AP&EA P.O. Box 240 Montgomery, AL 36101 Address Service Requested
March / April 2016 – Vol. 11 No. 2
Board of Directors
Officers Tim Esslinger, President,Huntsville* Harold Hunt, Vice President, Gadsden* Kenneth Sanders, Treasurer, Brundidge* Mitchell Pate, Secretary, Auburn* Dale Gambrill, Immediate Past President, Snead* Directors Johnny Adcock, Woodland Lou Ayers, Jasper Sam Black, Cullman Richard Curvin, Ashland Cory Early, Albertville Dennis Gordon, Montgomery Ben Gore, Cullman Brian Hanna,Russellville Lane Holladay, Tyler Tim Holmes, Decatur Casey Jones, Hoover 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 Roddy Sanders, Gordo Jason Shell, Huntsville* Steve Smith, Hanceville Jason Spann, Hanceville* Ryan Turner, Guntersville Stanley Usery, Athens Ricky Walker, Holly Pond Brad Williams, Troy Len Windham, Ariton
Advisors Dr. Don Conner, Auburn University James Donald, Auburn University Dr. Joe Hess, Auburn University Jacob Davis, Montgomery Dr. Tony Frazier, Montgomery Ben Malone, Auburn *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
Spring has been officially in full bloom across the country and particularly in the state of Alabama for several weeks. I always marvel at the beauty across our state during every season, but spring in the deep South is always awe inspiring. With that being said, and as summer creeps in, we have equally awe inspiring events just around the corner. Things kick-off with the “Big Bass” Open on May 13 at beautiful Lake Guntersville. The “Evening of Fun” events begin on Friday, June 3, with the AP&EA Golf Tournament at Limestone Springs Golf Course, continue in Birmingham on Saturday, June 4, with our annual grower meeting and seminar, then culminate that evening with the main event featuring Parmalee and Jana Kramer performing at the BJCC. We want everyone to have a great time at these events and to bring the entire family. Recently, our spring board meeting was held in Montgomery along with the annual Omelet Breakfast held on the State Capitol lawn for our state Legislature and other government officials. Both events were successful and are great examples of the important role our industry and our association play in our great state. Our industry is a competitive one, but a prime example of how close-knit our industry really is, can be illustrated by the way all of the integrators across north Alabama have worked hand in hand to isolate and control the recent LT outbreaks. Their cooperation and hard work has minimized the impact of the condition on our businesses, while focusing on maintaining the welfare of the bird population as their first priority. We also want to take the time during this issue to give our readers a deeper look into the Miller family. Their story as one of the true poultry pioneer families in our state is remarkable. Their contribution to our industry has been beyond significant and their legacy will continue in the near future at the Charles C. Miller, Jr. Poultry Research and Education Center on the campus of Auburn University. The poultry industry in Alabama is strong and continues to grow and evolve every year. I want to thank everyone involved for the all of the hard work expended every day to keep us successful. And please remember that the AP&EA staff and our board of directors are always ready to support our membership and the industry that provides a livelihood for so very many of us.
Featuring This Issue Poultry Business News Association News Evening of Fun Omelet Time in Dixie Spring Board Meeting The Successful Life of Charlie Miller Auburn Happenings Introduction of Dean Paul Patterson Friends of Auburn Poultry Practical Applications Calendar of Events
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Growth Rates Set to be Next Activist Target
Animal Ag Watch by Hannah Thompson, communications director, Animal Agriculture Alliance
(The views and opinions expressed in this blog are strictly those of the author.)
With many major retailers announcing plans to move to cage-free eggs, some have considered this past month to be the “tipping point” on the issue of laying hen housing. As an industry, this should push us to look at what the “next big thing” pushed by animal rights activist groups will be, and make sure we are proactively sharing information with our supply channel partners and consumers to help them make informed decisions. With so many animal care issues simmering in the background and others currently sharing the stage (such as antibiotic use) it can be difficult to get a handle on which practice might be coming under fire next. However, the message was heard loud and clear last month when both
Bon Appétit Management Company and Whole Foods Market announced plans to switch to sourcing chicken from breeds that grow to market size about 25 percent more slowly than conventional birds. The announcements were made alongside Global Animal Partnership and received accolades from HSUS on Wayne Pacelle’s blog. Before dismissing these companies as outliers, it’s important to note that they began offering only cage-free eggs in 2004 (Whole Foods) and 2005 (Bon Appétit) – years before laying hen housing came to the forefront of debates about animal welfare and animal rights, and a solid decade before more “mainstream” retailers and restaurants began announcing plans to change their supplier policies. If you’re involved in the meat and poultry business, whether directly with
chickens or not, I would encourage you to prepare to start hearing more from the media, consumers and your customers about growth rates. The National Chicken Council has some excellent resources on its consumer-facing Chicken Check In website that explain why today’s chickens grow faster and what steps farmers take to keep an equal focus on size and health. As meat and poultry producers, it is our responsibility to proactively connect with our customers about emerging issues. Consumer-facing restaurant and retail brands are in the tough position of facing pressure campaigns and reputation threats from activist groups, and we can help them navigate those challenges by reaching out and offering resources before issues hit the headlines.
