Alabama Poultry, July/August 2010

July / August – VOL. 5 NO. 4

AP&EA P.O. Box 240 Montgomery, AL 36101 Address Service Requested

Board of Directors Officers John Pittard, President, Guntersville* Spence Jarnagin, Vice President, Huntsville* Johnny Adcock, Tresurer, Woodland* Randall Ennis, Secratary, Huntsville* Fred Cespedes, Immediate Past President, Hanceville* Directors Ronnie Adrian, Collinsville George Attwood, Anniston Roger Chappell, Cullman Tim Esslinger, Eufaula* Dale Gambrill, Snead* Billy Gilley, Cullman Harold Hunt, Gadsden Heath Loyd, Decatur David Massey, Montgomery Dennis Maze, Horton Todd McMahen, Dothan Mitchell Pate, Auburn John Roberts, Cullman Kenneth Sanders, Brundidge Roddy Sanders, Gordo Jason Shell, Gadsden Jack Sherwood, Troy Jason Spann, Guntersville Ken Taylor, Anniston Phyllis Thomas, Russellville Ben Thompson, Huntsville David Thompson, Ashland Stanley Usery, Athens Ricky Walker, Snead Craig Williams, Enterprise Advisors Dr. Don Conner, Auburn University James Donald, Auburn University Dr. Joe Hess, Auburn University Mickey Humphries, Montgomery Dr. Tony Frazier, Montgomery Perry Oakes, Auburn

*Executive Committee Members

AP&EA STAFF Johnny Adams – Executive Director Wanda H. Linker – Administrative Director Huck Carroll – Communications Director/Editor Jennifer Shell – Support Director

Alabama Poultry Magaqzine is published by the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association 465 South Bainbridge Street Montgomery, AL 36104 Phone: 334-265-2732 Fax: 334-265-0008

President’s MESSAGE

It is a most unexpected honor to be chosen as president of the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association. I am grateful for the confidence that you have placed in me.

Following Fred Cespedes as Association president isn’t going to be an easy chore. His combination of good humor, energy and strong leadership is rare.

Under his leadership, the Association has prospered financially, while avoiding legislation that could have been harmful to the industry and provided excellent educational programs for growers and industry personnel. This year’s “Evening of Fun” was outstanding, as were the workshops and seminars. Also, thanks to Fred and Johnny for their exceptional work in getting the “Farm Animal Care Protection Act” passed through the Legislature and signed into law, giving us some protection from the animal rights activists.

Quite a list of accomplishments, and some big shoes to fill.

In the coming year, there will be much more work to do in Montgomery, with a new governor, a new commissioner of agriculture and industries and new faces in the House and Senate. For the past eight years, we have enjoyed great relationships with Gov. Bob Riley and Ag Commissioner Ron Sparks, but all of that is about to change. There will be new relationships to build and new regulatory battles to be fought. Then there will also be continued pressure from groups like HSUS and PETA. We must also place a renewed emphasis on enrolling new members as we retain our existing membership base. New members bring fresh new ideas and energy. Their participation increases communications and needed cash flow to the Association. We must also work to re-enroll members who have let their membership lapse, by showing them that the Association is active and relevant in working for them.

I look forward to this year and the challenges of leading this association, but I need your support and input. Please, never by shy about offering suggestions.

Just remember, I’m a work in progress. Let’s have a great year.

FEATURING

THIS ISSUE

Governmental Affairs

pg.

Send editorial and advertising correspondence to: Alabama Poultry Editor P.O. Box 240 Montgomery, AL 36101

Association News

pg. 10

Annual Meeting

pg. 12

AP&EA President: John Pittard

pg. 17

Advertising rates and closing dates available upon request.

4-H Chick Chain

pg. 20

Allied Member News

pg. 21

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.

Recipes

pg. 24

Auburn Happenings

pg. 26

Practical Applications

pg. 28

Calendar of Events

pg. 30

w w w. a l a b a m a p o u l t r y. o r g

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G over nment al Affairs

New Egg Barn Meets Prop. 2 Rules, Farm Says

By Steve Adler

Responding to the mandates of Proposition 2 regarding animal agriculture operations, a Modesto-based egg farm has installed and opened the first “enriched colony” housing system for layer hens in the United States.

JS West President Eric Benson describes the benefits of the enriched housing and colony system at the company's Livingston egg-laying facility. According to Benson, the new system complies with the requirements of Proposition 2, which was approved by California voters in November 2008 and which addressed livestock confinement issues.

Proposition 2, sponsored by the Humane Society of the United States, prohibits specific farm animals from being confined in a way that prevents them from being able to turn around, lie down, stand up and fully extend their limbs. It was approved by California voters in November 2008.

The new JS West egg barn near Livingston – built by Big Dutchman Inc. of Holland, Mich. – answers all of the concerns addressed by Proposition 2, said Eric Benson, JS West president, during a dedication ceremony for the new facility in late June.

“It is our hope that this barn will be an example to our industry, not just of Big Dutchman engineering, not just as enriched housing and colony systems, but as a necessity to move forward and take a risk and try something new that satisfies the needs and demands of today’s consumer and today’s society,” said Benson, who is the grandson of the company’s founder, James Stewart West. “So it is with this thought that we dedicate our new barn, our new experience, our new experiment in the future of animal welfare.”

Several months in construction,

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the $3.2 million facility will house about 132,000 hens. Benson said the company hopes to convert all of its barns to this new design within the next five years. The new enclosures each hold about 60 birds in a space about 12 feet long, 4 feet deep and 1.5 feet tall, and provide each bird with 116 square inches of space.

The enclosures, which are widely used in Europe as a result of animal welfare mandates in the European Union, also provide the hens with other features, such as a curtained nesting area for egg laying, metal perches and a scratch pad. Big Dutchman representative Terry Pollard said the systems promote a healthy environment for laying hens.

“The birds have the ability to move about freely while at the same time enjoy the comfort and safety associated with being a part of a colony group of birds,” he said.

The nation’s largest and oldest third-party certifier of farm animal welfare, American Humane Certified, accepts enriched colony housing systems as a humane practice for the housing of laying hens, said AHC vice president Tim Amlaw, who attended the dedication ceremony and announced the JS West barn had qualified for AHC certification.

“We are employing video monitoring of systems to study the behavior of the hens, as well as appropriate management of the system. Producers will be able to take quick action around any issues that impact the well-being of both animals and people,” he said.

AHC has certified producers representing more than 60 million farm animals through its independent, science-based program, Amlaw said.

