Jessica Seale of Slate Hall Veterinary Services in Rampton, Cambridgeshire, was named the Zoetis-sponsored ‘Farm Vet of the Year’ at the recent National Egg & Poultry Awards ceremony in London.

Jessica graduated at Bristol in 2020 and also has a MSc in One Health (infectious diseases) from RVC/London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She began her career in a Yorkshire poultry practice before joining Slate Hall in 2022, where she is now a senior associate.

She played a key role in responding to avian influenza outbreaks, carrying out more than 400 bird flu licensing visits and contributing to industry working groups including the UK’s first avian influenza vaccination trials.

The judges stated: “A strong advocate for welfare-led production, Jessica Seale has championed the use of anti-inflammatory treatments in broilers. She has also embraced technology to improve decision-making, developing automated data analysis tools that transform thousands of data points into real-time health insights for veterinary teams and producers.

“Through her blend of science, innovation and collaboration, Seale continues to have a lasting effect on flock health, welfare and the future of the UK poultry industry.”

Jessica also trains veterinary students and professionals, organises farm manager events and supports antibiotic monitoring programmes.

The photo shows Jessica (centre) with Emily Hughes of Zoetis and host TV magician Ben Hanlin (credit Colin Miller). The runner-up was Rafael Mala of Poultry Health Services.