Alabama Poultry March/April 2017

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

March/ April 2017 Vol. 12 No. 2

Board of Directors

Officers Harold Hunt, President, Gadsden* Kenneth Sanders, Vice President, Brundidge* Mitchell Pate, Treasurer, Auburn* Jason Spann, Secretary, Hanceville* Tim Esslinger, Immediate Past President, Huntsville*

Directors Johnny Adcock, Woodland Lou Ayers, Jasper Sam Black, Cullman Richard Curvin, Ashland Cory Early, Albertville Dale Gambrill, Snead Ben Gore, Cullman Lane Holladay, Tyler Tim Holmes, Decatur Casey Jones, Hoover* Clint Lauderdale, Hanceville David Massey, Enterprise Kevin McDaniel, Huntsville Todd McMahen, Dothan Dr. Shannon Morgan, Huntsville Mike Pigg, Montgomery John Pittard, Guntersville John Roberts, Cullman Keith Rhodarmer, Collinsville Eric Rotermund, Russellville Roddy Sanders, Gordo Jason Shell, Huntsville* Steve Smith, Hanceville Rod Thomas, Montgomery Ryan Turner, Guntersville Stanley Usery, Athens Brad Williams, Troy Len Windham, Ariton

Advisors Vernon Abney, Auburn Dr. Don Conner, Auburn University James Donald, Auburn University Dr. Joe Hess, Auburn University Jacob Davis, Montgomery Dr. Tony Frazier, Montgomery *Executive Committee Members

AP&EA StAFF

Johnny Adams – Chief Executive Officer Wanda H. Linker – Administrative Director Ray Hilburn – Associate Director Huck Carroll – Communications Director/Editor Jennifer Shell – Support Director

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

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

Advertising rates and closing dates available upon request.

Editorial matter from sources outside AP&EA is sometimes presented for the information and interest of our members. Such material may or may not coincide with official AP&EA policy. Publication does not necessarily imply endorsement by AP&EA.

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President’s Message

This is the last letter that I will be writing to you as president of the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association. It has been an honor to serve the association.

It has certainly been a busy year, going from LT to AI. A lot of things that I thought I knew about biosecurity – we have gone well beyond anything that I ever imagined.

I want to highly commend Alabama State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier and his staff for their outstanding work during this situation with AI. His vision, years ago, to have us prepared for just such an outbreak may have kept the situation under control. We owe him a debt of thanks.

I also want to thank all of the integrators for working so well together in getting the word out to their personnel and growers.

Thanks especially to the growers for taking biosecurity seriously. Without you taking precautions on a daily basis, we might have suffered a real disaster. I urge you to keep up the good work. With warmer weather and the threat of AI diminished, it can be easy to slip back into old habits. Make new safe habits instead.

The Charles C. Miller, Jr. Poultry Research and Education Center at Auburn University is off to a great start, thanks in large part to the work of Randall Ennis and Dr. Don Conner. It is a facility that will truly put Auburn University department of poultry science as the top school in the world for a poultry science education.

I hope that you will all join me and my family at the “Evening of Fun” on Saturday, May 27. The entertainment lineup is one of the best in years. The Brothers Osborne just won two ACM awards, and Smithfield is another up and coming act.

It is going to be a terrific night.

I also want to offer my condolences to the Sims family on the loss of their precious son. He fought a brave fight and we will alway remember him. Our prayers are with the Sims family.

My thanks to the staff of the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association for making my job so much easier. Johnny does a tremendous job working with the legislature and Ray does great work with industry relations, Huck produces a good magazine and Wanda and Jennifer keep everything running smoothly.

Featuring This Issue

Government Affairs pg. 4 Association News pg. 8 Legislative & Media Omelet Breakfast pg. 10 Spring Board Meeting pg. 12 Evening of Fun pg. 14 Grower Profile – Paige Mobley Watson pg. 16 VIP Profile pg. 20 Industry News pg. 22 Auburn Happenings pg. 24 Practical Applications pg. 26 Calendar of Events pg. 30 Alabama Poultry Magazine March / April 2017

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Governmental Affairs

Gov. Sonny Perdue Sworn in as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture

WASHINGtON, D.C. On April 25, 2017, Sonny Perdue was sworn in as the 31st U.S. secretary of agriculture by fellow Georgian and Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court Clarence Thomas in a brief ceremony at the Supreme Court building. The U.S. Senate confirmed Secretary Perdue by a vote of 87 to 11 on Monday evening.

After Secretary Perdue took the oath of office, he addressed employees at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) before getting to work on his first day. Also the same morning, USDA launched his official Twitter handle: @SecretarySonny.

“The only legacy that I seek is the only one that any grandparent or parent seeks – to be good stewards, and to hand off our nation, our home, our fields, our forests, and our farms to the next generation in better shape than we found it,” Perdue said. “Making sure that Americans who make their livelihoods in the agriculture industry have the ability to thrive will be one of my top priorities. I am committed to serving the customers of USDA, and I will be an unapologetic advocate for American agriculture.”

Perdue’s policies as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture will be guided by four principles which will inform his decisions. First, he will maximize the ability of the men and women of America’s agriculture and agribusiness sector to create jobs, to produce and sell the foods and fiber that feed and clothe the world, and to reap the earned reward of their labor. It should be the aim of the American government to remove every obstacle and give farmers, ranchers, and producers every opportunity to prosper.

Second, he will prioritize customer service every day for American taxpayers and consumers. They will expect, and have every right to demand, that their government conduct the people’s business efficiently, effectively, and

Sonny Perdue came by his knowledge of agriculture the old fashioned way: he was born into a farming family in Bonaire, Ga. From childhood, and through his life in business and elected office, Perdue has experienced the industry from every possible perspective.

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with the utmost integrity. Third, as Americans expect a safe and secure food supply, USDA will continue to serve in the critical role of ensuring the food we put on the table to feed our families meets the strict safety standards we’ve established. Food security is a key component of national security, because hunger and peace do not long coexist. And fourth, Perdue will always remember that America’s agricultural bounty comes directly from the land.

And today, those land resources sustain more than 320 million Americans and countless millions more around the globe. Perdue’s father’s words still ring true: We’re all stewards of the land, owned or rented, and our responsibility is to leave it better than we found it.

