Could you briefly introduce yourself and your farm?
I have a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Civil Engineering, but I graduated right in the middle of the 2010–2011 construction crisis. Given the crisis and since I already owned a 4-hectare plot of land, I decided to set up a 50,000-bird poultry farm consisting of two barns. After being in the market for a while, I realized I had to keep growing to stay competitive and gain market share, so I started buying more land to expand… Today I have 165,000 chickens across two farms, producing an average of 1,237,500,000 chickens per year.

What challenge were you facing on your farm, and why was it important to address it?
Poultry farming is a constant challenge, both in terms of licensing regulations and day-to-day management. It is a precision activity. After the war in Ukraine began, we had—and continue to have—many management issues due to feed, mycotoxins in corn, and so on.

Which best practice did you use to address this challenge?
Improving the litter to promote the birds’ well-being. You have to be very familiar with the environmental monitoring systems and the available equipment to achieve the best possible environment and conditions for the well-being of the birds and the litter; we had to adjust our management practices slightly; I even purchased a specific machine to turn the litter, which greatly improved management and conditions.

What has changed on your farm after implementing this Good Practice? (e.g., results, improvements, practical benefits)
Without animal welfare and good bedding, the farm’s financial results are terrible, and the farm ceases to be profitable. Regardless of the quality of the feed and the chicks supplied to us, we must be able to overcome these problems through proper management and the use of the equipment in the houses.

What advice would you give to other broiler farmers, particularly broiler producers, who are facing a similar problem?
You have to spend a lot of time inside the houses at various times of the day to understand how the houses operate and how the equipment, ventilation, heating, and so on work… so that we can fine-tune the poultry houses and ensure a return on our investments. We have to be professionals.

What is the most important lesson you learned from this experience?
Sometimes we have to pause for a moment and reconsider whether what we are doing is right; we need to reflect, consider different perspectives, understand how the poultry houses operate, and understand the animals’ behaviour. In poultry farming, what works today may not work tomorrow—every flock is unique.