March/April – VOL. 5 NO. 2
AP&EA P.O. Box 240 Montgomery, AL 36101 Address Service Requested
Board of Directors Officers Fred Cespedes, President, Hanceville* Wendell Shelton, Vice President, Boaz John Pittard, Tresurer, Guntersville* Spence Jarnagin, Secretary, Huntsville* Ken Taylor, Immediate Past President, Anniston* Directors Johnny Adcock, Woodland* Ronnie Adrian, Collinsville George Attwood, Anniston Roger Chappell, Cullman Billy Conquest, Cullman Melissa Durbin, Birmingham Randall Ennis, Huntsville* Tim Esslinger, Eufaula Dale Gambrill, Snead* Billy Gilley, Cullman Harold Hunt, Gadsden Heath Loyd, Decatur David Massey, Montgomery Dennis Maze, Horton Joe McGlamery, Enterprise Todd McMahen, Dothan John Roberts, Cullman Kenneth Sanders, Brundidge Roddy Sanders, Gordo Jack Sherwood, Troy Jason Spann, Guntersville Phyllis Thomas, Russellville David Thompson, Ashland Stanley Usery, Athens Ricky Walker, Snead Advisors Dr. Don Conner, Auburn University James Donald, Auburn University Dr. Joe Hess, Auburn University Mickey Humphries, Montgomery Dr. Tony Frazier, Montgomery Perry Oakes, Auburn
*Executive Committee Members
AP&EA STAFF Johnny Adams – Executive Director Wanda H. Linker – Administrative Director Huck Carroll – Communications Director/Editor Jennifer Shell – Support Director
Alabama Poultry 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
President’s MESSAGE
Those of us involved in Alabama’s poultry industry, indeed, anyone involved with animal agriculture in Alabama is fortunate to have a legislative body at the Alabama Statehouse that is, not only friendly, but also well aware of the impact that animal agriculture has on the state’s economy. In April, the Legislature passed a bill that was strongly supported by the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, as well as a coalition of animal agriculture and friends of animal agriculture. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Ralph Howard of Greensboro. A similar bill was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Wendell Mitchell. Gov. Bob Riley has already signed the bill. The bill strengthens the authority of the state veterinarian in farm animal care issues, while prohibiting well-meaning, but misinformed, local governing bodies from passing ordinances that would supercede this bill. It does not interfere with local humane shelters or prohibit local authorities from dealing with non-domestic farm animal issues, or obvious cases of cruelty or neglect. This bill is a great reminder to all in the animal agriculture industry of what we can do when we act in agreement and support each other’s interests. It is a victory, however, in only one battle. The “war” with animal rights advocates is not over. They are well-funded, organized and dedicated to the eradication of all animal agriculture. It is going to be a long hard fight that we must not lose. By the way, I am seeing country music entertainer, Blake Shelton, everywhere. I see him on television, on Fox News and CMT. I’ve even seen his image at Walmart on a shampoo display. Isn’t it terrific that we can see him live and in person at the AP&EA “Evening of Fun” on Saturday, June 5? If you don’t already have your tickets, order them today. The “Evening of Fun” is the primary fund-raising event for AP&EA. Your ticket purchase enables your Association to continue to be a positive influence in Montgomery, giving both growers and industry a strong voice on Capitol Hill and in the Legislature. Please join with me in continuing support for our Association. I’ll see you at the “Evening of Fun.” By the way, if you are not a member of the AP&EA, maybe it’s time you joined and supported the only association that covers the entire Alabama poultry industry.
FEATURING
Governmental Affairs Association Membership Association News Omelet Breakfast Evening of Fun Hall of Fame Profile – Gerald Bailey Recipes Member News Friends of Auburn Poultry Golf Auburn Ag Industry Day Practical Applications Calendar of Events
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G over nment al Affairs
Four Good Arguments Against Animal Rightists Why animal rights is a failed philosophy, and how livestock producers can use that knowledge to defend their livelihood, from author Wesley J. Smith
Award winning author Wesley J. Smith’s latest book, A Rat is a Pig is a Dog is a Boy: The Human Cost of the Animal Rights Movement, offers animal agriculture a brilliantly argued critique of the flawed ideology and dangerous tactics of the animal liberation movement behind much of today’s criticism of “factory farming.” A Senior Fellow in Human Rights and Bioethics at the Discovery Institute, a consultant to the International Task Force on Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide, and a special consultant for the Center for Bioethics and Culture, Smith offers a bulletproof defense of animal agriculture based on the unique importance of human exceptionalism. Required reading for anyone interested in defeating the animal rights movement on its own terms, Smith helped put his book into context for livestock farmers during a recent interview with the on-line publication Truth in Food. Here are four good arguments against animal rightists.
1. Animal rights is not about treating animals better
“Animal rights activists have very successfully positioned themselves in a way that is false,” Smith says. “Most people when they think of ‘animal rights’ think it’s just about being nicer to animals. That’s properly called animal welfare. Animal
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rights is actually a dogma, almost a religion. The purpose of the animal rights movement literally is to end the use of all domesticated animals and eventually put all animal industries out of business.” In truth, animal rights activists care little about animal welfare, Smith argues, because it negates their underlying philosophy. If humans are responsible for improving the welfare of animals, he says, then that implies they are superior to those animals. And if humans are superior, then it immediately undermines the argument that no one species is set above another (that is, to paraphrase the words of PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk, a rat is no pig is no dog is no boy). “The animal welfare movement (as opposed to the animal rights movement) recognizes there is a hierarchy of moral worth, and that human beings have a higher moral value than animals,” Smith tells Truth in Food interviewer Kevin Murphy. “It also recognizes humans have the right to use animals to our benefit and welfare, so long as we do it humanely. The two movements are completely different. But what animal rights activists have successfully done is to have hidden much of their true agenda behind the good reputation of animal welfare organizations.” 2. Animals can never possess rights
Smith argues it is impossible for animals to have rights as our society understands them. “Rights, properly understood, are legally enforceable entitlements the rights-bearer has. If you give animals rights, then there will be the ability to legally enforce those rights
Alabama Poultry Magazine
in court. And in fact one of the prime goals of the animal rights movement is to give animals legal standing in court to bring lawsuits. You might laugh and say that’ll never happen. Don’t you count on it. Animal law clinics at 100 prestigious law schools around the country are dedicated to teaching law students how to bring lawsuits against animal use. “But animals are not properly the subject of rights because, first, they don’t understand the concept and, second, because there are no concomitant duties from animals to others – to us, for sure, or to each other. Human beings are the only unique species on this planet that has duties to others that can be enforced. We are the only species with rights, and that means we are the only species with duties. Think about that. Can any animal ever be held to account for violating a duty? Of course not, because no animal is a moral being. They are amoral beings. They do not have free will. A cheetah isn’t going to have a bad Karmic experience because it takes down a gazelle. Only human beings can be held morally accountable.” That’s why Smith believes the argument livestock producers can use to defeat animal rightists can be found within their own arguments: If only humans can exhibit exceptionalism, then humans are exceptional. “Even the animal liberationists, the most extreme ones, will say because we are human we have to, for example, not eat meat. Well that’s an act of human exceptionalism, isn’t it? What other animal could ever be expected not to eat its natural food based on an ethical belief? Even Ingrid Newkirk, as she denies human exceptionalism, is engaging in it by
saying we should not use animals for any purpose, for saying ‘a rat is a pig is a dog is a boy.’ The idea that animals and humans are equivalent is belied by the very advocacy of the animal liberationists.” 3. There’s nothing harmless about animal rightists – even the peaceloving ones
