Alabama Poultry, March/April 2008

March/April 2008 – VOL. 3 NO. 2

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

Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Montgomery, AL Permit No. 796

Board of Directors Officers Jack Sherwood, President, Enterprise* Ken Taylor, Vice President, Anniston* Fred Cespedes, Treasurer, Hanceville* Wendell Shelton, Secretary, Boaz* Ricky Walker, Immediate Past President, Snead* Directors Johnny Adcock, Woodland Ronnie Adrian, Collinsville George Attwood, Anniston Dale Carroll, Boaz Roger Chappell, Cullman Gary Davis, Montgomery Melissa Durbin, Birmingham Randall Ennis, Huntsville Tim Esslinger, Eufaula Dale Gambrill, Snead Harold Hunt, Gadsden Spence Jarnagin, Huntsville* Ted Lankford, Athens Richard Lusk, Huntsville Dennis Maze, Horton Todd McMahen, Dothan John Pittard, Guntersville* Tom Powell, Montgomery John Roberts, Cullman Kenneth Sanders, Brundidge Roddy Sanders, Gordo Taylor Steele, Albertville Phyllis Thomas, Russellville Mike Tamimi, Enterprise Stanley Usery, Athens Mack Watson, Pineapple Advisors Dr. Don Conner, Auburn University James Donald, Auburn University Dr. Joe Hess, Auburn University Dr. Tony Frazier, Montgomery Troy Newton, Montgomery Perry Oakes, Auburn

*Executive Committee Members

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

Alabama Poultry 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 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

We have great news to report to you concerning the upcoming “Evening Executive Director’s MESSAGE

of Fun” event. In recent days it was announced that our headline entertainer Kellie Pickler had won three CMT awards for Breakthrough Video of the Year, CMT Music Awards Performance of the Year and CMT Tearjerker Video of the Year. The response to our selected entertainment has been overwhelming and the younger members of our industry family seemed to particularly excited about the “Evening of Fun” this year. Joining Ms. Pickler in entertaining you, will be up and coming country superstar Jake Owen, who was also nominated for the Breakthrough Video of the Year “Startin With Me.” In addition to a solid entertainment package, we are also taking added steps in making the event more intimate and acoustically friendly. We are moving the stage forward and draping off the back and sides of the staging area in order to get a better sound. We are also making changes on the floor in front of the stage in an effort to accommodate the many young attendees that like to gather at the base of the stage. The middle floor row will be moved back and protected by railing and security so that they will have a good view of the entertainment as well.

We also have added entertainment during the pre-performance segment of the concert. Bridgette Tatum will entertain our guests as they enter the concert arena and after the introductions and presentation segment of the program.

Don’t forget the after-concert dance party featuring the show band Escalade. It will be held in the Sheraton Hotel ballroom.

As always we plan for this event to be family-friendly and we encourage you to bring the kids. Their admission is free while attending with an adult. This is a great way to support the many programs of AP&EA while having a little fun.

I look forward to seeing you there.

FEATURING

THIS MONTH

Governmental Affairs Evening of Fun CAFO Corner Association News Dean Strickland – A Man for All Seasons Recipes Membership News Faculty Profile Best Management Practices Practical Applications Coming Events/Chicken Dreamz Alabama Poultry

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Governmental Affairs National Chicken Council Commends Texas Governor for Filing First Request for Waiver of National Renewable Fuel Standard

Richard L. Lobb National Chicken Council 202 296 2622 rlobb@chickenusa.org

Texas Governor Rick Perry is to be congratulated for filing the first request for a waiver of the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce the amount of corn being used to produce ethanol, the National Chicken Council said today.

“Governor Perry is absolutely correct that ethanol demand is a major factor in increasing the cost of food production,” said NCC President George Watts. “It is time for Washington to pay attention to what is going on and grant some relief from the unrealistic demands of the ethanol program.”

Under the current RFS, nine billion gallons of ethanol are required to be added to motor gasoline this year. The amount rises every year until it tops out at 15 billion gallons – roughly ten percent of the motor gasoline supply – in the year 2015.

Approximately 97 percent of the ethanol in the United States is distilled from corn, which would otherwise be used to make feed for livestock and poultry, or food products.

“While many other factors affect the price of corn, I need only to look 4

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at skyrocketing grocery prices to know that granting a waiver of RFS levels is the right thing to do,” Perry wrote in a letter to EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. He asked Johnson to reduce the mandate by 50 percent. While the request came from the governor of Texas, any relief granted would apply nationwide.

“While the RFS was a well-intentioned policy,” Perry wrote, “it has had the unintentional consequence of harming segments of our agriculture industry and contributing to higher food prices. Corn prices are up 138 percent globally over the past three years and global food prices have increased 83 percent over the same time period, in part because of the artificial economic forces created by the RFS.” Higher corn prices have already cost the Texas economy more than $1 billion, and if corn goes to $8 per bushel as some predict, the negative impact would be $3.6 billion, Perry told Johnson.

Watts noted that a recent study

by FarmEcon LLC, an economics consulting firm, estimated that the ethanol program is adding unnecessary costs of $25 billion per year to the food production industry nationwide. The nation’s ethanol distilleries are expected to pull a third of the nation’s corn crop out of food and animal feed usage in the coming Alabama Poultry

year and sent into the liquid fuel channel, where its use is heavily subsidized by a federal tax credit available to fuel blenders.

The EPA administrator is authorized by the federal Clean Air Act to grant waivers from the RFS based on economic or environmental harm.

Perry’s request is believed to be the first official request filed under this provision of the law.

The National Chicken Council represents integrated chicken producer-processors, the companies that produce, process and market chickens. Member companies of NCC account for approximately 95 percent of the chicken sold in the United States.

Kellie Kellie Pickler Pickler

Jake Jake Owen Owen

American Idol sweetheart, Kellie Pickler still can’t believe how her life has changed since she first stood in line with 10 thousand other Idol hopefuls in Greensboro, NC. For a small town girl, abandoned by her own mother and with a father who was in and out of prison as he struggled with drugs and alcohol, she has come a long way. Kellie credits her grandmother for raising her and putting her on the right course.

"My grandmother and I would bake cakes, plant flowers in the spring and bulbs in the fall. She loved daffodils, and they are my favorite flower too, they are so sunny and cheerful. We would sit on the swing on the front porch, and I would just sing my heart out. ‘Jesus Loves Me,’ ‘Amazing Grace.’ I loved to sing. When I was a little older, my grandparents bought me a little boom box, and I sang along with LeAnn Rimes, Shania, Faith, Tammy Wynette, and especially Dolly Parton.”

The journey that took Kellie Pickler where she came from to where she is today is one of beating the odds, digging down deep, holding onto dreams, and testifying to the enduring power one person's love can have. Even before she made it to the finals of the fifth season of American Idol, one of the most influential televised talent shows ever, signed a contract with 19 Recordings/BNA Records, criss-crossed the country with the American Idols Live! Tour 2006, Kellie triumphed over what could have easily been her destiny.

Kellie writes many of her own songs, in fact she co-wrote five songs on her debut album Small Town Girl, including the title cut, and the first single, “Red High Heels.” The two most poignant and deeply personal songs are “I Wonder” and “My Angel,” written respectively about her mother and her grandmother, who died while she was in high school.

Kellie won three CMT Awards: USA Weekend Breaththrough Video of the Year for "I Wonder,” Performance of the Year for "I Wonder" on the 41st Annual CMA Awards and Tearjerker Video of the Year for "I Wonder."

Not many people would consider a debilitating waterskiing accident, requiring major surgery and ruining a much anticipated career, a blessing. Jake Owen does, oh yes, he does!