First South Farm Credit Names Mike Pigg as President, Alabama Division First South Farm Credit has named Mike Pigg to lead their Alabama Division. Effective January 2016, Pigg, who had served as president of First South’s North Alabama Division for the past five years, will be responsible for all of First South’s sixteen branches and operations in Alabama. The North and South Alabama Divisions of First South were combined following the retirement of Camp Powers, who served as the president of the South Alabama Division for the past 28 years. “Mike has the experience and lead-
ership qualities that make First South a premier agricultural and rural land lender” said Roger F. Chappell, CEO of First South. “We look forward to Mike managing all of our Alabama market and continuing to deliver the quality service and leadership that our members have learned to expect from First South.” Mike has worked with First South for over 36 years and recently relocated to the division office in Montgomery, Ala., to handle his new state-wide duties.
AP&EA Car Tags Now Available
The new AP&EA tag is now available through your local probate office or wherever you get your license tags. The cost is $50 and is tax deductible. The proceeds go to fund poultry science scholarships at Auburn University or at any of the three community colleges in the 2+2 Program. Ten dollars is sent to the association in the county where the tag was purchased to fund the local association’s scholarship program. Show your pride in your industry and invest in the next generation of poultry leaders in Alabama.
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Association News
It’s Spring – So It’s EXPO Time
BOAZ – Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries John McMilCommissioner McMillan lan opened the festivities at the Alabama Farm & Poultry Expo with a spirited explanation of why agriculture was so important to Alabama. For two days, Ray and I battled the wind in the Boaz Outlet Mall parking lot to get the word out about career opportunities in Alabama poultry, while our signature big chicken stayed tucked safely inside his bag.
Two weeks later, he made his appearance at the Blount County Career Expo in Oneonta. My wife, Helen, and I had the duty assignment this time, and we talked to several hundred Blount County 10th graders about careers in poultry. We shared with them the availability of scholarships in Auburn poultry science, as well as the 2+2 Program at Wallace State Community College in Hanceville and Gadsden State Centre Campus. We had a wonderful visit with Wallace State Community College Hanceville President Vicki Hawsey Karolewics, who dropped by to express her enthusiasm over the program.
Dr. Vicki Hawsey Karolewics (above) visited with us, and Helen (right) is proving to be a great poultry advocate. (Like Ray, she loves to talk.)
Litter Management Dominates the Discussion at Local Meetings
Dr. Joe Hess
Local association meetings are an important way to transmit important information and provide continuing education to growers. Recent meetings of the Randolph County Poultry & Egg Association, the Wiregrass Poultry & Egg Association, the Southeast Alabama Poultry & Egg Association and
Chelsea Nichols brings son, Cade, to his first poultry meeting
the Central Alabama Poultry & Egg Association illustrate the point. In separate presentations ACES specialists Dr. Joe Hess and Kent Stanford outlined best management practices in litter management. Dr. Hess was more scientific in his presentation, while Stanford took a more common
Kent Stanford
sense approach. Both presentations were well received by their audiences, and each of the programs was well attended, and continuing education credits were awarded to CAFOs. Many thanks to the event organizers and to the sponsors who furnished the meals.
Mrs. Melba Hilburn Turns 100
Mrs. Melba Hilburn celebrated her 100th birthday on Sunday, April 17, with a birthday party at the Rutledge, Ala., Community Center. She was surrounded by her family and hundreds of well-wishers from the community. Mrs. Hilburn is the widow of Alabama Poultry Hall of Famer, Henry Hilburn, and the mother of five sons, including AP&EA Associate Director Ray Hilburn, all of whom are involved in the poultry industry. Miss Melba, as she is affectionately known, helped her husband, Henry, start in business, first with a feed and seed store in her hometown of Goshen. Through failure and finally success, she stuck with him. She is fondly remembered for the meals that she cooked for whomever Henry or the boys brought home.
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Miss Melba and her boys, Huey, Willie, Donald, Ronald and Biddy (Ray) as they celebrated her 100th birthday at the Rutledge Community Center.
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Evening of Fun
Back for an encore, the group that almost stole the show at the 2015 “Evening of Fun,” the fantastic young musicians of the Red Bay FFA String Band, under the leadership of Jarod Massey, are ready to rock the arena at the BJCC once again. With a repertoire of songs like Born to Fly, Desperado, Already Gone, Ring of Fire, I Saw the Light, American Honey, and Leave the Pieces, this group can do it all. They take to the stage at 6:15 p.m., just after the doors open at 6:00 p.m. After the invocation, the female vocalists from the group will also perform the National Anthem.
