Membership

UK Branch membership remains fairly steady at 318 members, slightly higher than we have seen for a few years and very encouraging in the light of the continued decline in UK poultry science and in WPSA membership worldwide.

We offer a warm welcome to the following new members who have joined the Branch since our Summer Newsletter. We hope that they find membership useful and rewarding:

Mrs Hana Alzarug, University of Bangor.

Dr Wesley Ewing, Context Products Ltd.

Dr Andreas Kocher, Alltech, Eire.

Mr David Martin, Cherry Valley Farms Ltd.

And we regret to announce the resignation of the following members:

Mr Roger Mills, Cirencester.

Mr D G P Stanton-Dunne, Essex.

Dr Ella Barnes
Dr Ella Barnes, world renowned poultry scientist, passed away on 23 August.

After graduating from Reading University in 1937, she joined J Lyons and Co as Senior Chemist, soon transferring to the Bacteriology Section and subsequently setting up the Bacteriology Dept at Bengers Ltd.

After obtaining her D.Phil working under Sir Howard Florey at Oxford, she joined the Bacteriology Department at the Low Temperature Research Station, Cambridge in 1953 where she carried out studies on both poultry and red meat. In 1966 she transferred to the Food Research Institute, Norwich, where work on poultry meat was located. She retired from that establishment in 1980.

Forthright in her opinions but meticulous in her work, Dr Barnes carried out a considerable amount of work on the spoilage microflora of both uneviscerated and eviscerated carcases. Of particular importance to commercial concerns was the observation that fresh product shelf-life could be markedly extended by holding just above the freezing point of the meat.

Limiting the carriage of food poisoning organisms was another area of considerable activity at Norwich, with studies being carried out on the influence of anti-salmonella activity intestinal anaerobes as well as early attempts being made to develop a mixture of caecal bacteria which could be used to protect newly-hatched chicks against subsequent challenge by salmonella ("competitive exclusion").

Dr Barnes was heavily involved in the affairs of the UK Branch of WPSA and played a large part in the organisation of the meeting on Meat Quality in Poultry and Game Birds held at Norwich in 1979. She was also a member of a number of other professional bodies, serving as President of the Society of Applied Microbiology from 1977 to 1979. She received an OBE for services to the poultry industry, while the industry itself recognised her contribution by awarding her the BOCM-Silcock Trophy in 1980.

Away from the laboratory Dr Barnes enjoyed entertaining and was actively involved with "Chatterbox", the Norwich Talking Newspaper for the Blind. Sadly her health deteriorated and she spent her latter years in retirement on the outskirts of Norwich.

Dr Barnes' funeral service was attended by many ex-colleagues from the FRI, the Low Temperature Research Station and representatives of professional bodies and from the poultry industry.

John M Jones

Welfare of the Laying Hen
The papers of the WPSA UK Branch 27th Poultry Science Symposium on this topic held in Bristol in July 2003, and edited by Dr Graham Perry, have now been published by CABI Publishing. The 448 page book is a "must" for all those working within this field and it is now available from:

CABI Publishing,
Nosworthy Way,
Wallingford,
Oxfordshire OX10 8DE.
tel 01491 832111
fax 01491 829292
email orders@cabi.org.

The full price is £75 but there is a 10% discount if you quote reference BQC, plus £2.75 for UK postage and packing.

More books from CABI

Also available from CABI under the 10% offer are a number of other books:

• "The Biology of Animal Stress: Basic Principles and Implications for Animal Welfare" edited by G Moberg and J A Mench (University of California), priced at £55 less 10%
  
• "Poultry Genetics, Breeding and Biotechnology" edited by W M Muir (Purdue University) and S E Aggrey (University of Georgia), price £125 less 10%
  
• "Poultry Behaviour and Welfare" edited by M C Appleby (Humane Society of US), J A Mench (University of California) and B O Hughes (Roslin Institute), price £35 less 10%
  
• "Animal Health and Welfare in Organic Agriculture" edited by Vaarst, Roderick, Lund and Lockeretz, price £65 less 10%
  
• Measuring and Auditing Broiler Welfare" edited by C Weeks and A Butterworth (University of Bristol) price £65 less 10%
  

Further details on all of these are available from the Branch Secretary or direct from www.cabi-publishing.org/bookshop.

New free publications from FAWC and DEFRA

• "FAWC Report on the Welfare Implications of Animal Breeding and Breeding Technologies in Commercial Agriculture, June 2004". Copies available from FAWC Secretariat, 1A Page Street, London, SW1P 4PQ, tel. 020 7904 6741
  
• "Animal Health and Welfare Strategy for Great Britain - Ref PB9469". Copies available from Sean Garvin, defra, 1A Page Street, London SW1P 4PQ or download from the defra website
  
• "Delivering the Animal Health and Welfare Strategy in England, Implementation Plan 2004 - Ref PB9474" available from defra as above.

Please refer to the Scholarship page for information about these awards which are now worth up to £1000 per student. In order to promote them, we are also sending a poster to those whom we believe are in a position to make students more aware of this opportunity. Therefore, if you receive a poster, please display it on a prominent and appropriate notice board in your department and draw the attention of any eligible students to it.   Thank you.

The Poulters' Charitable Trust Grants

Once again the Worshipful Company of Poulters' Charitable Trust is re-affirming its connections with the poultry industry by actively promoting education and research. It wishes to encourage young people in the poultry industry by offering financial support and advice and guidance where necessary. To this aim it has two projects:

1. to identify and encourage a student at PhD (or similar level) who is involved in education or research in poultry by offering a bursary of up to £1000 per annum to assist their work.
   
2. to provide an annual prize of £500 to the individual under the age of 30 who has made a major contribution in the areas of research, development, innovation or other related matters connected with the production, promotion or welfare of poultry meat, eggs or avian game.

The recipient of the Prize may not be the beneficiary of a Poulters' Bursary in the same year. The prize will be presented at the Poulters' quarterly luncheon next January.

The Trust will assess and interview the applicants and hope to make awards prior to the start of the academic year, but notice of this was not received until mid-September. Further details and applications should be made as soon as possible to the Chairman of the Poulters' Trust:

Mr Robert Haynes,
P O Box 7,
Louth,
Lincolnshire LN11 9GN.
fax 01507 606162
email robert.haynes@chickandegg.com

Branch Constitution

It is nearly nine years since the Branch Constitution was last updated to take into account changing circumstances. Branch Council have recently been considering a number of changes that it hopes to recommend to members for approval at the next Annual General Meeting. Much of this is of a "tidying up" nature but there is a strong feeling that the management of the Branch could be strengthened by the replacement of the "Past President" post by a new "Vice President/President Elect" with defined responsibilities during his/her period of office.

Council hopes to agree these proposals at its meeting in mid-October and, if agreed, a proposal will be included in the January Newsletter and a vote held at the April AGM.

New Membership Year

The Branch membership year ends at the end of December and subscriptions for 2005 will become due shortly. All members, except Life Members and those who pay by Bankers Order, will therefore shortly receive membership renewal letters. Please may I once again make a plea that you pay your subscription promptly. It is enormously frustrating and costly in time and postage to have to keep sending reminders to those who have either lost or ignored the first request. Please remember that the Branch is entirely run by volunteers who try to do this efficiently and at least cost. Your help in this aim would be appreciated.