“The leadership that you see provided by JS West is really indicative of what farmers always do and have

Alabama Poultry Magazine

done for hundreds of years in this country, and that is adapt to new systems of production that answer the needs of whatever consumers really want,” he said. “This system as we see it designed here meets those needs.”

Although the requirements of Proposition 2 won’t take effect for another three and a half years, Benson said that the company decided to begin the process right away. Neither moving out of state nor shutting down the egg-laying facilities were acceptable alternatives to the family-owned business, he said.

“We recognize that what happens here has little relation to national business or national scale, but this barn means an awful lot to our real business at JS West and to agriculture in general,” he said. “Animal welfare after all is a farmer issue. For as long as there have been farms, a farmer’s view is that animal welfare is essential to human welfare. If we can’t take care of our animals, how can we take care of our families, our neighbors and our customers?

“I believe this is a war of independence, a war of free will and a war of even independent capitalism, to decide whether a family business like this will be able to continue to operate in the most efficient way possible,” Benson said.

JS West, a 100-year-old family farming business, cares for 1.8 million hens and provides Northern California consumers with eggs. Third and fourth generations own and operate the family’s three farms in two counties.

(Steve Adler is associate editor of Ag Alert. He may be contacted at sadler@cfbf.com.)

Permission for use is granted by the California Farm Bureau Federation.

Proposed Packer Rules are a “Lawyer’s Paradise”

By Raoul Baxter meatingplace.com

On June 22, in the Federal Register, J. Dudley Butler under the guise of a USDA farm bill has tried to slip a major legal bombshell onto the livestock and meat industries. You have to really worry about a situation that creates another lawyer’s paradise and represents another attempt at crippling free enterprise. If you dispute that, first read the original Packers & Stockyards Act of 1921 and then read this attempt by the USDA to create new law based on smoke.

Butler is a former lawyer from Mississippi who made a career out of suing various companies in the poultry business. As you can read in this new rule, the specifics are thrown at the poultry industry and then rationalized against the pork and beef industries. Butler lost most of his actions because he could not prove commercial damages or harm to industry competitiveness. He claimed the “intent” of the farm bill was to allow the USDA to change all the market rules. In essence, he is substituting “unfair” conduct for real damages.

Many people view the marketplace as one giant conspiracy, but start with why and how the P&S was established in the first place. The P&S’s primary responsibility was to make sure producers got paid quickly and to make sure markets were reported. It came about at a time when most livestock was sold or traded through terminal markets and primarily through order buyers to packers all over the United States. It was also at a time when most of the industry was centered in large urban areas, like Chicago. However, the whole country and industry has changed. The primary players of the time are all gone.

Now there are a number of groups who are convinced there is a conspiracy to hold markets down or that there is in fact a whole lot more money in livestock than exists. None of these people seem to have a clue about the channels and timing of how meat or credits are sold. Certainly the dramatic changes in the American retail, food service and export markets have made markets very difficult.

The true history based on objective information shows industry consolidation that you see in every other

manufacturing segment I am aware of. It certainly is not some conspiracy.

If the USDA heard objective stories of abuse, they certainly have the existing power AND responsibility to do something about it. All the stuff which came out of the agency’s recent regional meetings were subjective. I do think in the poultry industry there is some necessary updating to do.

Objectively, not all cattle and pigs [or even poultry] are born equal and alike. There are tremendous differences, particularly in the cattle world.

The nature of the raising and growing cycle of cattle makes it incredibly difficult. However, this proposed bill says all that information on special beef or pork programs have to be published. Again, regardless of your political belief you have to be concerned about another attempt at market dictatorship by government. I think J. Dudley made a major mistake in convoluting what the farm bill really said to the USDA, as indicated by unprecedented bipartisan attacks on the USDA for this attempt to usurp power from Congress and the industry.

Science Contradicts the Humane Society of the United States on Salmonella and “Cage-Free” Eggs meatingplace.com Animal Rights Group Makes Reckless Claims and Ignores Inconvenient Research

WASHINGTON, DC – Despite recent claims to the contrary from the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), recent poultry science does not support the conclusion that expensive “cage-free” egg production lowers the public-health risk from Salmonella, the nonprofit Center for Consumer Freedom (CCF) said today. HSUS recently published a list of what it claimed were “the nine studies published in the last five years

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comparing Salmonella rates in cage and cage-free egg operations,” and concluded that cage-free eggs were safer to eat. But the animal rights group intentionally mischaracterized the results of some of those studies, and ignored several others that don’t suit its agenda.

A 2005 study cited by HSUS disagrees with the group’s claims from the very beginning, concluding that “the system with the lowest chance of infection was the cage system with wet manure.” And a 2008 study – again, cited by HSUS – concluded

Alabama Poultry Magazine

“no significant differences could be found in prevalence of Salmonella between laying hens reared in conventional and enriched cages and [free-range] aviary.”

Many of the other studies cited by HSUS caution that differences between cage and cage-free chickens may be due to factors other than the housing system, such as flock size or vaccination rates. By ignoring the scientific conclusions that it doesn’t like, HSUS is recklessly misleading consumers and the media.

FSA Indemnity Program to Pay Growers for Loss Due to Weather

Due to the extremely hot temperatures of the summer, we wanted to remind growers of this FSA program. If you suffered a catastrophic loss of birds, this program may be helpful in recooping some of your loss.

The "Food, Conservation, and Energy Act of 2008" authorized the Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) to provide benefits to livestock producers for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather that occurred on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and before Oct. 1, 2011, including losses because of hurricanes, floods, blizzards, disease, wildfires, extreme heat and extreme cold. The livestock death losses must have also occurred in the calendar year for which benefits are being requested.

LIP provisions are similar to other livestock indemnity programs implemented by FSA in recent years

except that an owner or contract grower's livestock do not have to be located in a county or contiguous county designated a natural disaster by the president or declared by the U.S. secretary of agriculture. Under the current LIP, an owner or contract grower's livestock payments will be based on individual producers' losses.

To be eligible for LIP, a contract grower must have had the following on the day the livestock died: • possession and control of the eligible livestock, and • a written agreement with the eligible livestock owner setting the specific terms, conditions and obligations of the parties involved regarding the production of livestock.

To be eligible for LIP, a contract grower's livestock also must have met the following conditions. The

livestock must: • have been poultry or swine; • have died as a direct result of an eligible adverse weather event; • on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and before Oct. 1, 2011; and • no later than 60 calendar days from the ending date of the adverse weather event(s); and • in the calendar year for which benefits are requested.

USDA calculates LIP payments by multiplying the national payment rate for each livestock category by the number of eligible livestock in each category.

