Recognizing top-performing flocks and the people behind them

EDINBURGH, Scotland. — Aviagen^® welcomed customers to Chester for the 25^th annual Ross^® Flock Awards. The event recognized the achievements of UK producers whose flocks, depleted in 2024, ranked among the top 5–7% of Ross 308 breeder flocks worldwide.

Technical Service Managers Toby Arkell and Charles Ramsey presented the awards, including the Top Flock Award, which went to Pilgrim’s Europe for achieving an impressive 173.4 chicks per hen housed (chicks/hh) — a clear reflection of thoughtful management and consistent effort.

Tribute to the people behind the birds

The UK average reached 156.1 chicks/hh — an increase of 3.5 chicks from the previous year — showing steady progress and the continued strength of Ross 308 broiler breeders across the country.

The UK Flock Awards were a moment to honor the care, attention and teamwork behind these outstanding results, and to acknowledge the people who make them possible.

“We’re incredibly proud to celebrate the efforts of our customers, who continue to raise the bar,” said Stuart Thomson, Head of UK Sales & Technical. “Behind every award is a team that has faced challenges head-on and stayed focused on both performance and welfare. These results are a reflection of their dedication — and a reminder of what it means to be Breeding Success Together.”

The long-standing involvement of Alan Thomson, now Aviagen’s Group Vice President of Global Technical Operations, was instrumental in shaping the UK Flock Awards into a meaningful program that recognizes customer success and promotes best practices across the industry.

“The performance of UK flocks, and corresponding dedication of the farm and hatchery management and operational teams, is being recognized not only here in the UK, but across the global poultry industry,” said Alan. “Through these awards, we appreciate performance that is consistently ahead of Performance Objectives and global benchmarks — that’s a testament to the skill, care, and day-to-day commitment of those people responsible for managing the flocks and hatcheries on a day to day basis.”

What the winners had to say

James Padley, Agricultural Director of G.W. Padley Poultry Limited, who are contract farmers for Pilgrim’s and won the accolade for the top flock award, commented:

“We are incredibly proud of the winning team for the outstanding result they achieved. The dedication and effort that is required throughout the entire lifespan of a flock to get these plaudits cannot be overstated. It can take years of experience, combined with learnings from previous flocks, and, importantly, a desire to learn and adapt to factors outside our control, such as warm weather.

The real barometer for us to benchmark our own results is to see how we fare in the annual Ross UK Flock Awards Statistics. It is great honor to have one of our farms at the top of those results.”

Catch the highlights of the 2024 Flock Awards celebration here.