“Often people make the mistake of thinking, ‘Oh these are just kind of funny, harmless radicals who pose nude to protest fur or that kind of thing,’” Smith notes. “I just don’t think people understand the subversion and the anti-human nature of this movement. But if the animal rights activists have their way, there will be a tremendous cost in terms of human welfare. In fact, they’re already inflicting those costs in increasing food prices, impeding medical research, attacking researchers, some of the more radical animal rights activists have even threatened to kill medical researchers. And that’s because of the animal rights dogma, the quasi-religion that whatever you do to an animal is the same as if you did it to a human.” The majority of Smith’s new book chronicles the illegal tactics, the bullying and the intimidation used by animal rights organizations to sway public sentiment and scare animal use industries into submission. “Animal industries need to start taking them seriously,” Smith warns, “because this threat is very real, and it is a potentially lethal threat. “At some point, livestock producers are going to have to engage the necessary task of reintroducing the idea that human beings have different value than animals. It is now a question that must be debated. The
once self-evident truth is no longer self-evident to many people. The ramparts have to be defended. That isn’t to say the cattle rancher has to become a philosopher. But I do think the cattle rancher has to be able to help those who do that work help to get the message out. “People in the animal industries need to understand that the animal rights activists are their enemies, and I mean that literally. Do not think you can work with animal rights activists or compromise with them.” 4. The threat isn’t confined only to those who “exploit animals”
Smith believes that although animal rights activists have focused narrowly on highly visible animal users like farms and labs, we have many potential allies in the general public, including the nation’s 69 million households that own a pet. The underlying power of Smith’s book is that it can help livestock producers form an argument that persuades the undecided middle that animal rightists are dangerous – not just because of what they do, but also because of what they believe. He argues that elevating the status of animals by diminishing the status of humans ultimately cheapens the meaning of humanity and threatens us all. “I got into these ‘value-of-life’ issues through the assisted suicide movement,” says Smith, also the author of Culture of Death: The Assault on Medical Ethics in America and Forced Exit: The Slippery Slope from Assisted Suicide to Legalized Murder. “I really wasn’t thinking about human exceptionalism and certainly wasn’t thinking about the animal rights issue. But I began to see that the intrinsic dignity of human life, which is essential to the concept of universal
Alabama Poultry Magazine
human rights, was under assault across a wide array of fields. “Animal rights is one aspect of this broader attack on human exceptionalism, and it is one that is particularly nihilistic, because it truly reduces our value, from being a human being to that of an animal. That is something that if we ever accept will not only not help human beings but certainly won’t help animals. It is very subversive, it’s antihuman, and it would cause a great amount of destruction. “The interesting thing is that by diminishing us, they think we’re going to improve our treatment of animals. But if our self view is that all we are is another animal in the forest, why wouldn’t we just indulge every impulse the way animals do? You basically eradicate the very aspect of humanity that required us to be good to animals in the first place. “Every human society, as far back as we can go, has had the concept of right and wrong, has had the concept of moral duties and moral value. That is the distinction that removes us from the mere animal world and puts us into a completely different category. But if being human, in and of itself, isn’t morally relevant, and indeed if we don’t each human being have equal moral worth, the very concept of universal human rights can’t be sustained. “I’m not personally involved in animal industries and I’m not intending to represent animal industries’ benefit. What I am interested in is maintaining universal human rights and a society in which being human matters morally. Because if it doesn’t – over a broad array of issues beyond the animal rights issue – we will be in trouble as a species, particularly the weak and vulnerable among us.”
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G over nment al Affairs Over the last several months we have had a number of requests to reprint the Alabama Poultry Industry 1995 Best Management Practices guidelines.
ALABAMA POULTRY INDUSTRY 1995 BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES It is important for the poultry industry to have a strong relationship between companies and producers for continued industry growth in Alabama. In an effort to help insure a positive relationship between companies and producers, the following recommended best management practices list has been developed by the industry. The Alabama poultry industry is proud to be a national leader in developing programs that address possible future concerns in a way that protects the industry and public interest without the need for unnecessary government regulations. In Alabama, we developed best management practices for the environmentally-safe disposal of dead birds, and we are now proud to implement this program which will help to maintain a strong and prosperous relationship between companies and producers. 1. All live birds are weighed at the plant by a bonded weighmaster on certified scales. Scales are checked daily by weighmaster and routinely by State Weights and Measures as required by law. Producers are allowed to personally watch live birds being weighed. 2. All feed is weighed at the feed mill by a bonded weighmaster on certified scales. Scales are checked daily by weighmaster and routinely by State Weights and Measures as required by law. Producers are allowed to personally watch feed being weighed. 3. Companies provide to producers a written chain of command to use in addressing questions or concerns with their company. Producers are encouraged to work through the chain of command until their question or concern is adequately addressed.
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4. Companies provide all documentation that impacts a producer’s settlement check in a timely manner. This is also required by the federal Packers and Stockyard Act. Producers are encouraged to work through the provided chain of command if they have any questions concerning documentation that affects their settlement check. 5. Companies will have employee/producer meetings on a regular basis to share information and create a better dialogue of communication between the company and producers. 6. The industry has developed a program to better educate producers about the various facets of the poultry business, including poultry production, processing, hatchery operations, feed mill operations and how they affect each other and the entire process. In addition, the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association will place a renewed emphasis on grower education through the annual grower meeting and the Grower Committee. Producers are encouraged to attend educational seminars and meetings. 7. Companies will set up tours of the poultry complex to better inform and educate producers about the various facets of the industry. 8. All efforts will be made to insure proper handling of birds from farm to plant, including the removal of birds killed by catching crews. Damage by catching crews of producer’s equipment or facilities will be reimbursed by the company. 9. Producers can pass on or sell their poultry farm as long as the building facility is acceptable to their com-
pany and the new owners are capable of operating the facility in a way that will produce a quality product. 10. The producer makes the final decision in purchasing new equipment. Minimum standards may be required by the company. 11. Companies will work with the producer on an individual basis to address chick quality concerns whenever they may arise. 12. Even though final bird condemnation is controlled by the USDA inspectors, companies will work with USDA to improve the inspection process. 13. Auburn University, in cooperation with the AP&EA grower committee and poultry companies, will develop general information to help potential producers better estimate expected income and expenses from a poultry operation. 14. Companies provide prompt payment to producers in accordance with the federal Packers and Stockyard Act. 15. Companies will employ a system to insure that company employees who also grow chickens will not be shown any favoritism. 16. Producers are required to dispose of dead birds daily using a method of disposal approved by the Department of Agriculture and their company. Disposal methods may be inspected by company personnel for compliance. Birds may not be placed on a farm with inadequate bird disposal. The Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, in cooperation with the Department of Agriculture and Auburn University, will
Alabama Poultry Magazine
provide to producers a list of the proper bird disposal alternatives. 17. Companies are encouraged to develop long-term contracts. 18. Producers can join any organization or association. A producer’s membership in any organization will not
affect his settlement in any way. 19. The industry will develop educational opportunities for service people to attend that will enhance their communication skills. The Alabama Poultry & Egg Association will also incorporate more communication/inter-personal programs in their
workshops and seminars. 20. Companies and producers will be mindful of the changing economic needs of each other. 21. DOA’s will not be charged to producers.
