AP&EA P.O. Box 240 Montgomery, AL 36101 Address Service Requested
January / February 2018 Vol. 13 No. 1
Board of Directors
Officers Kenneth Sanders President, Brundidge* Mitchell Pate, Vice President, Auburn* Jason Spann, Treasurer, Hanceville* Jason Shell, Secretary, Huntsville* Harold Hunt, Immediate Past President, Gadsden*
Directors Greg Abercrombie, Valhermoso Springs Johnny Adcock, Woodland Lou Ayers, Jasper Randy Caudill, Guntersville Dale Gambrill, Cullman Jarrod Goodman, Snead Ben Gore, Cullman Lane Holladay, Tyler Tim Holmes, Decatur Casey Jones, Hoover* Clint Lauderdale, Hanceville Neil Martin, Dothan David Massey, Enterprise Kevin McDaniel, Huntsville Dr. Shannon Morgan, Huntsville Shaun Morris, Eufaula Mike Pigg, Montgomery John Pittard, Guntersville John Roberts, Cullman Keith Rhodarmer, Collinsville Eric Rotermund, Decatur Roddy Sanders, Gordo Steve Smith, Hanceville Rod Thomas, Montgomery Ryan Turner, Guntersville Stanley Usery, Athens* Brad Williams, Troy Len Windham, Ariton Advisors Vernon Abney, Auburn Dr. Don Conner, Auburn University James Donald, Auburn University Dr. Joe Hess, Auburn University Jacob Davis, Montgomery Dr. Tony Frazier, Montgomery *Executive Committee Members
AP&EA STAFF
Johnny Adams – Chief Executive Officer Wanda H. Linker – Administrative Director Ray Hilburn – Associate Director Huck Carroll – Communications Director/Editor Jennifer Shell – Support Director
Alabama Poultry Magazine is published by the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association 465 South Bainbridge Street Montgomery, AL 36104 Phone: 334-265-2732 Fax: 334-265-0008
Send editorial and advertising correspondence to: Alabama Poultry Magazine Editor P.O. Box 240 Montgomery, AL 36101
Advertising rates and closing dates available upon request.
Editorial matter from sources outside AP&EA is sometimes presented for the information and interest of our members. Such material may or may not coincide with official AP&EA policy. Publication does not necessarily imply endorsement by AP&EA.
w w w. a l a b a m a p o u l t r y. o r g www.facebook.com/BamaChicken
CEO’s Message
In a recent development, it is good to see that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bipartisan bill exempting farmers from reporting farm air emissions from animal manure. The Senate version of the bill has 37 co-sponsors and is expected to pass. With a federal court order set to impose a massive reporting deadline on farmers by May 1, the National Turkey Federation, National Chicken Council, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and United Egg Producers, applaud the bi-partisan House legislation, which creates law based on a policy that had the full support of the Bush and Obama administrations, with its common sense clarity for reporting farm air emissions from animal manure. We, here at Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, also applaud the action. Speaking of applause – you are going to be applauding our lineup for this year’s Evening of Fun. Country sensation Cam, with her highly ranked album Diane and her number one single “Burning House,” will be our headline act. Also on the program will be the Swon Brothers. They finished in third place on the fourth season of NBC’s The Voice. This year’s Evening of Fun will be held on Saturday, June 9. It will be held in the BJCC Concert Hall, a much more intimate venue, rather than in the large Arena. We’ll have a map for you in the next magazine. Tickets will go on sale in the next few days so make plans to attend. Remember, kids 18 and under get in free with a paid adult, so plan to bring the family. It was great to see Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue at the recent International Production & Processing Expo in Atlanta. It is difficult to believe, with the importance of the poultry industry to the United States and to the world, that he is the first secretary of agriculture to come to the event. I hope that it is a sign that the Trump administration is going to be a real friend to agriculture. Our Legislative Omelet Breakfast was a fantastic success. Our omelet chefs, from AP&EA board members to Auburn poultry science faculty and students, served over 600 omelets to Alabama legislators, judges, and all of the staff from the Capitol complex. We served so many omelets that we almost ran out of eggs, but it was all to say thanks for helping make Alabama poultry the success that it is.
