About AVPA

The AVPA was formed about four decades ago. The goal was to provide a forum where veterinarians working with poultry in Australia could meet and exchange views. It was also intended to represent the health and food safety issues of the poultry industry to government and industry research bodies. It was quickly realised that the model of a professional association open only to veterinarians was not useful in such a small industry and one with a particular need for a close relationship with the research community. As a result, in the 1970s membership became available to anyone with an interest in poultry health and the association prospered. New Zealand always has had a few members and that was recognised in the recent change from Australian to Australasian.

As much as anything, membership of AVPA allows the building of relationships across the wider community of people with an interest in poultry health. AgVet suppliers and vaccine manufacturers not only support us financially, but become part of the group and are available to members for consultations about their products and to advise future products we may need.

Researchers find the interaction with industry valuable as a feedback mechanism and to keep in touch with the commercial world of poultry production. This, in turn, can help them make applications for funding that are more relevant and so have a better chance of success.

For government and industry bodies, membership permits an efficient way of tapping into the industry for information and also to disseminate their point of view.

And finally, for the clinicians it is a forum to communicate with one another, build relationships of friendship and cooperation, discuss problems and coordinate an industry approach and to interact upwards into the research community and suppliers as a resource of technical knowledge.

We welcome membership applications from anyone with an interest in poultry health and they will find a friendly and lively group and are certain to enjoy the two scientific meetings we run each year.