It’s Time To Join Your Association
2009 Farm Family of the Year
“My family has been in the poultry industry for three generations. For two of those generations, we have been closely involved with the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association. It is the only association that works to protect the interests of industry and growers while also promoting the industry as a whole. From promoting 4-H and FFA to private property rights to fighting radical environmentalists so that we can stay on our family farms, AP&EA gets the job done.” Dorman Grace The Grace Family AP&EA Farm Family of the Year ❖ Settlement Deduction Companies that settlement deduct dues will provide membership information and forms for their producers to join. On the form, please indicate if you would like to join for one year only or as a continuous member. The continuous member has an automatic renewal feature that allows your membership to renew each year during AP&EA’s membership drive.
❖ Non-Settlement Deduction
If your company does not settlement deduct, return the producer membership form and choose your payment selection. You can mail or fax your completed form or give it to your service representative.
Time to join AP&EA! 8
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Alabama Poultry Magazine
Continued on page 30
Assoc ia ti on News
Animal Care Bill Passes Legislature MONTGOMERY – HB 561, known as the Livestock Care Act, has passed the in the Alabama legislature and has been signed by Gov. Bob Riley. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Ralph Howard of Greensboro and supported by the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, Alabama Agribusiness Council, Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, Alabama Dept. of Agriculture & Industries, Alabama Farmers Federation and the Alabama Veterinary Medical Association. The bill does three things:
and handling of livestock and animal husbandry practices involved in the production of agricultural and farm products on private property,” in addition to disease in livestock. 2. Prevents a local governing body from adopting or continuing an ordinance, rule, or resolution concerning the care and handling of livestock on private property.
3. Provides for minimum fines for second and third convictions for animal cruelty within the existing framework for penalties allowed: • First conviction: fine of not 1. Gives the Department of Agriculmore than $3,000 and/or imture & Industries, and therefore the prisonment in the county jail state veterinarian, authority in the for not more than six months administration and enforcement of (This is current law.) laws and rules “concerning the care
• Second conviction: mandatory minimum fine of $500 and/or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six months • Third or subsequent conviction: mandatory minimum fine of $1,000 and/or imprisonment in the county jail for not more than six months The bill was passed on April 14 and signed by Gov. Riley on April 21. A formal signing ceremony has been scheduled for Friday, May 28, at 11:00 a.m. in the old House chambers in the Alabama Capitol. Similar legislation has been passed in Kentucky and is pending in other states. It is a sign that animal agriculture is joining forces to fight animal rights forces.
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Greg Graham Vice-President 2201G Gault Avenue North Fort Payne, AL 35967 877-245-4271
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MONTGOMERY – April 1, 2010 Once again, Howard Helmer, raconteur and omeletteer supreme of the American Egg Board, proved again why he is the undisputed “Omelet King,” as he entertained onlookers with his eggceptional legerdemain with eggs, pan and spatula at the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association’s annual Legislative and Media Omelet Breakfast, all the while regaling his audience with witty anecdotes. Supported by a veritable plethora of willing and able minions from 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, Howard and accomplices served more than 600 omelets. Breakfasters also feasted on grits, sausage, bacon and biscuits from Alabama producers and all served under the large tent on the Capitol’s south lawn. With the extraordinary weather, capitol staffers and politicians of both parties, some with their families, were smiling warmly as they rubbed shoulders with Peach Queens and leaders of Alabama’s number 1 agricultural industry. They know how very important the poultry industry is to Alabama, and AP&EA holds this event to show them our gratitude for their continued support. Each table displayed a request that each legislator support House Bill 561 sponsored by Rep. Ralph Howard and Senate Bill 413 sponsored by Sen. Wendell Mitchell. These bills are about livestock care. It was a successful effort. HB 561 passed in both houses of the legislature and was signed into law by Gov. Bob Riley. Many thanks to our legislative friends for passing this needed legislation. The annual Legislative and Media Omelet Breakfast 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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Alabama Poultry Magazine
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AP&EA Holds Spring Board Meeting Immediately following the Omelet Breakfast, the AP&EA board got together for its spring meeting. Association President Fred Cespedes gaveled the meeting to order and made several announcements. He also introduced our latest board member, Jason Spann of Pilgrim’s Pride in Guntersville. Jason replaces the newly-retired Wendell Shelton, also of Pilgrim’s Pride. Wanda Linker presented the Allied Committee’s report for Richard Lusk. The Allied Committee reports that their golf tournament will, once again, be held at Chesley Oaks on Thursday, Oct. 7. The have also increased their scholarship award to $7,500 yearly. There were a number of other committee reports, as well. State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Fra-
zier presented an advisory report from the Department of Agriculture. He began with the disappointing news that Dana Brindley-Bennett would not be coming back to the Department of Agriculture following the birth of her son. She has, Dr. Frazier announced, decided to be a fulltime mother. Dr. Frazier also pointed out the continuing budget crisis, but promised that flock inspections would still be carried out. Dr. Don Conner, head of the Auburn University department of poultry science, reported on the planning and fund-raising efforts on behalf of the feed mill project. Jim Donald reported on the recent series of National Poultry Technology Center seminars around the state, and plans for future ventures. Department of Education repre-
Association President Fred Cespedes with new Board member, Jason Spann
sentative Mickey Humphries reported on the activities of 4-H and FFA in Alabama. Perry Oakes of NRCS stressed the need to remind growers of the necessity of having a plan in the event of a catastrophic mortality emergency. Executive Director Johnny Adams finished the meeting with a legislative report dealing with immigration reform and animal welfare issues.
Pre-Concert Business and After Concert Boogie Even as the roadies are putting the final touches on the entertainment portion of the AP&EA “Evening of Fun” at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Center, on June 5, 2010, poultry growers will meet to cover some Association business in the Birmingham Ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel. On the program is the election of two new directors to serve on the AP&EA board for the coming year and to present the 2010 AP&EA “Farm Family of the Year” award. Following the presentation, there will be a grower seminar. The program will include a grower panel presentation on “How Do You Manage It?,” covering such topics as Marketing Your Litter, Windrow Composting, and the Importance of
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Crusting/Tilling. One hour of CAFO continuing education credit can be earned by everyone attending. At the conclusion of the program, a picnic supper will be served for all in attendance. Then, it’s time to hoof it on off to watch Blake Shelton and enjoy the “Evening of Fun.” Concert doors open at 7:00 p.m., and remember, kids 18 and under are free when accompanied by a ticket bearing adult. At the concert this year we have another terrific FFA singing group to entertain us as people come into the arena. This group is from Oak Grove High School in Jefferson County. After the concert, put on your dancing shoes for Hotwire in the Sheraton Ballroom. Hotwire, made up of members
Alabama Poultry Magazine
FFA Singers from Oak Grove High School. (Front) Anna Streety, Gabby Lucas,(back) Aaron Martin, Advisor Mike Grissom and Davey Tucker.
of the legendary Tip Tops, continues the tradition of great party bands. With multiple vocalists, a kickin' rhythm section and the awesome Hotwire Horns you can guarantee a packed dance floor all night long.