“As secretary, I will champion the concerns of farmers, ranchers, foresters, and producers, and will work tirelessly to solve the issues facing our farm families,” Perdue said. “I am proud to have been given this opportunity and look forward to rolling up my sleeves and getting to work as we continue to move the USDA and our nation forward.”

Upon nominating Secretary Perdue in January, President Donald J. Trump said, “Sonny Perdue is going to accomplish great things as secretary of agriculture. From growing up on a farm to being governor of a big agriculture state, he has spent his whole life understanding and solving the challenges our farmers face, and he is going to deliver big results for all Americans who earn their living off the land.”

About Secretary Perdue:

Uniquely qualified as a former farmer, agribusinessman, veterinarian, state legislator, and governor of Georgia, he became the 31st United States secretary of agriculture on April 25, 2017.

Additionally, Perdue recognizes that American agriculture needs a strong advocate to promote its interests to international markets. The United States is blessed to be able to produce more than its citizens can consume, which implies that we should sell the bounty around the world. The relationship between the USDA and its trade representatives, as well as with the U.S. trade representative and Department of Commerce, will be vital. The work of promoting American agricultural products to other countries will begin with those relationships and will benefit us domestically, just as it will fulfill the moral imperative of helping to feed the world. Perdue has pledged to be an unapologetic advocate for American agriculture.

Under Secretary Perdue, the USDA will always be facts-based and data-driven, with a decision-making mindset that is customer-focused. He will seek solutions to problems and not lament that the department might be faced with difficult challenges.

As a youngster growing up on a dairy and diversified row crop farm in rural Georgia, Perdue never fully realized that the blessings of purposeful, meaningful work would serve him as

ized that the blessings of purposeful, meaningful work would serve him as well as they have in life. When he was a young boy feeding the calves and plowing the fields, he was an integral part of the workforce on his father’s farm. As the son of a mother who was an English teacher for 42 years, he benefitted from her teachings as well – not just by instilling in him the beliefs he still holds dear, but also by lending him an appreciation and respect for language and proper grammar. But more than anything in his life, it was the family farm which shaped Sonny Perdue.

He has lived and breathed the exhilaration of a great crop and the despair and devastation of a drought. He learned by experience what his father told him as a child, “If you take care of the land, the land will take care of you.”

The work ethic cemented in him by his farming roots has remained with Sonny Perdue throughout his life. As a younger man, he served his country in the U.S. Air Force, rising to the rank of captain. After earning a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia, he put that training to use in private practice in North Carolina. As a member of the Georgia State Senate for 11 years, he eventually ascended to the position of president pro tempore as elected by his senate colleagues. As a two-term governor of Georgia, he was credited with transforming a budget deficit into a surplus, dramatically increasing the student performance in public schools, and fostering an economic environment that allowed employers to flourish and manufacturers and agricultural producers to achieve record levels of exports. He followed these accomplishments with a successful career in agribusiness, where he focused on commodities and transportation in enterprises that have spanned the southeastern United States.

These experiences have proven invaluable in his current role as principal advocate for American agriculture and all that it serves.

Perdue is a strong believer in good government, in that it should operate ef-

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ficiently and serve the needs of its customers: the people of the United States.

As a state senator, he was recognized as a leading authority on issues including energy and utilities, agriculture, transportation, emerging technologies and economic development, and for his ability to grasp the nuances of complex problems. As governor, he reformed state budget priorities, helped Georgians create more than 200,000 new jobs, and promoted his home state around the world to attract new businesses. In 2009, the Reason Foundation’s Innovators in Action magazine recognized Perdue as a leader who “aggressively pursued new strategies to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of government and deliver better value at less cost to taxpayers.” In addition, he was named “Public Official of the Year” in October 2010 by Governing Magazine. To this day, his thoughts are never very far from the wishes of the citizens – the true owners of the government.

Perdue’s views on agriculture have

always been shaped by his first-hand knowledge of all of its aspects, both as a farmer and as an agribusinessman. He appreciates the daily concerns and needs of American farmers, while also understanding the intricacies of global commodities markets. He is acknowledged as a national leader in agriculture, having served as a board member for the National Grain and Feed Association, and as president of both the Georgia Feed and Grain Association and the Southeastern Feed and Grain Association. Perdue has long-standing, close relationships with the leadership of the National Farm Bureau and has been recognized by the Georgia 4-H and FFA programs, among others, for his leadership in agriculture.

As the product of Georgia, a state where agriculture is the leading economic driver, Perdue recognizes that agriculture is an issue and industry which cuts across political party boundaries. He recognizes that the size,

Continued on pg. 30

Association News

Two More Career Expos (well, sort of)

The first expo was more of a field day at Thorsby Elementary School. We got to tell a bunch of youngsters about growing chickens. And, while there won’t be any immediate benefit to the poultry industry ... you never know.

On Tuesday, April 25, we participated in the Blount County Career Expo in Oneonta. We visited with several hundred 10th graders from all around the county. We were able to share information about career opportunities in the poultry industry and on the 2+2 Program at Wallace State Community College, Hanceville.

These kids in Thorsby may represent the next generation of leadership in the Alabama poultry industry. They sure seemed to enjoy poultry breeder Danny Eiland’s chickens

At Thorsby, we met Brian Lewis, FFA advisor and ag teacher. We also met Thorsby High School senior Kirsten Morrison. Kirsten was on the FFA poultry judging team that won the title. The next year, she actually coached the team to victory again.

This fall she will be attending Jeff Davis Community College and will transfer into the Auburn department of poultry science. She currently

Little Eli Loses Battle With Cancer

Just after his third birthday and shortly before Easter, Eli Sims, the son of poultry growers Jason and Kelcey Sims of Lineville, lost his heroic battle against liver cancer.

We reported on Eli in the Nov./Dec. 2015 addition of this magazine as he underwent his first bout with chemo therapy. We continued to update his struggles on our Facebook page throughout the next year. Many of you contributed to the Prayers-for-Eli page.

For 16 months, Eli, battled with every ounce of strength and courage

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that his little body could muster. Thousands of prayer warriors daily bathed him in prayer, even as every therapy and clinical studies failed. There were good days when he could play with his brothers, Noah and Collin. Those days faded fast.

What will not fade is the memory of his courage, and his family’s faith in such a difficult situation.

On April 10, he passed away quietly at home with his family.

Our hearts and prayers are with the Sims family.

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Memorial gifts can be made to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Eli’s name at www.wish.org.

