Sandhill Poultry Services

26/08/2026

RSPCA Assured's paused pophole daylight rule is back, with a December start date

https://www.bfrepa.co.uk/news/rspca-assured-s-paused-pophole-daylight-rule-is-back-with-a-december-start-date/451

11/08/2026

As temperatures and humidity increase poultry are at risk of heat stress. 🐔☀️
We don't always see the impact of heat stress in layers to the extent we do in broilers, however this summer we have seen a number of issues during and following the extreme heat.

These included:
- Triggering concurrent disease, E. coli etc.
- Calcium Tetany
- Fatty Liver Hemorrhagic Syndrome
- Increased mortality
- Shell quality issues
- Egg drops
- Reduced feed intake

Calcium absorption and metabolism are hindered in the heat as panting causes birds to blow off CO2 which increases blood pH.

Where possible ventilation should be increased to provide cooling and reduce shed temperature. Water lines should be flushed more regularly to bring cooler water in. Avoid using chlorine based water sanitisers as they can cause reduced water intake in the heat.
Birds should be supported with electrolytes to rehydrate and encourage water intake. Additional vitamins, minerals and bicarbonate may also be beneficial.
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22/07/2026

Water quality for poultry - would you drink this water? Only 0.04ml of water was plated onto these agar plates and this bacteria grew!
It is unbelievable how contaminated some water lines can be where sanitisers are not used throughout the flock or at turnaround.

Water lines should be sampled regularly to monitor bacterial contamination. We run these cultures daily in our own lab.
Please speak to us for more information about sampling or cleaning water lines.

09/07/2026

02/06/2026

💥NEW💥 🐔🥚 DEFRA funded vet Biosecurity visits for poultry farms!
The Poultry Biosecurity Reviews as part of the Animal Health and Welfare Pathway.

A Poultry Biosecurity Review is a funded vet visit designed to give you practical, site-specific advice based on how your business works.

To be eligible, you must:

be responsible for the day-to-day care of the birds
have a Single Business Identifier (SBI)
have a registered County Parish Holding (CPH) in England
You must meet at least one of the following minimum flock sizes per CPH:

1,000 laying hens
1,000 meat chickens
1,000 breeder chickens (including pullets)
500 ducks
500 geese
500 turkeys
You can apply for a review for each eligible site.

You can choose your own vet, arrange the visit at a time that works for you and pay them as usual, then claim the money back through the scheme.

The vet will:

look at biosecurity risks on your site
identify where changes could reduce disease risk
give tailored advice you can act on
provide a written report for future reference
You’ll receive £430 per review to help cover the cost of the visit.

You can apply through the Poultry Biosecurity Review service.

All funded visits must be completed by 31 December 2028, and claims must be submitted by 31 March 2029.

Join the DEFRA webinar
On 18 June at 11am, DEFRA are hosting a webinar where you can learn more about the review. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask questions before applying.

19/05/2026

Lion scheme issues derogation for in lay Salmonella vaccination

https://www.bfrepa.co.uk/news/lion-scheme-issues-derogation-for-in-lay-salmonella-vaccination/395

27/04/2026

We are pleased to feature in British Free Range Egg Producers Association this month with Seven Oaks Farm! 🐔🥚
It's great to see how a breed change to white hens, full veterinary review and management changes have resulted in fantastic performance! 👌 Hendrix Genetics James Dowkes

22/04/2026

Our new driver Jim has the van packed with vaccines and disinfectant ready for our East Yorkshire / Holderness poultry delivery run today in the sun 🌞 🐔🐓🐥
Jim will also be running our Northumberland & Cumbria run 2 days a week from May. Katie will continue to do the Yorkshire run 2 days from May.

16/04/2026

We attended another great evening at the Yorkshire Egg Producers Discussion Group last night with talks about Salmonella Duo vaccine administration in lay and an Influenza update.

06/04/2026

Water is an essential nutrient that is often overlooked and can help optimise production or hamper it!
We regularly monitor water quality, supply and suitability including:
- TVCs - bacterial and fungal contamination
- pH testing
- Mineral analysis
- Flow rate and pressure monitoring
- Sanitiser monitoring