Career Profile: Farm manager (poultry)

As a farm manager in the poultry sector, you’ll help the senior management team make sure the poultry farm runs smoothly.

The role relates to the individual in overall charge of a poultry farm or unit. There are a number of role names depending on the size of the farm. It could be that you work on a single poultry-only site.  You could also manage a poultry unit as part of a larger mixed farm or chain of units.

British poultry farmers work to world-class welfare standards, ensuring birds can always access appropriate food and sufficient water and provide an environment with satisfactory space and suitable rest areas. They should also be kept free from pain, injury, fear, and disease and be free to express natural behaviours.

These form part of the ‘Five Freedoms’ developed by the Farm Animal Welfare Committee (FAWC) that should be considered in all farm animal care. To ensure these standards can be met, you should be able to identify disease and/or injury early and recognise when veterinary intervention may be required.

For indoor birds, you’ll need to make sure they have a clean and safe environment with good lighting, fresh air, and enough room. Outdoor birds also need a suitable environment with shelter, boundary fencing, and the ability to move around freely.

You’ll oversee and carry out regular checks to protect the birds’ welfare. These checks will also help to meet farm assurance scheme requirements and production targets.

The poultry sector is wide and varied. It includes chickens, ducks, and turkeys, among others. Within each of these sectors, there are also sub-sectors for breeding, rearing, growing (for meat – known as broiler chickens), and egg production for human consumption. Depending on the size and nature of the business, these activities are likely to take place at different sites or in separate businesses. Each of these sub-sectors requires slightly different knowledge and skills to be successful.

You’ll carry out recruitment, training, and supervision duties for new and less experienced staff. You’ll also be responsible for other management duties, such as maintaining environmental and biosecurity standards, meeting production targets, running a sustainable business, and maintaining high levels of health and safety on the site. In addition, you’ll also need to have a sufficient overview of the whole operation to carry out tasks usually assigned to other staff members if they’re not available.

Depending on the size of the business, your working hours may vary, and you might need to work shifts and weekends.

You will probably need to have your own transport to get to work. Housing may also be provided to farm managers by your employer.