Featuring This Issue
A Financial Perspective on Entering the Poultry Business AP&EA “Big Bass” Fishing Tournament Registration Evening of Fun Golf Tournament Registration Association News Evening of Fun Legislative Omelet Breakfast International Production & Processing Expo Grower Profile: Chris McCool Industry News Auburn News Practical Applications Calendar of Events
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A Financial Perspective On Entering the Poultry Business
By Beth Gardner, VP/Ag Loan Officer – FFB Ag Finance, Enterprise, Alabama
Interested in pursuing a career as a poultry farmer and not sure how to get started? Whether you’re in the market to purchase an existing farm or plan on building new, there are some important steps to go through. Getting started can be overwhelming, and financing can also be a big hurdle to overcome. Below are some ideas to help get you started. 1. Fix credit issues. Check your credit and consider paying off ALL collection items. Remember: a credit history that reflects debts have been paid in a timely manner is what lenders want to see. If you have past delinquencies, get ready to explain why they occurred. If there are any errors on the report, have them corrected. Check out www.myfico.com to get some tips on how to improve your credit score. 2. Financing. In order to purchase or construct poultry houses, you’ll need to inject some of your own personal cash into the project. If a down payment is a problem, there are some alternatives. If you already own the land where poultry houses will be built, then you may have equity in the land that can be used. Whether you are constructing houses or purchasing an existing farm, start looking at what you own and see if there’s equity in other real estate that
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can be used as additional collateral. Lenders look at overall collateral values in comparison to the loan amount, but they also look at net worth and a ratio called owner’s equity. Since net worth is important, you’ll need a list of all assets for your lender – not just those being used as collateral. Your lender will also need tax returns from all applicants and for the farm you are purchasing (if purchasing a farm). Three years of tax records is usually requested. Go ahead and sign the copies of your tax returns since most of us electronically file and no longer sign our returns. 3. Think long term. Whether you’re looking to purchase an existing farm or build new houses, think about your long term goals to see what best suits you. If you’re interested in purchasing a farm, running it a few years and then selling it for a profit – then an older farm may not be the right choice for you. If you want to purchase an existing farm and expand later – then a farm with very small acreage might not be what you need. Everyone has different circumstances to deal with, so think both short term and long term to see what options are available to best meet your goals. 4. Get some experience. If you don’t have poultry farming experience, try to find a farmer with an operation similar to what you’re looking for and offer your free labor in exchange for free training. This is probably a good
Alabama Poultry Magazine
idea even if you have some previous poultry experience. Ask plenty of questions and try to get an idea of what dayto-day life on the farm entails. Try to be there at various times of day and during different cycles of a flock. Learn about dead bird disposal, biosecurity, how to handle breakdowns, temperature control, fan usage, and other aspects of the operation. Remember that you’ll receive training from the poultry integrator and get specific instructions on how they want the farm operated. However, working on a farm prior to the purchase will give you some experience and insight into managing such an operation. 5. Get educated. Check with the state extension service in your area and look for training and articles related to poultry farming. Most extension offices have a wide array of information available on their websites related to poultry farming. Also, check to see if your state has a poultry association. These organizations provide grower meetings and trainings to help with issues unique to poultry farmers. No need to wait to purchase or construct a farm to attend meetings. Contact them to get dates and times and get a jump-start on your poultry education. 6. Start looking. If you are interested in purchasing an existing farm, there are a few places to look. Most farms, whether listed with a realtor or for sale by owner, are advertised online. This is also a good way to see an overview of what’s available in your
area and market pricing – even if you’re just looking at your neighbor’s farm. Look for the type of poultry house you desire – broiler, breeder hen, pullet, or commercial egg. Note the age of the houses, update requirements, acreage, and extras. Additionally, you can contact a realtor to help find a farm or contact the poultry integrator(s) to see if they know of any farms for sale. Lenders that specialize in poultry lending may also know farmers that are interested in selling. As you begin your search, keep in mind there’s a big difference between types of poultry houses, and some are more labor intensive than others. 7. New construction. Looking to build brand new? Get in touch with poultry integrators in the area to see if they’re willing to give a contract on new construction. Remember, the poultry company has to approve the land where houses will be constructed. The poultry integrator will be the information source for projected income infor-
mation and building specifications. They’ll also have a list of contractors that construct poultry houses, vendors who sell/install poultry equipment, or do grading work and make pads. Additional bids to obtain might be for wells, freezers, incinerators, etc. 8. Environmental. When you’re ready to buy or build, you may need to obtain a Certified Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP), also known as a waste management plan, by contacting the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS). The NRCS representative will need all pertinent information about the farm including location, size and number of poultry houses, and number of birds to be placed. NRCS does not handle permitting and registrations, but they can provide contact information for finding out if any permits or registrations are required. Remember to give NRCS permission to share your information with your lender for the loan file. Typically, all of this needs to be completed before financing can be fi-
Alabama Poultry Magazine
nalized. All paperwork can take some time to complete, so getting started early is a great idea.
Conclusion From cleaning up your credit to environmental permits, there’s a lot to be done prior to purchasing or constructing a poultry farm. Rely on the poultry integrator to give you important information on projected income, upgrades, specifications and other pertinent instructions. Get ready for financing by checking your credit and compiling all your personal information. Also, remember to get started on the environmental matters early since both the poultry company and your lender will want these handled before you begin construction or decide to purchase. Beth Gardner has 25 years of banking experience. Located in Enterprise, Alabama, she can be reached at bgardner@ffb1.com or by calling 1-866347-9944. First Financial Ag Finance is an Equal Housing Lender.
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High
Oa kG rov eR oad
way 431
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Silver Lakes Golf Course
Highway 431
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From Gadsden on I-59 take the US Hwy. 431 South exit. Travel 18 miles to Oak Grove Road. Turn right on Oak
Gadsden
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COURSE DIRECTIONS
Grove and travel approximately 1 mile to the Silver Lakes residential entrance on the left. Turn left into residential community and follow entrance road to clubhouse (approximately 1 mile).