For more information, contact your local FSA office, or go online to: www.fsa.usda.gov/FSA/newsReleases?area=newsroom&subject=lan ding&topic=pfs&newstype=prfactsheet&type=detail&item=pf_20090 917_distr_en_lip09.html

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JULY / AUGUST 2010

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Association News

Scholarship Winners – (Left to right) Andrew Kinney, Douglas – (Thomas and Deborah Kinney). He attends Auburn University. Kitty Burks, Horton – (Larry and Leslie Burks). She attends the University of the Cumberlands in Kentucky.

Heather Wright, Union Grove – (Vic and Teena Granger and David Wright). She attends Snead State Community College.

Savannah Hilley, Boaz – (Jeff and Jeannie Hilley). She attends Snead State Community College. Not pictured: Jessica Bynum, Douglas – (Randy and Rachel Bynum). Matt Camp, Boaz – (David and Darlene Camp). Bronson Edmonds, Brindlee Mountain – (Phillip and Yvonne Edmonds).

Congratulations all!

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Marshall County Association Holds Annual Meeting

GUNTERSVILLE – Aug. 6 – The Marshall County Poultry & Egg Association held its annual meeting at Civitan Park, on the shores of beautifull Lake Guntersville. A crowd of more than 200 enjoyed fellowship and barbecued chicken under the pavillion.

Association President David Hodges welcomed everyone, and after the invocation by Thomas Kinney, he introduced special guests in the audience.

After he introduced the association board of directors, the financial report was presented by Tim Young, association treasurer.

The program featured a presentation by Amy Burgess, Alabama Extension Systems 4-H regional representative, on the Chick Chain Project (see pg. 20). She was followed by well known Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries poultry specialist, Ray Hilburn, who spoke on an increase in mycoplasma in breeder birds, but assured the audience that those birds were gone. He reported that, even though the last case of LT in north Alabama had been reported two years ago, vigilance and biosecurity still needed to be maintained. He concluded his remarks by reminding the growers of the FSA Livestock Indemnity Program (see pg. 9). He reported that because of the high summer temperatures and humidity more than 250,000 birds had been lost.

The Marshall County association, in a tradition that goes back many years, awarded seven college scholarships to the children of growers. These $500 scholarships were funded by the sale of $50 raffle tickets for a John Deere Gator.

The last event of the evening was the drawing for the Gator. Congratulations to J. D. Holt!

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Central Alabama Poultry & Egg Association Hold Annual Meeting

GREENVILLE – Aug. 22 – The Central Alabama Poultry & Egg Association held its annual meeting in the fellowship hall of the Greenville First United Methodist Church. Fried chicken was the main course, with fresh strawberry shortcake for dessert, served to a crowd of more than 150.

CAP&EA President Robert Parmer called the meeting to order and Charlotte Wilson gave the treasurer’s report.

Soil specialist Dr. Charles Mitchell of Auburn University’s College of Agriculture spoke on the nutrient value of chicken litter. He said that two years ago commercial fertilizers hit an all-time high with phosphates selling for more than $1.30 a pound and nitrogen at $1.00 a pound, all of which was due to the high price of gasoline. He said that today, even with the cost of gasoline less that it was, the cost of a ton of comparable commercial fertilizer would be almost $100 per ton for the same nutrient value of a ton of chicken litter. There was also the added benefit from the chicken litter of having 66 percent of the nitrogen available for that season with a 33 percent carry-over to the next year.

Rickey Hudson, Wiregrass Regional Extension agent spoke on using the Auburn University soil testing laboratory. He was followed by Anthony Wiggins, SW Alabama Regional Extension agent, speaking on feeding broiler litter to cattle.

AFO/CAFO credits were available for attending the meeting.

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Andy Vardaro enjoys the strawberry shortcake.

Dr. Charles Mitchell, Extension agronomist, discusses the nutrient values of litter and using it on farmland

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Sandestin Beach Resort – With temperatures hot enough to make a cat pant and a beach crowded with yellow suited BP Oil cleanup crews jockeying to be the first to spot oil on the pristine beach – poultry pros arrived to attend the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association annual meeting.

The Sunday evening Welcome to the Beach Reception gave sponsors and Association board members an opportunity to socialize and swap cordialities over baby armadillo sized shrimp (the only oil on these gulf beauties was made from olives), and other tasty treats.

It was also a time to reconnect with old friends. It was great to see Gerald and Loretta Bailey and so many new folks with their families.

Speaking of new families, Wes and Emily Cumbie brought little Miss Ella for all to see.

Everyone wanted to be seen schmoozing with new Auburn University College of Agriculture Dean William Batchelor. He is replacing retiring Dean Richard Guthrie. Dean Batchelor has just come to Auburn from Mississippi State University. The poultry pros gave him a warm welcome.

Monday morning, while late risers were still lifting forks to complete breakfast, Association President Fred Cespedes called the board meeting to order. First on the agenda was a word of thanks to generous sponsors for their continued support and participation in all of the Association events. He also thanked the board for its support during the past year.

The first item of business was a critique of the 2010 “Evening of Fun.” From the comments, it was evident that Blake Shelton was an outstanding choice for entertainment.

Committee reports followed. Richard Lusk, chairman of the Allied Committee, reported on the outcome of the successful Allied Committee sponsored fishing tournament at Lake Guntersville with more than 50 boats participating. He also announced that the annual Allied golf tournament would be held on Oct. 7, at Chesley Oaks Golf Course. The Growers Committee report was presented by Johnny Adams for Johnny Adcock; he thanked the sponsors of the AP&EA/National Poultry Technology Center seminars for their participation and announced that there would also be seminars planned for the fall. Tim Esslinger presented the Processor Committee report.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

He talked about the effectiveness of the combined industry seminar and announced that the same format would be followed this year with the seminar to be held in November.

Advisory committee reports followed. Dr. Don Conner, head of the Auburn University poultry science department, presented the poultry science committee report. He reported on the progress of the feed mill project and that the food science department was now a part of the poultry science department.

The biosystems engineering department report was presented by Jim Donald of the National Poultry Technology Center at Auburn. He thanked AP&EA for its support and reported on the series of spring grower seminars. He also thanked Dr. Richard Guthrie, former dean of the Auburn University College of Agriculture for his support in getting the NPTC started. He also discussed future projects for the NPTC. The environmental science advisory report was presented by Bill Prince of the NRCS. He discussed litter usage issues as well as litter treatment trials currently under way.

State veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier discussed recently passed animal welfare legislation and how rules and regulations will develop. Poultry specialist for the Department of Agriculture and Industries, Ray Hilburn, followed with an alert on increased mycoplasma in breeder birds and a discussion of new FDA rules on cooling eggs.