The Annual 2017 AP&EA Omelet Breakfast Goes Ahead

MONtGOMERY – With storm clouds hanging ominously over the Alabama Capitol, the annual AP&EA Legislative and Media Omelet Breakfast went on. The usually robust crowd hung back for fear of inclement weather, but as the morning wore on without any rain, bolder folks began to venture into the tent for a hearty breakfast of omelets and fixings, including some luscious strawberries.

About an hour into the event, the

timid folks felt secure enough to venture out, filling the tent with laughter and the rattle of omelet pans..

And truly, it was a morning to smile as Alabama legislators, elected officials and State House employees finally came out to enjoy some AP&EA hospitality on the south lawn of the Capitol. It was a fest of industry gratitude to those elected officials, staffers and others who make laws and regulations that in-

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sure the Alabama poultry industry will have the opportunity to continue to prosper.

Inside the big tent, poultry pros manned the omelet pans, flipping more than 480 tasty omelets for hungry guests. Those cooks represented poultry and allied industry, faculty and staff from

Auburn University poultry science department, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, and AP&EA board members and staff.

For the morning, party affiliations were put aside as Republicans and Democrats cordially stood

shoulder to shoulder waiting for their omelets. And, while there was lots of political talk, a consensus was reached: the AP&EA Omelet Breakfast was a big success.

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

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Harold Hunt

Casey Jones

Dr. Paul Patterson

Spring Board Meeting Focuses on AI and Auburn Facilities

The storm that had held off for the omelet breakfast finally hit, just in time for the spring board meeting. And, with thunder rolling in the background, AP&EA President Harold Hunt called the meeting to order.

After thanking all of those who had helped with the successful AP&EA Legislative & Media Omelet Breakfast, and thanking the staff, he turned the meeting over to AP&EA CEO Johnny Adams for some comments from Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries Commissioner John McMillan, who was unable to attend the meeting.

Adams said, “Commissioner McMillan is expecting another struggle with funding this year.” Adams related that while the budget was level funded, with rising insurance costs and additional costs, the Department of Agriculture and Industries will see an effective seven to 10 percent cut in funding. He praised Commissioner McMillan for managing so effectively on the funds they have.

President Hunt next introduced Auburn University Dean of the College of Agriculture Dr. Paul Patterson, who provided an update on the college. With a theme of “Building for the Future,” the first project is a campaign to replace Funchess Hall. As a part of that theme, 40 new faculty members have been hired over the past two years. These new faculty members bring new energy to the college. “This is all building for the future and planning for the next 50 years,” he said.

Casey Jones presented the Allied Committee report. He first discussed

the “Big Bass” fishing tournament at Lake Guntersville on May 12. He invited everyone to come out for the 5:30 a.m. launch.

He also reported on the EOF Golf Tournament on Friday, May 19, at the RTJ Silver Lakes Golf Course in Glencoe, Ala, with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start. He assured the golfers in the group that there would be multiple refreshment carts on the course.

AP&EA Associate Director Ray Hilburn presented the Grower Committee report which centered around the grower seminar before the “Evening of Fun” concert. He announced that State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier would be the keynote speaker at the seminar. Dr. Frazier will be speaking on the AI situation. Hilburn also reported that regional association meetings have been suspended until the AI situation stabilizes.

Randall Ennis, World Poultry Foundation president, and chairman of the Auburn Facilities Committee, reported on the open house held at the new Charles C. Miller, Jr. Poultry Research and Education Center. He also reported that the Auburn trustees were meeting and that the Miller Administration Building would be on the agenda. The administration building has particular importance because it will house the Alabama Poultry Hall of Fame. Ennis stated, “Not only is it a way to honor our Hall of Fame members, but it is a way of connecting these young kids with our history.” He is hoping that the administration building will be completed by November or December. With

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its completion, there will be five new buildings on the site that are 100 percent funded.

The next phase will involve a processing building, and possibly a hatchery.

Dr. Joe Hess began the advisory reports with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System report. He reported that Dr. Garry Lemme, head of ACES, and his staff had taken the avian influenza very seriously, limiting media comments to only Dr. Hess and Dr. Ken Macklin, both of whom coordinated their message with Dr. Tony Frazier.

Hess reported on a number of research projects that ACES was undertaking, with Dr. Dianna Bourassa, including: developing a best management practice for storm water run-off for processing plants and an electronic stunning study for U.S. Poultry & Egg Association.

A project that he is involved in with Dr. Ken Macklin involves meeting with consumer groups to assure them of the safety of GMOs. He reported that some of the meetings have been contentious.

Alabama State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier commented that, “AI has been a challenge, but it’s what we trained for.” He reported that the H7N9 virus is still the same genetic type that was found in a teal winged duck in Wyoming four years ago, so this is going to be around for a while.

In Alabama, all of the H7N9 cases were low path, but in neighboring Tennessee, two of the cases were high path.

State veterinarians have formed a working group to work with the USDA. Fra-

Dr. Tony Frazier

Ben Mullins

zier fears that funding for low paths outbreak response plans will be left up to the states, with the USDA funding high path plans.

All totaled, 251,555 birds were destroyed in Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia, according to Ben Mullins, emergency programs director at the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries.

Peggy Vardaro, poultry specialist with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries talked about the difficulty in efficiently mapping back yard flocks and commercial farms in the affected areas.

Dr. Frazier discussed his somewhat controversial stop movement order, prohibiting movement of poultry for sale in flea markets. Testing was being done at one of these events when low path AI was discovered in Guinea fowl.

The close proximity to the high path zone made the decision unavoidable.

Dr. Don Conner, head of the Auburn University department of poultry science thanked the association for its continued support. He reported that the number of incoming students for the fall was just slightly less than the previous year, but still good. He reported an increase in the number of students transfering in from the three community colleges participating in the 2+2 Poultry Education Program. He told the group that he expects to add Calhoun Community College in Decatur to the list of participating schools.

He also announced a revamped poultry science curriculum for the fall, with an added emphasis on processing.

They have also added a mandatory

housing course, taught by Jeremiah Davis, and a mandatory feed milling course.

To better equip students for the working world there will be a two-hour professional development course. In the course, they will learn the skill of networking, resume writing and enhanced communications skills. The course will be taught in the sophomore year to prepare them for internship interviews in their junior year.

And, as a part of the curriculum change, four ag econ classes will be required, putting them close to a minor in business. All of this, according to Conner, is to make the Auburn poultry science grads the employees of choice in the industry.