(Continued from last issue) By 16, Blake was singing at weddings and parties, and before long he had beaten 3,500 contestants in a statewide talent contest. He was performing at an awards ceremony when he met legendary songwriter Mae Axton (“Heartbreak Hotel”), who encouraged him to move to Nashville. He was just 17 and two weeks out of high school when he took her advice. After three years of odd jobs and struggling, he was discouraged enough to consider leaving town when he met another legendary writer – Bobby Braddock (“He Stopped Loving Her Today”). Before long, Blake was signed to Giant Records, although success was still elusive. It took four years until his first single came out, and a week later, the label folded. He was quickly picked up by Warner Bros., though, and the single “Austin” became a five-week #1 single. Each of his first three albums went gold, and each produced a chart-topping single – ”The Baby” from The Dreamer and “Some Beach” from Blake Shelton’s Barn & Grill. As he became more comfortable in the spotlight, Blake began allowing more of his relaxed and irreverent personality into his stage show. The result is a live show renowned as one of music’s most enjoyable. At the same time, he became increasingly recognized as one of the genre’s finest singers. His fourth album, Pure BS, also went gold and produced a back-to-back #1 single, “Home,” at a time when Blake’s presence on television was increasing. “More and more,” he says, “people identify me with my personality as much as they do with my music. At a show, I guarantee I’ll meet 20 guys and girls who say, ‘I love what you said to Kathie Lee Gifford’ or ‘I saw you on that hunting show.’ I think I’ve got the best of both worlds.” Starting Fires produced “She Wouldn’t Be Gone,” yet another multiple week #1 single, and solidified Blake’s reputation as a vocalist. “The last album or two I pushed myself as a singer,” he says, “and I think I proved what I’m capable of. I’ll always push myself, but with Hillbilly Bone it was more about finding songs with that attitude I want to convey and then just delivering them the best way I can. More than anything I’d like people to hear me sing and think, ‘That’s good music.’” Remember, if you like great music and fun fellowship – make plans to attend the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association’s “Evening of Fun” on June 5, 7:30 p.m. at the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex. Gates open at 7:00 p.m. Then join us for the dance in the Birmingham Ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel with Hotwire. Just be sure to wear sensible shoes, because you’re going to boogie! You gotta’ be there!
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Poultry Pioneer Profile
here is an old placard on the wall of Alabama Poultry Hall of Fame member Gerald Bailey’s home office. He points to it with obvious pride. “Do you know what this is,” he asks rhetorically? “It’s the sign for the lead bus for the Auburn University band which was participating in the presidential inagural parade for President George W. Bush’s second term, and I drove it.” His face glows with the revelation, as I notice
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the Auburn belt that he is wearing and the picture of Jordan-Hare Stadium on the wall beside the placard. Gerald is proud of his Auburn connection and of driving the Auburn band’s lead bus for a number years, as a driver for Adventure Tours. He’s been to every stadium in the Southeastern Conference and a bunch of bowl games with the Tiger Band, along the way becoming friends with the band’s director, Dr. Rick Good. He
Alabama Poultry Magazine
has also had the opportunity to drive for Nick Saban and the University of Alabama football team, an experience that did not leave him exactly overwhelmed. “He didn’t seem real friendly, too intense.” Gerald says. As mentioned before, Gerald is an Auburn guy. Gerald was born on December 29, 1932, a true child of the Great Depression, in his Grandmother Reeves’ house, five miles south of Double Springs in Winston County. His parents, Thomas and Eunice Bailey, were farmers and already had two other children, daughters, Emily and Nelda. They would add a third daughter, Betty, a few years later. Gerald’s first experience with poultry came when he was less than a year old. He was staying with his grandmother and had been placed on the big featherbed for a nap. His grandmother had collected eggs that morning from her hen house and, after inspecting the eggs, had decided to return several of the fertile eggs to the nests. Inadvertently, she had left the eggs on the bed near the sleeping infant when some distraction had called her away. She was gone only a few minutes. When she returned, she discovered, to her chagrin, a happy Gerald, coved with egg yolk and broken shells. He had awakened while she was gone. Spying the eggs, he had done some inspecting of his own. His next experience with poultry would not come until decades later. When Gerald was two, the family moved from Winston to Walker County. His father farmed and worked in the timber business. He was away from home often, leaving young Gerald in the company of women. His big sisters doted on him. What he wanted, he got, growing more and more spoiled. He was so spoiled that at the age of five or six, he wanted a football for Christmas, but received a watch instead. He pitched a tantrum and would have thrown the watch into the fire, had his father not restrained him. Being spoiled did not last long. On the farm, chore time is serious business and Gerald took it seriously. His responsibilities included feeding the pigs and bringing in the wood and coal that the family needed to cook and stay warm. By the time he got to high school, he was also taking care of a white-faced calf in preparation for a 4-H competition. His father made it clear that the calf was his responsibility and he took pride in seeing the calf’s development. After just two years of competition, Gerald took the Walker County Grand Championship at the fair. Other top prizes were to follow. In high school, Gerald had joined a local National Guard unit. It was a good way to earn a little extra
money for clothes and other necessities, and all for just one weekend a month. However, half a world away, a “police action” in Korea was heating up and would soon boil over. In January of Gerald’s senior year, his Guard unit was activated. He was in the Army now. For Gerald, army life wasn’t too bad. He earned his GED, finishing high school. And, for the first time in his life, he got to travel. He, along with his unit, was sent first to Camp Edwards, Mass., on the Cape Cod coast. Next, he left his unit and was sent to radar tech school at Fort Bliss, Texas. After Fort Bliss, he rejoined his unit on the high plains of California’s Mojave Desert at Camp Roberts to provide anti-aircraft support for Castle Air Force Base. When the war ended, his unit headed for home, but Gerald remained in the National Guard, retiring in 1978 as a first sergeant. He had left home as a boy, he returned to Walker County as a man. For the next two years he worked along side his father logging in the Bankhead National Forest. For Gerald, this was joyous work. The Forest Service prohibited any mechanized equipment within the park, so Gerald and his father used a team of Belgian draft horse mares to drag the cut logs out of the forest. Together the two bay horses weighed 3,200 pounds, but for Gerald, who had always loved horses, they were a joy to work with.
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After two years working in the logging business, Gerald figured it was time to get on with his life. He enrolled at Jacksonville State University. During this time, he met a young lady on a blind date. Her name was Loretta Jones, from Jasper. In fact, one of her girl friends had set up the date as a double date with one of Gerald’s buddies. There is a story that the guys actually flipped a coin to see who would go out with each of the girls. It is a story that Gerald will neither confirm or deny. If it is a true story, Gerald had won the love of his life. The couple married on June 30, 1956. Gerald attended Jacksonville State for one year, then transfered to Auburn University where he enrolled in the School of Business. Loretta, whose parents were in the dairy business in Jasper, was also in college and graduated at Birmingham Southern. She got a job teaching school in Lee County. Still in school, Gerald continued to work, coming back to Walker County on the weekends to log with his father, driving a bulldozer or truck. Sometimes he would skip a quarter to work to build his resources. One weekend, while in Jasper without Loretta, tragedy struck. A fire destroyed his family home and most of his clothes. In 1958, without finishing his degree, the couple moved back to Walker County, and Gerald went to work in Loretta’s family dairy business, delivering milk and calling on door-to-door accounts. However, it soon became obvious that there was little chance of success in the dairy business. For a short time after the dairy experience, he continued to work on logging and truck and bulldozer work in the Bankhead National Forest. He also made an attempt at running for public office in an unsuccessful bid to fill a local judgeship, In 1964, with no previous poultry experience, he started his career in the poultry business with the Pillsbury Company, moving to Cullman and running a debeaking crew. He so impressed his new employers that his move up the corporate ladder was swift. From debeaking, he was promoted to office manager, then livehaul manager, serviceman, and broiler manager. Before his tenure with Pillsbury ended he was manager of livehaul and growout, serving as one of the top managements go-to-guys in the north Alabama area. During this time, the couple’s two children were born. Greg was born in 1960 and Cheryl in 1966. In 1971, Gold Kist bought out the entire Pillsbury poultry operation. This provided Gerald with the opportunity for great professional growth. His area of serv-
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ice began to include hatcheries, feed mills, transportation, live-haul and overseeing larger and more complex operations. Through Gold Kist, Gerald was able to indulge his love of travel. Traveling both nationally and internationally attending symposiums as a participant and speaker. In the late’ 70s, Gold Kist purchased a cornish game hen operation from Ralston Purina. One large plant was located in Trussville, Ala., while the smaller plant was located in east Texas. Gerald spent one week a month at the east Texas plant for several years, until Gold Kist closed that operation. Gerald also found time to take an active leadership role in the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association. He believed that a strong industry organization was important for a growing industry. Serving first on the Executive Committee, he began to work his way through the ranks of service, first as secretary, treasurer, then vice president and finally president in June of 1979. During those years, he worked with Wallace State Community College to develop a poultry curriculum, teaching some of the classes himself. He also oversaw the construction of the new AP&EA office wing in Cullman (years before the move to Montgomery). After his presidential term ended, he continued on the Executive Committee and served as chairman of the
Alabama Poultry Magazine
Auburn University Relations Committee. He was the only poultryman serving on the Auburn Agricultural Advisory Committee to the president of the university. It was in this capacity that Gerald Bailey made perhaps his greatest contribution to Alabama poultry. Gerald saw that Alabama needed a diagnostic laboratory located at Auburn University and, along with others, worked diligently toward that goal. The concept involved, not only the base lab at Auburn, but two satellite labs as well, one at Elba and the other at Albertville. The Marshall County facility would be involved entirely with poultry. The Marshall County facility proved to be totally ineffective and was threatened with closing, however, Gerald successfully argued that the facility be revamped to perform the function that it was originally designed to do. It has since been relocated to Boaz. Gerald was also very involved in the development of the Auburn University poultry research farm. As chairman of the Poultry Industry Relations Committee to the Auburn poultry science department, he worked with the Alabama Legislature to secure a one-time grant of $500,000 and worked to assure constant funding Continued on page 30
Gov. George Wallace and Gerald Bailey with an AP&EA proclamation.