From the age of 12, all Jake wanted to do was to play golf, and he was good, very good. Good enough to consider being a walk-on for the golf team at Florida State University, where he was in school, and then a career as a pro golfer. But a waterskiing accident and reconstructive surgery put an end to those dreams. Hurt and depressed, he turned to something else he loved, music. He borrowed a guitar and taught himself to play.

It wasn’t long before he was on the entertainment bill at a Florida State campus bar called Pot Belly’s playing the guitar and singing. Once he found that girls liked guys with guitars a lot more than guys with golf clubs, he was hooked.

He started a band called Yee Haw Junction. They played classic country tunes from Waylon Jennings, Merle Haggard and other established country artists. But Jake wanted more so he started writing his own songs.

There was only one thing left to do –– go to Nashville.

That’s just what he did –– left school, packed-up and headed north. He struggled some and wrote a lot of songs. He also met some good people who became good friends. They helped him along and validated the choices that he had made. One friend was producer Jimmy Ritchey. Ritchey got him together with a vice president for SonyBMG, who signed him.

Less than two years after moving to Nashville, the 24-year old former golfer had a recording deal and basically brought a finished album to the table... Startn’ With Me. Jake was nominated for CMT Awards Breakthrough Video of the Year for “Startn’ With Me.” Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex 7:30 pm – Program and Show – Coliseum Featuring Jake Owen and Kellie Pickler 9:00 pm – Dance – Sheraton Ballroom, featuring the show and dance band “Escalade.

To see all the fun from last year’s “Evening of Fun” go to www.alabamapoultry.org

CAFO Corner Good Farmers Ought to be Great Neighbors In the past, rural communities were primarily agricultural. Now, more and more new people are moving to the country; there are new houses and whole subdivisions.

Many of these people are from more urban areas and are not accustomed to farming. Being a good neighbor can go a long way to reducing complaints and increasing understanding from those who live in the area near your farm.

There are a few simple things that you can do that go a long way toward this goal. Probably the most important thing you can do is talk to your neighbors. Make sure you’re on friendly terms with them. Let them know that if they have a concern, they can always come to you.

If they do bring up any issues, listen to them and talk about it. Putting yourself in their shoes and having a good working relationship lets them know that you understand their concerns. This in turn should help them be understanding of you and your farming practices.

Appearances are everything.

Make sure your farm is clean and well kept from the outside. Keeping the place well mowed and free of trash piles is not only good housekeeping practice, but also leaves a good impression on the neighbors.

If you use temporary storage for the litter, make sure it’s completely covered up with plastic; this also helps with dust and odor. People often assume that if the surroundings are sloppy – then you and your practices are too. Don’t let them get that idea.

Keeping a clean farm will help.

Land application is one of the biggest issues of concerned neighbors. They not only dislike the odor, but also worry about disease. Try 6

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not to spread on weekends or around major holidays, or near homes or churches. Also avoid spreading litter when the wind is up – wind only increases the range of the odor and the dust. With land application, there is naturally going to be some odor; but minimize it as much as possible by making sure the litter is completely dry and properly composted. You also might consider asking the neighbors to let you know if they have a special event coming up at their home so you can not spread in the field near them before the occasion.

Along with land application, odor is a common complaint of neighbors. Correct mortality management, proper litter storage, and courteous land application practices go a long way to reducing odor – as well as odor complaints.

Out of sight is out of mind. The less that neighbors can see your farm, the less objectionable it will be to them. If you have the room, planting fast-growing trees will not only shield your farm from view, they will also provide a buffer to dissipate odors between you and your neighbors.

Another way to be a good neighbor is to keep the fly population down on your farm. Not only will

the neighbors appreciate your efforts, but it will make it much more pleasant for you as well. There’s no better way to keep flies away than proper sanitation. For secondary treatment, there are many types of insecticides on the market. The best thing to do is ask your integrator before you have a problem.

You may also want to consider inviting your neighbors to an open house so that they can walk around with you and see your farm, see the good work you are doing, and see the biosecurity measures you take every day.

Never be afraid to ask for help.

If you think you may have some sort of problem that the neighbors might object to, go to your local district conservationist, extension agent, or ask your integrator. The neighbors will be appreciative of the fact that you headed off a concern before it became serious.

Even if after all of your best efforts your neighbor is still not satisfied, you will be able to sleep better at night knowing that you did the very best that you could do to be a good neighbor. When it comes right down to it, isn’t that what being a farmer in Alabama today is all about?

Contact Information: ADEM: 334-394-4311 SWCD: 334-242-2622 www.swcc.state.al.us

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Association News

Association News

Bridgette Tatum joins “Evening of Fun”

Once again that Top Gun of the omelet world, Howard Helmer, was back at the burners to kick off AP&EA’s annual Media and Legislative Omelet Breakfast. To oohs and aahs from appreciative onlookers, Howard, manning two skillets, showed why he is in the Guinness Book of World Records for making the world’s fastest omelet.

Even the small chefs enjoyed Howard’s creations.

The three branches of Alabama government mingled freely with the poultry pros on the east lawn of the capitol. It was a fest of industry gratitude to those elected folk who make laws that insure the Alabama poultry industry will have the opportunity to continue to prosper.

Inside the big tent, omelet cooks flipped over 500 omelets for hungry guests. Those cooks represented poultry and allied industry companies; faculty and staff from Auburn University poultry science department, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, and AP&EA board members and staff.

This annual event is sponsored by the Heavy PennyA-Hen Committee and Alabama’s egg producers through state support funding from the American Egg Board.

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For more photos of the Omelet Breakfast, please visit our website at www.alabamapoultry.org

Just when you thought it could not get any better, we up the fun!

We have just added a new and talented addition to our “Evening of Fun” line-up. She is nationally know Nashville recording star Bridgette Tatum.

Bridgette Tatum

This South Carolina vocalist serves up a brand of country music that is both unsettling in its vulnerability and downright raucous to the core. She’s a beautiful brunette who has modeling gigs to her credit, yet she’s also a tough chick who survived a vicious attack. She’s polite and soft-spoken with a honeysoaked Southern drawl, yet she’s quick to stand up for what she believes and call things just the way she sees them.

Connecting with people and making them feel every nuance of a great lyric is an art, and it’s one that Bridgette has perfected. She started writing songs when she was only 13-years-old and she spent a lot of time in her room soaking up music

that moved her. She cites a variety of influences including Trisha Yearwood, Wynonna, Buck Owens, Patty Loveless, Elvis Presley and Garth Brooks. “I listened as hard as I could to every single break in his voice, hoping to one day be able to put that much into music,” she says. “Garth was a massive influence.”

She also has a reputation for a fiery stage presence and a powerful, sultry voice.

Bridgette will be oppening our performance. In fact, she will take to the stage as the doors are oppening, so don’t be late. We’ll also get to see Bridgette again after all of the recognitions and announcements have been made.

Hey, you gotta be there!

“Evening of Fun” Grower Seminar to Feature Mike Roden Before the fun begins at the “Evening of Fun,” there is some business that must be dealt with.

First, officers for the year must be elected and AP&EA’s Farm Family of the Year will be presented. Then it’s seminar time.

This year’s grower seminar will be presented by Mike Roden. Mike is the NRCS-RC&D coordinator for Alabama’s Mountains Rivers and Valleys Resource Conservation & Development Council (RC&D).

After 19 years in that position, he has extensive experience dealing with animal agriculture issues, especially as related to poultry. He is currently coordinating Section 9006 Energy Efficiency Assistance for farmers in Alabama.

