EChook News/Industry recruits at work
From Poultry Hub
Industry recruits at work
Monday, 18 September 2006
Two of the Poultry CRC’s honours students have graduated and are now working in the industry.
Peta Blake, who graduated from the University of New England (UNE) with a Bachelor of Rural Science (First Class Honours), is now working as a Broiler Technician at Cordina Chicken Farms in Sydney.
Peta grew up on a property near Gunnedah in NSW surrounded by pigs and beef cattle, but thankfully for the poultry industry, she ended up with a scholarship from the Poultry CRC and turned her attention to chickens.
“I always had a keen interest in agriculture and when I applied for a Poultry CRC scholarship to do an honours project on Marek’s Disease, they agreed to help me and I began researching how long the virus survives under a range of temperatures using Q-PCR (quantitative polymerase chain reaction)," says Peta.
“The Poultry CRC scholarship gave me the opportunity to get a basic knowledge of the poultry industry and meet key people.
“I now work closely with a veterinarian, Ben Wells, and our Farming Manager, Paul Elias, as well as farmers, in an effort to improve and maintain farm biosecurity, animal welfare and production.
“After I graduated, I studied for six months at the University of Kassel in Germany for my masters in agriculture. I’m now finishing my masters through UNE and I’ve included poultry physiology and poultry production in my subject choices.”
“Peta brings a wonderful blend of youth, enthusiasm and intelligence into the broiler grow out and has the capacity to understand and make best use of the rapidly advancing technology in shed design and production. She represents the future of the industry and we need more well trained, technical people like her working at the coalface of chicken meat production,” said Ben Wells.
Kimberly Tink also graduated with a Bachelor of Rural Science (First Class Honours) from UNE on a Poultry CRC scholarship, winning the University Medal along the way. She is now working for Weston Animal Nutrition (WAN) as a Nutritionist, based at the head office in Sydney.
Kimberly’s interest in agriculture stems from her upbringing on a property near Dubbo in NSW, but her involvement with the poultry industry didn’t gain momentum until the Poultry CRC scholarship helped her complete an honours year in poultry immunology.
“My research through the Poultry CRC allowed me to gain exposure to the poultry industry and meet key people, which got me interested in a career with the industry," says Kimberly.
“I spent six months in The Netherlands studying at the University of Wageningen for my Masters of Agriculture, which I am completing through UNE.
“Working for a commercial feed milling company as a nutritionist involves formulating rations, quality control of raw and finished materials, liaising with farmers and working with the Technical Services Manager, Todd Middlebrook.
“WAN has me involved in both the broiler and layer industries, enabling me to meet a diverse range of people and increase my awareness of the issues the poultry industries face.”
