Ep 63| From the Dutch Pork and Poultry Expo: Profits, batteries and bird health

Poultry Network editor Jake Davies joins Tom Willings and Tom Woolman after a visit to the Dutch Pork & Poultry Expo in Hardenberg, reporting on the mood among producers and the innovations on the trade stands. The team discusses the buoyant outlook Jake encountered, how Dutch poultry profitability compares with the UK, and the questions surrounding farm buyouts and future production. Energy was a particularly prominent theme. Jake shares what exhibitors told him about investment in battery storage, making better use of solar power and opportunities for on-farm electric vehicle charging. Could the same trends become more visible at UK poultry events? On bird health, there is a look at Tiergesundheit Emsland’s approach to creating a physical barrier against red mite, alongside a catch-up with Jacco Rubens of Stronger Flocks about its work on keel bone damage. Jake also reports on his conversation with Veetality, which is developing digital poultry houses that use cameras to monitor flock behaviour, with ambitions to connect what happens inside the house with disease risks outside it. Finally, a visit to camera-based poultry weighing business ChiCams provides another opportunity to test the hosts’ chicken knowledge. Jake scored seven out of ten on its stand quiz — can the two Toms do better? Expect questions about colour vision, recognising names and communication before hatch, plus the beginnings of a Christmas poultry pub quiz. In this episode 00:14 — Introductions and Jake’s “chicken holiday” 02:05 — Arriving at the Dutch Pork & Poultry Expo 03:08 — Producer confidence, profitability and farm buyouts 07:02 — Battery storage, solar power and on-farm EV charging 09:11 — A different approach to red mite control 10:40 — Stronger Flocks and keel bone damage 12:32 — Veetality: Digital poultry houses and flock monitoring 15:28 — Looking ahead to EPIC and BFREPA 15:54 — ChiCams and the chicken quiz 18:26 — A Christmas poultry pub quiz? Companies and events mentioned Dutch Pork & Poultry Expo Tiergesundheit Emsland — red mite control Stronger Flocks Veetality ChiCams — camera-based poultry weighing Subscribe to the Poultry Network podcast wherever you listen, and join us again next week.