Mike is a three-time Alabama’s

Coordinator of the Year, two-time Southeastern Coordinator of the Year, 2004 National Coordinator of the Year and National NRCS Environmental Justice Award Winner.

He holds a BS from Auburn University’s College of Agriculture, with 10 years as district conservationist with USDA-NRCS in Sumter and Cullman counties.

The topic of his presentation will be: On-Farm Energy Efficiency Items of discussion will be: •Why you should be concerned with energy efficiency?

•What assistance is available?

•What is the Section 9006 Grant Program?

•Do I qualify?

Alabama Poultry

Mike Roden at a grower seminar in 2007

•What is the process?

•Do I need an on-farm energy audit?

•What can I do to make this run smoother?

•Who do I contact?

This will be an important seminar that you will not want to miss.

The program begins at 5:00 pm, on Saturday, June 7 in the Birmingham Ballroom at the Sheraton Birmingham. A picnic supper will be served to those attending the meeting.

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Association News 2008 Arab Chamber of Commerce Outstanding Citizen of Achievment Award

Jerrel Smalley

(Above) Dan Smalley presents his father, Jerrel Smalley, with the Arab Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Citizen of Achievement Award.

(Above) Jerrel Smalley shares his award with his wife, Louise. They have been married for 62 years

Dan Smalley quotes his father: “He has said, ‘God has blessed me more than anyone I know,’ so in return, he gives back each day a little of what God has given him, which is the ability, knowledge and heart to help others.”

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For more than 25 years, Dan Smalley has had the pleasure of presenting the Arab Chamber of Commerce’s Outstanding Citizen of Achievement Award. As special as each recipient had been over the years, to Dan, this was the most special of all. The award went to the man Dan had always known as “Daddy.” The award went to Jerrel Smalley.

Dan made the following remarks as he spoke of his father: “What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘Outstanding.’ According to Webster’s Dictionary it is one who ‘stands out from a group’ or is ‘marked by distinction.’ The person that has been chosen as our ‘Outstanding Citizen’ for 2008 is both of these things.

“Let me just give you a sampling of the things that makes him ‘stand out from the group’ in his service to our community.

“He was a volunteer fireman; was a charter member of both the Lions and Civitan Clubs and was the first chairman of Arab’s Park and Recreation Board which during his tenure accomplished the following: • Bought the original land for and established Arab’s first city park • Built the park’s first baseball field • Built the Community Center • Built the first park pavilion • Built current swimming pool “He has over the years served on many boards that helped enhance his community as well as the state of Alabama, here are just a few: • Past-president and director emeritus, Marshall County Farmers Federation • Past-board member Alabama Farmers Federation • Past advisory board member for National Chicken Council • Numerous roles in Soil and Water Conservation “He has served for a number of years on the Alabama Water Resource Commission which has been involved in the ‘water wars’ with Georgia and Florida for over 20 years. This is one of numerous state agencies he has been appointed to by several Alabama governors.

“He was the driving force in developing the Lola Boyd Outdoor Education and Wildlife Area.

“Jerrel Smalley has also been successful as a Arab business man, While operating a grain and feed business he also owned and operated several service stations in and around Arab. Over the years he owned and operated Arab’s first wrecker service; owned a livestock auction barn; owned and operated a successful cattle, poultry and hog farm for 40 years and established Shady Acres subdivision on the site of his first farm.”

Dan closed by saying, “Our citizen gives of himself all that is humanly possible, never asking for anything in return. He has even gone around the world to such places as Uganda and the West Indies to help those who are less fortunate. He takes time each day to make life a little easier for someone by doing a good deed, spreading a little laughter or just giving words of wisdom to someone who needs it.”

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March/April 2008

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Association News

Lindsey

Whitney Kristie

The Graves Triplets Have Really Grown-up When I first met Wayne Graves of Rainsville at a Marshall County Poultry & Egg Association meeting, he told me about his triplet girls who had appeared on the cover of the Alabama Poultry Magazine 16 years ago. He said that the girls were really pretty now and suggested that I might want to do a follow-up story.

To tell you the truth, looking at Wayne, I was a little skeptical. You see, his wife, Linda, wasn’t with him at the time and, well, it’s hard to look at a big tough looking guy like Wayne and expect him to have three beautiful daughters.

One day I was in Boaz doing a story on Dean Strickland and had some time left in the day, so I drove over to Rainsville in hopes of getting a picture of Wayne’s daughters. I called Wayne to make sure it would be okay to come by, and he said it would. Of course, driving around on Sand Mountain, I got lost. When I finally found the house, it was close 12

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to sunset.

Wayne met me at the door of his and Linda’s beautiful home on Sand Mountain’s crest. He brought me in and introduced me to four of the prettiest ladies that I have ever seen in one family. Meeting Linda, I could see where the three girls got their beauty.

Sixteen years have been put to good use, as you can see. The girls are juniors at Plainview High School in Rainsville, where they are cheerleaders. All three want to attend the University of Alabama and be cheerleaders there as well.

All three of the girls are interested in pursuing a career in child care, after their schooling. But for now, when not in school, they like horseback riding, water sports and Alabama Poultry

playing basketball around the house.

Wayne is still a broiler producer for Pilgrim’s Pride and Linda continues to teach English and psychology.

They are active in the Rainsville community, especially at Plainview High.

I couldn’t resist asking Wayne the question, “What about boys?”

He rolls his eyes and growls. He stands up and he is big and mean looking, just the way any daddy of three beautiful girls should be. Boys better beware!

Dean Strickland –

A Man For All Seasons

(Above) Dean and Jan are standing at the front door of the playhouse that Dean built for his granddaughter, Jordan. Her proud grandparents are excited about her August wedding in Jamaica.

The playhouse is just another attraction in a yard that rivals Callaway Gardens and Bellingrath Gardens for breathtaking color and floral abundance.

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Dean Strickland talks when he is excited – and he is excited most of the time. This 72-year-old grandfather and AP&EA Hall of Famer is excited about his granddaughter’s August wedding in Jamaica.

He is excited about his azaleas and his cherry blossoms. He is excited about Jan, his wife of 52 years, and their home together. But, the thing that excites him the most, and the things he talks about the most is helping others.

In fact, you could say that, since retiring from Gold Kist in 1992, he has built a second career out of being a helping hand. Not that he wasn’t active in his church and community while building Gold Kist’s Boaz facility into a top producer; it’s just that now he has more time on his hands. And time is not something that Dean Strickland is about to waste.

This drive took shape early in his life while growing up on a farm in Marshall County. Dean was one of nine children of Raymond and Ruby Strickland, and all of the children had work to do on the farm. At 8 years of age, Dean’s responsibilities increased when his father went off to World War II. He proved to be a most competent farmer and one who was respected by his neighbors. Dean recalls traveling by bicycle to neighboring farms to castrate litters of pigs.

After his father returned home in 1946, the family moved to a larger farm in DeKalb County. As an FFA student at Geraldine High School, Dean began raising corn. In the fall he noticed a large pile of cotton burrs outside a local cotton processing facility. He was granted permission to take them, and he began moving them to his corn field, where he began to plow them Alabama Poultry

under the soil. The decomposing cotton burrs created a rich sub-strata. He planted as he normally would that spring, but at harvest, he struck gold. The yield was spectacular at over 120 bushels per acre, where the average was just 26 bushels per acre. This feat earned him honors from Auburn University and a spot on a radio farm broadcast where he got to share his growing excitement.