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Poultry Hall of Fame Member Sam Gibbons Passes Sam Gibbons, “Mr. Sam” to his friends. died quietly alone in his home Monday, March 22, 2010. His son, Howard Gibbons, said Tuesday that was the way Sam would have wanted it. No fuss. Sam was the former marketing manager of ConAgra Poultry and 36-year manager of the Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration in Shelbyville, Tenn. Samuel Howard Gibbons was born Nov. 3, 1914, in Calera. He graduated in 1937 from Alabama Polytechnic Institute in Auburn with a degree in landscape architecture and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Army Reserves. Sam was a World War II veteran. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, many of his acquaintances champed at the bit to get into the action, but Sam told local attorney and author Jerry Barksdale, “I wasn’t a hero. I was trying to get it over.”
He served with the 79th Division, landing at Utah Beach on June 14, 1944 — “D-Day, plus 8 – – and fought across France, crossing into Belgium and Holland, and by January 1945 was firing across the Rhine River during one of the coldest winters in 50 years. He was promoted to lieutenant colonel a week before the Germans surrendered on May 8, 1945. He was awarded the Bronze Star for valor along with several other distinguished citations and awards. Sam retired from ConAgra in 1984 and was named a member of the Alabama Poultry Hall of Fame. In 1985. He is survived by his wife of 68 years, Fern Howell Gibbons; his son and daughter-in-law, Howard and Kris Gibbons of Shelbyville, Ky., two sisters, Laura Schwarz of Blairsville, Ga., and Katherine Ott of Waterloo, Iowa; and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.
Wayne Farms Wins Clean Water Award Jesse Fletcher (left), Wayne Farms utilities superintendent, accepted the award from Jim Walsh, Georgia Tech, a member of the selection committee.
TUCKER, Ga. - The Wayne Farms further processing facility in Decatur, Ala. has won the Clean Water Award in the pretreatment category in U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s 2010 Clean Water Awards. Pretreatment facilities provide partial treatment of process water prior to discharging to a publically owned full treatment facility for final treat-
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ment. Eligible facilities must have a minimum of two years of compliance within all permit limitations. The awards are given annually in recognition of excellence in the operation of water treatment plants. Several innovative processes were recognized at the Wayne Farms facility: a combined stream from two plants improving effluent water quality, a computer-based jar testing project, polymer blend consistency, and multiple supervisory control and data acquisition, providing 24-7 monitoring for both utilities and water treatment. The facility was runner-up last year. Wayne Farms is also active in
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the local community. The company achieved purple status in the Relay for Life, raising more than $50,000 in support of the American Cancer Society. They participate in fundraising activities, such as the Recycle for Relay, and they are partners in education with Brookhaven Middle School. “The poultry industry is recognized as a leader in protecting our natural resources,” said USPOULTRY chairman Steve Willardsen, Cargill Value Added Meats, Wichita, KS. “U.S. Poultry & Egg Association continues to emphasize environmental stewardship by recognizing excellence in environmental programs at our member companies. Congratulations to Wayne Farms for their excellent work,” he said.
Recipes
Eggs are truly an international delight. Whether plain or fancy – dressed up or dressed down, eggs can make the meal. With these recipes, you can satisfy your family’s gustatory sense of adventure for far away places with strange sounding names. For those without German heritage, Houby Eggs combine scrambled eggs, fresh mushrooms and cheese, and traditionally, are served over toast. This quick-and-easy recipe provides high-quality protein that helps keep the entire family running strong all day.
GERMAN HOUBY EGGS 2 cups morel mushrooms or any variety, washed, dried and sliced 2 tbls butter 8 eggs 1/4 cup milk or fat-free half and half 1 cup shredded cheese (Cheddar, mozzarella, Swiss, etc.) 4 pieces whole wheat or rye toast
Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until tender and fragrant. Combine eggs and milk in a small bowl, and beat to combine. Add egg mixture to mushrooms and scramble until eggs are set but still moist. Or remove mushrooms; scramble eggs, and then stir cooked mushrooms into eggs. Sprinkle with cheese; cover and remove from heat. Let stand for 1-2 minutes to melt cheese. Place eggs on a piece of toast, and serve. Yield: 4 servings.
While mostly eaten as a snack in Greece, this recipe also makes a stand-alone meal. In addition to The incredible edible egg™, feta – the classic Greek cheese – is combined with ricotta and Parmesan cheeses. The eggs help keep guests feeling full longer – meaning the temptation to snack stays way.
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Alabama Poultry Magazine
GREECE’S CHERISHED SPANOKOPITA 6 eggs 1 (10-ounce) package chopped spinach, thawed and drained 1 cup chopped onion 2 cloves garlic, minced 8 ounces low-fat feta cheese 8 ounces low-fat ricotta cheese 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese 1 tbls lemon juice 1 tsp dried dill 1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 cup melted butter 8 ounces phyllo dough (pastry sheets) 2 tsp finely shredded Parmesan cheese, optional Place eggs in a large bowl and beat. Add onion, garlic, feta, ricotta, Parmesan, lemon juice, dill and nutmeg and stir to mix completely. Brush the bottom of a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan with melted butter. Layer 3 sheets of phyllo in bottom of pan. Brush phyllo sheets with butter. Repeat layering and buttering pastry until half of the package is used. Spread the filling on the phyllo sheets. Cover the filling with the remaining phyllo sheets, layering with melted butter as before. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, if desired, and bake Spanokopita in a 350°F oven for 35-45 minutes or until pastry is browned and filling is set. Cut into squares and serve. Yield: 6-8 serv-
Bruschetta’s origin dates back to at least the 15th century in central Italy. By topping this appetizer with hard-cooked eggs, guests enjoy this perennial favorite’s new flavor profiles and an added protein punch. The high-quality protein added by eggs provides the mental-and-physical energy.