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rapher’s dream, boasting beautiful views of the Appalachian foothills from its elevated tees. The par 5 seventh, a 623 yard thriller (466 from the novice tees), brings water into play not once, but twice. The Mindbreaker, although a tad easier than the other two, demands shotmaking at its finest. So get your registrations in ASAP, because you definitely don’t want to miss this opportunity. For questions about the golf tournament, other than registration, call Casey Jones, chairman, at 608-780-5154
er Silv
Once again the AP&EA “Evening of Fun” Golf Tournament will be held at the RTJ Silver Lakes Golf Course in Glencoe on Friday, May 18. Set on rolling terrain at the edge of Talladega National Forest between Anniston and Gadsden, Silver Lakes is home to some of the most scenic golf you can find. The Heartbreaker nine is dubbed by many as the most challenging nine on the Trail from the championship tees. Consider the eighth hole, a par 3 that plays over 200 yards across water and uphill to the green, or the 450 yard par 4 ninth with water rippling down the entire left side of the hole. The beauty of Silver Lakes is the multiple tee selections (up to 12 on some holes). The Backbreaker nine is a photog-
Anniston/Oxford
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List handicap. Only one-half of entry fee is refundable if the tournament is canceled due to an “Act of God” or some other unforeseeable difficulty. This year’s tournament will be a handicap scramble with a shotgun start at 8:30 a.m. Lunch will be served afterwards. Range balls are included. Entry Fee: $100 per person. Mulligan packages $10 per person. No refund if canceled after May 10, 2018. . Name Company Address Mulligan Handicap _______________________ ________________________ ________________________________ ______ _____ _______________________ ________________________ ________________________________ ______ _____ _______________________ ________________________ ________________________________ ______ _____ _______________________ ________________________ _______________________________ ______ _____
Invoice To: NAME___________________________________________ ADDRESS _______________________________________ FAX_____________________________________________
COMPANY/FARM _____________________________ PHONE ______________________________________ EMAIL _______________________________________
( ) Check Enclosed $ _________ ( ) Bill Me $ _________ ( ) Visa ( ) Mastercard ( ) Discover Card ( ) American Express
Billing Address_________________________________________City_______________________State_____________Zip_________
Name on Card_________________________________Card Number_____________________________________Exp. Date____/____
MAIL TO: AP&EA, P.O. Box 240, Montgomery, AL 36101 • 334-265-2732 • Fax: 334-265-0008 For questions about the golf tournament , other than registration, call Casey Jones, chairman, at 608-780-5154
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Alabama Poultry Magazine
Association News
Horn Tapped For AG Hall of Honor
The Alabama Agriculture Hall of Honor inducted its 2018 class at the annual Hall of Honor Banquet on Thursday, Feb. 18 at the Auburn Marriot Opelika Hotel. Prominent in the class was Horace H. Horn, Jr., a former twoterm president of the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association. Horn, from Crenshaw County, graduated from Troy University in 1969 and began his career selling animal pharmaceuticals and poultry supplies. Ten years later he entered the poultry business, with operations in Crenshaw and Blount Counties. Always an entrepreneur, in the 1980s Horn founded Southeastern Structures Inc., a Montgomery-based commercial construction company, and Southeastern Bio-Gro Inc., a commercial cooperator with Auburn University and the Tennessee Valley Authority in pioneering the development of organic lawn and garden products from poultry litter. In the 1990s, he joined the re-election campaign of U.S. Senator Howell
Auburn College of Agriculture Dean Paul Patterson, Horace Horn, Glynn Debter, Dr. Ronald Shumack and Bob Helms, president of the Agricultural Alumni Board.
Heflin, D-Alabama. Three years later, he was appointed state director of USDA’s Farmers Home Administration, later renamed Rural Development. He has gone on to other awards for outstanding service to the community and the agricultural industry. Joining Horn in the 2018 class are two other individuals with ties to the Alabama poultry industry. Dr. Ronald Shumack grew up on a farm near
Lenox, Ala . Latter at Auburn he helped write grant proposal for the College of Agriculture and was always a friend of the poultry industry. Cattleman Glynn Debter, helped his father, an Alabama Poultry Hall of Fame member, Ross Debter, in the family’s successful table egg business. Congratulations to all the inductees for their contribution to Alabama agriculture.
Made in DeKalb Draws Students to Rainsville
On Feb. 15, thousands of DeKalb County and Fort Payne 9th and 12th grade students descended on the Northeast Alabama Agribusiness Center in Rainsville, for the annual Made in DeKalb Expo. The event gives the students an opportunity to learn about the various careers and career development opportunities that are available to them. It was our privilege to help represent the DeKalb County poultry industry. In the next booth, Koch Foods had brought a number of baby chicks, so, with our big chicken and egg – we had the industry covered. It is always great to get out and promote our industry to students.
At the Made in DeKalb Expo we premiered our new “Big Chicken” and “Big Egg,” both of which draw lots of attention. That gives Ray a chance to do what he does so well – talk to kids about the Alabama poultry industry.
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Evening of Fun
California-born singer/songwriter Cam emerged as one of the true breakthrough artists of the past two years, achieving her first Platinum record and first #1 country single with “Burning House.” This international hit, co-written by Cam, Jeff Bhasker, and Tyler Johnson, propelled Cam to her first GRAMMY®, ACM, CMA, CMT, and American Music Awards nominations. “Burning House” is the most-downloaded song by a female country artist released since 2015. Cam’s album Untamed on Arista Nashville/RCA Records, which released Dec. 11, 2015, debuted at #2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart with the year’s best first-week album sales by a debut country artist. Produced by Producer of the Year GRAMMY winner Jeff Bhasker (Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars) and multiple-GRAMMY nominee Tyler Johnson (Harry Styles, Sam Smith, Ed Sheeran), Untamed was met with widespread critical acclaim from The New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, PEOPLE, Associated Press, and many others. Since her debut album release, Cam, who co-wrote each of her 11 debut album tracks, has appeared on national TV programs including Good Morning America, Today, CBS This Morning, The Voice, The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live!, The Talk, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, LIVE with Kelly, The Grammys, ACM Awards, and
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The 10th ACM Honors CBS special with Alicia Keys. Released on Oct. 27 to the delight of fans anxious for new music, Cam previews her 2018 Arista Nashville/RCA Records sophomore album with Diane, the forthcoming collection’s debut single. Inspired by the story-line of Dolly Parton’s classic “Jolene,” the driving, tempo-rich track delivers a sonically refreshing tale of love and regret and commiseration. The song was co-written by the same team behind “Burning House” – Cam, Jeff Bhasker and Tyler Johnson – and, was also produced by Bhasker and Johnson. About the song, Cam shares, “Diane is my response to Dolly Parton’s ‘Jolene.’ It’s the apology so many spouses deserve, but never get. The other woman is coming forward to break the news to the wife about an affair, respecting her enough to have that hard conversation, once she realized he was married. Because everyone should be able to decide their own path in life, based on the truth. Women especially should do this for each other, since our self-worth can still be so wrapped up in our partners. And in true country fashion, I’ve set the whole raw story to upbeat music, so you can dance while you process it all.” Among other appearances in support of Diane, California-native Cam is looking ahead to the launch of her Best Coast Tour, headlining nine West Coast
