Alberta poultry industry diagnostics transitions to University of Calgary

Poultry Health Services based in Airdrie, Alta., is following through on long envisioned plans to transition out of providing diagnostic service on contract with the province’s poultry industry boards.

Since March 31, 2021, the industry contract has been serviced by the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine (UCVM).

A press release from Poultry Health Services says the move will allow the business to now focus more heavily on different opportunities.

“We would like to thank the Alberta industry for its support – it has been our privilege to fulfill this contract for many years,” says Dr. Tom Inglis, founder and managing partner of Poultry Health Services.

“The understanding has always been that it would eventually shift to a university or government role when the time was right. That time has now come and we wish UCVM well in handling this role for the industry.”

The contract has been a core part of the history of Poultry Health Services, which Inglis founded in 2002 in response to a request from the Alberta industry to fulfill its diagnostic service contract needs.

The veterinarian notes that it’s important producers who need diagnostic services under the Poultry Industry Boards contract now engage with UCVM.

“We will maintain leading-edge diagnostics capacity for our current customers and a limited number of new direct contracts, but the industry contract work will now be done solely by UCVM.”