ITALIAN BRUSCHETTA with an EGGScellent Twist 6 1-inch thick Italian bread slices 11⁄2 cup tomato bruschetta*, drained (a spread of tomatoes, basil and garlic) 6 hard-cooked, sliced eggs or fried eggs 1/4 cup shredded Italian blend cheese 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese Fresh snipped basil.
Place bread slices on baking sheet; top with 1-2 tablespoons of Italian blend cheese and heat in a 450˚F oven for 3-5 minutes to melt cheese. Remove bread from oven, and place 2-3 tablespoons bruschetta mixture on each bread slice. Top with a hard-cooked egg slices, 1 tablespoon of Parmesan cheese. Return to oven for an additional 2-3 minutes to melt cheese. Sprinkle with basil and serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings. *May use roasted red pepper bruschetta or sun-dried tomato bruschetta, drained.
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Member News
Tyson Recognizes D&F Equipment as Supplier of the Year From left to right – Matt Fox, senior capital buyer, Tyson; Greg Cagle, senior vice president, D&F Equipment; Dawn Knox, owner; Jeremy Pruitt, western division manager; Tena Smith, administrative vice president
SPRINGDALE, Ark. – Tyson Foods recognized six companies with its annual Supplier of the Year awards. F&H Food Equipment, York Label, Newly Weds Foods, D&F Equipment and Kriz-Davis were each honored as “Supplier of the Year” in their respective supply categories. Honorees received their awards at a recent luncheon held at Tyson’s world headquarters, which was attended by Donnie Smith, president and chief executive officer; Jim Lochner, chief operating officer; and
Hal Carper, group vice president. The recognition was based on continuous improvement contributions, performance surveys from Tyson locations, order fill rate and customer satisfaction performance, sales and technical support, ease of doing business and diversity support efforts. We value the relationships we have with all of our strategic suppliers and are especially proud of this year’s award winners, Carper said. “These are suppliers that actively
seek innovation and ways to promote efficiency. Their support helps us in our efforts to provide consistently superior protein products and services to our customers. D&F Equipment, of Crossville, Ala., has been a contractor partner to Tyson for many years, primarily performing millwright and fabrication for company facilities. D&F has expanded its services to Tyson by providing process engineering and parts fabrication.
Alabama Farm Credit Returns $2.11 Million to Borrowers CULLMAN, Ala. – Alabama Farm Credit, a rural lending cooperative headquartered in Cullman, recently mailed checks to its stockholder-borrowers as part of its patronage program. Patronage payments to customers totaled $2.11 million. “We are pleased to announce the return of 2009 earnings in the amount of $2.11 million,” said Loyd Rutherford, chairman of the co-op’s member-elected board of directors. “The board has always strived to live by true cooperative principles, including sharing our earnings with our borrowers. We have approved a return of member’s equity every year since 1996.”
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Patronage payments lower borrowers’ effective interest rate. This year’s payment effectively reduced the co-op’s stockholders’ average interest rate for 2009 by 0.51 percent. Alabama Farm Credit is a lend-
Alabama Poultry Magazine
ing cooperative that specializes in financing for farmers, agribusiness firms and rural residents in north Alabama. The co-op has offices in Albertville, Athens, Cullman, Talladega and Tuscumbia.
NRCS Announces Initiative to Improve Agricultural Energy Conservation and Efficiency Individual Energy Audits Will Help Producers Reduce Energy Use
AUBURN, Ala. - The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist Dr. William Puckett today announced an initiative under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) designed to help agricultural producers transition to more energy efficient operations. Applications are being accepted through May 21, 2010. While this is a continuous signup, applications for 2010 funding must be received by the cut-off date. NRCS in Alabama will offer three levels of Agricultural Energy Management Plans (AgEMP) plans depending on the size of the producer’s confined animal operation. The producer will hire a technical service provider (TSP), which is certified to complete an AgEMP. EQIP payments will be made directly to program participants for development of an AgEMP by a certified TSP. “Reducing energy use on Alabama’s farms and ranches will not only help our agricultural producers
become more profitable, but also help America become more energy independent,” said Puckett. “Through this initiative, producers will be able to receive individual onfarm energy audit evaluations and assistance with implementation of energy conservation and efficiency measures.” For instance, switching from incandescent to U-tube fluorescent lights can save energy needed for lighting by 75 percent. In a 40,000-bird-broiler operation, this equates to a savings of nearly 18,000 kilowatt-hours per year. At a typical electric rate of eight cents per kilowatt, this becomes a savings of over $1,400 per year per broiler house. Dairy, beef, poultry, swine, and other agricultural operations are included in this energy efficiency initiative. NRCS, in partnership with USDA Rural Development, will implement the agricultural energy conservation and efficiency initiative. Energy audits will be individually tailored to ensure coverage of each farm’s primary energy uses such as milk cooling, heating and cooling of livestock production facilities, grain drying, and similar on-
farm activities. Simple changes in confined animal operations can help farmers and ranchers achieve significant cost and energy savings. Interested producers should visit their nearest USDA Service Center to determine eligibility. Individuals are not eligible for EQIP until they have completed the Farm Bill eligibility requirements. Contact your local Natural Resources Conservation Service office or Farm Service Agency Office to begin this process. NRCS field offices are listed in the telephone directory under U.S. Department of Agriculture or on-line at http://offices.sc.egov.usda.gov. For information about agricultural energy management plans visit: www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/c ap.html. This year represents the 75th year of NRCS “Helping People Help the Land.” Since its inception the NRCS conservation delivery system has advanced a unique partnership with state and local governments and private landowners delivering conservation based on specific, local conservation needs, while accommodating state and national interests.
Hubbard Appoints Holcomb As Technical Service Mgr. N. America Hubbard LLC is very pleased to announce that Sean Holcombe has been promoted to the newly created position of technical service manager North America. This appointment is the result of the recent sales growth of the Hubbard products together with the belief and support from the United States industry. Sean has been instrumental in the success of the Hubbard M99 male in the Southwest region and has also contributed enormously to the breed’s growing popularity across
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the United States. In his new role, Holcombe will have responsibility for Hubbard’s domestic technical service group. He began his career with Hubbard in 2003 as senior sales representative for the Southwest Territory. In 2006 he moved to Hubbard’s domestic Technical Services team. Sean had extensive experience as director of hatcheries with Peterson Farms after majoring in poultry science and graduating from the University of Arkansas.
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With a temperature in the mid 80s and a gentle breeze, the golfing at the Auburn Links was perfect. The course provided some beautiful scenery and was plenty challenging for the poultry pros and friends of the industry. When the going got hot, there were Amanda Martin’s golf cart angels providing cold beverages for thirsty golfers. A box lunch was provided at the club house before tee off After the tournament, Alltech sponsored barbecue and beverages at the Auburn poultry farm. It was a chance to renew old friendships and have a great time. Congratulations to Amanda and her staff for a job well done. Congratulations also to farm manager Mitchell Pate for the evening meal and hospitality and looking good in shorts, as did Amanda. The golf outing was held in conjunction with Ag Industry Day.