After the National Anthem, the AP&EA Executive Committee will be introduced, and then the Alabama Poultry Farm Family of the Year will be introduced to the audience. Two large screen smart televisions, sponsored by American Proteins, will be awarded to lucky ticket holders. At 7:15 p.m., Jana Kramer will begin her act, with Parmalee topping off the concert at 8:30 p.m. At 9:30 p.m. the dance will begin at the Sheraton ballroom, featuring the Tip Tops. You have to be there because we’re –
Red Bay FFA String Band to Open AP&EA 2016 “Evening of Fun”
Gonna Have a Good Time!
2016 “Evening of Fun” Grower Seminar to Feature Sen. Scofield The 2016 “Evening of Fun” will kick off with the grower meeting at 4:00 p.m. at the Sheraton Birmingham Hotel in the Birmingham Ballroom. The meeting will begin with the election of two grower directors for the next two years. Next on the agenda will be the recognition of the 2016 Alabama Farm Family of the Year. This is quite an honor to be selected from the many outstanding nominees that we receive each year. We should be there to congratulate them on this outstanding accomplishment and thank them for what they do for our poultry industry. We are blessed to have one of our producers to speak this year at the grower seminar. State Senator Clay Scofield, Guntersville. Clay is a third generation poultry producer, who grows
for Pilgrim’s, Guntersville. His topic will be “Poultry and Politics.” You will enjoy hearing about what he faces in educating our legislators about not only the poultry industry but agriculture in general. He is a fine young man and we owe him our gratitude Next on the agenda will be the exciting presentation of door prizes. Each farm will be given one ticket as they enter the meeting which makes them eligible for the drawing of five $100 bills and five vouchers for reimbursement of a poultry license plate. A sign-up sheet will be available for those wanting CAFO continuing education credits. A meal will be served at the close of the meeting and then it is off to the concert. Don’t forget that growers get tickets for $100 each, which is half the regular
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Alabama State Senator Clay Scofield
price and anyone 18 and under gets in free with a paid adult. What a great start to the 2016 “Evening of Fun.” Please come join us for a great time.
MONTGOMERY – Wednesday, April 13, was a beautiful day. Alabama legislators, legislative staffers, elected officials and State House employees 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 and others who make laws and regulations that ensure the Alabama poultry industry will have the opportunity to continue to prosper.
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With friends like these, Democrats, Republicans and Independents, it is no wonder that the Alabama poultry industry continues to grow. And, while we might feed the world, we are truly grateful for the continued support of our governmental and regulatory friends. Inside the big tent, poultry pros manned the omelet pans, flipping approximately 600 tasty omelets for hungry
guests. Those cooks represented poultry and allied industry, faculty and staff from the Auburn University poultry science department, Alabama Cooperative Extension System, and AP&EA board members and staff. The event is sponsored annually by the Heavy Penny-A-Hen Committee.
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Harold Hunt
Commissioner John McMillan
Dean Paul Patterson
AP&EA Spring Board Meeting Covers Much
Dr. Gary Lemme
Casey Jones
Dr. Ken Macklin
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MONTGOMERY – AP&EA Vice President Harold Hunt presided over the spring meeting of the board in place of President Tim Esslinger, who could not attend. He introduced three new board members: Tim Holmes with Wayne Farms, Brian Hanna with Pilgrim’s and Len Windham with Keystone. Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries John McMillan congratulated the Association on a very successful Legislative Omelet Breakfast, and went on to report on his recent trip to Cuba, accompanied by his chief of staff, Daniel Autrey, State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier and AP&EA CEO Johnny Adams. He reported that they were well received. He said that he saw a real future in agricultural trade with Cuba. (More on the trip in the next magazine.) CEO Adams responded by thanking the commissioner for his outstanding leadership. Dr. Gary Lemme, head of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System reported that experiment station scientists and extension specialists, working together with industry, have created poultry house lighting systems that can save $1,250 a year in lighting costs per house. He said that it equated to an annual savings of $15 million if everyone converted. As he completed his presentation, he introduced the new dean of the Auburn University College of Agriculture, Dr. Paul Patterson. Dr. Patterson thanked the Association for its support, and talked of the
Alabama Poultry Magazine
many changes in the college and how 33 percent of the faculty was new to the college. He congratulated Dr. Conner and Jim Donald for moving the Charles W. Miller, Jr. Poultry Research Facility project forward. Committee reports began with the Allied Committee. Casey Jones reported that 1,200 smoked chickens had been sold to benefit the scholarship fund, raising $8,400. He also reported plans for the fishing tournament on May 13 and the “Evening of Fun” golf tournament on June 3. AP&EA Associate Director Ray Hilburn presented the Grower Committee report for committee chairman Kenneth Sanders. Hilburn stated that the speaker for the pre-concert ”Evening of Fun”grower seminar would be State Senator Clay Scofield, a third generation poultry grower from Guntersville. Dr. Ken Macklin presented the Alabama Cooperative Extension System advisory report. He told the group that they had three candidates under consideration to replace Sarge Bilgili in extension processing, and that they were in the middle of a research project to see if ammonia could be controlled through feed additives. State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier reported on the LT situation. So far, he reported, the outbreak had been confined to Blount, Marshall, Morgan, Etowah, Cullman and one case in Franklin County. He commented that the diagnostic labs had set LT as their number one priority. He was pleased to report that there
had been no cases of AI in Alabama, but he cautioned growers and industry personnel to stay vigilant and maintain proper biosecurity. He also cautioned growers to keep their biosecurity records up-to-date. Dr. Don Conner, head of the Auburn department of poultry science, reported that there should be approximately 75 students enrolled in the program for fall semester, and that five new faculty members had been hired. Dr. Jess Campbell of biosystems engineering showed the group a drawing of the proposed layout of the NPTC facility at the new research facility and discussed several research projects in the works. After several other reports, AP&EA CEO Johnny Adams concluded the meeting by thanking Dr. Frazier for his outstanding leadership on the AI and LT fronts. He congratulated Dr. Conner on his efforts to move the poultry research facility. After an update on the Alabama Legislature, the meeting was adjourned.
