Poultry Trainee Award goes to Herefordshire

Nicholas Ham receiving the award for the Zoetis / British Poultry Council Trainee of the Year from Farming Minister George Eustice at the House of Commons
Nicholas Ham receiving the award for the Zoetis / British Poultry Council Trainee of the Year from Farming Minister George Eustice at the House of Commons

He was presented with the award, which includes a £2000 training grant, by the Farming Minister George Eustice at the British Poultry Council’s annual awards ceremony at the House of Commons.

The award, which recognises ability, enthusiasm and progress through training, is sponsored by Zoetis in conjunction with the British Poultry Council and the magazine Poultry World.

Nicholas Ham joined Cargill Meats Europe three years ago as an assistant on a 35,000–bird broiler breeder farm near Woolhope, Hereford, and after two years was promoted to run the unit. Uncertain about prospects for motor engineering facing the economic recession, he had chosen to begin a career in poultry rather than study engineering at university and worked initially on a free-range egg laying unit near Gloucester for three years.

John Nicholls, Cargill breeder manager, praised his ‘good attention to detail and excellent stockmanship skill’ – with training both in-company and through Poultec helping his development and promotion.

Nicholas Ham gained a level 3 diploma in work-based agriculture during the summer, and plans to use the grant money to progress to higher level qualification and to further his knowledge of bird health. He would like to widen his experience of the broiler breeder sector and has his sights on becoming a fieldsman or area manager.

One of the judging panel, Nigel Lodge, national veterinary manager of Zoetis, said “All three finalists showed dedication to the industry and a desire to progress within it. However, Nicholas’ enthusiasm stood out and his plans for using the grant money would clearly benefit both him and his current employer.”

The runners-up are Danny Ashley who works at the Aviagen Turkeys hatchery at Grantham, Lincolnshire, and Steven McMorrine, who manages a broiler farm for 2 Agriculture at Broxburn, near Edinburgh.