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Alabama Poultry Magazine
Ennis Addresses Ag Industry Day Crowd AUBURN – April 8 More than 450 students interested in pursuing an agricultural career from all around Alabama converged onto the campus of Auburn University to participate in the first Ag Industry Day. They were treated to hands-on demonstrations from all of the agricultural disciplines, including poultry science. The displays of a number of potential ag employers were set up in the Ag Pavilion in Ag Heritage Park. Koch Foods represented the poultry industry. Allied industries were represented by First South Farm Credit and Alltech. The opening ceremonies fea-
tured presentations by poultry science alumnus and CEO of Aviagen Broiler Breeding, Randall Ennis, and legendary lead singer of the group “Alabama,” Randy Owen. Ennis, introduced by Dean Richard Gutherie, told the audience that he credited his education at Auburn University with enabling him to succeed. He talked of his struggles as an indifferent student, and how he changed his outlook once he discovered poultry science. Owen spoke of his memories of farm life as a child in north Alabama, and how it has enriched his life and inspired his music.
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Randall Ennis speaks while Randy Owen listens
From all reports the first Ag Industry Day was a great success. Plans are already underway for the 2011 event. To get more information visit www.ag.auburn.edu/adm/student/prospective/exhibitorinformation.php.
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Practical Applications
“This is not about the birds,” says Jim Donald, “it’s about the houses you raise them in, and how you can keep more money in your pockets.” That’s pretty much how each of the six 2010 AP&EA/National Poultry Technology Center Grower Seminars got started. The seminars, all sponsored by AP&EA, First South Farm Credit and American Proteins, Inc., were the first series of grower information update seminars by the NPTC. The NPTC was founded three years ago at Auburn University to provide unbiased information to growers and industry. The three gurus behind the NPTC are: Jim Donald, agricultural engineer; Gene Simpson, ag economist, and Jesse Campbell, poultry science graduate and Ph.D. candidate. These three presented seminars covering subjects such as: Light bulbs and electrical projects for reduction of electricity bills; Gas bill reduction projects with insulation and spray foam and an Overview of stir fan, high efficiency tunnel fan, rainwater catchment and alternative fuel projects. Following each subject was a time for questions and discussion. At several of the seminars, growers testified to the effectiveness of various techniques that the NPTC had developed. Kenneth Sanders spoke on his experiences in saving money using compact fluorescent lights in his poultry houses. The tour began on Tuesday, March 23, in Luverne, and then on to New Brockton later in the evening. On Wednesday, the seminar moved to Russellville and then on Thursday to Cullman for a lunch-time seminar and that evening at Snead State Community College in Boaz. The final presentation was made on Friday in Anniston. Lunch or dinner, provided by American Proteins and First South Farm Credit, was served before each meeting and two hours of CAFO CEU credit was awarded. The NPTC also conducted two seminars for Alabama poultry company management. The first seminar was held in Holly Pond on April 27 with the second held in Ariton on April 29. These seminars were held on poultry production facilities and was to demonstrate energy efficient lighting technology. The technology demonstrated at these two seminars will help reduce the lighting cost on poultry farms by as much as 80 percent. Adoption of this technology could result in more than $1,000 per poultry house per year in power bill savings.
NPTC Mission Statement
Improve bottom line profitability of the live production sector of the United States poultry industry by providing timely applied research and education resulting in increased efficiencies in housing, equipment, energy and environmental control.
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Alabama Poultry Magazine
Prac ti ca l Applications
Know your enemy: Staphylococcus aka Staph By Ken Macklin and Zac Williams
One of the least discussed and often misdiagnosed infections in poultry is a staph infection. Typically it is associated with arthritis and synovitis in poultry. The most common staph to cause disease in poultry is staphylococcus aureus though other staphylococcus are capable of causing the diseases/symptoms described as well. In addition to causing infections in the joints, it can infect the skin, bursa, yolk sac, heart, eyes and form granulomas in the liver and lungs. Occasionally the infection may go septic; typically this occurs in older birds in hot weather. Septicemia often times leads to the bird’s death. Staph infections will lead to economic losses due to decreased egg production in layers and breeders as well as decreased body weight and condemnations in the processing plant for broilers. What makes this particular group of bacteria even more troublesome is that very little is known as to how it enters the host. The one thing that is known is that this group of bacteria is found everywhere in the environment and on the skin of almost every animal. Why are they everywhere? Well they are part of the normal microflora, so they are supposed to be there. However, like a lot of bacteria, even the “good” ones if given the correct situation may cause disease. What are the correct situations? Pretty much any that causes a breakdown of, or a lowering of, the body’s immune defenses. This can be anything from an actual physical breakdown, like a scratch or an inflammation of the mucous membranes, to the bird having a subclin-
ical infection with an immunosuppressive virus. Some examples of immunosuppressive viruses include those that cause infectious bursal disease (IBD), chicken infectious anemia (CAV) and Marek’s disease. What an immunosuppressive virus does is damage the organs (bursa and thymus) needed to have a normal immune response. Typical staph symptoms include ruffled feathers, lameness in one or both legs, drooping wings and reluctance of infected birds to walk. More severe causes will lead to severe depression and death. Fortunately mortality for staph is low. What this means is that the number of severe cases usually observed would rarely be high. Birds that recover from a severe case of staph infections usually have the bacteria settle into their joints. Birds with swollen joints will have a tendency to sit on their hocks and keel. So how is this group of bacteria controlled? Simply put, it can’t be done. By its very nature it is everywhere and in fairly large numbers. With that being said, typical management of the farm should lower its numbers. Unfortunately, staph is a hardy bacteria that can survive being exposed to most disinfectants, high levels of salt
Alabama Poultry Magazine
and heat. The best method to prevent staph infections in the flock is to prevent the birds from scratching one another in the house. This includes removing any sharp objects that are at bird level and preventing the birds from piling upon one another. Of course maintaining good litter quality is important. Having good litter quality will prevent foot pad ulcerations, which can serve as an entry point for staph. With good flock management and proper cleaning between flocks this bacteria should not be an issue.
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Broiler feed conversion, in the simplest terms, is the amount of feed delivered to your farm divided by the pounds of broilers delivered to the processing plant. Feed conversion is one of the most important indicators of broiler productivity and figures prominently in the returns that a grower gets for his or her efforts. At the same time, feed conversion ratio is affected by so many factors that it can be hard to get a handle on where to put ones efforts to make improvements. Still, this is one area in which growers repeatedly ask for help, as it does make a big difference in the thickness of their wallet. This article will discuss a number of areas that contribute to the feed conversion performance that a grower sees, so that growers may examine their own situation and decide where to look for improvement. The topics are arranged roughly in order of influence on feed conversion, although relative importance on a given farm may be different.
weather became more of an issue in keeping birds comfortable. Either way, birds are less efficient when they are not at their most comfortable temperature. Mike Eckman from Auburn spent a lot of time talking about the zone of thermal neutrality, which is the exact temperature range for each age where the bird does not need to use any energy to keep itself warm or cool. Scientifically, this is how to make the greatest gains in feed conversion. Practically, the devil is in the details as costs for electricity and fuel have made it difficult to heat and ventilate as much as we would like. Advances in house design and equipment have helped an awful lot with this, with excellent controllers, tunnel ventilation, evaporative cooling and attic vents being a few of the advancements that have allowed us to keep birds closer to the zone of thermal neutrality than in past decades.