After high school, Dean entered the business world with the Cotton Producers Association as assistant manager of the CPA store in Geraldine. It was in Geraldine that he began to study the poultry business. He rose to higher and more responsible positions in the company. In 1965 he moved to Rainsville as manager of the Rainsville Broiler Agency, the poultry wing of the Cotton Producers Association. Here he was responsible for setting up broiler growing operations. He was able to share the knowledge with his growers that would help them become more successful.

Over the years, CPA changed its name to Gold Kist and Dean continued to grow with the company as poultry processing became more and more important. He continued to give freely of his time to his growers, helping them in any way that he could.

During this time, Dean also became increasingly active in the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, becoming president in 1989. He stressed the importance of the organizational strength of the industry working together through AP&EA. He encouraged participation in the Alabama Poultry Foundation scholarship program through endowed scholarships in memory of family or company names. To show his own support he donated funds for a Dean Strickland scholarship.

By the time of his retirement from Gold Kist in 1992, he had built an operation that produced 2.3 million birds a week and had been selected for the Alabama Poultry Hall of Fame. He had also become Alabama poultry’s unofficial ambassador to Washington, D. C., having started the highly successful Alabama Congressional Chickenfest. The Chickenfest was a popular summertime event for a number of years, with political leaders from each party snacking happily on grilled Alabama chicken.

In 1992, with retirement only a short way off, Dean received a phone call that was to change his life. It was from a representative of VOCA (Volunteer Overseas Cooperative Association). The VOCA vision is, “A world in which people are empowered to succeed in the global economy.”

The caller told Dean that his name had been brought to their attention because of his activities in Washington, D. C., and that they were aware of his volunteer activities on behalf of those less fortunate than himself. They knew that he was nearing retirement and wanted to know if he would be willing to participate in a month long program in Africa.

Dean was intrigued, but asked that they call him after he had been retired for at least six months, and they agreed. The six months had barely passed when the phone rang and Dean was on his way to Cairo, Egypt, to participate in VOCA’s Farmer-To-Farmer assistance program.

He spent a month evaluating the Egyptian poultry industry, from the farm level; feed mills, hatcheries to the processing plants. He found the conditions to be roughly what they were in the United States in the 1950s. Out in the Egyptian countryside, Dean, with his interpreter, toured individual chicken farms. As he reviewed each farm, he would make spot recommenAlabama Poultry

(Above) Jan and Dean share a laugh, looking at one of Dean’s scrapbooks filled with letters of appreciation. Several of the letters are from U.S. presidents, including George H. Bush and Ronald Reagan.

Dean dabbled a bit in politics himself.

After coming home from Ramallah, he ran for the head of the Marshall County Commission and won. After several months of service, a heart attack and several by-pass surgeries cut his political career short.

Although Dean’s honors are abundant, including Marshall County Humanitarian of the Year for 2008, he says his greatest honor is the simple act of helping those less fortunate than he is.

(Below) After his heart surgeries, Dean’s doctor prescribed bicycle riding – 10 miles a day. But Dean got bored, so he went to Walmart and bought every azalea they had (600) and started planting them instead of riding the bicycle.

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(Right) Dean and a group of Egyptian farmers and extension agents.

(Below) Dean made a new friend while touring a farm.

(Above) Feed is delivered to the local farmers in carts from another century. As are the vegetables below.

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time to es some k ta n a e D (Above)

ew skill. learn a n

dations to the farmers he met. He also spoke to large gatherings at three Egyptian universities.

At the University of Cairo, he was surprised when, as he was speaking, a group of men rose from the audience and came forward. A bit unsure, he continued to speak. The men began to touch him and pat him on the back, all the while smiling broadly. Those men, it turned out, were the Egyptian equivalent of our county extension agents. They were so grateful for him sharing his knowledge with them that they just had to show their gratitude.

In the summer of 2000, VOCA called with another project. This project, however, contained an element of potential danger. They wanted Dean to help set up a hatchery in the tension-filled West Bank town of Ramallah. For Dean, it was to be a month that he would long remember.

It was early September when Dean arrived. Coming in through Tel Aviv, Israel’s Ben-Gurion Airport, Dean was escorted by armed men through elaborate security checkpoints, both Israeli and Palestinian, to the major West Bank town of Ramallah. It was here that he met his contact, Dr. Nidel Dweikut. Nidel, a Palestinian, would supervise the operation.

Ramallah, located just six miles north of Jerusalem, had enjoyed a prosperous past, especially after the Oslo Accords in 1995. However, a rising unemployment rate among the Palestinians (37 percent) and a perception that many of the promises made by Israel in the accords were unkept, had led to an increase in tension between the two sides. Long suppressed hatreds between the Palestinians and Israelis were starting to come to the surface.

Dean was walking into a potential powder keg.

On the outskirts of Ramallah, Dean met the farmer, who along with his wife and 13 children would work the hatchery. They had a windowless nondescript stone building that they would use. Dean helped them set up the hatchery equipment, purchased from Lowman. The eggs came from a farm to the south. In the days prior to the first batch of chicks hatching, Dean toured, always with armed escorts, several of the farms that would be supplying the hatchery with eggs. As usual, he made suggestions to the eager farmers for increasing their production. And, although there was some initial resistance and resentment toward an American, when they learned that Alabama Poultry

he wasn’t being paid for being there, the resentment went right out the henhouse door.

The eggs were not for the commercial grade of chickens that we find locally in America. These were a hardier variety that was bred to be free ranging.

The day the chickens hatched, Dean realized that the farmer had given no thought as how to control them. Dean drew up crude plans for a close-sided semi-circular table that could contain the chicks and serve as a sales counter, as well. He showed the plans to the farmer, who could understand none of what Dean was trying to explain. Dean finally got him to understand that he needed two sheets of plywood and a saber saw.

Once the plywood and saw had been produced, Dean set to work with a pencil and a piece of string. Using the string and pencil as a compass, Dean drew the table-top on the two sheets of plywood and began cutting it out with the saw. He soon had finished construction on a semi-circular containment for the more than 50,000 baby chicks. It could not have happened at a better time, because there was already a line of hundreds of farmers waiting for their chicks.

Many of the farmers had come with donkey carts. All they wanted was several hundred chicks to take home to their small farms or to their villages. These Palestinian farmers were almost gleeful to have their cardboard boxes of baby chicks stacked on their donkey carts. Later, after the Palestinians had left, Israelis would come in trucks to take chicks back into Israel.

Just as the eggs were beginning to hatch, tensions were starting to explode. Palestinian street gangs began throwing rocks at Israeli Defense Forces patrolling the streets. The Israelis responded by firing rubber bullets which were supposed to be non-lethal, but killed several Palestinian young people. It was the beginning of what would be called, the al-Aqsa Intifada.

After 28 days of a planned 29-day stay, Dean knew it was time to leave.

These days, Dean’s globetrotting behind him, he is active on 14 boards in the Boaz area. Homeplace, Child Advocacy, Alabama Baptist Children’s Homes, Alabama Department of Human Resources to name just a few. He still hears from Dr. Nidal in Ramallah, who tells him that the hatchery is still going strong. Also, Dean has a new paying job. He is the director of fund-raising for Snead State Community College. He has an office with a secretary and a salary of one dollar a year. Dean is excited ... and you know Dean, when he gets excited, he loves to talk.

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May is National Egg Month

One of the most valuable attributes of egg dishes is that so many of them lend themselves to using up leftovers and low cost ingredients. With the increased costs of living, using up of what we have on hand takes on a heightened importance in our quest to reign in food expenses. Egg dishes such as omelets, quiches, frittatas and strata’s provide economical yet versatile options for budget conscious menu planning. The “Cents-able” Strata Frittata is a satisfying dish which uses reasonably priced ingredients to create a different main dish for dinner, lunch or brunch.