Andy Chamness gave the department of education report. He reported an ongoing problem in recruiting qualified agriscience teachers. Of the 309 agriscience teachers in Alabama classrooms, there are 33 new teachers, with only eight certified in agriscience.

Jim Donald reported for biosystems engineering, that the NPTC facility at the Charles C. Miller, Jr. Poultry Research and Education Center was nearing completion, after a number of delays. He announced the first event, a Hot Weather Hands On Seminar, for service techs and managers. It will be held on Wed., April 19, at the new facility.

AP&EA CEO Johnny Adams concluded the meeting with a look at the annual “Evening of Fun.� He also briefed the attendees on the goings on in the Alabama Legislature. With that, the meeting was adjourned.

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Dr. Don Conners

Randall Ennis

Jim Donald

Johnny Adams

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Evening of Fun

Smithfield To Perform at the EOF – The Girl Loves a Good Cup of Joe the Scoop Born in the great state of Texas, Trey Smith and Jennifer Fiedler—a.k.a.

Smithfield—have known each other since they were youngsters thanks to family friendships. But it wasn’t until college and a forced get-together that they realized their vocal style meshed well and they joined forces. The longtime friends released their self-titled EP in November 2015, which contains their first single, “Nothing But the Night” and their latest release, “Hey Whiskey.”

As a “musical marriage” made in heaven—and no relation to the Smithfield bacon company—this duo sizzles with chemistry and tight vocal harmonies. And just so we are all clear, they are NOT a couple. “We’ve just known each other forever, to be honest with you, and the music just kind of brought us together ultimately,” says Jennifer.

A Little Bit Country, a Little Bit Rock-N-Roll Jennifer: “I grew up singing a lot of traditional country music. I’m from Texas – the Dallas area. I didn’t grow up writing songs, but I grew up performing, so that was really what my strengths were. I was doing that from the age of 9.”

Trey: “I grew up on all kinds of different music, but classic rock was the first stuff that my dad had me listening to when I was a kid. Boston was the first CD I ever owned – best CD ever – the sounds on that were just so cool. I loved Garth Brooks growing up, the Goo Goo Dolls were one of my favorite bands of all time. Johnny Rzeznik’s the guy that got me into songwriting in the first place. I just kind of built on that and started playing in rock bands in college – did that for a few years – and eventually ended up connecting with Jennifer.”

Jennifer: “That really is who we are at our core. Trey and I have actually

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known each other since we were little kids, so we go way back. It’s crazy that our whole lives, we grew up singing—but never together. Doors always shut for us separately.

They didn’t open until we were together. So it’s kind of like it was a meant-to-be thing, for sure.”

Chance Get-together Jennifer: “We were at the Thanksgiving table, and [Trey’s cousin] was like, ‘Jen, Trey and his rock band just broke up. I think you guys would sound great together.’ I was like, ‘Yeah, sure, OK, tell him to reach out to me.’ He reached out to me on Facebook and asked if he could come over and sing. This sounds so mean, so please don’t take this the wrong way, but I was like, ‘Aw, dang, I didn’t think this would really happen. I can’t say no, because I know somewhere down the line I’m going to hear about it and people are going to get mad at me and my family, so I was like, ‘I’ll do it once, we’ll have a great time, and then we’ll go on with our lives.’ He came over to my townhouse, and we played a Keith Urban song. This sounds cheesy, but I had chills up my arms, because we’re great singers separately, but what makes us special is our unique harmonies and blend together. I heard that the first day, and he did too. We knew from that point on, we needed to start writing our own songs and start developing this sound that we had found.” twentysomethings Trey: We definitely try to focus a

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lot on our harmonies, obviously, being a duo, but it’s a good mix. We always talk about it being snapshots of our life—where we are right now. We’re both in our twenties and we’d like every song to be kind of a snapshot from something you probably go through in your twenties. There’s some songs that she’ll sing by herself or I’ll sing by myself—a lot of them we blend together. I think it’s just a lot of the heartache, it’s a lot of the fun, it’s a lot of these different pictures you take when you’re in your twenties.

Hey Whiskey Jennifer: I was on the treadmill at the gym. There was a title that kept going in my head, ‘You only miss me after whiskey.’ We had a write that day, so I went back, and I didn’t have the concept or the story, I just loved the line, ‘You only miss me after whiskey.’

Talking with [co-writers] Trey and Casey and Adam, we developed this story. There’s been a million songs written about whiskey, how can we make this different? Adam was the one who

said, ‘Let’s start the story with you thinking the girl’s talking about him cheating on her.’ If you didn’t know the title and you hear the line, ‘I can tell he’s been with you on nights like this,’ immediately you go, ‘This guy’s with another girl.’ We wrote it differently, from a different perspective. We’re actually not as mad at the guy. We’re angry at whiskey. It’s whiskey’s fault that we can’t get over this person and they can’t get over us.”

Opry Debut Jennifer: Growing up on country music, obviously that to me was the most amazing thing in the whole world.

I grew up singing on Opry’s. These Texas Opry’s are basically modeled after what the Grand Ole Opry does.

They have 10 artists and they sing two or three songs—so that’s what I did.

Getting to do the actual Opry—and I say this every time—was like the Super Bowl for me. It’s just the most amazing experience ever.

Trey: “Although I didn’t grow up singing at Opry’s, it’s always been something I’ve known about. My grandpa would tell me stories about sitting around their radio, in their living room, when he was a little kid on Saturday nights, listening to the Opry. So I obviously know how special it is. I didn’t think I knew how special it would be until I actually got there and we were about to go on. Up until that point, I was like, ‘This is really cool, but I mean, I’m good, I’m good,’ and then they’re like, ‘And now, presenting,’ and I was like, ‘Oh my God.'”

Spare time Jennifer: “We love to go hiking, and we’re very big into fitness, so we like to keep in shape. We are also passionate about rescue dogs. We do a charity songwriter night once a month at The Country and try to give back to an animal rescue called Proverbs 12:10. We love food, we’re huge foodies. I love coffee. One of my favorite things to do – anytime we go see a new city or town – is find the local coffee shop.

The Vocal Duo of the Year Award, at the ACM Awards, was supposed to go to Florida Georgia Line. They had won it last year and they looked like a shoo-in for this year. So, imagine the surprise when they didn’t win. In fact, the winners were as surprised as everyone else. TJ and John Osborne were blind-sided that the ACM voters had given them the victory for the song “Stay a Little Longer.” The boys from Deale, Md., carried home that trophy and another trophy for New Vocal Duo/Group of the Year. It was a great night.