Broilers perform best when kept within a relatively narrow range of temperatures. Twenty years ago, our worst temperature influences on feed conversion were in the winter because our houses were poorly equipped to conserve heat and it is expensive to heat the birds through excess feed consumption. Over time, as broiler growth increased through genetic selection, hot
Late mortality can have a big influence on feed conversion, since you have lost a bird into which you have put a lot of inputs. Health programs, lighting programs and culling programs should be tweaked to avoid late mortality. Certainly, our Brooding housing has been upgraded in such a way that we do not lose as many Brooding is an opportunity. large birds to hot weather. Health is- Young chicks have the ability to sues can be specific to a region or a grow quickly with little waste in enfew farms in a region, but companies ergy if they are kept in exactly the
Temperature Regulation
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Mortality/Culling
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are forever adjusting their health programs on the local level. Any help that a grower can give to these efforts (litter management to control gangrenous dermatitis for instance) will pay dividends in feed conversion results. We have written in a number of other articles discussing how important subclinical (below the surface) diseases are to economic profitability. It may be argued that most of the industry’s disease problems are well controlled, and subclinical issues are our main health drains on growth. Careful house management by the grower will help integrator-instituted health programs minimize subclinical threats. Lighting programs have developed to modulate growth such that birds do not die of metabolic diseases (flipover, spiking mortality, leg problems). Most companies have one or more lighting programs in use at any given complex and they must be followed closely if bird productivity is to be optimized. Commercial broiler strains differ in the type of lighting program that balances reduced mortality with the best growth performance, so lighting programs may differ from time to time as the breed mix changes within a company.
right conditions. As the birds age, their relative efficiency declines as more and more nutrients go toward body maintenance. In addition, there is a lot of evidence that early growth sets the stage for growth and carcass yield later. Young birds that are kept in optimum conditions are better able to reach their genetic potential. Birds that suffer a setback during brooding may never recover fully. Like me, broilers can really pack away the feed. Genetically, we have selected them as healthy eaters and those birds that eat well during the brooding period have been shown to have the best growth at processing. Brooding is critically important because birds build on early growth. Litter Management
These losses are due to a combination of eye and respiratory damage and increased disease susceptibility. Studies have shown losses in the neighborhood of five points in FCR for levels of ammonia we often see in the chicken house. Feed Nutrient Levels
Broiler growers can’t influence the feed nutrient levels that a poultry company provides. They can, however, manage their birds to get the most out of the feeding program. Each company puts together a feeding program that fits their final product mix (small birds, large birds, deboning, etc.). Growers are compared against other growers in the same operation getting the same feeds, so improvements in ranking come from getting more from the same feeds. When an integrator evaluates what their feeding program is able to do in the field, they examine the results generated by their best producing growers. One interesting development over the years is the relative improvement seen in feed conversion over time. This is partly due to genetic improvements (the poultry breeding companies have continued to improve efficiency at a steady pace) and partly due to the great strides that growers have made in housing. Companies have seen a general tightening of feed conversion spreads as more and more growers are able to provide an optimum environment for the birds.
Ventilation, temperature control and litter management are all interrelated in their importance to bird productivity. We have already mentioned the importance of temperature control through a combination of heating and ventilation. Ventilation is also important in managing litter moisture and keeping both bacteria and Coccidiosis under control. As mentioned earlier in this article, subclinical disease reduces feed conversion efficiency and many of these diseases involve organisms in the litter that can be made less of a problem by keeping litter dry. Coccidiosis is kept under control by integrator-implemented health programs, but dry litter helps those programs immensely. Crusting, tilling and/or windrow composting will reWater quality duce bacterial numbers as well. Ammonia control fits into this Occasionally, I have been indiscussion since it has been shown volved in working with a grower that that moderate levels of ammonia was having problems with his/her cause feed conversion to be poorer. ability to perform at a competitive
Alabama Poultry Magazine
level. In digging deeply into all aspects of their operation, the only problems found were in mineral content of the drinking water. One commercial laying hen customer, who never could do well, was found to have well water sulfate levels of 900 ppm. He had an ongoing problem with the squirts (in his birds) and we came to the conclusion that this, along with the other raft of day to day problems that a farmer is faced with, kept him from competing economically. This and other cases point out that water quality can be an underlying factor in suboptimal performance. An occasional water quality test will indicate whether bacteria or minerals might be keeping your operation from best performance. Doing something about it once you have the knowledge is a more complicated issue. Bacteria in the well or water lines are relatively easy to control and there are a number of products on the market that do an excellent job of keeping water lines clean. Minerals in well water can be a more difficult problem and may require special equipment to remove. Conclusions
Feed conversion efficiency is an important measure of farm productivity, but it is also an extremely complicated measure with many inputs. If you are unhappy with the feed conversion numbers produced by your operation, it is necessary to look at a number of variables if you hope to make meaningful improvements. There are differences, however, in the relative importance of the inputs. For instance, ventilation and temperature control are crucial to the most efficient performance in broilers.
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Continued from page 18 ... Gerald Bailey
Continued from page 8 ... Best Management Practices
sources for the farm. Many of today’s industry leaders gained hands on experience at that very farm. These are but a few of Gerald Bailey’s accomplishments over an outstanding career. In 1986, Gerald Bailey was inducted into the Alabama Poultry Hall of Fame. But his career was far from being over. Gerald’s poultry career still had another 16 years to go and he wasn’t about to slow down. He had begun a project with Auburn University poultry science department in 1983 and he was determined to see it through. From 1984 until 1988, he worked to help the poultry science research unit add eight major buildings and renovate two more. In his position as chairman of the Auburn Relations Committee, he was also actively involved in the planning and securing funding for the new poultry science building at Auburn. In 2001 Gerald retired from Gold Kist, and in 2005 he was inducted into the Auburn Ag Alumni Association Hall of Honor. He wanted to travel, but Loretta had lost her zest for the road. So he got a job driving tour busses instead. He found that he liked it. From 2001 to 2008, Gerald traveled the roads of America, seeing the sites that he had always dreamed of seeing and having a great time. In 2008, he retired from long haul bus driving with Adventure Tours. But it’s hard to keep an old bussman off the road. Today he drives for Wallace State Community College. He recently took the girls softball team to a national tournament. He also has plenty of time to spend with his growing family. The couple’s son, Greg and his wife, Melissa, and their two sons, Ryan and Kevin, live close. Greg, an Auburn graduate, is a breeder technician for Pilgrim’s Pride. Their daughter, Cheryl, lives in Atlanta with her husband, Michael Dilworth, and their 3-yearold son Nicholas. Gerald and Loretta are active in Cullman’s First Methodist Church. Loretta, retired from teaching, continues to teach, working through their church with young Hispanic students who are just learning English and having difficulty keeping up in school. She also teaches 5-year-olds in Sunday School at their church (where she has taught for the last 40+ years). They are content. As Loretta puts it, “God has been so good to us.”
We believe that this recommended best management practices list will be helpful in improving the important relationship between companies and producers. This list was developed in part by a prioritized list of concerns developed by a company/grower committee which included a producer for each company in the state and a company official from each company in the state. We want to take this opportunity to thank those company employees and producers who volunteered their time to make this effort a success. As an industry, we see this process continuing and constantly changing so that we can always meet the needs of those who make up this great industry.
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MARCH / APRIL 2010
AP&EA “Evening of Fun” Golf Tournament Bent Brook Golf Club June 4
AP&EA “Evening of Fun”
June 5
Featuring Blake Shelton 5:00 p.m. Grower Seminar Birmingham Ballroom/Sheraton Hotel 7:00 p.m. Gates Open Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex 7:30 p.m. Concert 9:30 p.m. Dance Sheraton Ballroom – featuring Hotwire
Annual Meeting
Hilton Sandestin Beach
July 19-20
You gotta be there!
ADVERTISING INDEX AirTight Agrifan Alabama Ag/Alabama Farm Credit American Proteins Auvil Insurance Aviagen Burch Corporation First Financial Bank First South Farm Credit Slawson Shavings
Alabama Poultry Magazine
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