“Cents”-able Strata Frittata 1 1/2 1/2 1/4 1 4 1/4 1/4 1/8 2

tablespoon margarine cup day-old French bread, cubed cup chopped fresh broccoli cup chopped red pepper tablespoon chopped onion eggs cup water teaspoon salt teaspoon ground black pepper tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese

In an 8-inch skillet with ovenproof handle* melt margarine. Stir in bread cubes, broccoli, red pepper and onion; sauté until bread cubes are lightly toasted. Beat together eggs, water, salt and pepper until blended. Pour into pan. Cook over low to medium heat until eggs are almost set, about 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from heat.

Sprinkle with cheese. Broil about 6 inches from heat until eggs are completely set and cheese is melted, about 2 to 3 minutes. *To ovenproof handle, wrap completely with aluminum foil.

Scrambling for Savings

Scrambled eggs are an original comfort food in many families and they can be very comforting to your food budget. The “Cheap Eats Veggie Scramble” dresses them up with add-ins such as chopped peppers, onions, shredded carrots and honey mustard then scoops the scrambled eggs into pita pockets for a filling, nutritious and satisfying lunch or breakfast on the fly. Also makes a great item for kids and adults on a brunch buffet.

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Alabama Poultry

Cheap Eats Veggie Scramble 1 1/2 1/3 1/3 1/4 4 1 1 1/4 1/8 2

teaspoon cooking oil cup shredded carrots cup diced onions cup chopped red pepper cup chopped green pepper eggs tablespoon milk tablespoon honey mustard teaspoon salt teaspoon pepper whole wheat pita breads, halved Lettuce leaves, optional Honey Mustard, optional

In a 10-inch omelet pan, stir together oil, carrots, onions and peppers. Cook over medium heat until vegetables are tender but not brown.

Beat together eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper until blended. Pour egg mixture over vegetables. Cook over medium heat. As mixture begins to set, gently draw an inverted pancake turner completely across bottom and sides of pan, forming large soft curds. Continue until eggs are thickened and no visible liquid egg remains.

To serve, line each pita half with lettuce and honey mustard, if desired, and fill with about 1/2 cup of egg mixture.

The Incredible Edible Easy Omelet

Ah the omelet! The mere mention of the French named egg favorite seems to strike fear in all who wish to conquer it. But it is in fact easy, economical and elegant and a great way to stretch your food budget. In addition, it lends itself to great culinary creativity! Think of the omelet as an envelope that you can fill with all your favorite foods or even yesterday’s leftovers. It can be as simple as a basic cheese omelet and get as elaborate as your budget allows for ingredients.

“Eggonomical” Omelet 1/4 2 2 1 3 11/2 1/2 1/4 1 2

cup frozen cubed potatoes tablespoons chopped onion tablespoons diced red bell pepper clove minced garlic eggs tablespoons minced chopped fresh parsley teaspoon salt teaspoon pepper teaspoon sliced pitted green olives tablespoons shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese

In a large non-stick skillet that has been coated with vegetable spray, combine potatoes, onion, pepper, and garlic, sauté 8 minutes. Combine eggs, parsley, salt and pepper: add to skillet. With spatula, carefully push cooked portions at edges toward center so uncooked toward center so uncooked portions can reach hot pan surface, tilting pan and moving cooked portion as necessary. When top is thickened and no visible liquid egg remains, add green olives and cheese. With spatula, fold omelet in half. Invert the omelet onto a plate with a quick flip of the wrist or slide the omelet from the pan onto a serving plate.

Alabama Poultry

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Membership News

Aviagen Recognized by Alabama Governor Bob Riley

Gov. Bob Riley (center) presents Ian Panton, chairman of Aviagen Group Holding, Inc., and Sheila Barcsansky, international sales manager, with the 2008 Governor’s Trade Excellence Award.

April 2, 2008 – Huntsville, Ala. – Aviagen, the world’s leading poultry breeding company, was recently presented with the 2008 Governor’s Trade Excellence Award by Gov. Bob Riley at a ceremony in the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery.

The Governor’s Trade Excellence Award was established in 2005 and inaugurated in 2006, and annually recognizes eight companies throughout the state for trade excellence. Its objectives include identifying Alabama’s successful and innovative exporters, promoting exporters as role models to the Alabama business community in order to encourage greater involvement in the global marketplace, and enhancing awareness of the impact of exporting on Alabama’s economy.

“Alabama continues to move forward and prosper due in large part to a sustained growth in exports,” said Governor Riley. “Exports have helped to generate jobs in our state, and it is an honor and a pleasure to recognize these eight companies and their achievements.”

In 2007, Aviagen sold and shipped to 46 different countries from the USA and 43 percent of the com-

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pany’s total annual sales were from exports. The customer service team works tirelessly to ensure that all orders are processed, planned and executed with precision and efficiency. Members of the international customer service team are Sheila Barcsansky, Kelly Wheeler, Monika Myers, Kathryn Kay and Michael Chau.

“Exports are vital to Aviagen’s strength and growth as a company,” said Ben Thompson, president of Aviagen, Inc. “As we continue to explore new markets around the world we will rely even more heavily on our international sales and customer service teams to sustain the level of excellence they were recognized for by the state of Alabama. I am very proud of our team and I know they will continue to do an outstanding job.”

Other recipients of this year’s award were Axsys Technologies (Cullman), International Shipholding Corporation (Mobile), McShan Lumber Company, Inc. (McShan), Mercedes-Benz U.S. International, Inc. (Vance), Panalpina (Huntsville), Quality Valve, Inc. (Mobile), Sprayroq, Inc. (Birmingham).

Alabama Poultry

Membership News Federal Land Bank to Distribute $3.2 Million to Borrowers Montgomery, Ala. – The Federal Land Bank Association (FLBA) of South Alabama, a rural financing cooperative serving the lower 40 counties of the state, will distribute $3.2 million in cash patronage to its borrowers, based on the FLBA’s financial performance in 2007. Checks will be mailed in late April.

Patronage payments are an essential characteristic of the lender’s cooperative business philosophy.

The FLBA of South Alabama is owned by its borrower/stockholders.

When the co-op performs well, it shares its earnings with the stockholders.

“We are pleased to continue the long history of sharing our financial success with our stockholders,” said Thomas Dozier, chairman of the board of directors. “This $3.2 million cash refund effectively lowers our stockholders’ interest rate for the year by approximately 65 basis points, or 0.65 percent, proving once again that it pays to do business with the Federal Land Bank.”

This is the 10th year that the FLBA of South Alabama has declared a dividend or patronage payment to its customers. With this year’s distribution, the lending cooperative has returned more than

$24 million in stock refunds, dividends and patronage to stockholders since 1996.

Established in 1917 as part of the Farm Credit System, the FLBA of South Alabama provides financing for agriculture, rural real estate, country homes and agribusiness.

The cooperative is headquartered in Montgomery and operates branch offices in Demopolis, Dothan, Enterprise, Loxley, Monroeville, Montgomery, Opelika, Selma and Tuscaloosa.

For more information, visit www.alabamalandloan.com.

Pilgrim’s Pride One of Forbes’ ‘Platinum 400’ Companies (MEATPOULTRY.com, January 17, 2008)

by Bryan Salvage

Pittsburg, Texas – Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. has been named one of the 400 Best Big Companies in America by Forbes magazine.

Based on its five-year annualized total return of 26.3 percent, the company placed fifth on Forbes’ list of 19 food, drink and tobacco companies.