You can have a great night too, when you get your tickets to the 2017 AP&EA “Evening of Fun!” You’ll have so much fun, you might want to “Stay a Little Longer.”

Brothers Osborne Pull Off the Night’s Biggest Upset

Meek High School FFA String Band to Open EOF

We are excited to announce that the Meek FFA String Band, which recently placed first in the North District FFA String Band Competition, will be opening this year’s “Evening of Fun.” This win marks the first time, in Meek FFA history, that any FFA team has placed first in any North District FFA competition. These young men and women will be representing the North FFA District, Winston County and the Meek FFA chapter in the state FFA String Band Competition in Opelika and Montgomery in June.

They will be taking the stage at the BJCC at 6:15 p.m., so come ready to be entertained by this fine group of young people.

Dr. Tony Frazier to Headline EOF Grower Seminar

Often known as the most entertaining state veterinarian in the world, Alabama State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier will be discussing the recent avian influenza situation, as only he can, at the grower seminar that proceeds the “Evening of Fun” concert. The seminar begins at 4:00 p.m., in the Sheraton Ballroom. (CAFO credit) You’ll also get to meet the Alabama Poultry Farm Family of the Year and you might even win a crisp new hundred dollar bill as a door prize. We’ll be serving a picnic supper for attendees after the seminar and then it’s off to the concert. Let the

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Grower Profile

Paige Mobley Watson – On a Fast Track to the Top

Hadley, 6, is a runner like her mom. She is in pre-school at Houston Academy.

Husband, Brandon, works for AFS as safety manager for all of Ft. Rucker’s airfields and ranges. Hayes, 8, is in a special needs class at Headland Elementary.

Hayes’ autism makes it difficult for him to communicate. He does so by using symbols on an electronic tablet. He re-

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It’s 5:00 a.m., and most folks are still asleep, but not Paige Watson. She’s already broken a sweat. She’s driven from her home in Headland to her gym in Dothan for her morning fitness class, something that she prizes. She says that it helps her relieve stress. When she’s not in her class, you’ll find her out running.

Then she’s home in time to get her two kids up and ready for school.

Paige, the daughter of Henry County veterinarian Dr. Perry Mobley, is like her dad. She is direct, looks you in the eye and will give you a handshake that would make an Army Ranger proud. She is the model of the archetypal type-A woman, but with a very feminine side.

When her husband of 13 years, Brandon, proposed to her on her birthday in 2004, she says that she was hoping for a new road bike, but, she, of course, did not turn him down.

They first met as students at Troy University, introduced by a mutual friend.

He was studying environmental science and she was working on a master’s in sports management. She had gotten into the program in a roundabout way, at first, looking at Auburn University, but one day she got a call from the dean of the business school at Troy. She went in to meet him, looked him in the eyes and gave him one of her famous handshakes, and she was in with a full scholarship.

Paige and Brandon dated for a year and a half before he proposed. They were married on Nov. 19, 2004. He continued on in school and she began working in sales in Montgomery.

In November, Brandon, who was serving with an Army National Guard unit in Troy was called to active duty. He was separated from his unit and assigned to a transportation unit from Wisconsin. They were supposed to be deployed to Kuwait in January, but were reassigned to Iraq instead. Brandon suddenly found himself transporting supplies and equipment to the Marines during the heaviest fighting in and around Mosul and Falluja.

After the war, he returned to school at Troy and Paige continued working in Montgomery. One day, she casually remarked to a coworker, that she might like to teach. That friend happened to be the daughter of the superintendent of Coffee County schools, and she called her mother about Paige.

It wasn’t long before she found herself teaching business at Zion Chapel High School in Coffee County. Brandon, having graduated from Troy, began working at the U.S. Army Flight School at Ft. Rucker. They continued to live in Troy.

After several years of teaching, she became pregnant with her first child, Hayes. After his birth, she put him in day-care and continued working, but there was something wrong – he kept getting sick. At 18 months old, after his second bout of pneumonia, he was diagnosed with autism. She pulled Hayes out of daycare and placed him with a dear woman who took special care of him. Still, there were problems.

At Zion Chapel, she had several friends who were involved in the poultry industry, and she became interested. She talked with her father, who also raises cattle

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Asked about her success in the poultry business, Paige gives a one word answer, “Husbandry.” She quickly follows up with, “That goes from before the birds arrive, in sanitizing and cleaning, taking care of the litter between flocks; getting the cake out of it; heating the litter to get the bacteria out; and then getting everything at the proper temperature before the chicks arrive.”

She has a great relationship with her integrator’s field rep, Hunter Camp, who says of Paige, “She is strong-willed, but she cares about what she is doing.” He continues, “One thing that makes Paige as great as she is and as great as she will be, she doesn’t hesitate to call with problems. She is very meticulous about managing these houses and does an

With the new poultry farm, Paige and her dad, Dr. Perry Mobley, DVM, get to spend more time together. He benefits by getting to spend more time with Paige, plus he gets the added benefit of getting all of her poultry litter for his row crops and pastures.

Her brother also grows cattle and row crops nearby.

Both she and her father share a strong Christian faith. Paige and her fam-

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As a new grower, one of the challenges is figuring out the equipment and running the computers. Paige is not intimidated by the computers, she just wants to do it right and not “mess up” the birds. That terrifies her.

and row crops, growing peanuts and cotton. He told her that he regretted not getting into the business himself. In her mind, an idea began to germinate.

Even with the wonderful care that Hayes was getting, he was still having difficulties. She wanted to move closer to her parents, so that her mother could help with his care, but their house would not sell. Finally, things came to a head. She had missed several weeks of work caring for Hayes, when, heeding the advice of her sister-in-law, she resigned her position. Within 45 minutes of making the call, they got a contract on their house.

They moved in with her parents in Shorterville so she could be a stay-at-home mother and care for Hayes. She and her father also began to get serious about the poultry business. Dr. Mobley and his wife had a tract of land nearby. It had been Paige’s maternal grandfather’s land and where her mother had grown up (In fact, there had been chicken houses on the property many years before). Dr. Mobley and his wife enthusiastically deeded it to Paige.