Association Executive Director Johnny Adams brought the members up-to-date on Association efforts in the Alabama Legislature, including passage of HB561, the Farm Animal Care Protection Act, and the continuing work on acceptable immigration reform.

The annual meeting that afternoon saw the election of a new board and new officers. John Pittard of AlaTrade Foods in Guntersville was elected president; Spence Jarnagin, Huntsville, was elected vice president; Johnny Adcock, Woodland, was elected treasurer and Randall Ennis, Huntsville, was elected secretary. The meeting was adjourned and all left to prepare for the evening festivities.

At 6:30, when the doors were opened to the ballroom, folks were already lined up. The first order of business was the silent auction.

Browsers were active as they circled the tables checking out the goodies, and penciling in their bids. Then dinner was served.

Dinner was, as usual, a weight-watchers disaster. Such good food and so much of it, who could resist?

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Awards Banquet

Fred Cespedes presents Roger Chappell with the Distinguished Service Award.

The Top Sales for $150 Tickets Award went to Fred Cespedes for the fourth year in a row.

At 8:00, Association President Fred Cespedes opened the awards portion of the banquet by welcoming everyone, and introducing the new slate of Association officers and their wives. He then turned the program over to Executive Director Johnny Adams for the presentation of awards.

First on the agenda was the presentation of the Distinguised Service Awards. This award is presented to individuals who have, over a period of time, displayed their willingness to work for the improvement of the poultry industry and the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association. This year recipients were Roger Chappell and Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Ron Sparks.

Roger has served as Association president, chairman of the Allied Committee, on the board of directors for 16 years, the Executive Committee for seven years, as well as other committees. He currently serves the Association as chairman of the Investment Committee. Through the work of this committee, the Association’s finances have stayed strong.

Commissioner Ron Sparks has been a great friend to the poultry industry going back to his time as assistant commissioner. He has promoted Alabama poutry around the globe, and has been especially instrumental in opening the Cuban market to Alabama’s poultry.

Ticket Sales

John Pittard, chairman of this year’s ticket sales campaign, presented awards to individuals and teams that had outstanding ticket sales to the 2010 “Evening of Fun.”

Chairman of the Allied Committee, Richard Lusk, accepts the award for Top Team Based on Quota with a whopping 201 percent.

The Top Ticket Sales to Broiler Growers Award, also known as the Rhonell Word Award, goes to Barry Smith, Tyson Foods, Inc., Snead, and Elwin Heatherly of Pilgrim’s Pride, Boaz.

The Top Serviceman for Grower Sales to Breeder or Pullet Hen Growers Award goes, for the 11th year in a row, to Harold Robinson, Tyson Foods, Inc., Snead.

The Top Rookie Award goes to Tim Worthy, Koch Foods, Ashland. Tim is also the Top Salesman in New Ticket Sales.

The Top Team Ticket Sales Award goes to Tyson Foods, Inc., Snead, with a total of 507 tickets sold.

Accepting the award is complex manager Ricky Walker for team captains Danny Hughes and Chad Wiggs.

Ronnie Adrian accepts the Meeting Quota Award for Cagles, Inc., Collinsville, for team captain, Glenn Stansell.

Team captains June White and Keshia Porter accept the Meeting Quota Award for Equity Group, Eufaula Division.

Team captain David Thompson accepts the Meeting Quota Award for Koch Foods of Ashland.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

Fred Cespedes’s last speech as president of AP&EA was just the kind of speech that he likes to give: short, simple and to the point. He thanked the Association for its support, he thanked Executive Director Johnny Adams for his work on behalf of the Association and he thanked the staff. Then he passed the gavel to incoming President John Pittard.

Before leaving the stage, Fred was presented with the bronze rooster, emblematic of successful leadership, and a reminder of his year as president.

He also received a scrapbook of memorable moments of the year and testimonial letters from many of Alabama’s elected officials. His lovely wife, Holly, received a Waterford crystal letter opener and a Kindle.

President John Pittard spoke briefly, challenging the Association to work to open better lines of communication between growers and processors and to work to increase membership. (The full text of his remarks can be read on pg. 3) Then it was time to get on with the fun. First there was the wine and cigar raffle, with more than 50 bottles of adult vintage beverage and some premium Caribbean island cigars.

The results of the silent auction, that had been held prior to the beginning of the program, were announced. Then it was time for the live auction.

Everyone was disapointed that there wasn’t a chainsaw chicken to bid on, but there were plenty of other goodies: there were the signed football helmets, the guns, the trips, original art plus some really special quilts from Denise Pittard.

All told, more than $30,000 was raised to help the good guys. And, everyone left as friends!

(Above) John Pittard gets the gavel, while (below) Fred Cespedes gets the bird and a scrapbook of memories.

(Below) Erika Rachal took home the cigars – the wine was shipped.

(Below) Happy quilt winners: Richard and Cathie Lusk and Fred and Holly Cespedes with Denise Pittard in the middle.

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John Denver sang that, “Some days are diamonds, some days are stones.” If Tuesday, July 20, 2010 were included in those lyrics, it would be a very hot stone.

Faced with high temps and swooning humidity, the intrepid poultry pros, clubs in hands, spent a lot of time around the water bucket, and played some great golf.

Yes, it was tough, but poultry guys, along with a few gals, are just as tough to get going – but once they’re going ... well they’re tough, as long as the refreshment cart is pretty close, and the golf cart is charged.

It was a great day on the Baytowne links as competition and shared misery drew friends closer, in a metaphysical way, of course.

1st Place went to the team of Adrian, Wilson, Outlaw and Worthy 2nd Place went to the team of Edmonson, Williams, Attwood and McBride 3rd Place went to the team of Pittard, Cespedes, Bowen and Sadler

Clostest to the Hole : Davis Lee and Scott Duchette

Despite the heat, everyone had a great time. The course was beautiful, and the refreshment cart was never far away. What more could you ask than to have good friends to share a round of golf on the warm side of paradise.

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Let’s do it again – next year!

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

John Pittard

Takes Charge

J

ohn Pittard, the new president of AP&EA, is a man with a lot on his mind. He is also president of AlaTrade Foods, with two plants and more than 1,500 employees. He and his wife, Denise, are in the process of building a new home on their new farm, all the while living out of a small rental house. And they are the adoptive parents of a 5-year-old ball of fire named Phoebe.

AlaTrade Foods, founded 10 years ago by Davis Lee, a further processing company, debones approximately 4 million chickens a week in its Albertville and Phenix City plants, under contract to Tyson Foods and Pilgrim’s Pride, for distribution to the food service industry. They have a third plant in Boaz that is currently shut down due to the economic downturn.

