For another year we return to the excellent campus facilities of the University of York for the fifth successive year for our Branch Annual Meeting. Attendance at the previous ones is a sure indication of what members feel about the venue and the scope of the meeting. The fact that about one third of members regularly attend the Annual Meeting is a terrific compliment to the Programme Committee and a strong recommendation to those still unsure about joining in. We have a very conveniently situated venue, ideal for our purposes and, once again, we will be joining both BSAS and ISAE, whose annual meetings run concurrently with our own. Last year nearly 100 delegates registered for the WPSA meeting and we look forward to another successful event in 2006.
You will, by now, have received the full Programme and Application Form for the Meeting which this year includes no less than 20 original communications and at least 17 posters.
The opening session on the first morning will give some of the poster authors the opportunity briefly to present their work. This will be followed by a session of original work on Behaviour and Welfare. After lunch there will be an important WPSA/BSAS Joint Session entitled “Environmental issues for the intensive pig and poultry industry” with three excellent invited speakers, and this will be followed after tea by a session on Nutrition.
At 5pm the 2006 Robert Fraser Gordon Memorial Lecture will be given by Prof Tom Humphrey of the University of Bristol, whose title will be “Are happy chickens, safer chickens? Poultry welfare and disease susceptibility” This will be followed as usual by the Gordon Wine Reception.
Following the very evident popularity of last year’s excellent meal and venue, the Branch Annual Dinner will again take place in the lovely surroundings of St William’s College at York Minster – coaches will leave at 7.15pm.

The Annual General Meeting of the Branch will take place at 8.45 am on Wednesday 29 March in Room L001 of the Exhibition Centre. This is a real opportunity for members to contribute their views to the running of the Branch and this year we will be electing a new Branch President and Vice President in accordance with the Constitutional changes made last year, as well as re-electing two Council Members. All members are strongly urged to attend. You will also be receiving preliminary information on the arrangements for the 29th Poultry Science Symposium to be held in Edinburgh in 2007 on the topic “The biology of breeding birds” Please come along to the AGM, early as it is in the morning, and be involved in the running of the Branch.

The morning continues with a further session of nutritional papers and then, after coffee, there will be an invited paper giving us an important update on “Avian Influenza”. We conclude the Meeting with a session of original communications on a wide range of topics and, finally, with the presentation of the President’s Prizes (see below).
Please give the Programme Committee, under its Chairman Dr Paul Rose, the support which they undoubtedly deserve for having put together another excellent programme.

The two 2006 President’s Prizes, each worth £100 with a framed certificate, will be awarded at the conclusion of the Meeting to the two young scientists who are judged to have presented the best paper and the best poster submitted for the Meeting.