Being a businesswoman, Paige began making plans, she talked to bankers, builders, and poultry house equipment suppliers, but the roadblock came when she called Wayne Farms’ area broiler manager. He told her that they weren’t taking on any new growers at the time. But, she persisted, calling sometimes on a monthly basis. She probably even went in and shook his hand a few times, just to let him know she was serious.

She also continued to do something that she had done for many years, she ran.

She had just completed a marathon when she found out that she was two months pregnant. Still, she continued, scoring her personal best time for a 10K at six months pregnant. Her daughter, Hadley, 6, has inherited her mother’s love for running.

Finally, her persistence paid off. In April 2015, they got Wayne Farms’ approval to build four 60’ x 600’ houses, and Chattahoochee Poultry Farm was born.

The first flock came in on June 30, 2016.

Since that first flock, she has finished either first or second in grower performance rankings for her integrator. She is generally pleased, though far from satisfied.

As a competitor, she sees a second place finish as being “the first loser.” Still, she says, “losing builds character, it makes you look at what you’ve done to try to do better and fix problems that you didn’t know you had.” Then she adds with a grimace, “So, it’s not a bad thing.”

Paige Watson might say that, but she’s not the type to need a lot of character building. She’s got that in spades. Still, she’s got a long way to go in the industry, but for Paige Watson the fast track is full speed ahead, but family comes first.

Of the poultry industry she says, “This whole endeavor has been good for the family. Hayes loves it and I get to spend more time with Daddy.”

Alabama Poultry Magazine

VIP Profile

ChemStation – Keeping It Clean and Bacteria Free

BIRMINGHAM – AP&EA VIP Sponsor ChemStation is a manufacturer of industrial cleaning and sanitation chemicals. In the poultry industry they distribute products and install equipment that is made for intervention to kill bacteria. These chemicals are injected into various stages of the process. One chemical coats the birds after defeathering and another goes into the chillers, all with the purpose of killing bacteria.

ChemStation is a franchising company out of Dayton, Ohio. Twenty-one years ago Rusty Favorite purchased a franchise and set up shop in a small space in downtown Birmingham. His first employee, Brett Sutton, is now his partner.

In those days, the poultry industry wasn’t on their radar. It took a franchise holder in South Carolina to open that business, but Rusty and Brett quickly

Rusty Favorite (blue shirt) and the Birmingham ChemStation crew. Brett Sutton (insert)

followed the lead. That was 16 years ago.

They started with Gold Kist in Trussville and then got into the Russellville plant. After that, Rusty says, “the business exploded.” They were the first chemical company to provide refillable containers instead of totes and loose drums, and the customers liked that.

Then they extended the meaning of “ser-

vice” by helping customers develop standards of operation.

Currently, in Alabama and Georgia, ChemStation has 10 employees who are dedicated to servicing poultry plants.

They now have three franchise locations: Birmingham, Atlanta and Hammond, La. Thanks, ChemStation, for supporting AP&EA and the poultry industry.

Two Very Needed New Programs From Alabama Extension System

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

Industry News

Sanofi’s Merial Becomes Boehringer Ingelheim

Both companies will become global leaders in two different sectors of the pharmaceutical market

Paris, France and Ingelheim, Germany – January 2017 – Sanofi and Boehringer Ingelheim confirmed today that the strategic transaction signed in June 2016, which consists of an exchange of Sanofi’s animal health business (Merial) and Boehringer Ingelheim’s consumer healthcare (CHC) business, has been successfully closed in most markets on January 1, 2017. This closing marks the successful outcome of the business swap which started with exclusive negotiations in December 2015.

The closing of the acquisition of Merial in Mexico and the Merial and CHC swap in India have been delayed pending receipt of certain regulatory approvals but both are expected to close early 2017.

The chairman of the board of Managing Directors of Boehringer Ingelheim, Hubertus von Baumbach, said: “This important achievement is the re-

sult of a mutually beneficial agreement implemented in the spirit of a shared vision. Driven by the desire to serve the needs of our customer, and enabled by value of our innovative product portfolio, the combined strength of the two organizations will improve Boehringer Ingelheim’s competitiveness in the animal health business segment that is so strategically important to our company.

We are delighted to welcome the employees of Merial to our team.”

Olivier Brandicourt, M.D., chief executive officer of Sanofi, stated: “With this successful closing of the business swap with Boehringer Ingelheim, Sanofi is building a strong and innovative CHC Global Business Unit.

The integration of Boehringer Ingelheim’s highly skilled CHC team and its well established products, allows Sanofi to enhance our positions in core strategic categories in a promising CHC market. Indeed this market serves the growing expectations of consumers to be more in control of their own health and wellness.”

About Sanofi Sanofi, a global healthcare leader, discovers, develops and distributes therapeutic solutions focused on patients’ needs. Sanofi is organized into five global business units: Diabetes and Cardiovascular, General Medicines and Emerging Markets, Sanofi Genzyme, Sanofi Pasteur and Consumer Healthcare. Sanofi is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN) and in New York (NYSE: SNY).

About Boehringer Ingelheim Boehringer Ingelheim is one of the world’s 20 leading pharmaceutical companies. Headquartered in Ingelheim, Germany, Boehringer Ingelheim operates globally through 145 affiliates and a total of some 50,000 employees. The focus of the family-owned company, founded in 1885, is on researching, developing, manufacturing and marketing new medications of high therapeutic value for human and veterinary medicine.

For more information please visit www.boehringer-ingelheim.com .

Novozymes and Boehringer Ingelheim to Collaborate in Probiotics for Poultry Hatcheries Collaboration includes R&D, production, marketing and sales of a portfolio of probiotic products

DULUtH, Ga. & COPENHAGEN, Denmark – Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health and Novozymes today announced a strategic collaboration to develop and commercialize probiotics for global poultry production. The parties will focus on developing products for hatcheries, the facilities where eggs are hatched before the chickens move to grow-out farms. As part of the agreement, Boehringer Ingelheim will market and distribute Novozymes’ FloraMax® probiotic product for the U.S. poultry industry. Boehringer Ingelheim plans on expanding to other markets globally in the coming years.

“Boehringer Ingelheim is continuously exploring new science, products

and industry categories, to deliver a powerful range of innovative solutions with a focus on customer needs. Poultry producers are looking for improved ways to deliver on the growing global need for sustainable protein,” said George Heidgerken, global head of livestock at Boehringer Ingelheim. “Collaborating with Novozymes enables Boehringer Ingelheim to enter an exciting new segment of products to provide alternatives in an environment that is increasingly challenged by antibiotic bans.”