Pilgrim’s Pride also ranked 148th in

five-year total return. This marks the sixth time Pilgrim’s Pride has appeared on the Platinum 400 list.

To be named to the Platinum 400, companies must pass Forbes’ benchmarks for financial growth rates and returns, and must meet Forbes’ approval for corporate governance, accounting standards and background checks.

“We are pleased to be included

in Forbes’ annual ranking of America’s best big companies, particularly since it recognizes companies that have done the best job in generating long-term value for shareholders,” said Ken Pilgrim, chairman and interim president of Pilgrim’s Pride.

“It’s a tremendous honor and reflects our employees’ continued focus on building our business and taking care of our customers.”

Pilgrim’s Pride Names Wright C.O.O., Realigns Business (MEATPOULTRY.com, March 26, 2008)

by Allison Sebolt

Pittsburg, Texas – Robert A. Wright has been promoted to chief operating officer of Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation. Mr. Wright was executive vice-president of sales and marketing, a position he had held since June 2004. He succeeds J. Clinton Rivers, who was promoted to president and chief executive officer earlier this month.

Pilgrim’s Pride also announced an organizational realignment deMarch/April 2008 22

signed to enhance customer service, product quality, teamwork and communications. Under the new structure, four senior division vice presidents will have overall responsibility for sales, operations and quality assurance in their respective lines of business: case ready, fresh foodservice, supply operations and prepared foods. Those four senior executives will report to Wright, whose former position as executive vice president of sales and marketing has been eliminated under this Alabama Poultry

new organization alignment.

Wright joined Pilgrim’s Pride in October 2003 as executive vice president of the company’s turkey division after serving as president of Butterball Turkey Co. for five years.

Prior to leading Butterball, he held various leadership positions at Cargill, including vice president of operations worldwide poultry, general manager broiler division, and director of operations and engineering.

Membership News Aviagen Restructures to Utilize Strengths and Focus on Core Businesses

Huntsville, Ala. – The Aviagen Group, the world’s leading poultry breeder has announced that the company has been divided into two separate business units: “Aviagen Broiler Breeding” and “Aviagen Turkeys and other Aviagen Operations.” This move has been prompted by the considerable ongoing growth in the business and the need to ensure that resources remain focused on the core operations and their customers.

Under the new structure, Randall Ennis takes on the role of chief executive officer of “Aviagen Broiler Breeding”. In this position, Randall is responsible for all chicken breeding and distribution operations.

Chris Hill becomes chief executive officer of the “Aviagen Turkeys and other Aviagen Operations,” CWT will continue to fall under the responsibility of Chris Hill. Alfons Koerhuis who leads the R&D activities of Aviagen has accepted the new position as chief technical officer for both business units.

A holding company (Aviagen Group Holding Inc) has been formed

that will coordinate both business units and drive further strategic growth across the Group. Ian Panton, long term CEO of the Aviagen Group, is appointed chairman of the newly formed holding entity. Chris Hill will fulfill the role of CFO of Aviagen Group Holding Inc in addition to his other new responsibilities.

Randall Ennis, Chris Hill and Alfons Koerhuis have been appointed to the holding company board.

The holding company structure with two operational units will ensure that the tremendous synergies available across the group continue to be utilized while ensuring each unit focuses on meeting their customers’ particular needs.

Commenting on the changes Ian Panton said “This structure allows clear focus on our different customers and gives clarity to our operations. I have worked with both Chris and Randall for well over 10 years and have total confidence in their leadership skills. Alfons brings world leading genetic knowledge to our team.”

Randall Ennis

Alfons Koerhuis

Check Presentation Highlights Board Meeting Everyone at the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association spring board meeting was in high spirits after the Media and Legislative Omelet Breakfast. President Jack Sherwood opened the meeting to committee reports.

Dr. Don Conner, head of the Auburn University department of poultry science announced that Auburn will give $110,000 in scholarships next year.

Troy Newton, Department of Education, told the group that there would be a 10 to 11 percent cut in Careertech education money for the

coming year. He also announced that he was retiring after 40 years in public education. He has served as an adviser to AP&EA’s board for 12 years.

Roddy Sanders, chairman of the Auburn Relations Committee, presented a check in the amount of $49,351.00 to Dr. Conner from the Alabama Poultry Foundation. This money will be matched by Auburn University to purchase research equipment for the poultry science lab.

The meeting concluded with a report from AP&EA Executive Director Johnny Adams on legislative Alabama Poultry

(Left to right) Jack Sherwood, Dr. Don Conner, Roddy Sanders and Johnny Adams

activities. Adams reported that a great deal of legislative time had been spent on immigration reform.

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Best Management Practices

Faculty Profile Auburn University Department of Poultry Science

Dr. Roger J. Lien Associate Professor

AP&EA: Where did you grow up?

Lien: In San Jose, California, which later became known as Silicon Valley. But that was before computers, so it was more of a rural farming area with a city in the middle back then.

AP&EA: Where did you go to school?

Lien: I received my undergrad degree in wildlife and fisheries and a master’s in poultry science at Texas A&M. I did my Ph.D. work in reproductive physiology at North Carolina State.

AP&EA: What is your current scientific discipline?

Lien: My research focuses on stress physiology and physiological diseases of broiler chickens.

AP&EA: How did you get interested in poultry?

Lien: My mother was very interested in birds, and my father loved to build and grow things, so I kept and raised a lot of wild birds and then progressed into ducks, geese, pheasants and quail. We built several flight pens with ponds and waterfalls and such to keep them in. With my undergrad in wildlife, I planned on 24

March/April 2008

being a duck or gamebird biologist.

But I went on and got my masters studying bobwhite quail reproduction. When I decided to go on for a Ph.D., I thought it would be good to work on a commercially important species. I began working on turkey reproduction, moved to broiler breeders once I came to Auburn, and am now working with broilers.

AP&EA: When did you join the faculty in the department of poultry science?

Lien: I joined Auburn’s faculty in 1989.

AP&EA: What courses do you teach?

Lien: I teach commercial poultry production in the fall and poultry physiology in the spring. I also direct students interested in doing research projects on broiler physiology or management in our supervised investigation course.

AP&EA: What is the focus of your research?

Lien: Currently I am focusing on the influence of lighting and other management programs on the performance, and physiological and psychological stress responses of broilers as they relate to animal welfare concerns. We are investigating the effects of implementing lighting programs delineated in the evolving guidelines of the European Union, National Chicken Council, and Food Marketing Institute and National Council of Chain Restaurants on broiler stress responses, as well as live and processing performance. We Alabama Poultry

are investigating whether or not these programs actually improve the welfare of the birds as they are intended to, so that as they continue to evolve in the future we can provide data to ensure that the industry isn’t forced to waste time and money with programs that aren’t actually constructive. In addition, we are determining the effects of things like reduced day-lengths and increased light intensities, which are specified in these guidelines, to determine their impact on production parameters like growth rate, feed conversion, uniformity, and breast meat yield.

AP&EA: How is your work at Auburn benefiting the Alabama poultry industry?

Lien: Our work on breeders demonstrated the advantages of delaying their lighting from 19 or 20 weeks to 21 or 22 weeks, which is now common practice in the industry. Research we conducted on the early protein intake of breeder pullets showed that increasing starter protein levels from 16 to 20 percent resulted in a greater persistence of egg production that yielded about a dozen more eggs per breeder hen.

This program has also been used extensively by the industry. Our current goal is to help the industry improve programs to maximize broiler production efficiency, while improving customer and consumer perceptions as far as animal well being is concerned, to help chicken maintain its market share.

