Dr. Percy Blount
1905 – 1968
Percy Blount was born in Derby, England, and graduated as veterinary surgeon in 1928.
After a year as a veterinary officer in the Poultry Disease Diagnostic Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture at Weybridge, he became superintendent of a private poultry disease research establishment in Berkshire.
A period of private practice, as director of Poultry Health Services, Sussex, was followed in 1936 by Percy Blount becoming chief veterinary officer for East Sussex County Council. In 1938 he was awarded a PhD by Edinburgh University.
Percy saw active war service in France, Belgium and Dunkirk from 1939 to 1945, and became veterinary head of the UK’s Chemical Defence Experimental Station. He was awarded a Territorial Decoration for his services in 1951.
Joining the British Oil and Cake Mills (which became BOCM, then BOCM Pauls, and now part of ForFarmers) in 1946, Percy developed a highly effective poultry disease diagnostic service for customers of this major feed compounding company.
Ever conscious of the need for more experimentation and testing – especially in the areas of poultry nutrition and feeding – he established what was to become a very successful and internationally recognised experimental and research farm at Stoke Mandeville, Buckinghamshire.
From this, he was instrumental in setting up the Stoke Mandeville Poultry Fair in the 1960s, which over time has evolved into the Pig and Poultry Fair we know today.
During the 1950s the facilities at Stoke Mandeville were greatly expanded and a second research farm set up at Selby, North Yorkshire. Pioneering work was carried out on systems of production and on poultry house ventilation and insulation.
It was also the result of Percy’s enthusiasm that the first random sample laying tests to operate in the UK were established at both these centres and operated from the mid-1950s to the late 1960s.
As the result of his efforts a third experimental farm was set up near Belfast, Northern Ireland.
In 1957 he became a director of British Oil and Cake Mills, London and was awarded a Fellowship in Poultry Husbandry (FPH), National Poultry Diploma Board. The following year he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, London.
Within the veterinary profession, Percy held many offices and posts, including president of the British Veterinary Poultry Association in 1960.
He was also chief architect of the UK branch of the World Poultry Science Association (WPSA) having proposed the idea of national branches as far back in 1946, which he saw as necessary “to continue the stimulation needed to improve conditions throughout the industry”.
Following this Percy became the first president of the UK branch of the WPSA and a vice-president of the world association from 1966 until 1968, when he passed away, reportedly while marking examination papers for the National Diploma in Poultry Husbandry!