Alabama Poultry Magazine
dates beginning Nov. 28. Having recently opened selected shows on Tim McGraw and Faith Hill’s blockbuster Soul2Soul Tour and for international star Harry Styles at his sold out Ryman Auditorium show in Nashville, Cam is also set to wrap her opening slot on George Strait’s 2017 residency tour at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with shows December 8 and 9. For complete tour dates, please visit www.camcountry.com. In addition to completing her first headline concert series, 2016’s The Burning House Tour, this rising country star opened two major 2016 tours: Brad Paisley’s Crushin’ It Tour and Dierks Bentley’s Somewhere on a Beach Tour. The Apple Music Festival 2015 in London, Stagecoach, SXSW, ACM Lifting Lives Party for a Cause, CMA Music Festival, the Grand Ole Opry, and the C2C Festival in the UK and Ireland are among the many events in which Cam has participated over the past two years. Along with working on her upcoming album, Cam’s busy 2017 included co-writing the song “Palace” with Sam Smith and Tyler Johnson on Sam Smith’s new album, The Thrill of It All, releasing Nov. 3. She also contributed background vocals and electric guitar to the track. Find Cam online at: www.camcountry.com www.facebook.com/camcountry www.instagram.com/camcountry
The Swon Brothers to Be Second Headline Act at 2018 AP&EA
Evening of Fun
The Swon Brothers auditioned for The Voice on a whim when asked by their keyboard player, James Redden, who wanted them to audition with him. During the blind auditions, The Swon Brothers performed Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’s “American Girl”, turning three chairs, Usher, Blake Shelton, and Shakira on April 1, 2013. They proceeded to choose Blake as their coach and remained on his team the whole season. During the Top 8 Live Performances, The Swon Brothers chose to sing “Seven Bridges Road” as a tribute to victims of the 2013 Moore tornado. Truly, Okies from Muscogee, the Swon Brothers are from Muskogee, Okla. Zach Swon (born Feb. 21, 1985) and Colton Swon (born August 17, 1988). Zach Swon studied at the Northeastern State University and worked at the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in Muskogee. The brothers started performing when they were children, touring with their parents’ Southern gospel group Exodus, and performing in various local events and stages. By the time Zach Swon was 9 or 10, he was playing drums for his parents’ band. In 1995, the Swon Brothers’ parents formed a family-style variety show in Wagoner called Westwood Music Show, where the Brothers performed songs ranging from Elvis to Frank Sinatra, as well as starting to perform in the country music genre. In 2000, when they were 12 and 15, the brothers started calling themselves The Swon Brothers, and appeared in various venues. In 2007, Colton Swon auditioned for the seventh season of American Idol (aired 2008) and reached the Top 48. Both Zach and Colton also appeared as contestants in
2007 on a local TV show Gimme the Mike. The Swon Brothers have released a couple of independent albums with songs including “Oklahoma Lovin’” and “This Close to Gone.” Their first professionally r e c o r d e d album Another Day, which they described as modern country, was released in Jan. 16, 2009. They cited The Eagles as their musical influence. In 2013, coached by Blake Shelton, they finished in third place on the fourth season of NBC’s The Voice. They were the first duo to make it from the Top 12 live shows to the season finale. On Nov. 1, 2013, the Swon Brothers signed a record deal with Arista
which is part of the Sony group. They released their first official single, “Later On,” the following month. On Oct. 14, 2014, the Swon Brothers released their self-titled debut album, before parting ways with Arista the following year. We are really looking forward to seeing Cam and the Swon Brothers perform on the BJCC Concert Hall stage at the 2018 AP&EA Evening of Fun.
The Momentum Party Band is Coming Back
The Momentum Party Band that kept the dance floor hopping at the Sheraton Ballroom last year is coming back to entertain us once again. So, start getting in shape and practice shaking your booty, cause in just a few months it’ll be time. Get ready, on Saturday, June 9, we are going to Light Up the Night!
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melets, Omelets and More, Many More Omelets MONTGOMERY – Where did all these people come from on February 21? This is supposed to be winter. I thought that the groundhog saw his shadow. Well, there were no groundhogs in sight on this bright comfortable February morning, so Alabama legislators, Democrats and Republicans, came out for breakfast. Along with them came their staffs, and even some candidates for public office, to enjoy some AP&EA hospitality. It was a fest of industry gratitude to those elected officials and others who make laws and regulations that ensure the Alabama poultry industry will have the opportunity for growth and continued prosperity, as Alabama chicken feeds the world.
So, they just kept coming out of every door and state office, until, at last rough count, more than 600 omelets had been served. There were a lot of well fed folks on that bright February morning. Also a lot of tired chefs, including AP&EA board members, Auburn department of poultry science staff and students from Auburn Poultry Science Club.
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While there was lots of political talk, a consensus was reached: the AP&EA Omelet Breakfast was a big success. The annual event is sponsored by the Heavy Penny-A-Hen Committee and Alabama’s egg producers through state support funding from the American Egg Board. January / February 2018
Alabama Poultry Magazine
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2018 IPPE Makes History
ATLANTA – This year’s version of the International Production & Processing Expo certainly was historic. It was historic in proportion – it was bigger than last year, with more exhibitors occupying more floor space, according to the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. History certainly was made when U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue became the first U.S. secretary of agriculture to visit one of the top agricultural venues in the nation. Secretary Perdue had previously visited IPPE as a Georgia state senator and as governor. He addressed a gathering of officials and ag reporters before walking the convention halls. He referenced President Donal Trump’s recent State of the Union speech saying, “when the president talked about a safe, strong and proud nation, I believe that you all have created a safe, strong and proud industry, making protein affordable to the world.” He went on to say, “Food security is national security.” After his speech he took a tour of the expo. One of the places he visited was the Cumberland booth where he saw first-hand Cumberland’s new Edge computer driven system. As is normal at the IPPE, the crowds were amazing and the array of new technology from around the world was astounding. The 2018 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) had 30,678 poultry, meat and feed industry leaders from all over the world in attendance. A total of 1,218 exhibitors showcased the latest technology on more than 521,000 square feet of exhibit space. The Expo is the world's largest annual feed, meat and poultry industry event of its kind and is one of the 30 largest trade shows in the United States. IPPE is sponsored by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, American Feed Industry Association and North American Meat Institute.