That downturn has cost AlaTrade a 40 percent drop in revenue and forced them to layoff a good portion of their workforce. John is hopeful that the worst of the recession is in the past.

John grew up on a poultry farm in Monticello, Ga., where he worked with his father. He must have liked the work, because, after high school, he enrolled at the University of Georgia to pursue a poultry science degree. He worked second shift in a local poultry processing plant to pay his way through school.

In 1979, upon graduation, he took a job with Spring Valley Foods in Gadsden. Spring Valley Foods was a division of Lane Poultry which would be purchased by Tyson Foods. It was while at Spring Valley Foods that he first met Davis Lee. Over the years, they became good friends.

When Tyson purchased Lane Poultry in 1986, John was plant manager

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(Above) John, Denise and Phoebe enjoy a quiet moment on their new farm. In the background is the new house, with Denise’s quilting room closest in view. To the left is Phoebe’s playground.

(Below) John and Denise at the AP&EA annual meeting, where John was elected president of the Association.

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(Above) AlaTrade Foods gets everything but the legs and thighs of the chicken.

They debone, trim and size the parts, sending them back to the source processor for sale.

(Below) John is an avid golfer, though his taste in shorts is somewhat questionable.

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and Davis was complex manager. The next year, Davis was put in over all charge of Tyson’s Alabama operation, and John transfered from Heflin to Gadsden as plant manager.

In 2000, Davis Lee started AlaTrade Foods and started talking to John about coming to work with him in the future. In 2006, Davis offered John the position of president of AlaTrade Foods and John accepted.

John and Denise met in 1990 while he was the plant manager in Gadsden. Denise had been transfered from Tyson Foods in Arkansas as personnel manager. She had been raised on her parents’ farm where they had laying houses in Lickskillet outside Waldron. She started working on the line at the Tyson plant in Waldren and worked her way up. She says that she even hung live chickens on the shackles. She worked for a time as a trainer, working with new employees. Eventually, she wound up in the front office.

When she was transfered to Alabama, she brought her three children.

Two years after meeting John, they were married. He had two children. The blending seems to have worked out well. All of the children still live nearby with families of their own. John and Denise have six grandchildren.

The afternoon that I met with John in his Boaz office, he invited me out to see the farm. Denise and Phoebe met us there.

They were excited and a little apprehensive because the next day would be Phoebe’s first day in kindergarten.

Observing Phoebe first hand, I see a bright well-adjusted little girl, certainly spoiled by love. Shy, in the wonderful way of little girls, looking up through her long eyelashes at a stranger. But also precocious, chattering like a magpie, telling stories to the minutest detail: about a favorite barn cat named De-con or a calf named Nosey Rosie. Then there is “the look,” so

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characteristic of little girls who have spent a lot of time with adults, a combination of charming and smug coyness, that says, “Yes, I’ve known that for some time already, thank you very much.”

Denise, as many in the Association know, is a quilter, a skill that she says was inspired by her great grandmother, Addie. Denise remembers sleeping under her quilting frame. Denise also remembers how her great grandmother made butter in a gallon jar. Those are obviously special memories for her.

Though Denise used to hand make all of her quilts, for her birthday last year, John gave her a new quilting machine. Still, she cuts the pieces out by hand. She is excited because a whole room of the new house will be dedicated to her quilting, with a special closet just for fabric.

For the last two years, she has used her talents to create beautiful Auburn and Alabama quilts that she has contributed for auction at the Association’s annual meeting. They are always popular.

Their favorite pastime together is golf, though with the new farm, new house, and Phoebe they have had little time to play. John claims that his game has really slipped because of all the fence building that he has had to do on the new place. They are also active at Beulah Baptist Church in Boaz.

The property is on the flyway for eagles heading to Lake Guntersville.

Denise says they observed one, fishing in their stock pond, just a few weeks ago. She points to a tree nearby, where, she says, the eagle went to rest and eat his catch. From that spot, he returned to the pond for second and third helpings until satisfied, and then flew away.

It is a place that they have been working on for the last three years, even selling their old home and moving into a rental house, just to be closer to the farm. They are not sure when they will be able to move in, but they are growing more exited.

John is excited about the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association. He has been active in the Association since 1985, having served on numerous committees. He has served on the board of directors since 1995. He believes that the Association is strong because it encourages the active participation of all elements of the industry. “In no other state poultry association, do you have participation by growers, processors and allied industries,” he says.

John’s goals for this year include increased communications between growers and industry and increasing membership. “New members mean fresh ideas,” John says, “and new energy.”

We welcome John Pittard as our Association president.

Alabama Poultry Magazine

(Above) Denise and two of her quilts.

Nosey Rosie, one of the herd of 25 black angus, has a special story. One evening, while John was off hunting, Denise and Phoebe took the pickup truck out to check on the cattle. They had a donkey that both Phoebe and John loved, however, on that evening Denise and Phoebe saw the donkey trying to kill a small calf.

They tried to chase the donkey off with the truck, but the donkey kept coming back. Denise pulled the truck to a stop and grabbed a 2x4 out of the back of the truck and swatted the donkey. Phoebe ran to the aid of the calf. Denise was able to scare the donkey away and the calf was saved. Phoebe named it Nosey Rosie. She has made John promise that Nosey Rosie has a home for life. Who could argue about that?

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Aran Cedillo and his brother, Brandon, have their hens tested for AI by Dr. Josh Bean of the Department of Agriculture.

11-year-old Madison Mosely of Union Grove wrestles with a Rhode Island Red that’s almost as big as she is herself.

Jacklyn Protz of Arab and showmanship judge, Scott Buffington, discuss techniques of showmanship.

Grand prize winner, Jada King, with successfull bidder, Stanley Sumners. Sumners is a broiler grower for Pilgrim’s Pride.

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BOAZ – Saturday, Aug.31 – Kids from all over Marshall County converged on the VFW Civic Center with their prized chickens. Some were brought in cages, while others were transported in cat and dog carriers. There were even some antique wooden chicken crates that went from decoration back to poultry delivery. In all, 29 enthusiastic kids showed up on Saturday afternoon to show off their chickens in a 4-H program called Chick Chain.

Dr. Lamar Nichols, state 4-H assistant director, had heard about the event, started in Tennessee, and had sent 4-H regional coordinators Amy Burgess of Marshall County and Danny Miller of DeKalb County to Tennessee to observe. They liked what they saw and decided to put on a similar event in their respective counties.