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Alabama Poultry Magazine
The Successful Life of Charlie Miller
Charlie Miller’s father grew up in hard times. Born in the decade following the Civil War, his father died when he was only 2 years old. They lived in rural Etowah County in the community of Coats Bend. He had little formal schooling, but as Charlie once wrote, “he had an unusual amount of native ability and common sense.” That native ability and common sense enabled him to become one of the first to be named a master farmer in a nationwide selection by Progressive Farmer Magazine. Charlie’s mother, on the other hand, had attended Shorter College in Rome, Ga., and understood the value of education. When Charlie was 9, she persuaded her husband to move the family into Gadsden for school season, where the children could get a better education. Charlie did well in school, but really excelled in farming. Using a two-horse team to do any farming job, by age 13 made what was called a two-horse crop every year on his own with limited supervision. It was at that age that he won the Alabama State Fair Livestock Judging Contest. He graduated from Piedmont High School ready to enroll at Auburn, but his mother was unsatisfied with his education. At her insistence, he entered Columbia Military Academy in Columbia, Tenn., for one year of advanced high school instruction. That one year was a turning point in his life. He wrote, “That one year changed my insight from that of a very earnest country boy to that of seeing a great many more opportunities than could otherwise been envisioned.” The next year he entered Auburn University and began work on a degree in textile engineering. His summers were involved in measuring cotton acreage and ROTC camp. His grades were adequate, but uninspiring. He blamed that on, as he said, “a case of a young fellow moping through school and being a little lost.” Then came another turning point. He wrote, “After working a year, it finally dawned on me that business and agriculture were my inclinations.” With that determined, he returned to Auburn and changed his major to agricultural administration, with the goal of going into the farm supply business. He graduated in 1940, having doubled his class load, worked
Charlie and Virginia at their new home in Piedmont, about 1950
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some on the side, and having maintained a grade average of over 90. With war looming, he realized that timing was not right to go into business for himself, so he took a position with the Farmers Home Administration. The job involved moving people off land that the War Department needed for military bases, and helping them resettle elsewhere. By 1942, Charlie was himself in service. In the U.S. Army field artillery, he rose to the rank of captain, serving under Gen. George Patton in four major campaigns, Charlie was awarded the Silver Star and the Purple Heart. In 1946, with the war over, Charlie took $5,000 he had saved and $4,400 from his mother’s family inheritance and opened his farm supply. It did very well. So well, in fact, the next year his father signed a note with him for $10,000 to buy a hardware store in Anniston that was about to close because of poor management. This venture was also successful, allowing Charlie to pay back the loan in less than a year. In late 1948, Charlie really got successful. He married Virginia Doke of Atlanta, Ga. He said, “This helped to settle me down from working such long hours and probably has been the best influence on my life.” By early 1952, having seen some of the successes by early poultry pioneers like Jesse Jewel in Georgia and John Livingston in Albertville, Charlie ventured into the poultry business. He bought four Jamesway 10-80s at the same time he built a small feed mill. The company, Miller Poultry and Feed Co. had approximately 125,000 chickens placed with area farmers. The business continued to grow, especially after he developed a grower contract which did away with the fear of losing money on a batch of chickens.
Alabama Poultry Magazine
By 1955, Charlie and Virginia had three children. Mary Anne, born in 1950; Charles III, born in 1952; and baby Nancy. That same year Charlie built a new and larger feed mill. This meant he no longer had to be dependent on other feed companies for concentrates, but could formulate his own feed. He also began building breeder houses and his own hatchery. The business kept expanding, and always the goal was increased efficiency. At peak, Charlie had approximately 40 breeder houses, with a direct employment of 250 and another 350 growers under contract. At one time, he had as many as 4 million birds under contract. Unlike the integrators of today, Charlie never attempted to maintain a year-round production schedule, because he saw too many problems in that. Instead, he varied his placement schedules based on his own evaluation of industry conditions. By the mid-1960s his interest in expansion was waning. In 1965 he passed up an opportunity to begin processing and in 1967, after disease ravaged his breeder farms and a fire destroyed his hatchery, He rebuilt the hatchery, but only half the size of its original. He continued to be active in business. He began developing timber interests and investing in timber tracts. He also kept his interest in the Anniston hardware store and Piedmont farm supply, but in 1976, he left the poultry business. His honors were numerous. He served as president of the Alabama Poultry Industry Association twice and was named to the Alabama Poultry Hall of Fame. He was the long-time
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Virginia and Charlie, at home in Piedmont
director of the National Broiler Council. For 12 years he served on the board of the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, four of which he served as chairman. Charlie was also very involved in leadership of the Methodist Church in Piedmont, serving in almost every lay capacity. It was in that chuch that his funeral service was held on August of 2002. In the funeral program, his family said of him, “We are very proud of what he accomplished, but most of all we are proud of what he was. He was intensely driven, remarkably intelligent, courageous, practical, deeply understanding of people and the human condition, bighearted, extremely loyal, quick witted, and dignified. He was a class act.� We’ll learn more about his legacy in a future edition of the magazine.