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Alabama Poultry Magazine
There were 7,093 international visitors from 124 countries at the Expo. Canada represented the largest group from a single country outside the U.S. with 1,132 visitors. Latin America represented the largest region with 2,759 visitors. “The turnout for the 2018 IPPE was excellent. With three halls and more networking opportunities, we expect the 2019 IPPE to provide economic value for attendees and exhibitors alike,” the three organizations said. A week-long schedule of educational programs helped drive attendance and updated industry professionals on the latest issues, as well as complemented the exhibit floor. This year’s educational lineup featured 140-plus hours of sessions, ranging from a conference on preventing and responding to foreign material contamination incidents, to a program on feed production education, to a program on biosecurity for poultry and egg producers and live operations. A free bus service was provided to Alabama growers, and tickets were discounted with coupons that we printed in the magazine and posted online. If you did not attend this year, or, if you have never attended, plan now for next year. It is an incredible experience and an opportunity to share ideas and learn from peers from across the worked. Next year’s International Production & Processing Expo will be held Feb. 12-14, 2019, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Ga. Show updates and attendee and exhibitor information will be available at www.ippexpo.org.
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Grower Profile
On the Farm With an American Renaissance Man
Chris McCool shares his memories of the family farm with his sons, Austin and Mason, as his mother, Diane, and father, Harold, listen in. Directly behind them, house number 2, is one of the houses built in 1965 and is no longer in service.
Chris McCool grew up on the farm, and he never doubted that it was where he wanted to be. However, a few things happened on the way that sort of changed his course. Chris is the son of longtime AP&EA board member Harold McCool of Pickens County. The Pickens Academy graduate eschewed college at traditional agricultural colleges like Auburn and Mississippi State so he could stay close to home in the Zion community. “Besides,” he says, “I already knew how to farm,” having learned working side-by-side with his father. Instead he chose the University of Alabama and a double major in history and the classics (Latin, Greek and Hebrew), graduating summa cum laude and earning Phi Beta Kappa status. Chris also earned the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award that recognizes an outstanding senior man at the University. He had planned on coming back to the farm, but, diploma in hand, he had to make a decision. He considered graduate school or teaching. He had not thought much about going to law school, however when the Yetta G. Samford Scholarship was offered, he took it and enrolled in the University of Alabama School of Law. Still, the farm was in his heart. That’s not all that was in his heart. Several years earlier he had asked out a young lady from Gordo named Sherri Fair.
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Her parents were poultry growers, and she had attended Gordo High School at the same time he was at Pickens Academy. Chris says that he had known about Sherri for a long time, but had never had the courage to call her. The day he did get the courage to call her and ask her out, she told him that she had other plans. She was playing the piano at Shelton State Community College for the stage play “Li’l Abner.” He thought she was just trying to get rid of him, but that wasn’t the case. He tells people now, “She was my first girlfriend for a long time before she ever knew it.” But, in 1990 everything came together. From the start, they just knew they were right for each other. They were married on Valentines Day in 1992. Between his second and third year in law school, during the summer he worked with C.O. Burkhalter, the only lawyer in Gordo. That’s when he says he fell in love with the law, or rather, the country practice of the law. Back in law school, the students were given a questionnaire and asked to name the cities where they would most like to practice law, Many large metropolitan cities were listed by the students. Chris listed one – Gordo. True to his word, after law school graduation, he and Sherri moved back to the family farm and he began work as a lawyer in Gordo with C.O. Burkhalter. He loved it; he says
Alabama Poultry Magazine
Sherri and Chris have been married for 26 years. They live on a farm that has been in his family for five generations.
tinue working the farm. The poultry houses had been leased out several years earlier, but were falling into disrepair. Chris and his younger brother, Tim, also a lawyer and living on the farm with his family, had to step in. They held a dispersal sale, selling the registered herd, but retaining a few breeder cows, in order to build a commercial grade herd. They took back the management of the poultry house and used the proceeds of the cattle sale to make much needed upgrades. Chris remembers when he and Tim went to meet with Roddy Sanders and Henry Welch at Peco’s headquarters in Gordo. Chris says that he knew that they were expecting to hear that the McCools were getting out of the poultry business. Instead, they were delighted to hear the plans that Tim and Chris had made to revive the business. All of the six houses have spray foam solid side-walls, partially paid for with a NRCS grant. Two have new ceilings and new equipment. Plans are in place to replace the ceilings in the rest of the houses in the next few years, Currently they grow a 9+ pound chicken, realizing four to five flocks a year. They spread litter on approximately 350 acres of open fields on their 600 acre farm. They keep a herd of about 200 breeder cows, 50 of which were retained from the registered herd, and six homegrown bulls. Chris practiced law for several years in Gordo, before going to work for District Attorney Pep Johnston, as the first full-time assistant district attorney for Pickens County. In 2001, when Johnston retired, Chris was elected district attorney, covering the 24th Judicial Circuit, made up of Pickens, Fayette and Lamar counties.
that he could now drive ten miles and be home in the Zion community for lunch. It was just what he was looking for – he had become a country lawyer, living in, as he says, “the best of both worlds,” practicing law and working on the farm to help his father. Harold McCool and his wife, Diane, had built their first two poultry houses in 1965, growing for Peco Foods. In 1985, they added two more 40’ x 500’ houses, then added four 40’ x 420’ houses the next year. They had also developed a herd of registered angus cattle. The connection with Peco Foods runs far deeper than just business, however. Chris remembers that as a kid, his family would go to church all-daysingings and dinner-on-the-grounds where Herman Hickman, the founder of Peco Foods, sang in the Gordo Quartet, a southern gospel group. Chris says, “I grew up knowing Mr. Herman.” In 2005, Harold, who had always been outgoing and active in AP&EA events, began to experience tremors. He was ultimately diagnosed with Parkinsons disease. By 2014, Harold was unable to con- Chris and his father share a few moments in the poultry house.
