May 26, 2008

Aviagen launches bird for free range and organic markets

Aviagen has added the Ross Rowan, a coloured broiler, to its product range.

The bird, a brown-feathered male, is attracting considerable interest throughout the UK and Western Europe, the company said.

The Ross Rowan has been developed for specifically for the free range and organic speciality markets. The bird is slower growing but offers excellent meat yield, according to the company.

The Ross Rowan also comes with traits such as excellent liveability and low feed conversion rates.

Customers can also mate the Ross Rowan males to their existing Ross females to produce slower growing broilers, without compromising on performance, the company said. 

The Ross Rowan's introduction at this time, with the current demand for slower growing products in the UK, is testament to Aviagen's world-leading R&D department, the company said.

Jim McAdam, UK Breeding Programme Director, said the Ross Rowan has been in development since 2002 and it has performed well in internal and customer trials.

Val Mendeleev, President, European Operations added that the Ross Rowan has been developed specifically for the UK market and will further enhance the company's already comprehensive product range.