Record performance result for Ballymena poultry farmer

Moy Park farmer Brian Dickey has been applauded for his record-breaking flock performance results, recognising his world-leading husbandry and farming practices.

Brian, who farms outside Ballymena, Co. Antrim, has scored a European Production Efficiency Factor (EPEF) of 485.66, beating the previous Moy Park record. Other top performing Moy Park growers include Millar Adair from Antrim and John McAuley from Ballymoney who achieved 483.49 and 483.07 on the scale respectively. With very few farms worldwide registering scores above 480, these results are particularly impressive.

EPEF is a calculation based on average daily weight gain, mortality, and feed conversion, and it is used world-wide by farmers and producers to measure farm performance.

Throughout 2023 Moy Park had 138 flocks from 83 individual farms score over 440 EPEF, meaning they qualify for the “Ross 440 Club”, an initiative by poultry breeding company Aviagen that recognises the top 1% of growers within the UK.

As a result of his exceptional result, Brian Dickey automatically receives a Ross 440 Club Gold Award. He is joined in this category by Moy Park growers Karl Rainey, Lesie Gordon, James Anderson, and Sean McNaughton, all of whom achieved three consecutive flocks of over 440.

Congratulating the farmers on the achievement, Kieron Daniels, Broiler Technical Services Manager at Aviagen said:

“Our Ross 440 Club celebrates the best in the industry, and to get one crop with an EPEF of 440+ is an amazing achievement but to be awarded our prestigious Gold Award, which includes 3 consecutive crops in a row or a single EPEF 485+, is truly outstanding. The award is held by just 9 farms in the UK to date, so to have many of these from Moy Park and Northern Ireland in particular, is a testament of the great work, relationships, and commitment the farmers and Moy Park have with each other.

“I am always honoured to be able to give out such awards, speak with and learn from such great teams. Congratulations to all, it is an amazing achievement.”

The awards were presented at the Tullyglass Hotel, Ballymena on Thursday 11 April. Praising the growers on their achievements, Aaron McKenna, Head of Broiler Operations UK at Moy Park added:

“For decades our farming partners have demonstrated a commitment to world-leading husbandry and practices, with a determination to continually improve. Our farmers have a long and successful history of scoring over 440 EPEF and Brian’s result of 485 is a stand-out achievement. Coming on the back of previous impressive scores, the award is a testament to the level of hard work, care, and attention to detail provided at every level of Brian’s flock management. Moy Park’s network of farming partners continues to deliver impressive performance on a global scale, and I want to congratulate all winners on their well-deserved awards.”