For more information: Dr. Roger Lien Auburn University Department of Poultry Science 201 Poultry Science Building Auburn, AL 36849-5416 Phone: 334-844-2609 Fax: 334-844-2641 Email: lienrog@auburn.edu

Chicken Litter – Can We Afford Not To Use It (Wisely)?

Bill Prince, NRCS, Environmental Engineer Perry Oakes, NRCS, State Conservation Engineer

The proper application of chicken litter as a fertilizer (nutrient management) is one of the principal environmental BMPs for broiler production. Chicken litter has never been more valuable than it is now.

Most chicken litter is land applied as fertilizer for pastures and row crops.

Commercial fertilizer can cost $540/ton for ammonium nitrate (340-0), $1,000/ton for diammonium phosphate (DAP, 18-46-0), $540/ton for potassium (0-0-60). Using average nutrient values for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) of 47-58-45 per ton of chicken litter, a ton of litter will have a value of a little over $100.

While $100 doesn’t sound like much money to manage for a ton of chicken litter, remember that a typical four house poultry operation (92,000 - 6.5 pound broilers, 5 flocks per year) can produce 690 tons of litter and cake annually. This will give a fertilizer value of the litter $69,000 per year based only on the N, P, and K in the litter. Add the value of the micronutrients, the organic material in the litter, and its slow release properties, and one can easily see that chicken litter is no longer a waste product that a producer would just want to “get rid of.”

So how do you get the most from this valuable litter? The main

way is proper nutrient management.

This involves selecting the proper location, rates, and timing of the litter land applications. These all depend on the environment around the field and the growth characteristics of the crops to be grown. From the crop stand point, the more important factors are the nutrient needs of the crops, the time of year for the crops optimal growth, the amount of dry matter produced, and how much dry matter is removed from the fields. A nutrient management plan will help you make the best decisions for getting the most value from your chicken litter.

The nutrients in chicken litter, however, cannot be adjusted to match crop needs as fertilizer purchased at the co-op. Usually litter is applied at a rate to satisfy either the N or the P requirement for the crop to be grown, with commercial fertilizer used to make up any deficiencies. If litter is used to satisfy the N requirement, 1.1 tons of litter may be required per ton of bermuda grass hay produced. But this will result in P and K being over applied, or wasted which could have environmental consequences. If litter is used to satisfy the P requirement instead, only 0.2 tons of litter will be required per ton of hay. But this will result in N and K being under applied.

Chicken litter utilized as a fertilizer must also be land applied to meet the state’s buffer requirements.

Alabama Poultry

There are several buffer distances in which litter spreading should comply. The most common are at least 25 ft from a property line and at least 50 feet from any type of water. A nutrient management plan should address all the buffers for the land application fields and provide the producer a map clearly showing the areas for land application of the litter as a fertilizer. A buffer distance summary sheet is available from the ACES Alabama Animal Waste Management website at: http://www.aces.edu/dept/aawm/Buf ferSummary(6-05).pdf All this information serves to raise awareness to the potential value of what has long been considered only a waste product, and the environmental consequences for mismanagement of litter on the landscape. Chicken litter now has more value than ever before, and in these times of high fuel and fertilizer prices, shrinking profits, and environmental awareness, broiler producers cannot afford to not use chicken litter wisely. Producers also cannot afford to be without a nutrient management plan to maximize the value of the litter and ensure the environment is being protected. For more information on a nutrient management plan for your specific operation, please contact your local NRCS office.

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Practical Applications

By Jess Campbell, Jim Donald, Gene Simpson, and Ken Macklin, Auburn University Every poultry grower knows that the cost of propane and electricity are increasing steeply. The question is, what can a grower do to keep energy costs from eating away all farm profit? Fortunately, there are some answers to this question. When energy prices are rising, growers have three good alternatives to reduce costs: First, we need to do all we can to be sure that we are buying our gas at the lowest possible price.

Second, we need to do all we can to reduce the amount of energy needed to operate our houses; that is, take steps to improve energy efficiency and reduce consumption.

Third, we should consider whether alternative fuel heating systems or alternative sources of energy could reduce utility bills without sacrificing bird comfort.

Following is a 9-point Self-Assist Energy Audit Checklist to help you make sure you are doing all you can to reduce your energy costs and maintain profitability.

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1. Buying Gas Have you looked into alternative methods of buying propane as a way of controlling cost? There are four main methods of buying gas: group contracting, prepayment, bulk purchasing, & buying as needed.

Group purchasing permits a group of growers to negotiate a contract price, generally under more favorable pricing terms, by “booking” a large quantity of propane well in advance of cold weather. These cooperative booking arrangements have been very successful in reducing propane expense in several geographical areas.

Pre-payment is simply borrowing under simple loan terms to pre-pay for a specific quantity of gas over the next several months. Typically, this may secure a much lower gas price, with the only additional costs being an interest charge of 2-3 cents per gallon.

Bulk purchasing in advance of need can also secure a lower price. However, installing large tanks imposes a high initial investment cost. Other drawbacks include the risks entailed in physically taking possession of large quantities of gas, having to pay for it when delivery is made, complex permitting regulations in some areas, and new Homeland Security on-site inspection and reporting requirements.

Buying gas as needed on the open market places the grower at the mercy of the market, and in a climate of continually rising prices, usually ends up costing the grower more than the other methods.

2. House Tightening Is your house air-leaky? If you run approximately 20,000 CFM of air in a house with all inlets, doors and windows completely closed and you read the static pressure and you are in the single digits, your house is costing you lots of money through unwanted heat loss through the cracks. Tightening

Alabama Poultry

means creating a tightly sealed building envelope (sidewalls, endwalls, and ceiling). This ensures that fresh, outside air will enter the house only through intended inlets, not through cracks or other unintended openings. Air leaks in hot weather cause fans to have to run longer, and in cold weather the additional cold air leaking into the house means more propane has to be burned. Tightening houses has been shown to reduce energy bills by as much as 25 percent.

Growers with open truss ceilings should replace damaged board insulation and seal the ridge cap.

Attic spaces above drop ceilings should be examined at least once a year for shifting and settling of blown insulation. Batts can be placed over the ceiling peak for the entire length of the house and then the ceiling can be re-blown for uniform coverage.

Sidewalls above and below curtains can have insulation added, either batts, blown cellulose, or closed-cell polyurethane foam. However, it is preferable to retrofit curtain houses to solid wall houses.

Solid wall cavities may be retrofitted with batts or cellulose and covered with a vapor barrier and either lumber, hard plastic, or flexible poly (tri-ply) with bands, or by spraying the wall surface and curtain opening with closed-cell foam and providing a physical barrier on the lower two feet of the wall to prevent bird and equipment damage. Replacing tunnel inlet curtains with new insulating doors should also be considered (see 2. House Tightening above).

Tightening a house usually is not a very expensive operation. Tightening can be no more than using foam to seal cracks, plastic to cover fans, plastic to cover tunnel inlets, etc. On curtain houses, installing flaps and boots, and sealing the curtain bottom with a lumber strip are recommended. Ensure that curtains and strings are tight, especially in cold weather.

