Priorities in Poultry Disease Research

Gordon Memorial Lecture. Problems and crusades: a history of poultry disease research in the United Kingdom

1. Poultry disease research in the UK began recognisably in the 1920s, in consequence of the development of a national poultry industry of economic importance. 2. Increasing disease problems during the 1930s revealed the need for more research, resulting notably in the growth of the Poultry Department of the Central Veterinary Laboratory and the establishment of Houghton Poultry Research Station. 3. Continued growth of the egg industry and the introduction of the broiler industry in the 1950s stimulated increased disease research, much of it publicly funded, during the following two decades. 4. Changing government attitudes to agricultural research in the 1980s brought about far-reaching changes to the funding, organisation, nature and amount of disease research conducted. Arrangements for such research continue to evolve.