At this year’s VIV Europe, Cobb will celebrate 40 years of the Cobb500™ as a global product. Since 1986, when Tyson Foods and The Upjohn Company formed the joint venture Cobb-Vantress, the Cobb500 has evolved through continuous investment in research, development, and global collaboration.
A Legacy of Continuous Improvement
Since its introduction in the UK in the early 1970s, the Cobb500 has evolved through sustained investment in research, development, and global collaboration.
Over four decades, this commitment has delivered consistent progress across key performance areas, including egg production, hatchability, chick output, and liveability. These advancements reflect a long-term focus on supporting producers with reliable, balanced performance across a wide range of production environments.
Today, that focus continues, with ongoing work to strengthen efficiency, consistency, and overall system performance in response to the evolving needs of the industry.
Innovation in Practice: R&D and the Proving Grounds
At VIV Europe in Utrecht, visitors will have the opportunity to explore how this progress is achieved and applied in practice.
Cobb’s global network of research and development facilities and proving grounds plays a central role in translating genetic progress into real-world performance. These environments are designed to ensure that improvements in traits such as hatchability, chick quality, and liveability are consistently delivered under commercial conditions.
“The Cobb Proving Grounds integrates data-driven science, advanced technology, and real-world validation to accelerate genetic progress,” said Dr. William Herring, Vice President of Research and Development. “Proving Grounds helps us ensure consistent improvements in bird performance, health, and welfare for our customers.”
Experience the Journey: Virtual Tour at the Cobb Stand
Visitors can explore Cobb’s virtual experience through a series of immersive 360° videos, placing them inside real working farms and facilities. Guided by farm managers and technical experts, the journey moves through the full production system—from great grandparent and grandparent farms to parent stock operations and the egg depot.
Interactive hotspots allow users to explore key areas within each environment in more detail.
Together, this helps provide a clear, practical view of how genetic progress is applied to deliver consistent performance across commercial systems.
Looking Ahead
While we celebrate 40 years of the Cobb500, the product continues to improve and Cobb remains focused on the future.
Through continued investment in research, data, and global collaboration, Cobb continues to build on its foundation of products through continuous genetic progress in areas like efficiency, consistency and performance.
“This anniversary is not only a moment to reflect on how far we have come, but also to focus on where we are going,” said Shelby Watkins, President. “Our commitment is to continuous improvement, working closely with our customers and investing in the science, people, and infrastructure needed to support the next generation of performance.”
Visit Cobb at VIV Europe
Cobb invites visitors to join them at VIV Europe in Hall 8 at stand E50 to learn more about it’s 40-year journey, and the work underway to support the future of poultry production.