Alabama Poultry Magazine
Auburn Happenings
Patterson New Dean/Director of Auburn College of Agriculture/AAES AUBURN — Auburn University alumnus Paul Patterson, who has served as associate dean for instruction in Auburn’s College of Agriculture for almost seven years, has been named dean of the college and director of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, effective immediately. Auburn Provost Timothy Boosinger announced Patterson’s selection Feb. 19 following a national search. “Dr. Patterson has an excellent connection with students, both in the classroom and in the field,” Boosinger said. “His background in agricultural economics, especially in international research and marketing, will help Auburn continue its role as a leader in food production for the world. We look forward to his leadership.” In his role as dean, Patterson will report to Boosinger; as director of the AAES, he will report to Auburn President Jay Gogue. He succeeds Arthur Appel, who had served as interim dean and director since June 2015. Appel, a professor of entomology, will return to his research and teaching role in the department of entomology and plant pathology. Patterson, an Auburn native who graduated from the College of Agriculture in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree in agricultural business and economics, returned to his alma mater in June 2009 to serve as associate dean of the college. In that position, he was responsible for all instructional programs in the college’s eight academic units, nine undergraduate programs and 19 graduate programs. In that position, Patterson oversaw the development of five new undergraduate and graduate degree programs, increased alumni engagement with the college, improved academic advising services, expanded professional development opportunities for students, worked to enhance the college’s relationship with community colleges and led efforts to develop departmental promotion and tenure guidelines for faculty. “All these accomplishments were realized through working with great faculty and staff,” he said. Patterson said he is grateful for the opportunity to move Auburn agriculture forward. “I am honored and humbled to be selected as dean and director,” he said. “The College of Agriculture and the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station have very important legacies at Auburn University and across the state and nation. We are at a pivotal point in history, where we must build for the future. “I look forward to working with the faculty and staff, our university partners and our stakeholders to strengthen the college and experiment station,” he said. “It is my goal to make sure that Auburn is among the premier colleges of agriculture.” After graduating from Auburn in 1985, Patterson en-
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rolled at Purdue University and was awarded a master’s degree in agricultural economics in 1987. He spent the next two years working as a cotton analyst for the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service and then returned to Purdue as a USDA National Needs Fellow in International Marketing and began pursuing his doctorate in agricultural economics. He completed his Ph.D. in 1994. That same year, he joined the faculty at Arizona State University’s Morrison School of Management and Agribusiness, where he taught courses in agricultural marketing, management science and food and agricultural policy and conducted researching on issues ranging from food marketing and industrial organization to international trade and food and agricultural policy. He was named interim dean of the school in 2006 and dean in 2007, serving in that role until returning to Auburn. Patterson and wife, Louisa, have four grown daughters – Roxanna, Virginia, Amanda and Christine; one son, Clayton, a student at Auburn Junior High School; and one granddaughter, Ellen Olivia. Patterson’s father, the late R.M. Patterson, was a longtime College of Agriculture faculty member who served as head of Research Data Analysis until his retirement in 1985. His mother, the late Jean Patterson, worked for many years as Auburn High School librarian.
Alabama Poultry Magazine
Millennial Expectations – There have always been a number of voices in the animal welfare conversation – producers, activists, trade associations, and the occasional consumer. Those of us well versed in agriculture and understanding of conventional production practices has often called ourselves the “silent majority.” We are the scientists, farmers/producers, and industry representatives. We speak on behalf of countless cultures, families of all sizes, and individuals of every socioeconomic class. We truly are the majority, but our silence has created a vacuum. Instead of proactively educating the next generation, we worked hard to produce the safest and most abundant food supply the world has ever known. But that’s not enough. As we stayed the course of food production, activist groups took to informing the next generations – “generation X” and “Millennials” – about their concerns. Today, we’re seeing the effect of our preoccupation: consumers, with an immeasurable amount of information (some true, some false) at their fingertips, have a lot of legitimate questions about where their food comes from, how it was grown, and whether or not it was raised “humanely.”