Also, several types of tunnel inlet doors now on the market both seal and insulate the tunnel inlet. Tunnel curtain inlets have been shown to be the second most energy inefficient area of a poultry house, sec- 4. Ventilation Management ond only to whole house curtains, which makes the Is your ventilation management on target from minnew inlet doors an item to be considered for retroimum ventilation through full tunnel? Many growers fitting. don’t realize that good ventilation management is 3. Insulation and Solid Walls one of the prime keys to achieving maximum fuel Does your house need insulation? An uninsulated efficiency – especially in cool weather. Matching the lumber-walled curtain sided house might have an correct number of inlets to the number of fans runaggregate R value of 2 to 2.5. Adding batts or spray ning, adjusting inlet openings for good air velocity, foam to increase this R value to 7 or 8 will cut heat and getting the right amount of runtime on the minloss through those surfaces by 75 percent and is one imum ventilation timer are the three basic principles of the best investments a grower can make. We are of fuel conservation when ventilating in cold often told by growers that they can’t afford to invest weather. in insulation and tightening. The fact is that they can’t afford not to. And it does not take big bucks.

We don’t need R values of 28 in poultry house walls; we get the biggest payback bang for our bucks just getting our walls up to R7 or R8.

For example, all perimeter air inlets should not be open when running just two 36-inch fans or a single 48-inch fan. Sidewall inlets need to be opened 1½ to 2 inches for best air velocity. Ceiling inlets should be opened about 1 inch for best air velocity. Minimum

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(Above) If there was just one single practice that could be applied to an older poultry house to save money it would be the installation of stirring fans. Depending on the age and tightness of the older house where they are installed, gas consumption might be reduced by as much as 25 percent. In addition there are many production and performance benefits associated with the addition of stirring fans.

ventilation should be run on a 5-minute timer, with the number of fans and on-off time intervals adjusted according to bird age. All the adjustments need to be pretty much on the mark in order to get moisture out of the house and to keep birds comfortable without having to burn more propane than needed.

5. Stirring the Air Does your house have properly selected and operated stir fans? Stir fans prevent temperature stratification and help achieve more uniform temperature distribution end-to-end, side-to-side, and floor-toceiling. They help prevent hot spots and cold spots, and promote drier litter, especially in the brood area. The mixing of in-house air brings drier air in contact with bedding, which results in more moisture removal per minute of fan run time. This allows growers to reduce fan run time with no effect on litter quality, thus saving on gas use. Stirring fans are beneficial in all poultry houses, but benefits are especially dramatic in houses heated by forced air furnaces since these houses are being heated from the top down, with the floor being the last place to be warmed by the furnace heat.

6. Litter Management and Litter Amendments Are you following proper litter management steps, including using litter amendments to reduce ammonia? Having too much ammonia coming out of litter not only harms birds, it requires using more fan 28

March/April 2008

Alabama Poul-

run-time to remove the ammonia – which means you will have to burn more propane to restore lost house heat. Proper storage of litter, de-caking between flocks, and being watchful to prevent water spills or leaks are all important to prevent ammonia problems. Using a litter amendment to hold down ammonia production is also highly recommended.

Studies have shown that houses that do not use litter amendments have fan run times higher than those houses with litter treatments, and litter amendments are now widely adopted by growers. The economics are pretty simple. We want to protect our birds and base our ventilation rates on proper moisture removal from the house, not on the need to remove ammonia.

7. Heater Efficiency and Gas Piping Does your management routine include regularly checking and maintaining heating equipment and gas plumbing? If not, you may be wasting thousands of dollars. Heating equipment that operates under too high or low gas pressures will not operate properly or efficiently. Every gas plumbing system should be designed and maintained to meet the heating equipment manufacturer’s requirements for pressure and volume. All flexible hoses that supply heating equipment must be marked for use with LP or gas.

Air or water hoses are not approved for use with gas and often fail prematurely. Orifices, pilots, and igniters must be kept clean and in good operating condition. Insufficient plumbing, ill adjusted regulators, and leaking gas fittings or hoses will waste a lot of gas as well as risk devastating fires. Regularly inspecting and maintaining heating system equipment and plumbing is extremely important.

8. Fan and Electrical Efficiency Is your house using electricity as efficiently as possible? Typically, about 75 percent of the electrical energy in a tunnel house is used by the fans and about 25 percent by the lights and other loads. Keeping ventilation fan electricity consumption to a minimum requires doing proper fan maintenance and cleaning of shutters on a routine basis. Dirty shutters and slipping belts can reduce fan air flow up to 30 percent.

If fan retrofit is in order or for new houses, choosing the right fans can save thousands of dollars in electric costs. The key point is to purchase fans that have higher cfm/watt efficiency ratings. This can pay off over time even if the fans have much higher initial cost. To hold down lighting costs, consider replacing incandescent light bulbs with dimmable 5-watt cold cathode fluorescents. In a 500-foot house with 50 bulbs, the amp load is reduced from 25 amps on 60 watt bulbs to 2 amps with 5 watt cold cathode bulbs, saving around $250 per house per flock, depending upon electrical charge per kilowatt hour and the lighting program followed.

older houses that still need basic energy retrofitting to make them more efficient; but even in relatively new houses growers who use this checklist will usually find one or more parts of the house or their management routines that can be improved to save energy. Our studies have shown that money spent wisely on energy conservation pays back very quickly.

9. Alternative Energy and Fuel Sources Have you considered alternative fuels? In some locations growers are saving money by using outside furnaces to burn wood chips, corn, coal, used motor oil or hay to heat their poultry houses. Existing heating systems are still needed for back up and supplement. And in some case a lot more labor is required by the grower. Alternative fuel technology will be of most value when it is applied to houses that have been modified and managed using the basic principles covered in this newsletter.

Craftmaster

Another option is install attic inlets to capture the free solar heat that is produced in the attic of a broiler house during the day. These solar inlets may be either gravity type or controller actuated. Gas savings will depend on sunshine, weather and management, but conservative estimates are in the 10 percent range. A particular advantage of having attic inlets is being able to bring no-cost warm air into the house between flocks to dry out litter before the next flock arrives. Costs of installing attic inlets will range from $1200 to $4000 per house, depending on number and type of system.

The Bottom Line Each of the nine items discussed in this article offers an opportunity for cost savings. There are many Alabama Poultry

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Member Profile

Farmers Poultry Supply The building that houses Farmers Poultry Supply in Cullman has been serving the needs of area poultry growers since 1986, first as a Cyclone Company distributorship and then as a Big Dutchman owned distributorship. In 2005, general manager, Andy Ratliff, along with his wife, Debbie, purchased the facility and gave it its new name.

Andy and Debbie had first come to Cullman in anticipation of Andy’s employer, Gold Kist building a new processing plant. Gold Kist, however, decided not to build in Cullman. The couple had already bought a 45-acre farm with four chicken houses, so they decided to stay. Debbie, a medical technologist went to work locally and Andy went to work for Big Dutchman.

In 2005, Big Dutchman decided

to divest itself of its company owned distributorships. They offered Andy a deal, and after some serious discussions with Debbie, he accepted.

About a year and a half after buying the business, they sold the farm.

Debbie left her job and came to work in the office along-side Andy.

Three years later they are going strong with nine employees and a loyal customer base.

They are one of the few poultry equipment distributors to be fully licensed general contractors for installing poultry equipment. Though they focus on electrical and plumbing work, they can even update grower’s computers using the newest SD technology.

Andy and Debbie have been married since 1994, and have four children.

(Top) Farmers Poultry Supply features Big Dutchman systems, but with their 12,000 sq. ft. facility, they are to stock a large parts inventory from other manufacturers as well.

Calendar of Events AP&EA “Evening of Fun”

June 7, 2008 Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center

AP&EA Annual Meeting July 28-30, 2008 Sandestin Beach Hilton

ADVERTISING INDEX American Proteins ANPAC Auvil Insurance Dura-Slat Farmers Poultry Supply First Financial Bank First South Farm Credit Poultry Supply Superior Metal Systems

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