Alltech strengthens Irish poultry and pig teams
Alltech Ireland has appointed Dr Hazel Rooney as technical pig coordinator and Paula Mc Cooey as poultry manager.
Dr Rooney will be responsible for coordinating and developing technical solutions for pigs for the Irish and European marketplace, working closely with the Alltech Ireland sales and gut health management teams and also as a liaison between Alltech’s marketing and research teams, said the supplier.
“The Irish and European pig industry is currently facing a number of difficult challenges, and I look forward to working closely with those in the industry to overcome these challenges by improving pig health, welfare and growth performance.”
Prior to joining Alltech, Dr Rooney received a bachelor’s degree in animal science from University College Dublin (UCD) in 2016 and a PhD in swine nutrition from UCD and the Teagasc Pig Development Department in 2019. Her doctoral research focused on maternal feeding strategies during gestation and lactation to optimize annual sow output and promote the growth and development of progeny from large litters. She then spent a year working as a post-doctoral researcher in the Teagasc Pig Development Department in Ireland.
As the Alltech Ireland poultry manager, Mc Cooey is responsible for managing the poultry accounts across the island of Ireland. She will work closely with customers at all levels to advise, problem solve and provide solutions based on customer needs, said Alltech.
“The poultry industry is a thriving and progressive sector to be involved in. I look forward to working with producers and those in the industry to maximize on-farm potential and meet the challenges and demands that the industry faces.”
She received a bachelor’s degree in agriculture science from University College Dublin (UCD) in 2014. She then moved to England to work for Moy Park and spent two years learning about the business from the hatchery to the processing plant before becoming a broiler field advisor and was responsible for 36 farms across Derbyshire, Staffordshire and Shropshire. She continued to work for Moy Park in Northern Ireland as a farm compliance manager before moving to Western Brand in 2019 where she was responsible for driving performance and ensuring compliance on 75 broiler farms across Cavan, Monaghan and Mayo.