We, the silent majority, are reeling – “What in the world?” we ask. Our perception always was that people never cared where their corn, chicken, and eggs came from … until today. This is the “now or never” moment for those of us in agriculture – we either become proactive about educating and informing, or we doggie-paddle until we drown in media and activist pressure coming from their most powerful vector yet – young people. American farmers are starting to see the writing on the wall. During a recent dairy forum, much attention was given to the concerns of millennials and how to address them. Chuck Ahlem, a California milk producer, summarized the idea well for all of animal agriculture, “We have a responsibility to communicate to consumers about what we do.” He is right. Our transparency doesn’t mean we are caving to the pressure, it means we, in the egg industry, tell our story – why we treat beaks, why we use antibiotics, and why we choose a variety of methods to house our flocks. It is our story; it is worthy of the telling; and it is now or never. Twenty-one days ago, I officially became the director of animal welfare
Sarah Stephenson, Director of Animal Welfare, UEP
Sarah Stephenson is a December 2015 Auburn poultry science graduate.
with United Egg Producers. Before that day, I did not know Wayne Pacelle from Paul Shapiro from Adam. Now, I understand that these activists, with their disingenuous emotional appeal, speak louder than I do in regard to animal care and well-being. It is now or never for me too – I must do everything in my power to tell the story of egg producers. My job is to speak clearly, concisely, and passionately from a foundation of education and experience. There will forever be questions about food and fiber production, but we must join the conversation as the voice of reason. So long as we wish to continue our efforts to feed a growing population, we will have to justify what we do and how we do it. It is high time.
Auburn Ag Alumni Hosts 2nd Annual Birds & Brews in October
With the success of the first social scholarship fund-raiser, Pork & Cork, the Auburn University Agricultural Alumni Association is proud to be hosting a second event in the fall, Birds & Brews. Our event is set for the evening of Friday, Oct. 28, 2016, and will take place in beautiful Ag Heritage Park at the Alabama Farmers Pavilion in Auburn, Ala. We welcome you to join us and become part of this annual fall tradition. Through this event we hope to increase the scholarship fund for students in the College of Agriculture with all net proceeds from the event going directly to scholarships. Your support of
this event will not only help a meaningful cause but will also help raise awareness of the importance of agriculture and the college. This year our theme for the social is “Birds & Brews.” The format of the event will be to provide a relaxing fall evening setting to enjoy great food, drinks, music and company on the grounds of Ag Heritage Park. Local chefs will be serving small plate dishes complimented by drinks from local wineries, breweries and distilleries. Chefs will also be ordering poultry products with the assistance of our Department of poultry science for this event.
W e will be selling a limited number of tickets for the social. We h o p e that you will join us by supporting this event and help us develop the social scholarship fundraiser series into a fall tradition that the community looks forward to supporting each year.
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Friends of Auburn Poultry Have Some Fun
AUBURN – On the evening of April 13, as a prelude to the big golf tournament know as the Ag Classic, Friends of Auburn Poultry gathered for food and fellowship at the Alabama Farmer’s Pavillion at Ag Heritage Park. It was great to see so many smiling faces, many of whom had, that morning, been cooking omelets at the AP&EA Legislative Breakfast. Several had also participated in the AP&EA board meeting. Dr. Paul Patterson, newly named dean of the Auburn University College of Agriculture was in attendance, as well as former dean, Dr. Richard Guthrie. Auburn ag alumni, ag students, faculty, administration and friends of the Auburn University College of Agriculture come together each year to celebrate their common heritage with some great food and even better fellowship. Flora meets fauna to feed, house and clothe the world. Next morning, bright and early, participants started lining up on the veranda of the Auburn University Golf Club, to register and get their team assignments for the Ag Classic Golf Tournament. With the shotgun start, foursomes headed out to tee off on the incredibly beautiful Auburn University Golf Club.
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Alabama Poultry Magazine
Practical Applications Jess Campbell
Jim Donald
National Poultry Technology Center Holds 2016 Alabama Hot Weather Training Seminar for Service Technicians and Managers
AUBURN – On April 27 the Auburn University National Poultry Technology Center in cooperation with Auburn poultry science and the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association hosted a Live Production Hot Weather Training Seminar for approximately 60 poultry company representatives from Alabama, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Florida and Arkansas. The seminar was held in the conference room of the new Auburn University Poultry Feed Mill and Animal Nutrition Center on Auburn Lakes Road located north of the Auburn Campus. The seminar started at 8:30 in the morning with Ray Hilburn, AP&EA associate director, welcoming the group to the seminar. Presentation topics included, “Bird Heat Removal Basics” by Jim Donald, NPTC; “ 5 Hot Weather Opportunities” by Jess Campbell, NPTC; “Cooling System Maintenance by Jeremiah Davis, NPTC; “Electrical Systems and Generators” by Danny Griffin; “Poultry Science, Alarms
and Backups” by Dennis Brothers,NPTC; and “Lighting Systems and Rainwater Harvesting” by Gene Simpson, NPTC. This seminar was designed to educate poultry service representatives on common methods used to keep birds growing and gaining and poultry house equipment in good working order and ready for hot weather. Comments on the seminar were very positive. For more information on getting poultry houses ready for hot weather visit www.poultryhouse.com.