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After 17 years as district attorney, he has made the decision to run for the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals. He says, “ I love the law, and I have loved my job as a prosecutor. One of the things that I love about being a prosecutor is that I have only one client – that client is Lady Justice. My job is not to rack up convictions or make lots of money. I get a salary from the state and I get paid whether I win or lose. My job is to do justice.” Part of his drive to do justice comes from his Christian faith. He felt the call to preach while in his teens, but it wasn’t until he turned 40 in 2007 that, as he says, “The Lord got his attention.” He talked to his pastor about it, but his pastor already knew about it. It seems that the Lord had been talking to him as well. He realized that all of those classic languages that he had learned at the University of Alabama had prepared him with a seminary-like education. He began preaching. In 2011, he joined the small congregation at Zion Primitive Baptist Church, just two miles from home. In 2012, he was ordained to preach, and now pastors the church. Chris and Sherri have four children. Meredith, the oldest, is married to John Morgan Owens and they live in Echola. She is a dental hygienist and he is in law school at the University of Alabama. Austin, their oldest son is 20, and a student at Alabama, majoring in accounting and ancient Greek. Their daughter, Ashley, 19, is a freshman at Alabama study-
On the stage of the Zion Community Center is a backdrop dating back to 1939. It shows the early involvement of the Hickman family in the community.
ing art history. Their youngest son, Mason, is a sophomore at Pickens Academy. Taught by Sherri, they all play the piano. Chris has also taught them to play guitar. Among his other talents, Chris plays guitar and dobro. In fact, as a kid he played in a bluegrass band. Chris McCool reminds me of the kind of men who founded our nation. Those men loved God, loved their families, loved education, loved the land and loved the pursuit of justice. In many ways, Chris is an American Renaissance kind of man. I’m just glad he grows chickens, too.
Chris and Sherri are ready for campaign season.
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Alabama Poultry Magazine
Industry News
Wayne Farms Cuts the Ribbon on Customer Innovation Center
DECATUR. – Wayne Farms LLC recently opened the doors to the com-
pany’s new Customer Innovation Center in Decatur, Ala. The 15,000-sq.-ft. facility is adjacent to the company’s prepared food facility in Decatur, and it cost $4.5 million to build. The new facility was designed to be a research and development hub that will reduce the time between product ideation and distribution to market. The center houses a commercial kitchen, ovens, grilling equipment as well as chilling and freezing areas, dry storage and spice storage space designed to accommodate the product innovation and testing needs of Wayne Farms’ foodservice and retail customers. Digital technology to enable virtual meetings with the company’s customers is also available at the facility. Addition-
ally, the center features a U.S. Dept. of Agriculture-inspected pilot plant where new products can be developed and integrated with Wayne Farms’ production of ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook offerings. Up to 20 employees will work at the facility. Oakwood, Georgia-based Wayne Farms is the sixth-largest integrated
producer and processor of broiler chicken products in the United States. The company, which is a unit of Continental Grain Co., operates nine integrated complexes that include nine hatcheries, nine feed mills, nine slaughter processing plants and two further processing plants.
L.B. White Company, LLC Announces the Acquisition of Reeves Supply, INC
L. B. White Company, LLC has announced the acquisition of Reeves Supply, Inc. The business will be owned by L.B. White and will continue to operate under the name Reeves Supply. Reeves is a leading manufacturer of evaporative cooling systems for the poultry industry. Over the company’s 20-year history, it has become a leader in the poultry cooling market. Reeves is at the forefront of confinement cooling design and innovation and sets the industry standards for quality, reliability and service. Poultry growers depend on Reeves cooling solutions to maintain required temperature and ventilation rates to support animal health at various ages, weights and densities. Reeves’ headquarters and manufacturing facility will continue to be located in Franklin, Ga. Reeves Supply was previously owned by Hazel and Harold “Skip”
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Reeves. Hazel will retire as part of the ownership transition, while Skip will maintain his role as national sales manager for Reeves and participate in the ownership of the combined business. The employees and suppliers of Reeves have played an integral role in the company’s growth and success, and will continue to do so in the future. “L.B. White has greatly respected and admired Reeves for a number of years. Wayne and Hazel Reeves, the founders of Reeves Supply, and Skip Reeves, spent over 20 years building a great company with outstanding people and tremendous capabilities, and we proudly welcome the Reeves Supply team to L.B. White. Bringing together the two leaders of heating and cooling solutions for the livestock confinement industry will provide a number of benefits to L.B. White’s and Reeves’ cus-
Alabama Poultry Magazine
At IPPE, Skip Reeves was sporting the L.B. White logo on his shirt. He says that he is excited about the new possibilities of working with L.B. White.
tomers. The combined resources of the two companies provide our customers enhanced value through expanded product development, geographic and market expansion capabilities,” said Kevin Gagermeier, president and CEO of L.B. White.