The Chick Chain project is designed to teach 4-H members recommended management practices for growing and raising chickens. Participation will help individuals develop poultry management skills, produce healthy chickens, develop an awareness for business management, develop record keeping skills and realize the pride of accomplishment.

To get involved, the kids and their parents were required to come to the Extension office on March 8 for training to prepare them to raise and take care of the pullets that they were about to receive. On April 7, they got their chicks and took them home to begin raising them. Students received 25 chicks which were 1 to 2-days-old. Included were five Barred Rock Plymouths, five Rhode Island Reds and 15 Black Sex Links.

The chicken enclosures ran the gamut from rustic minimalism to a contraption that looked like a modernistic railroad caboose. But, the kids that worked the hardest were rewarded with success.

At the Chick Chain Show and Auction, 29 participants, in three age classes, brought in five of their best pullets of a single breed. They were required to have their hens checked by Dr. Josh Bean of the Alabama Department of Agrculture and Industries for avian influenza before they went on display.

At 6:00 p.m. the judging began with Matt Camp and his father, David, the sanitation manager for Wayne Farms, Albertville, judging the birds, while Scott Buffington judged the students’ showmanship.

The grand prize winner was Jada King, 11, of Arab. She won for her Rhode Island Reds, but also finished first in breed for her Barred Rock Plymouths. She also displayed a cage of Black Sex Links as well.

After the judging, the birds were put up for auction. Jada King’s grand prize winning Rhode Island Red was purchased for $55 by Stanley Sumners, a grower for Pilgrim’s Pride, representing Marshall County Farmers Federation. Jada made an additional $250 when the rest of her pullets were auctioned. Other participants had very profitable nights as well.

DeKalb County’s Chick Chain was also a great success.

Amy Burgess shakes her head in wonder at the participation in the Marshall County 4-H Chick Chain program. “The kids have been so excited,” she says, “I’m already getting calls about next year.”

To see more Chick Chain photos, go to www.alabamapoultry.org.

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Allied Member News

Hubbard Signs Agreement With Granja Planalto For The Distribution Of Hubbard Flex Breeders

BRAZIL – Following the completion of the investment in it own farms and hatcheries, Hubbard has further strengthened its presence in the Brazilian market through the recently signed agreement with Granja Planalto for the production and distribution of the Hubbard FLEX parent stock package.

Hubbard breeders, since 2005 a subsidiary of Group Grimaud (the second largest multispecies breeding company in the world), has developed different products for various markets and has established many partnerships around the world, including Brazil.

Granja Planalto, one of the major parent stock distributors in Brazil, recently has terminated the distribution of a competitor’s product and has signed an agreement with Hubbard do Brasil for the pro-

duction and distribution of the Hubbard Flex Female and the Hubbard M99 Male, which have shown outstanding results in various companies in Brazil. With its long-time experience and technical knowledge Granja Planalto will continue to support its existing customers together with the Hubbard team and will also look for the possibilities to deliver new customers.

Since its foundation in 2007, Hubbard do Brasil, a subsidiary of Hubbard SAS in France, has invested in new farms and hatcheries in Goïas (Luziânia) in order to produce and supply Hubbard breeding stock for the local and for export markets.

The first Hubbard Flex females and Hubbard M99 males were placed in 2008 in Brazil. Since then this breeder package has demon-

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strated in various companies, producing for the domestic and export markets, its great technical advantages as a result of its unique breeding and genetic improvement program system.

The partnership between Hubbard and Granja Planalto, answers to the increased demand for the Hubbard Flex package in Brazil and also allows for export to Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia. Some, specified customers will continue to be supplied directly by Hubbard do Brasil.

Hubbard has committed itself in bringing the most advanced genetics to Brazil and confirms with this agreement its strategy to establish a strong base in South America and to contribute to the development of one of the most dynamic poultry industries in the world.

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47th Aviagen Production Management School Draws Students From Around the World

HUNTSVILLE – Aug. 13 – For more than four decades, poultry production experts from academia and industry have gathered to share their insights with production managers from around the world at the annual Aviagen Production Management School. The intensive four-week course, held this year from June 6 to July 2 in Huntsville, Ala., provides

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industry up-and-comers with the latest technical information and best management practices in the poultry production industry.

“The vision of the Aviagen School remains focused on helping the next generation of production managers prepare for success in the global poultry industry,” said Neal Scanlon, director of the school and

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vice president of Asia region, Aviagen. “The school is the perfect environment for learning from some of the leading educators and specialists in their field, while providing an atmosphere uniquely designed to encourage networking that helps participants establish lasting relationships.”

Starting in the late 1960s as the

Arbor Acres school in Connecticut, the School has grown dramatically in size and scope over the years.

Since it inception, more than 1,000 men and women from over 100 countries have successfully completed the Aviagen School.

This year the School welcomed 32 Aviagen customer participants from 19 countries and featured 41 speakers from academia and industry. Students encountered a rigorous pace of 53 classroom sessions, eight hands-on practical workshops or labs, and 10 live production facility visits, with weekly written exams over four consecutive weeks that culminated in a graduation dinner and ceremony. The breadth of topics covered during the course included nutrition, veterinary, hatchery operations, production and farm management tools and techniques.

Aviagen Expands Diversity of Its Genetic Pool with Purchase of Peterson Farms Male Genetic Line HUNTSVILLE – Aug, 17 — Aviagen today announced plans to purchase the “Peterson Male” broiler breeder genetic line from Peterson Farms, Decatur, Ark. As part of the agreement, Aviagen will also acquire use of the Peterson brand name for broiler breeder stock.

“Peterson has been an important male line breeder since 1959,” said Randall Ennis, CEO, Aviagen, Inc. “Acquiring the Peterson male line is a strategic move for Aviagen’s global business as it will increase the diversity of our genetic pool, and it supports our commitment to sustainability.”

The Peterson male was the gold standard for broiler breeder males worldwide for many years providing unmatched reproductive traits, supe-

Alabama Poultry Magazine

rior feed conversion and rapid growth.

“Lloyd Peterson introduced the Peterson male in 1954-55, and our primary emphasis has continued to be on the male line,” said Blake Evans, president, Peterson Farms.

“We’re pleased that Aviagen will preserve my grandfather’s legacy and that the Peterson male line will endure for the future.”

The acquisition builds on a shared history between the two companies. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, the poultry industry’s dominant broiler breeder paired the Peterson’s male with the Arbor Acres female line, an Aviagen brand that continues to be a leading global broiler breeder brand.

