Moy Park has developed a new state-of-the-art poultry development house which will “further enhance its reputation as the leading producer of high quality, fresh locally farmed poultry”, the company says.
The new development facility is located in Co. Down near its headquarters in Northern Ireland and the new poultry house is over 18,500 square feet in size. Moy Park says that the house is split into 36 individual pens.
Each pen can hold 500 birds and inputs such as feed can be altered allowing Moy Park to capture and analyse data to deliver statistically significant improvements in its poultry rearing and welfare processes, the company says.
Justin Coleman, Moy Park Agriculture Development Manager said that this poultry development house has been purpose-built to the highest specification including windows providing natural light, enhanced biosecurity and biomass heating.
“Chicken is at the very heart of our business and this initiative supports our commitment to sustainability, environmental excellence and developing the farm of the future.
“This investment allows us to lead the way in innovation providing a precision controlled environment to better monitor bird welfare, feed conversion and environmental impacts so we can provide optimum conditions for our chickens.”
Moy Park grower Kingsley Jordan is a fourth generation poultry farmer whose grandfather began working with Moy Park in 1955. He said that poultry farming is in his blood as the family have been involved in the industry for many years.
“Managing this development house is an exciting new challenge. It is the first Moy Park poultry house of its kind in Northern Ireland and is fitted out with the most up-to-date technology. There’s more work involved as it’s like managing 36 mini poultry houses but it’s very rewarding and interesting work,” Kingsley said.
Moy Park is currently running a broiler expansion programme in Northern Ireland and the UK as part of its overall strategic plans to grow its fresh locally farmed chicken supply for its UK and Ireland customers. The programme is expected to see over 250 new poultry houses under construction by the end of this year, it says.
Pictured are grower Kingsley Jordan and his wife Rachel Jordan, John Harrison Moy Park and David Mark Moy Park.