Russeldene farm, birds are kept to 100 weeks, so robust pest control is key.
Gareth Morgan says pest control is integral to the production plan: “Birds are kept for longer, so if we have a disease breakdown early in the cycle, it’s a long time until our next crop of layers is due in.”
Year-round pest pressures
Morgan says there are pest pressures all year round for the farm.
“Flies are one of our biggest summer issues, and with warmer months starting earlier and lasting longer, that challenge now stretches over more of the year,” he explains.
Flies feed by regurgitating their last meal onto the surface they are on, and when this happens to be the eggs, this can have large financial implications.
“Eggs with any contamination from flies, whether regurgitation or defecation, are downgraded,” explains Morgan.
“Our goal is to keep seconds to a minimum, as they can be worth up to five times less than first-grade eggs, which can dramatically affect returns.”
Rodent pressure is usually greater in winter as cold weather drives them indoors for food and shelter. The programme includes using Lodi UK’s Sheila Fly Bait and Lodi’s Gems rodent bait to keep pressures under control year-round.
“Rodents threaten the eggs, but also the machinery and equipment inside the sheds,” says Morgan.
“We pack around 32,000 eggs a day, so if rodents compromise the packing machine, downtime can cause a major backlog and disrupt operations.”
All sheds are fitted with humidity, temperature, and lighting controls, along with systems to monitor water consumption.
“Rodent damage can cause system failures or even fires, so protecting these is vital,” he adds.
The farm is tested every 105 days for traces of Salmonella, and Morgan says strong rodent control protocols give him peace of mind that he’s doing everything possible to keep disease out.
Preventing and monitoring pests
Russeldene Farm follows a three-pronged approach when it comes to pest control.
“We do everything we can to prevent pest problems, monitor monthly with a professional pest controller and act on any issues that arise,” says Morgan.
Pest controller Dave Reece from Oakwood Farm Services visits Russeldene Farm monthly.
“Having an external professional frees up time for me and the staff to focus on the birds,” says Morgan.
Prevention includes proofing buildings and machinery by sealing gaps or repairing damage where rodents could enter.
Lodi UK’s Anti-Rodent Spray is applied to all ducting and electrical wires providing up to six months protection from rodent attacks.
Strict biosecurity and cleaning protocols reduce the risk of disease, while regular monitoring allows Reece to adjust the pest control programme as needed.
Controlling pests
Acknowledging the ongoing challenge of fly control on poultry farms, Morgan says the fly bait Sheila has been a great asset for the farm, especially in the sheds with the barn egg producing birds.
“We apply the granules to boards, which are then hung beneath the slatted bird area inside the poultry house,” he explains.
“The flies are attracted by breeding pheromone on the boards, consume the granules, and die almost instantly.”
The product is applied early in the season to tackle flies before numbers peak. It can be replaced as needed and works best as part of an integrated fly management approach.
When it comes to mice, the business uses Sapphire Grain. The bait contains brodifacoum, delivering a single-feed lethal dose – something Morgan says is essential on their poultry site, where mice are a bigger Salmonella risk than rats.
“Mice are much harder to spot and tend to nibble at bait rather than take enough in one go,” he adds.
“With Sapphire Grain, even a small feed is enough to be effective, which makes a real difference in keeping numbers down.”
At Russeldene Farm, pest control is an investment of time and resource which protects the businesses productivity, as well as the health and welfare of the birds.
“If we stay ahead of the problem, we’re protecting the birds, the eggs and ultimately our business reputation,” says Morgan.