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Recipes

Today’s challenging economy leaves households of all types stretched thin. Everyone is short on time and tight on dollars, especially food dollars. When budget cuts eliminate frequent dining out, meal makers face a huge challenge—keep meals made with leftovers fresh and new. The chore of eggstending leftovers becomes incredibly easy with The incredible edible egg™. At 16¢ per serving, eggs can help eggstend last night’s dinner and food dollars — while saving both time and money.

Chicken and Broccoli Quiche (Yield: 6 servings)

1 (9-inch) refrigerated pie crust 6 eggs 1/2 cup skim milk 1/2 cup chopped onion or 2 tablespoons dry minced onion 1 1/2 teaspoons dried mustard

1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese 1 1/2 cups leftover grilled or roasted chicken, cut into small pieces

Unfold crust into a 9 to 10-inch deep-dish pie plate; flute edges of crust. In a large bowl beat together eggs and milk until blended. Add onion, mustard, salt and pepper; continue beating until combined. Stir in cheese, chicken and broccoli. Pour filling into crust. Bake in a pre-heated 425ºF oven for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 350ºF; continue baking until knife inserted in center comes out clean, or about 40-45 minutes.

Let cool for 5-10 minutes. Cut into 6 wedges and serve.

Italian Meatloaf Magic! (Yield: 4 servings) 4 (1/2- inch) slices of leftover meatloaf, heated 8 fried eggs* (fried in non-stick skillet) 1 1/3 cups spaghetti or marinara sauce, heated 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Warm meatloaf using your preferred method. According to USDA guidelines, reheated foods must reach an internal temperature of 165ºF or until hot and steamy. Place 1 slice of meatloaf on each dinner plate. Top each piece with 2 fried eggs* and 1/3 cup sauce. Sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.

Place in the microwave for 30-60 seconds to melt cheese.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

All American Meatloaf 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef 1 1/2 cups soft breadcrumbs (plain or Italian style) 3 eggs, beaten 1/2 cup tomato ketchup 1/4 cup skim milk 1 tablespoon dried minced onion 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/3 cup tomato ketchup Combine ground beef, breadcrumbs, eggs, ketchup, milk, onion, salt and pepper in a large bowl and mix completely. Place meatloaf mixture in an 8 X 4-inch loaf pan and shape to fit the pan. Bake meatloaf in a preheated 375ºF oven for 50 minutes. Remove from oven and drain any grease. Drizzle remaining 1/3 cup of ketchup down top of meatloaf and return to oven for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes before removing to serving platter. *Heat two teaspoons butter in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Break eggs and slip, one at a time, into pan. Immediately reduce heat to low. Cover and cook slowly until whites are completely set and yolks begin to thicken but are not hard, about 5 to 6 minutes. Continue as above.

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Auburn Happenings

Front row: Aleah Lovvorn, Candace Biggerstaff, Sara Abbie Adcock, Bailey Hall and Dr. Roger Lien. Back row: Caleb Hopper, Andy Goldman, Isaac Howard and Logan Laney.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

Dr. Conner and Rollo entertain at the BBQ!

Craftmaster

Alabama Poultry Magazine

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Practical Applications

Tunnel Ventilating Younger Birds

By Jim Donald, Jess Campbell, Berry Lott and Gene Simpson*

One old rule of thumb said, “Do not tunnel ventilate birds until they are 21 days old.” But experience has taught us that if we understand the basic principles of bird heat transfer when using tunnel ventilation and apply these principles correctly, tunnel can be a very valuable tool to make any age bird comfortable. The key point to keep in mind is that just about anything you do to increase air movement or reduce air temperature will have greater effect on young birds than on older birds.

The summer has been brutally hot in most parts of the poultry belt. Growers with properly designed and maintained tunnel ventilated houses are much better equipped to handle the hot weather. Those with conventional houses can really struggle, especially as the flock nears market age. Tunnel ventilation technology has matured and been used in the U.S. poultry belt for about 25 years. Most growers and managers have a pretty good feel of how to manage tunnel houses as birds get bigger. However, many growers and managers are less sure of how to keep small younger birds comfortable in extremely hot weather. Many of the calls we have been getting lately are from growers asking something like, “If the temperature is at or above 98-100°F outside and birds are only a few days old, what is the best way to get them comfortable in a tunnel house that has 6-inch cool cell pads?”

Tunnel ventilation for very young birds does need to be managed differently from the way we tunnel ventilate older birds. This is why one of the old rules of thumb, “Do not tunnel ventilate birds until they are 21 days old,” came into being. This rule of thumb has been around a long time. It came about to keep managers from doing more harm than good with tunnel ventilation on small birds and it came about before we had in place the modern equipment and controls to run a tunnel house. It also came about in an era when the industry was still early on in the learning curve of understanding and managing tunnel ventilation. But experience has taught us that if we understand the basic principles of bird heat transfer when using tunnel ventilation and apply these principles correctly, tunnel can be a very valuable tool to make any age bird comfortable.

Tunnel Basics – Applied to Younger vs Older Birds

Whatever the age, any bird that is panting is too warm. Panting is the natural mechanism birds use to rid themselves of excess deep body heat. When a bird gets too warm, it will also cut way back on its eating – because burning more calories makes the problem worse by adding more body heat – and consequently weight gain will suffer. There are lots of other problems that pop up when birds are hot and stay hot. The worst case of course is that extreme heat increases mortalities.

Seeing lots of panting birds is the symptom that tells you the birds are out of their comfort zone and if possible something needs to be done to correct the situation.

There are two basic tools that are designed into a tunnel house with cool cells: 1) Putting an airstream directly over the birds to pick up and remove body heat (wind chill); and 2) Lowering the actual temperature of house air.

The house air temperature can often be lowered by just bringing in cooler air from outside. If this is not sufficient or possible (extreme hot weather, outside air temperature higher than inside target temperature) the cool cells are there to lower the incoming air temperature by evaporative cooling. It is really pretty basic.

A good tunnel ventilation management strategy generally is to use air movement and wind chill first, staging on various combinations of fans and air inlets, and turning on cool cells last. Actually the principles of tunnel ventilation for big birds and small birds are the same: Use the tunnel tools to balance the bird heat loss so as to keep the birds in their comfort zone. With big birds the mass to surface area ratio and R value of the

*Berry Lott is a retired poultry research scientist, formerly with the USDA-ARS Poultry Research Unit, Mississippi State Universsity. All other authors are with the National Poultry Technology Center at Auburn University.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

Figure 1. Heat Loss to Wind Chill vs Respiration at Different Wind Speeds – 5 lb Birds at 85°F Figure 1 is based on research showing how important wind chill is in keeping birds comfortable and gaining weight. At an air temperature of 85°F, 5-pound birds will be suffering from excess body heat in still air and will have to be panting to shed that excess heat (left side of chart). As wind speed increases (toward right side of chart), they are able to shed enough of their body heat through wind chill so that they can resume normal breathing (and eating).

bird’s surface are dramatically different from small birds that lack feathers or are not yet fully feathered. This is what makes managing tunnel ventilation on smaller birds a more demanding and less forgiving task.

