Fix your vet costs for 2021
In the current unstable economic climate, we are offering fixed price veterinary plans for broilers and layers to help our producers budget their veterinary costs for a year. By paying in advance for the year, you will make savings for every house that you put in the plan. The more houses you put in, the more you will save! We have three levels of veterinary plans, which cover all your Red Tractor/Lion Code Salmonella testing requirements plus your annual veterinary health plan and much more. If you want to know how much you could save, please contact Nikky Motley on nikky.motley@poultryhealthservices.com or ring her on 01509 458287.
Please Read! Important information for all Egg Producers!
All egg producers from the 1st January 2021 will need to complete the Lion Training Passport Module for Egg Producers. This is already in place within the broiler and turkey industries.
There are three modules, which are done online, and are valid for 5 years from the date of completion. Each course lasts around 3 hours and there are some (easy) questions at the end. On completion you can print your own certificate, which is Lion Code approved. You can stop the course at any time and restart it at the point where you left it. You can do all three modules, or individual modules as required.
As a PHS client the price is £20 + VAT per course or £50 + VAT for all three courses.
(These courses are open to non PHS clients and will be charged at £30 + VAT per course or £80+ VAT for all three courses)
For people who are relatively new to the industry we recommend doing the courses in this order:
- 1. Poultry Health & Welfare: Stockman.
- 2. Poultry Health & Welfare: Management.
- 3. Biosecurity and Egg Quality.
You can sign up by logging on to http://farmiq.co.uk/courses/poultry/ or call your local PHS branch so we can process your request and get you up and running!
If you would like more information on the courses please visit www.britisheggindustrycouncil.co.uk
Salmonella Testing in the Egg Industry
With effect from 4th January 2021, all Salmonella testing carried out under the Lion Code scheme must be carried out by a laboratory accredited by the BEIC. We are pleased to announce that Biobest labs are accredited by DEFRA and are in the BEIC list of accredited laboratories for Salmonella testing. So you don’t need to do anything differently to what you are currently doing. All the relevant sections of the Lion Code of Practice (version 7 as amended) will be updated from 4th January to incorporate this requirement and all Salmonella reports will continue to be available via Digiflock as usual.
Royal Mail & Pre-Paid Labels
Due to Royal Mail price increases, from 1st January, the cost of a pre-paid label will rise from £3.61 to £4.30 (including VAT); this is the same as we are charged by the Royal Mail, and no mark up is passed on to our clients.
Royal Mail have been experiencing some delays in delivering mail including those sent by Special Delivery due to the impact of the new Coronavirus restrictions. Therefore, we would advise that you check the Royal Mail website before sending any time sensitive samples or, alternatively, please give your local PHS branch a call to discuss the best way of posting your samples to the lab.
PPE and Covid-19 disinfectants and sanitisers now available through PHS
PHS has been working hard with our suppliers to maintain a good level of supply of PPE during the COVID -19 pandemic. As a result we have now managed to secure a supply of PPE for our clients. Please call your local branch to order the following items:
- Disposable masks
- Disposable gloves
- Disposable overalls
- Elasticated overshoes
In addition, we have a range of general use disinfectants and hand sanitisers all of which protect against COVID-19.
Export Certification
In the last few weeks, we have been working with government bodies and clients in order to continue to trade with Northern Ireland and the EU post-Brexit. Our vets hold the Official Veterinarian qualifications, which means that we can sign exports and do certain flock inspections on behalf of APHA. As a result, we will be certifying over 20 exports per week over the next few months. If you are considering importing/ exporting day old chicks, hatching eggs or eggs for processing, please contact us.
Avian Influenza
Cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza continue to appear; at the time of writing this newsletter, the last H5N8 confirmed case was in a backyard poultry flock at a premises in Devon on 29th December.
Please remain vigilant and ring us if you think that your birds may be suffering from Avian Influenza; we have been involved in a number of AI cases recently and therefore we will be able to advise; clinical symptoms include drops in egg production, high or sudden mortality, and respiratory distress. Follow us on our social media pages for the latest updates on AI and other poultry news.
Covid-19 and Veterinary Services
As key workers in the food chain, we will continue to provide veterinary services during the current pandemic. Thank you for adhering to the Covid protocols when visiting our practices. If you are suffering from Covid symptoms or are self-isolating but need a visit or post mortem examinations, please ring us so that we can organise this whist keeping you and our team safe.