David Parsons

Biography

When David qualified in 1975, he did not anticipate that he would spend most of his working life with poultry. The opportunities and experiences this work presented are second to none. He worked in the Poultry Department at the Central Veterinary Laboratory, Weybridge, then as a veterinary assistant to Keith Gooderham, MRCVS within the Veterinary Department of Buxted Poultry Ltd. This allowed him unlimited access to all areas within the company and the development of procedures that stimulated his interest in database programmes. The closure of the Veterinary Department launched him into self employment, 25 years later, still a single handed veterinary consultant.

Research Interest

The Egg Drop Syndrome in 1976 provided his first lessons in investigating a new disease whilst he was at the CVL. Also during this time, he was part of the team that first recorded Haemorrhagic Enteritis as a disease of turkeys in the UK. The Infectious Stunting Syndrome appeared in broilers whilst he was with Buxted requiring rapid and practical control. It is still a syndrome of multifactorial aetiology. In April 1991, he was presented with another dramatic disease associated with respiratory signs and drop in egg production. This subsequently was found to be due to a new strain of Infectious Bronchitis (IB 4/91).