Figure 1 is based on research showing how important wind chill is in keeping birds comfortable and gaining weight. At an air temperature of 85°F, 5-pound birds will be suffering from excess body heat in still air and will have to be panting to shed that excess heat (left side of chart). As wind speed increases (toward right side of chart), they are able to shed enough of their body heat through wind chill so that they can resume normal breathing (and eating). For birds at three weeks and older, research shows that the wind chill effect typically does not begin to result in improved weight gain or feed efficiency until wind speed gets over 200 feet per minute.

The response of younger birds to tunnel air is very different. Figure 2 illustrates research showing just how differently younger birds experience wind chill cooling.

At an air temperature of 90°F, the effective temperature felt by four-week birds as tunnel wind speed increases will be 3 to 8 degrees lower than the effective temperature experienced by mature birds. The effect is even more pronounced for 1-day to 3-week birds because of their smaller body size and lack of feathers.

The most important principle to keep in mind in

Figure 2. Wind Chill Effects for 4-Week and 7-Week Birds Figure 2 illustrates research showing just how differently younger birds experience wind chill cooling. At an air temperature of 90°F, the effective temperature felt by 4-week birds as tunnel wind speed increases will be 3 to 8 degrees lower than the effective temperature experienced by mature birds. The effect is even more pronounced for 1-day to 3-week birds because of their smaller body size and lack of feathers.

ventilating younger birds is that just about anything you do to increase air movement or reduce air temperature will have greater effect on young birds than on older birds. One-week birds in 98°F air will benefit from some wind chill cooling, but they don’t need nearly as much air movement or wind chill as larger birds, and if you overdo it you will chill them, which is as bad as or worse than overheating.

Tunnel Ventilation Strategies for Younger Birds

In managing tunnel ventilated houses (with perimeter vent doors) we always set ventilation programs to start out in the power ventilation vent door mode. As house temperature increases, more fans are turned on in an effort to cool the house off by bringing in outside air.

In the vent door mode there is no wind chill cooling placed on the birds and no tunnel effect. If we can get the house near the desired target temperature, the birds will be comfortable. This works well if it is cooler outside than we want it to be inside. But in hot weather, turning on more and more fans does not lower the inhouse temperature much and somewhere around 5 to 7 degrees F above target most ventilation controller programs will change the house to the tunnel mode of ventilation. This now puts a direct air stream across the birds and greatly accelerates the heat loss from the birds.

If this direct airflow does not sufficiently reduce the deep body bird heat, the last step is to bring on the evap-

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orative cooling (cool cells) and reduce the air temperalture. Most of the time with larger birds after two weeks of age, the controller can handle this with very little grower intervention. Very young birds (day old to 2 weeks) require a slightly different strategy and closer management.

First, run vent fans through perimeter inlets (tunnel curtain closed). Tunnel should be the last resort. Try to get the birds comfortable in the vent door ventilation mode. If you cannot get the birds comfortable (still panting) consider tunnel ventilation. With very young birds tunnel needs to be done carefully. You need to be there on the farm to observe the birds. If the birds are hot they can benefit from tunnel but because they are young, very small in mass, and have few feathers, we must tunnel them gently. Two-fan tunnel ventilation with vent doors closed and tunnel inlet opened half way would be a good starting point.

Windspeed with two fan tunnel might be somewhere around 100-120 fpm depending on fan size and other variables. Watch the birds for at least 30 to 45 minutes to see how they react. Adding one more fan for a total of three fan tunnel (150-180 fpm wind speed) might be the next step to try. Adding any more air speed (more fans) probably will not help much. If the birds continue to be very hot, a good tip is to cut back from three fans to two fans and consider putting a small amount of water on the pads. A good practice has been to add water to one side of the cool cells (not both sides) and this water should be limited and not continuous.

Some cool cell systems have been installed so that only the first half of the system can be used. This might be an option on some farms. We like to call it tempering the air. Try to regulate the water to the pad to maintain the desired incoming air temperature. You don’t want to see birds sitting down or crowding together, which they will do when they feel chilled. Also, you don’t want to let the house get cool enough to yo-yo out of tunnel.

Consistent, correct temperature is the key. Find the right combination to get the bird heat balance correct so birds are back in their comfort zone, not too warm and not chilled. As evening approaches and outside air temperature drops, get the house back into the vent door power mode of ventilation.

In determining if you are close to the right temperature heat balance combination for a young flock, it is important to realize is that if you cool it off to the point where there are no birds panting at all, you have probably gone too far for the flock as a whole. At the point where 5-10 percent of birds are panting or close to panting you are pretty close to the right temperature and heat

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balance.

One of the old rules of thumb for tunnel management that is still good to know is, “For about 10 degrees F of wind chill cooling turn on the number of tunnel fans equal to bird age in weeks, plus one fan.” For example, 2-week-old birds need about three tunnel fans in tunnel to feel 10 degrees F of wind chill cooling.

Four-week old birds need five fans. Fan sizes have changed so much in the past 10 years that some modifications of this rule might be necessary to fit some farms.

The take-home point on making young small birds comfortable is that you need to observe birds closely and tweak the air flow (ventilation) and if necessary the air temperature (by cool cell) just enough to get the birds comfortable.

The Bottom Line

Birds that are not kept comfortable at the beginning of a growout will not get off to a good start. Flocks that do not start well typically do not finish well. Research has consistently shown that lowered weight gain and feed efficiency in the first weeks cannot be made up in later weeks. Used judiciously, tunnel ventilation and evaporative cooling when needed can help flocks get off to a good start even in extremely hot weather.

Calendar of Events

Allied Golf Tournament Grower Seminars Cullman and Boaz Troy and New Brockton

Ala. Poultry Industry Workshop Auburn University Hotel and Conference Center

AP&EA Christmas Open-house AP&EA Winter Board Meeting

Oct 7

Oct 18 Oct 19

Nov 9 - 10 Dec 1 Dec 2

ADVERTISING INDEX AirTight Agrifan Alabama Ag/Alabama Farm Credit Alltech American Proteins Auvil Insurance Aviagen Burch Corporation Craftmaster First Financial Bank First South Farm Credit Slawson Shavings

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