AP&EA Tags Now Available!
Oh, did we mention that the new AP&EA car tag is now available? So, have you ordered yours yet? You can do it today! Alabama Poultry Magazine
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K.S. Macklin and J.J. Giambrone
It has been several years since infectious laryngotracheitis (LT or ILTV) outbreaks, especially in the northeastern part of Alabama have been as numerous as they have been this past year. LT is a highly contagious, respiratory pathogen, which results in serious economic losses. Controlling this virus is currently performed by vaccination of infected or potentially infected flocks and by disinfecting contaminated houses. The typical first activity performed after bird removal involves either heating the house and/or removing the litter. In addition, disinfection of the house and equipment is performed to reduce viral levels on all of the surfaces in the house. These treatments work most of the time; however there have been instances where the subsequent flock broke with LT. In addition, vaccination of broilers is expensive and can results in severe reactions, which reduce weight gain and feed conversion. At Auburn University we have been examining ways to reduce this particular virus in contaminated litter. The methods we have been studying are: windrow composting for five days,
heating the litter to 100oF for various times, and commonly available acidifying litter treatments applied at 50lbs/1000 ft2. Testing the effectiveness of reducing LT in the litter by windrow composting has been mentioned in previously in this magazine. Briefly, we piled built up litter, which contained LT vaccine virus contaminated litter, into a windrow compost pile and let it sit for five days. LT contaminated litter was also left out at room temperature (70oF). This litter was the control sample and showed that LT left out for five days was not destroyed. After five days, all contaminated litter was removed and tested. The results showed that windrow composting of litter for five days effectively reduced the level of virus below detection levels. The contaminated litter that sat for five days at room temperature produced mild LT in unvaccinated broilers and the virus was detected in the litter. Heating of the house containing litter contaminated with LT vaccine virus to 100oF was performed for 24, 48, 72, 96, 120, and 144 hours. Additionally a
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LT contaminated litter sample was left at room temperature for 144 hours. It was observed that all heated litter samples did not contain LT, whereas the LT contaminated litter sample that sat out for six days (144 hours) had infectious levels of LT. We tested three commercially available acidifying litter treatments at the rate of 50 lbs/1000ft2 to see if they can deactivate the LT virus. To do this we infected litter with LT at levels that are typically found in a LT infected poultry houses. This LT contaminated litter then had litter treatments added and allowed to sit for five days at room temperature. As in the previous two experiments, there was a control group that had no litter treatment added and was allowed to sit for five days at room temperature. As seen with windrow composting and house heating, litter treatments destroyed the virus, whereas the untreated control litter contained ILTV. Unlike the other two groups in which heat were either produced by the litter (composting) or was applied to the litter by means of heaters, litter treatments don’t rely on heat. Instead they are chemicals that lower the pH of the litter. Reduced (acidic pH) litter can inactivate many microorganisms. The above-mentioned methods of destroying LT are routinely being performed by a number of growers, though typically not for destroying LT, but for increasing bird performance. If a house is contaminated with LT it is our recommendation to perform a combination of treatments. The first thing is windrow compost the litter, then heat the house to 100oF for at least 24 hours. The windrow pile will kill virus in the litter and heating the house should destroy residual virus in the rest of the house. Just heating the house alone may be insufficient since the heat may not penetrate completely through the litter, as seen with windrow composting. Of course this doesn’t exclude the need to use disinfectants, but it should make the likelihood of a reoccurrence of LT less.
Comparing LED Lamps on a Commercial Broiler Farm - Once Innovations & Overdrive
Bill Brown, Gene Simpson, Jeremiah Davis, Jesse Campbell, Dennis Brothers, and Jim Donald* – April 2016
Introduction
LED lighting technology for poultry houses has rapidly progressed over the past several years. There is no question that LED lighting provides economic and performance incentives for growers and integrators alike when compared to other lighting technologies (incandescent, CFL, CCFL, sodium vapor, etc.). There are a large number of LED brands and models being marketed to broiler producers, and they vary in suitability, longevity, warranty, initial cost, operational cost, and several other factors. However, the poultry industry has been exposed to several claims of performance increases by some LED vendors. Most of these claims appear questionable and have not been substantiated in comparative studies conducted by objective third parties. In broilers, differences within flocks and across multiple flocks with respect to genetics, parent stock age, hatchery conditions, nutrition, vaccination, in-house conditions, and other factors typically influence flock performance far more than does light alone. In an effort to demonstrate two of the more common brands and models of LEDs, a simple sideby-side comparison of three lamps was undertaken in early 2016 on the Delmarva Peninsula. Description of Facilities
In late 2015 a new tunnel ventilated broiler farm with identical east-west oriented solid sidewall houses was constructed in the Laurel, DE area. Each house was 60’ wide by 600’ long, and constructed with 4’ truss spacing. Each house was equipped with three feed lines and six drinker lines. End-brooding occurred during each flock in the first 300’ of each house. For lighting, each house had dimmable light circuits installed directly above each feed line, 12’ on center. This layout provided adequate intensity for successful brooding at full intensity without a need for supplemental *Bill Brown, posthumous co-author, was a poultry extension agent with the University of Delaware, and Gene Simpson, Jeremiah Davis, Jesse Campbell, Dennis Brothers, and Jim Donald are faculty members with the National Poultry Technology Center at Auburn University.
