Poultry Advisor

The Teagasc Poultry Advisor, Rebecca Tierney is based in the advisory office in Ballyhaise, County Cavan. Rebecca tells us a little about herself and the work she carries out.

Hi, my name is Rebecca Tierney and I began with Teagasc in September 2019.  My background is not in poultry.  I grew up and live on a suckler farm in County Leitrim; however, my grandfather always owned a backyard flock which kindled my love of agriculture.

I studied Animal Science in University College Dublin, graduating in September in 2017. Once I graduated I wanted to take a different route than the normal dairy or drystock. The opportunities in the poultry industry were pointed out to me and after some investigation I felt this was a good choice for me. Immediately after graduating I began a distance learning Masters course through SRUC in Scotland, on Applied Poultry Science. This course covered all areas of Poultry including nutrition, health and welfare, the variety of production systems, and much more.

Before joining Teagasc, I was involved in all sectors of agriculture with a focus on poultry. Through this role, I developed some key connections and gained knowledge from the industry which is aiding me in my new role.

In Teagasc, I will be providing a Level 5 Certificate Component Award in Poultry Production. The course covers nutrition, welfare, housing, flock recording, manure handling and legislation. If you are interested in attending this course, you can email your interest to Rebecca.tierney@teagasc.ie.

My role also involves offering advice to existing or potentially new poultry producers. I can give guidance on the options within the poultry industry. I can also assist if you have queries on the TAMS grants, or schemes such as the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) which is offered through SEAI. If you have any queries, please forward them to my email.

Part of the course in SRUC involves a research component which I plan complete in the coming year. I will focus on energy efficiency on poultry farms across Ireland. Sustainability is becoming a very important topic within agriculture, and one which can be improved on to aid Ireland in achieving our targets. I hope this study can highlight areas where improvements can be made to increase our sustainability; while, also reducing costs for the producer.

The poultry industry is currently facing some difficult times with a number of Low Pathogenic Avian Influenza of the H6N1 sub-type in Ireland. This sub-type of avian influenza is not a notifiable disease and has no known public health risk or international trade implications. This outbreak is a very important reminder of the importance for strict biosecurity measures on our poultry farms. All poultry farmers, including backyard flock owners, are urged to be vigilant and ensure they enforce strict biosecurity measures. Only essential personnel, vehicles and equipment should have access to the flocks.

Webinars

Let's Talk Poultry Webinar Series

Webinar host, Rebecca Tierney, Teagasc Poultry Advisor was joined by guest presenters each webinar to discuss prominent topics such as the benefits of eating poultry & eggs; taxation and nutrition. Watch it back here

Let's Talk Poultry Webinar Series, in collaboration with Alltech 

Webinar hosts, Rebecca Tierney, Teagasc and Niall Brennan, Poultry Co-ordinator with Alltech Ireland, facilitated this webinar series which took place in early 2020 with guest presenters joining the webinars to discuss prominent topics such as avian influenza, gut health and layer management. Watch it back here

Further information

If anyone has any queries in relation to the course, upcoming events, getting involved in poultry, or any other topic; please do not hesitate to get in contact with me.

Phone: 049 4338666 

Email: Rebecca.tierney@teagasc.ie