Making a difference for ducks

Published 10/12/2014

Dr Tracey Jones our Director of Food Business was awarded at the British Poultry Council Annual Awards at the House of Commons on 2^nd December.

She received a Special Merit Award for her work on developing welfare outcome measures for ducks. Her work will be incorporated into the Duck Assurance Scheme which sets welfare standards for ducks.                            

Tracey said: “I feel very humble accepting this Special Merit Award from the British Poultry Council, mainly because this is still a work in progress and others have also been involved in the work.

“It has been a pleasure working with the Duck Assurance Scheme and duck industry over the last 10 years. They represent a sector which is committed to the continuous improvement and delivery of high quality, higher welfare ducks.”

Poultry Council praises award winners

British Poultry Council (BPC) Chairman, John Reed, presented the awards with Anne McIntosh MP, Chairman of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Select Committee and highlighted the unique contributions of each winner to the poultry industry.

Mr Reed said: “These awards continue to be a great platform to showcase the real talent that lies at the heart of the industry. This year is no exception and I have been amazed at the positive contribution all the winners have made in order to receive these great accolades.”

Welfare outcome measures for ducks

The outcome measures chosen cover a range of physical conditions – eye, nostril, feather cleanliness, feather cover, and potentially walking ability. Tracey is also working on incorporating behavioural signals to begin to assess another important aspect of welfare, that of behavioural expression.