Welsh Poultry Centre

Where can you get practical, commercially relevant, free-range or organic poultry advice? 

When you're considering setting up a free range or organic egg unit or table bird enterprise, there are so many issues to consider:

•   Is the site suitable?
• What type of housing works best?
• What breed of layer bird or table birds will give you the best return?
• Is there a reliable supply of good quality stock?
• What is the best feed and where can you get it from?
• What system will you use for feed and water?
• What is the best way to protect poultry from predators?
• Is there a market for your products?
• Can you supply on contract or do you want to supply local outlets?
• Are you interested in selling direct through farm gate sales, farmers' markets, local delivery rounds or a farm shop?
• Where will you get table birds slaughtered?
• Who will deal with your layer flock when you need to replace it?
• How will a poultry enterprise work with the other farm enterprises?
• What regulations will you need to consider?
• What ongoing support can you access?

Steve Merritt of The Welsh Poultry Centre can offer you an on farm visit to give you information on these and other questions you have before you invest money in a poultry enterprise.  He has over 30 years practical experience in agriculture including low input and organic systems in UK, Africa, Asia, The Pacific and Australasia.  He has also designed and built an abbatoir to Meat Hygiene Service standards and obtained a license to slaughter from the Meat Hygiene Service.  Steve was the first adviser in England for the new Organic Information Conversion Service launched in 1996.

He now contributes to the Soil Association Organic Farming Magazine and is a regular speaker for Farming Connect and Organic Centre Wales events.  He is also the author of A Producer Guide, Organic and Free Range Table Birds (available on this website).

He is accredited with the Institute of Organic Training and Advice (IOTA) and offers on farm advice for those considering free range or organic poultry enterprises, both layer units and table bird enterprises.  

If you are in Wales and considering converting to organic production then you may be entitled to a FREE visit under the Organic Conversion Information Service.  To find out contact Steve on 0795 625 6278 or 01267 253570 for more information.

Advisory Services: free range poultry, organic poultry, horticulture, beef & sheep.  Poultry processing and poultry marketing.

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Where can you get no-nonsense marketing advice that you can easily put into practice yourself?

When your time is split between farming, processing and retailing, marketing often gets neglected.  Wouldn't it be great if you could get regular, practical, easy to implement ideas and practical help to attract, convert and retain more customers for your rural business?

Juliet Fay of the Welsh Poultry Centre, helps rural businesses understand and embrace marketing so they can build a stronger, more profitable business without doing anything that makes them uncomfortable.  Using the internet and social media such as Twitter, Juliet can help you with strategy and operational activities: from marketing ideas and training to practical writing assignments such as your website, e-newsletters, leaflets, posters and brochures.

Just starting out or well established?  

Either way if you know that your marketing strategy is buried somewhere at the back of your filing cabinet then why not let Juliet dust it off and get it working for you.

Learning sales the hard way through running two organic farm businesses, first building a box scheme from scratch, then finding markets in West Wales and London for organic chicken, muscovy duck, guinea fowl among others, Juliet has developed her own system for helping rural businesses build strong and lasting relationships with customers who love them.  She now has a thriving marketing and copywriting business working with rural businesses in the UK and America.

Wouldn't you love to learn how to make more from your farm gate, farmers' market, farm shop, or local delivery round sales? 

If you are thinking of developing  or improving processing facilities in Wales for poultry or other on farm produce, you may be eligible for up to 50% grant funding from the European Union via the Welsh Assembly Processing and Marketing Grant.  Juliet is a Welsh Assembly accredited Food Business Development Adviser for this Scheme.  She is also an accredited copy writer with The Institute of Copywriting. 

For an informal chat about any of Juliet's services, call her 01267 249057 or visit www.julietfay.co.uk for more information. 

For regular information on marketing outdoor poultry, sign up to our free newsletter, The Welsh Poultry Times - sign up button to the left.