Auburn News
Auburn Poultry Science Club Meeting About Scholarship Recognition
On Jan. 26, the Auburn Poultry Science Club held its bi-monthly meeting in the meeting room at the old poultry research farm. The purpose of the meeting was to recognize all of the Alabama Poultry Foundation scholarship recipients in the department of poultry science. On hand for the scholarship recognitions were officials from Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, including President Kenneth Sanders, CEO Johnny Adams, Vice President Mitchell Pate and Associate Director Ray Hilburn. Representing Auburn University were Dr. Paul Patterson, dean of the Auburn College of Agriculture, and Dr. Don Conner, head of the Auburn depart-
ment of poultry science. Students receiving Alabama Poultry & Egg Scholarships: Thomas Knott, Madeline Frazier, Will Hamilton and Tanner Quick. The WWW Directory Scholarship went to Brett Bobo. The Allied Industry Scholarships were presented to Chelsea Hooks and Judd Powell. The first annual Dr. Robert Brewer Memorial Scholarships went to Seth Delgado, Casey Reagan and Chandler Johnson. Zach Wilton received the Dr. G. J. Cottier Scholarship, while the Dr. S. Allen Edgar Scholarship went to Caroline Gamble.
On Feb. 13 and14, the Auburn department of poultry science held its Spring Poultry Judging Clinics in conjunction with the College of Agriculture’s Spring Judging Clinics. At these clinics, FFA students from across the state come to learn about poultry judging. They experience several stations where they learn how to observe, score, and record their answers in preparation for the FFA Career Development Events. More than 120 students from schools all across the state participated in the two-day event. These stations include exterior shell quality grading, carcass placement, parts identification and bone-in and bone-less further processed product
evaluations. Students currently majoring in poultry science and are involved with the Auburn Poultry Science Club man each station, and guide the FFA students in their evaluations. This event is a great chance for poultry science students to offer an educational workshop for high school students. And, it is also a great recruiting tool for bringing new poultry science scholars to Auburn. Current poultry science students, like Trevor Lee, Tyler Easterwood, Casey Reagan, Isai Franco, Cameron
Ray Hilburn presented the Henry & Melba Hilburn Scholarship to Luke Taylor. The Wayne & Nadine McElrath Scholarship was presented to Isai Franco and the Tyson Foods/Loyd Eddy Memorial Scholarship was presented to Nathan Duke. The Reeves Supply Scholarship went to Stewart Teal. Congratulations to all these deserving young poultry science students. Their dedication to the poultry industry will ensure that the industry will continue on in good hands for generations to come.
Auburn Holds FFA Spring Judging Clinic
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Alabama Poultry Magazine
Greco, Will Hamilton, Will Dodd, Chandler Johnson, Molly Jointer, Cole Yeata, Michael Norris, Tanner Quick, Jewel Burger, Katie Martin and Brett Bobo certainly seem to enjoy sharing their knowledge with the high school FFA students.
Auburn Poultry Science Department Research Efforts for the Poultry Industry J.B. Hess and D.E. Conner, Poultry Science Department, Auburn University
Faculty in the poultry science department at Auburn University support poultry growers and the poultry industry in Alabama through efforts in teaching, research and extension. Although significant efforts are put forth in all three areas, research projects may only become known to the poultry industry later when new techniques begin to catch on in the field. Auburn has enjoyed strong support from the Alabama poultry industry and our poultry growers and poultry industry representatives deserve to know what projects are being pursued in the poultry science department so that they might understand what new techniques and products are under consideration. Processing and Food Safety
Like most research groups involved in poultry, researchers at Auburn are examining a myriad of influences on the development of the meat quality problems woody breast and white striping. Faculty versed in poultry processing, nutrition and muscle physiology have approached these problems from a variety of angles to add to the knowledge related to solving these pressing industry issues. Efforts ranging from research into cellular changes in woody breast tissue to rapid and non-invasive detection methods have targeted this defect. These efforts will be combined with research from other institutions and primary breeding efforts in an urgent attempt to reduce these defects before consumer confidence in poultry suffers too greatly. Considerable research has been underway recently on the physiology of poultry stunning. These efforts will help to provide research-backed support for the stunning methods used in Alabama processing plants. In addition, ongoing trials will look in-depth at controlled atmosphere stunning and its application in U.S. processing plants. Techniques to con-
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trol campylobacter during the chilling process are being studied, with prechill, postchill and parts interventions being examined. Salmonella control is always a research interest and recent trials have examined where Salmonella colonizes in the bird after entering from various routes. This research may help to determine which control strategies will yield the best results in minimizing Salmonella in the field and the processing plant. Nutrition, Health and Management
The significant rise in antibiotic free production has altered research thrusts for a number of faculty in the poultry science department. Studies with prebiotics and probiotics have compared live performance results to birds raised on conventional feeding programs. Essential oils and secondary plant compounds have been tested, as have several probiotic blends of bacteria. The use of copper in the feed as a therapeutic agent is also being revisited with the reduction of antibiotic use in the field. Other nutritional studies include feeding strategies to reduce woody breast and attempts to avoid dips in production associated with coccidiosis vaccination in the young bird. Ongoing research has looked at optimum micromineral levels for performance and processing yield. Recent trials have looked at zinc, manganese and iron specifically. Field trials looking at water line bacterial levels may allow poultry growers to target water quality interventions in individual houses to reduce water bacterial loads. Bacterial levels in house water lines are being compared with individual house performance. Additional trials in conjunction with Georgia Tech have looked at chlorination of the water and live performance. Mites are a recurring problem and mite studies in broiler breeders have examined both chemical
Alabama Poultry Magazine
and nonchemical control methods (including diatomaceous earth). Upcoming health trials are looking at coccidiosis strains in the field and whether they are wild or vaccine origin. Related studies are examining the relationship between coccidiosis and the normal intestinal flora in chickens. Windrow composting and other litter management techniques are being examined to determine their efficacy in helping to control blackhead.
has moved toward antibiotic free production. For more information on research efforts at the Auburn University poultry science department visit the research section of our website at http://poul.auburn.edu/research/. This review of poultry research projects highlights efforts in the poultry science department. Substantial efforts in other areas of the College of Agriculture are also supportive of the poultry industry, including research in the department of biosystems engineering through the National Poultry Technology Center, the department of crop, soil and environmental sciences, the department of agricultural economics and rural sociology and the animal science department.
