Poultry breeder Aviagen has become the first to receive “compartment” status, the company said, through accreditation by the Scottish state veterinary authority. This is a new initiative that would facilitate chick and egg exports from accredited farms in case of an Avian flu outbreak.
Aviagen veterinary, production and laboratory teams have been working on accreditation since October 2009 which initially covers Aviagen’s pedigree farms based in Scotland. The company has also started the compartmentalisation process at its great grandparent and grandparent farms. This collaborative initiative was developed by UK poultry breeding industry the British Poultry Council, the Scottish Government and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), while inspections are carried out by Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA).
