Poultry production
Gwesyn Davies has a background in beef and sheep from his family farm upbringing in Abergwesyn, a harsh landscape between Builth Wells and Llandovery. However, his time at Harper Adams University introduced him to the world of poultry production, and he has not looked back. 听听
Speaking at the Welsh NFU Poultry Conference, Mr Davies explained how he got into poultry during his university placement year and to where he is today, after taking over Aberdare-based egg packer, Ellis Eggs. 听
Seven years ago, in the wake of family bereavement, Mr Davies was looking for employment to support the family farm. While studying a BSc in agriculture at Harper Adams, Mr Davies completed a placement year in industry with 2 Sisters Food Group, as it was the only placement that gave him the chance to get home to the sheep and cattle. 听
READ NOW:听Avian Influenza Prevention Zone housing measures lifted
But livestock offered limited opportunity, and while poultry was considered, it was an unrealistic prospect to gain planning permission for a free-range unit at home.听This led Mr Davies to join the Lloyds Animal Feeds team as a pullet and feed sales rep, with close to a million layers under his wing. 听听
Mr Davies said: "I enjoyed the selling, but I loved working closely with the farmers and the feeling of helping farms improve. In 2021, a producer that I worked closely with decided to exit the egg market. I saw this as an opportunity to step into the industry, and with the backing of HSBC, I purchased the 32,000-bird free-range unit in Newtown, 50 miles away from the home farm." 听
Since then, he has added various ownerships and tenancies of free-range and barn units in Mid-Wales and on the Shropshire-Herefordshire border, totalling 240,000 layers.
Expansion
The hens are split in half, with 120,000 reared free range, while the other half are barn reared. From the first shed in 2021, the next expansion followed in 2023 when he took on a Mid-Wales shed built in 2008 which he converted from a flat deck system to multi-tier. 听听
LISTEN NOW:
听
Free-range eggs
"This is where my free-range egg journey started. With national supply dropping from 42 million to 34m birds, those who stayed in the market saw the financial payback. However, thankfully, the market has rebounded at last. With retailers still committed to going cage-free, the future of the free-range egg market is looking bright."听
In 2024 he took on five ex-turkey rearing sites with a view to converting them into barn egg production.听
READ NOW:听Native breeds complement Ceredigion farm's conservation efforts
Not one to sit still, Mr Davies also has three sites lined up to come on board in 2026. "There are pros and cons to not having all of your hens on one site, especially with the ever-close threat of avian flu," he said. 听
He added: "This also provides a multi-age flock which aids cash flow. Putting it bluntly, this is the only way I have been able to get onto the ladder. Between local Sites of Special Scientific Interest, National Parks and pressures from the River Wye, starting off at home was not an option. 听
Egg packing and selling direct
Looking at the next step for his farm business, Mr Davies wanted to extend his reach into egg packing and selling directly to the consumer. "Several farmers in the area supplied Ellis Eggs and I had worked with the owners, Jason and Wendy Ellis. In 2024, the Ellis family decided it was the right time to sell the company."听
Ellis Eggs changed hands at the end of August 2024, and听is听one of the only Lion Code registered packing centres in Wales.听
"Ellis Eggs has always had a well-respected reputation within the poultry industry and this is something I hope to continue and uphold. The Ellises have remained within the company to allow a smooth transition, and have been an excellent support. Plans are in place for growth and expansion of the business, which is an exciting time for ourselves and our supplying producers."
Mr Davies said: "I want to support the need that the industry should be better at acknowledging the value of the investment and risk that farmers take. Producers are often overlooked and should be better represented.听
"It can be easy to lose sight of just how much it costs to build a free-range farm or to borrow that kind of money. It is a significant financial investment and commitment of time with substantial risks. We will continue to be supportive and committed to our producers, who provide us with fantastic product for our customers."
