The Poultry Network Podcast

Tom Willings and Tom Woolman are joined by Vera Bavinck , poultry veterinarian for Kipster , to discuss a radically different approach to egg production in the Netherlands. The conversation covers Kipster’s low-impact production model, the use of upcycled feed ingredients, welfare-led housing design, natural daylight, lower stocking densities, keel bone fracture monitoring, delayed onset of lay, a...

In this special episode of the Poultry Network podcast , Tom Woolman and Tom Willings are joined by two younger voices from the UK poultry sector: Ed Lanning , representing the broiler industry, and Callum James , representing free-range egg production. The episode was inspired by a charity auction prize bought by Robert Lanning at the Southwest Chicken Association Christmas dinner, giving him the...

In this episode of the Poultry Network Podcast, Tom Woolman speaks with David Petrie-Dolphin of Drayton Animal Health about the behind-the-scenes work involved in bringing poultry vaccines, veterinary medicines and animal health products to market. David explains the role of a Contract Research Organisation, or CRO, and why pharmaceutical and animal health companies often use specialist external f...

This week on the Poultry Network podcast , Tom Woolman and Tom Willings are joined by Harrison Davies , technical manager at Aviagen , to discuss the launch of the Ross 308 505 Club . Harrison explains what EPEF — European Production Efficiency Factor — means, how it is calculated and why it provides a useful benchmark for broiler crop performance. The conversation covers the move from the 470 Clu...

In this episode, Tom Willings and Tom Woolman are joined by Greg Marsh, Poultry Sales Manager at ForFarmers, to discuss the launch of the Layer Academy , a BFREPA-backed initiative designed to help people working in the laying sector broaden their knowledge, build networks, and better understand the wider egg supply chain. Greg explains why the poultry sector needs more structured opportunities fo...

In this episode, Tom Willings and Tom Woolman are joined by Gary Ford for a wide-ranging discussion on the UK egg sector, covering organic production rules, environmental guidance, government price-cap speculation, chick and pullet supply pressures, and a new academy for young people in the egg industry. Episode overview The UK egg sector is enjoying strong consumer demand, but producers are facin...

Recorded the day after the Pig & Poultry Fair — with hosts Tom Woolman and Tom Willings admittedly feeling the effects of a busy few days — this episode features Claire Wright, managing director of Clive Soanes Broilers and finance director of Soanes Poultry. Claire joins the podcast to discuss how Soanes has remained a rare example of an independent, integrated poultry business, growing and p...

Tom Willings and Tom Woolman record a quick round-up live from the Pig & Poultry Fair at the NEC, reflecting on a busy first day at the show. They discuss the buoyant mood across the poultry sector, the energy around the stands, the value of catching up with people across the industry, and the importance of listener feedback for shaping future podcast episodes. The conversation also covers the...

Tom Willings and Tom Woolman are back for a host-only industry roundup, swapping Bank Holiday stories before turning to the upcoming British Pig & Poultry Fair. They discuss the sessions they are most looking forward to, including artificial intelligence, poultry meat market outlooks, egg market insight and retaining talent on farm. The episode also covers recent sector headlines, including th...

Episode summary In this episode, Tom Woolman and Tom Willings are joined by Rebecca Tierney , specialised poultry advisor at Teagasc , to discuss the current pressures facing Ireland’s egg sector. Rebecca explains how Irish egg consumption has risen sharply in recent years, moving from around 181 eggs per person to approximately 215–225 eggs per person . Despite strong consumer demand, production...

Imported eggs are moving into the UK in huge volumes — and Dr Lisa Ackerley believes the industry should be asking much harder questions about where they are going, how they are being checked, and whether buyers really understand the risks. In this episode of The Poultry Network Podcast, Tom Woolman and Tom Willings speak to Dr Lisa Ackerley, a public health and hygiene scientist and Chartered Env...

Longer laying cycles are changing the conversation around Salmonella protection in laying hens. In this episode, Tom Willings and Tom Woolman speak with Josh Davison about the new option of a fourth dose of AviPro Duo in lay, and why it matters for egg producers managing longer-lived flocks. Josh explains that the traditional three-dose AviPro Duo programme in rear was developed for shorter produc...

In this episode of The Poultry Network Podcast, Tom Woolman and Tom Willings speak with North Yorkshire broiler farmer Paul Flintoff about the serious impact of a Salmonella Typhimurium outbreak on his farm. Paul explains how a routine day-18 boot swab, taken as part of the National Control Programme, came back as a Group B positive suspect, with confirmation arriving six days later from APHA. By...