Probiotics are naturally occurring, live microbes that can improve the gut flora of poultry and other animals. Robust gut flora can significantly improve animal health, thereby providing a natural alternative to antibiotic growth promoters. Rising global consumption of meat, and legislative and consumer-dri-

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ven curbs on the use of antibiotics as growth promoters in animal farming have increased demand for alternatives such as probiotics.

“We are excited to collaborate with Boehringer Ingelheim to develop a range of probiotic solutions for poultry that will improve sustainability in the industry”, said Susanne Palsten Buchardt, vice president, animal health & Nutrition at Novozymes. “The collaboration is an important step in solidifying Novozymes’ capabilities within probiotics and helping poultry producers deliver greater quantities of safe, affordable protein. Utilizing Boehringer Ingelheim’s close relationships with large-scale producers, Novozymes will gain valuable access to new distribution channels and customers, many of which are seeking sustainable alternatives to antibiotic growth promoters.”

Auburn Happenings

NPTC Opens New Facility With Hot Weather Hands-On Seminar

AUBURN –On Wed., April 19, the National Poultry Technology Center held its first hands-on seminar in the new NPTC Teaching and Research Building on the Charles C. Miller, Jr., Poultry and Research and Education Center.

Eighty poultry industry managers and technicians from seven states attended the six hour school on hot weather housing, ventilation and equipment issues, taught by the NPTC team. Dennis Brothers trained attendees on generators; Jess Campbell trained on fans; Jeremiah Davis trained on cool pads; and Gene Simpson on lighting.

Alabama Poultry & Egg Association Associate Director Ray Hilburn opened with an update on avian influenza.

Chelsea Hooks Elected President Of Auburn Poultry Science Club

Auburn Poultry Science Club Officers: from left to right top row: Judd Powell (vice president), Thomas Knott (philanthropy), Michael Norris (treasurer), Tyler Easterwood (secretary) from left to right bottom row: Madeline Frazier (historian), Chelsea Hooks (president), Caroline Gamble

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

Grower Friendly On-Farm Fan Evaluation

Practical Applications

Dennis Brothers, Jess Campbell, Jim Donald & Gene Simpson

The modern poultry house is indeed a technological marvel on many levels. The ability to raise 300,000 pounds of poultry in a single house in as little as 5½ weeks is quite a feat. One of the most important aspects of all the technology that allows growers to maximize the bird’s genetic potential is the tunnel fans. Whether a grower maintains or loses the ability to remove the bird heat (up to 12 btu per pound of live weight) in a house is often the difference between good and poor performance.

Poultry house fans, like any other piece of equipment, need good routine maintenance to consistently perform up to the level expected. Over time belts wear, pulleys wear, belt tensioners start to fail, fans and louvers become dirty and some types of fan blades can become metal fatigued, losing their ability to efficiently push air. There are newsletters at www.poultryhouse.com that address many of these issues, such as how to inspect fan components and how to know when to take action. The problem with casual visual inspection is that you may not be able to spot a less obvious problem that is costing a 5-10 percent loss in fan power. Yet if multiple fans in a house are losing 5-10 percent of their power, it’s not long before an overall reduction of 25-30 percent tunnel wind speed is incurred. What does that mean? It means a house expected to pull 600 feet per minute wind speed now becomes a 420 fpm house. That decrease can easily lead to dead birds in hot weather. It is understood that grower’s time is limited and valuable, so this newsletter will

propose two options to quickly and easily evaluate a poultry house’s tunnel fans and recognize incremental decreases in power on individual fans. Once this is known, growers can then spend their time effectively working on the fans that are most in need of attention.

Method 1: Using a laser RPM meter.

Laser RPM meters have been on the market for some time now. They are small and very easy to use. (fig 1) These meters simply use a laser to count the number of times a fan blade passes in front of it. The meters are not calibrated to display revolutions per minute (RPM) – that has to be calculated by dividing the meter result by the number of blades a fan has. Example: A meter reading of 1500 for a fan with three blades equals 500 RPM for that fan. With a simple walk around the poultry house and a quick metering of each fan from the outside, a grower can know each fan’s current RPM. This can be done at any time with any number of fans running; however, it is most informative when all fans are running and the house is in full cooling mode. The reason for this is because of how static pressure affects fan performance.

Static pressure is how we measure the workload of a fan. The higher the static pressure, the more work on the fan and the less air a fan will move. It is important to know how each fan is handling the full static pressure load when the house is in full tunnel. Therefore, it is also recommended this test be done with cool cells running, which also increases the static pressure, and hence the workload on the fans. We want to know what the fans are doing when conditions are the harshest for them.

Assume we have metered a poultry house’s fans and have recorded the following results: Fan 1 – 472 RPM Fan 2 – 460 RPM Fan 3 – 510 RPM Fan 4 – 504 RPM Fan 5 – 500 RPM Fan 6 – 505 RPM Fan 7 – 495 RPM Fan 8 – 512 RPM

Fig 1 – Laser RPM meters come in various forms but are easy to use. Simply point the laser into the fan from the outside (being sure your hand is outside the safety guard) and press the button. The resulting number should be divided by the number of fan blades on this model of meter. Go to www.poultryhouse.com to find a source for a Laser RPM meter.

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We now have some information to work with. But in order to know if we have fans that need attention, we need to do a little more homework. We first need to know what static pressure our fans were working against when we did the test. It is best to do this with a magnehelic pressure gauge close to the fan end of the house (Fig 2.) However, it

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Fig 2 – A hand-held Magnehelic static pressure gauge stationed close to the tunnel fans will give the most accurate reading of the actual pressure the fans are trying to work against. The house controller’s static pressure readout can be used for fan power testing if the pressure tube is beyond half house toward the fans. If using this method, it should be assumed that the actual pressure on the fans is a couple points (.02) higher in most cases.

acceptable to use the static pressure reading on the controller so long as the high pressure tube it is taking a measurement from is somewhere past half house. If the controller and static pressure tubes are in the front of the house, then do not use that reading as it will not be representative of the actual pressure the fans are working against. In that case, a handheld magnehelic is the only way to get a true static pressure reading. Once we get an acceptable static pressure number, we need to find out what the expected RPM’s of our model of fan should be at that static pressure.