Feed Milling
Faculty are making use of our research feed mill to produce feed milling research for the poultry industry. Stability of enzyme and probiotic feed additives have been evaluated as have been corn grind size and the production and use of micropellets for starting broilers. The addition of whole corn to feed prior to pelleting has been tested through the feed mill. Generally, the testing of probiotic and prebiotic products through the feed mill has increased substantially as the broiler industry
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Alabama Poultry Magazine
Practical Applications
Are you getting all you can out of your brooders? J.D. Davis, J.C. Campbell, C.M. Edge, D.L. Brothers, E.H. Simpson, and J.O. Donald National Poultry Technology Center, Auburn University
Figure 1: The burner tube has been removed from the burner of a round radiant heater so that we can see the caked debris that has accumulated in the tube (lower left) and on the upper surface of the burner (upper left) over many flocks. The white arrows point to gas channels that are completed clogged with debris. (right) An enlarged view of the burner tube from above that shows the extent of clogging from caked dust and debris. The size of the tube cross-section is greatly reduced.
This past fall while getting ready for our cold weather training seminar, we had the opportunity to disassemble a couple of 10-yr old round radiant brooders from a farm raising heavy broilers. The grower had diligently cleaned the brooders between each flock with a backpack blower and on the surface, the brooders were pretty clean. As we began to disassemble the heater, we were able to see layers of caked dust on top of the burner orifice and in the burner tube that had accumulated with moisture during many grow outs. In the figure above we opened up the burner assembly; breaking a few bolts in the process. The burner tube assembly at the lower left is enlarged on the right and we are looking through the tube from above. What happens as dust accumulates in the burner tube? The caked dust reduces the area of the tube and thus reduces the amount of air that can be pulled into the tube to mix with gas for combustion. The cast-iron burner assembly is shown in the upper left. The metal is caked with debris that accumulates when the heaters were not being used late in the flock and then becomes burned and brittle after use. You can see caked material build up behind the gas channel walls for portions of the burner and fully fill gas channels (white arrows) in large portions of the burner. All of this debris reduces the effective-
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ness of mixing the gas and air and providing heat to the floor as the heater was designed. The question we had to answer was, “how do we clean up the inside of the burner without dissembling the heater and chancing broken bolts?” After trying several methods, we came up with a fourstep process to clean the burners. First, the burner orifice was removed from the burner tube for access. Then we brushed the caked debris from the burner tube using a laundry dryer vent brush that we modified by removing two inches of the pointed brush tip. The pointed tip did not allow the brush to clean the debris due to the limited space in the gas mixing chamber. The brush was twisted three to four times before pulling out the brush with debris. Pulling this thick debris out of the burner tube from below reduced the amount of material we had to push through the burner in the third step. The debris left in the burner was small and brittle. We were able to use a portable air compressor with a hose and an air gun to blow air from below the burner tube and push the debris out the flame gas channels. The heater was blown out until the air was clean; approximately 10-15 seconds. The fourth step was to reassemble the burner orifice in the burner tube. The whole process took approximately five minutes. So what is all this effort worth? We performed this cleaning process for four 10-yr old round radiant brooders. Photos of heater 1 before and after cleaning are shown in Figure 4 for three locations on the emitter. Not only is the heated area larger across the emitter, the metal surface is much hotter and redder. This translates to a larger area of the floor being heated and at warmer temperatures. The other three heaters showed similar trends. Litter temperatures were measured before and after cleaning with an infrared temperature gun. We started measuring temperature directly below the brooder and measured at 2, 4, 6, and 8 ft out from the brooder. Cleaning the burner of the brooder improved the floor temperatures by 3 to 4 °F across the 16-ft diameter of the brooder heating area (~200 ft2). The floor was 6-8 °F warmer across a 4-ft diameter cir-
Figure 2: A laundry dryer vent brush was modified (removing 2-inches of tip) to clean the burner tube. (right) The brush was inserted into the burner tube and twisted to loosen debris.
Alabama Poultry Magazine
Figure 3: Compressed air was used to blow the remaining debris from the burner chamber out through the gas channels in the burner. Air was blown through the burner until the air came out clean; approximately 10-15 seconds.
cle directly beneath the brooder. Cleaning the brooder burner and burner tube helps insure that brooders heat at maximum efficiency. This means the air and gas ratio will extract the maximum BTUs out of the gas that is burned. This simple procedure has created a larger chick comfort zone at the feed and water area. The warmer floor area will heat the house faster per gallon of gas burned. We all know that improving the chicks’ environment improves early feed conversion and weight gain and greatly effects final bird performance, therefore this cleaning procedure can have great impact on a grower’s bottom line, both from fuel cost savings and from improved bird grow out performance. We believe that cleaning the burner would not be required between every flock but would be beneficial to perform once a year, especially going into colder flocks where higher gas use is expected.
Figure 4: Three angles of view (top, left side of brooder; middle, front of brooder; bottom, right side of brooder) of heater 1 before (left) and after (right) the internal cleaning procedure. The heated area of the emitter is larger and hotter after the heater was cleaned.
Figure 5: Floor temperatures were measured with IR guns directly below the heater an at 2, 4, 6, and 8 ft from the center. Floor temperatures after cleaning were 3 to 4 °F hotter over the entire 200 ft. of heated surface. The internal cleaning procedure insures maximum efficiency and can improve bird comfort and performance per gallon of gas burned.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg.
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AP&EA “Big Bass” Fishing Tournament Friday, May 11, 2018 Lake Guntersville
AP&EA “Evening of Fun” Golf Tournament Friday, May 18, 2018 Silver Lakes Golf Club Glencoe
AP&EA “Evening of Fun” Concert Saturday, June 9, 2018 Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Birmingham
Alabama Poultry Magazine
AP&EA Annual Meeting July 16-17 Sandestin Hilton Beach Resort