In this Poultry Network episode, Tom Woolman and Tom Willings speak to poultry vet Daniel Parker about the renewed threat from Newcastle disease and what UK producers should be doing now. The discussion sets the issue in context: DEFRA has raised the risk level to medium, outbreaks in Europe have moved west, and nearly 2 million birds have reportedly been lost over the last 18 months. Mr Parker ex...

Poultry Network’s latest podcast hears from Rose Hill’s Dave Hodson Jr, who argues that strong layer performance starts with getting the basics right – and that vaccination only delivers if it is applied properly. Speaking on a technical episode focused on the laying sector, Mr Hodson drew on decades of experience working with commercial flocks and said producers should think less about vaccinatio...

In this episode of the Poultry Network Podcast, Tom Woolman and Tom Willings are joined by NFU Chief Poultry Adviser Aimee Mahony for a timely discussion following the NFU Conference. Aimee reflects on nearly a decade with the NFU and explains how the poultry sector is working to raise its profile within wider farming and government policy. The conversation explores the key themes from this year’s...

UK Poultry Briefing: Better Chicken Commitment pullback, enriched-cage ban consultation & new farm tech grants This week’s Poultry Network podcast reviews three issues with direct impact on UK producers, integrators, egg packers and the wider poultry supply chain. Better Chicken Commitment (BCC): UK Hospitality says a group of 18 major foodservice brands (including KFC and Nando’s) will step a...

Tom Woolman and Tom Willings welcome back their first repeat guests to the Poultry Network Podcast: Kelly Grelier (Chief Commercial Officer, RSPCA Assured) and Kate Parks (Senior Scientific Officer, RSPCA). After the hosts’ earlier coverage, they set out RSPCA Assured’s perspective on the revised hatchery standards, now in force from 16 February. The updated standard applies across poultry sectors...

UK egg consumption is climbing again, but welfare reform, planning and trade policy will determine whether domestic supply keeps up. Tom Woolman and Tom Willings speak with BEIC CEO Nick Allen, eight months into the job after a career in soft fruit, on what the Government’s animal welfare strategy means for the sector. Mr Allen sets out the BEIC’s remit across 11 trade bodies and the Lion Food Saf...

Campylobacter on supermarket chicken may have slipped from the headlines since the Food Standards Agency (FSA) surveys of 2014–15, but it hasn’t gone away. In this Poultry Network Podcast episode, hosts Tom Willings and Tom Woolman revisit one of the poultry sector’s biggest food‑safety challenges and ask why Campylobacter remains a leading cause of gastroenteritis — with an estimated ~500,000 cas...

In this episode of The Poultry Network Podcast, Tom Woolman and Tom Willings are joined again by poultry consultant David Mark to discuss what it takes to develop new broiler units (or expand existing broiler sites) in today’s UK poultry industry. Drawing on his work with growers (including many in Lincolnshire), David sets out where the opportunities are, what the biggest blockers tend to be, and...

Two-part special: Tom Woolman and Tom Willings are joined by veteran food technologist and consultant David Mark. In Part 1, David looks back on a career that started in a Northern Ireland dairy co-op in 1979, moved through the marketing board, a stint as a McDonald's franchisee (from cleaning toilets to Hamburger University), liquid egg processing, and senior technical roles with O'Kane Poultry a...

Tom Woolman and Tom Williams are back for 2026 with a quick New Year catch‑up (including Tom’s other life in the Backwood Redeemers… on accordion), then they dive into the biggest policy headlines that landed over the festive break. This episode focuses on the government’s new animal welfare strategy (described as “the most ambitious in a generation”) and what it could mean for UK livestock — with...

In this Christmas episode of The Poultry Network podcast, hosts Tom Willings and Tom Woolman close out 2025 with a sector roundup, alongside festive banter about their non-jumper fleeces, the cat walking out mid-recording, and a sheep update (“the ram is out and two are lame”). Avian influenza dominates the conversation. Housing orders are framed as a recurring strain on the industry – birds final...

In this Poultry Network Podcast, hosts Tom Woolman and Tom Willings speak with Angela Curtis , CEO of RoboScientific – whose presentation at the BFREPA conference created a real buzz – about how “electronic nose” technology could change flock health management. RoboScientific has spent around 10 years developing a system that samples the air in poultry houses and analyses volatile organic compound...