Two new state-of-the-art chick holding rooms have been opened at London Heathrow’s warehouse holding facility. These specialised spaces serve as a temporary home for chicks before their departure.
Aviagen’s global veterinary team worked with JAS Worldwide to design the facilities with bird welfare in mind, as the chicks make the journey from breeder to producer.
Each room is equipped with digital-panel controls, specially calibrated to maintain the right balance of temperature, humidity, and ventilation. These measures are also essential to ensure optimal biosecurity.
For more than two decades, JAS Worldwide has facilitated the shipment of Aviagen day-old chicks to destinations across the world, palletising and preparing them for their journey.
Diane Hartjes, Aviagen’s global director for export, logistics, and trade compliance, said: “The inauguration of these advanced holding rooms highlights the shared dedication of Aviagen and JAS to consistently enhance bird welfare, but also secure the supply of robust breeding stock to producers across the world, enhancing their ability to feed the world with nutritious, versatile, and sustainable chicken meat.”