The best way to do this is to contact either the fan manufacturer or dealer and obtain a fan specification sheet. For many fans this can be found on the internet. Or a grower can go to The University of Illinois’ Bioenvironmental and Structural Systems Laboratory – Agricultural Ventilation Fans Performance and Efficiencies website (http://bess.illinois.edu/).

The University of Illinois conducts fan performance testing on most all agricultural ventilation fans available on the market. Their program is regarded as the industry standard for fan performance testing. A grower needs to know the hertz rate of their electrical system (60 hz in the U.S.), the power supply phase (most typically single phase in the U.S.), manufacturer of their fan, and size of their fan (48”, 54”, etc.), as well as specific fan model number. If he knows how many cubic feet per minute (cfm) his fan is supposed to generate and the cfm/watt rate, that will further narrow down the results. A list of fans that match the input criteria will be generated. Then a grower can match his fan model number with one on the list. Once he finds his fan, a test results sheet can

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be evaluated (Fig 3.) As part of that test result sheet, the RPM for varying static pressures can be found. This is why it is important for the grower to know what the static pressure in his house was at the time he tested his fans. He can now compare his fans’ RPMs with the BESS lab RPM at a similar static pressure. One thing to note, the exact static pressure may not be represented in the BESS result sheet, as they are normally only recorded in .05 increments. For example, if my houses were tested at .12 static pressure, I’m always going to round up to the next static pressure on the BESS sheet –.15 in this case.

For our example test fan, RPM’s at .10” static pressure should be 537 RPM. Any fan I have that tested below approximately 5 percent of that number should be closely inspected for repair or maintenance. For our example house, any fan showing less than 500 RPM is suspect. That means in our example, fans 1, 2 and 7 are going to receive special attention immediately, looking for all those things mentioned above as possible causes of slower RPM and the resulting lower performance. Once the homework is done, this method becomes very quick and easy. Growers should create a log sheet for each fan in each house and refer back to it every time this test is repeated.

Method 2: Static Pressure Fan test.

Another even simpler test that can be performed is a static pressure test. There are two ways to do this: A. Individual fan test, and B. Full tunnel fan test. Typically, no additional equipment is needed for most growers to perform one of these tests – just the house’s environmental controller and its internal static pressure device reading (see exception above for front of house controllers.)

The individual fan test should be performed between flocks. Most growers are familiar with performing a static pressure test to determine air leakage or tightness of their houses. The same general method of testing is used to evaluate fan performance over time. Growers should close all

Fig 3 – When testing your fans’ RPM under full tunnel, you must have a benchmark for comparison. A good place to start is www.bess.illinois.edu. Here you will find performance tests for most of the current production poultry house fans. Locate your correct fan model using their search criteria. Using the performance report you can compare the RPM your fan is producing to what the test results were at the current static pressure your fans are working against (see Fig 2).

Alabama Poultry Magazine

sources of incoming air; curtains up, vents closed, inlets and doors shut tight, being sure all fan louvers are functioning properly and in good repair. Then individually turn on one tunnel fan at a time and record the resulting static pressure that one fan creates. Once recorded, turn that fan off and go to the next in line – one at a time until all the fans are tested and recorded individually. If this is done after all the fans have received yearly maintenance, are clean and have new belts, etc., the grower can establish a baseline starting point of static pressure for each fan. Doing this test after every flock can allow growers to see when any one fan has lost some of its power. If any fan loses more than .02 points of pressure compared to its last test or compared to the average of the other fans, it is time for that fan to receive special attention before things get worse. We recommend that a grower building a new house do this test on day one to establish a baseline going forward. Then over time he can evaluate how well his fans are holding their day-one power. It is also a good way to remind him once again how tight his houses are remaining.

It should be noted that when doing individual fan tests, whether with RPM meter or by static pressure, that the “workhorse fans” or fans most used for minimum ventilation and early stage ventilation will likely be the first to show small signs of lost power. It is recommended that these fans always receive special attention for maintenance issues – belts, pulleys, etc. In fact, it is recommended that these early stage fans get new belts annually.

To do a full tunnel static pressure test means simply to scope, and diversity of America’s agricultural sector requires reaching across the aisle so that partisanship doesn’t get in the way of good solutions for American farmers, ranchers, and consumers.

Sonny Perdue ... continued from pg.5

ADVERTISING INDEX Alabama Ag / Alabama Farm Credit American Proteins Aviagen Boehringer Ingelheim Cumberland Ecoconcepts Ecodrum First South Farm Credit Jones-Hamilton PLT Klarion Mistie Wiggs Northwest Envirofan Randy Jones Ins. Agency

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put the house into full tunnel mode with all the fans running and record the static pressure. If this pressure goes down the next time you test, then a grower knows something is causing his fans to lose power. This could be those maintenance issues, electrical issues or both. An individual fan test could then be done to help isolate the problem. If the full tunnel static pressure has gone up since the last test, it tells him that there can possibly be a restriction of air flow coming into the house. This is often a restricted tunnel inlet, clogged cool cell pads or both. Once again, by recording this test every time it is performed, a grower can develop a feel for how his houses are performing over time. The baseline for this number can also be established on day one for a new house or after thorough cleaning and maintenance of the fans and louvers and cool pads in an older house.

Bottom Line: A modern poultry house’s tunnel fans are responsible for cooling birds and this fact makes maintaining their performance over time an utmost priority for a grower. It has been well documented what an additional 100 fpm of wind speed can mean to a broiler chicken in hot weather. In a house moving 600 fpm, it only takes about 15 percent loss of fan power to lose 100 fpm in wind speed. This small margin for error makes it imperative that a grower know what his fans are doing and takes action quickly against any decrease in fan performance. Consistent testing over time can help a grower identify fan problems before much wind speed is lost and bird performance is negatively impacted.

Perdue has been married to Mary Ruff Perdue for 44 years and has four adult children and fourteen grandchildren.

He and his wife have served as foster parents for eight children awaiting adoption. Perdue remains a licensed airplane and helicopter pilot and avid outdoor sportsman.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg.

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AP&EA “Evening of Fun” Golf Tournament Friday, May 19, 2017 Silver Lakes Golf Club Glencoe

AP&EA “Evening of Fun” Concert

Saturday, May 27, 2017 Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex Birmingham

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AP&EA Annual Meeting July 17-18, 2017 Hilton Sandestin Beach Destin, Fla.