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brood lighting, and permitted progressive dimming to very low levels during the growout. With this relatively narrow lamp spacing, intensity levels in each house were extremely uniform side-to-side and end-to-end, regardless of dimming level, relative to other common layouts.
Lighting Layouts
House #1 was equipped with 150 Once Innovations 12watt AgriShift direct-to-junction box mounted LED dimmable lamps, and a Once Innovations AgriShift dimmer. three rows of lamps, all spaced at 12’.
House #2 was equipped with 150 Overdrive 10-watt, wide beam, A19-shaped, 50000K LED dimmable lamps installed in keyless sockets mounted to junction boxes, and a Precision Lighting Systems PLS2400-MR4 dimmer. three rows of lamps, all spaced at 12’.
House #3 was equipped with 150 Once Innovations 10watt AgriShift direct-to-junction box mounted LED dimmable lamps, and a Once Innovations AgriShift dimmer. three rows of lamps, all spaced at 12’. All other equipment in each house was identical.
Methodology
Light levels at full intensity, recorded in footcandles (fc), were taken across a 42-spot grid in the middle of the brood end in each of the three houses. The same light meter (SPER Scientific 840020) was utilized for all readings (an Amprobe LM-200 LED meter was also used for verification). In each house, bird level fc readings were taken at seven locations (Z1-Z7) across a row. Specific locations for readings were: 4’ inboard of South sidewall (Z1), Under South feed/light line (Z2), Midway between South and center feed/light lines (Z3), Under center feed/light line (Z4), Midway between center and North feed/light lines (Z5), Under North feed/light line (Z6), 4’ inboard of North sidewall (Z7).
Alabama Poultry Magazine
After these seven fc readings were recorded, another set of seven readings were taken across a row 6’ down the house. This procedure was repeated until all six rows (6’ apart, P1-P6) of seven readings were recorded. Footcandle levels were recorded for the identical 42-spot grid locations in each of the three houses. This sampling grid totally encompassed the floor area beneath nine lamps (three rows of three lamps each), thus the 42-spot grid was closely representative of lighting conditions throughout the entire house. Tabular Results
Note: For reader ease, all tables and the comparative chart appear following the text.
Table 1 presents data from House #1 (Once Innovations AgriShift 12-watt LED). Table 2 presents data from House #2 (Overdrive wide beam 10-watt A19 LED). Table 3 presents data from House #3 (Once Innovations AgriShift 10-watt LED).
Improved performance (feed conversion, livability, weight gain, etc.) claims made by several LED companies are questionable, as overall performance in live production facilities varies considerably on a flock-to-flock basis and is more influenced by many growout factors other than lighting. This is especially true with performance claims related to wavelength/light color, as expressed in 0Kelvin. Recent research studies have shown no measurable performance differences with lamps in the 27000K to 50000K color range. In the future, as actual lumens emitted per lamp and lumen per watt output continue to advance, the industry might very well move to a more narrow dimmable LED lamp spacing, thus eliminating the need for separate brood light circuitry, and affording more uniform lighting and more manageable control.
Graphic Results
The light intensity profile chart shows a graphical comparison of 6-spot average light intensities for the three LED lamps across the width of the 60’ X 600’ houses studied. The three peak points of each line are intensities at floor level beneath each feed/light line, and the valley points are the intensities between feed/light lines. Discussion
In each house, all three light types provided light intensity above the minimum required feeder line average light level of 3.00 fc (gray highlighted cells in each table). The 42-spot grid aggregate averages were 3.09, 3.71, and 2.90, for the Once Innovations 12-watt, Overdrive 10-watt and Once Innovations 10-watt lamps, respectively (yellow highlighted cells). However, at all points compared, the Overdrive 10-watt LEDs produced higher fc levels than either of the Once Innovations LEDs. While light intensity in all houses was well below 3.00 fc in proximity (1-6’) to each sidewall, overall house lighting uniformity was excellent within each house (no statistical difference in lighting uniformity was found among houses). The Once Innovations and Overdrive products under study all carry five year warranties. Previous studies, ongoing for more than four years, have shown the Once Innovations and Overdrive products to possess some of the highest lumen maintenance levels available among LED lamps tested. They are excellent, reliable products with a positive track record under the extreme conditions encountered in poultry houses.
Bottom Line
In comparing actual cost aspects of all three lamps, initial costs, installation costs, and operational costs were considered. In surveying numerous poultry house lighting distributors across the Broiler Belt for initial cost estimates, we found substantial differences. The direct mount Once Innovations 10-watt and 12-watt lamps under study ranged in retail price from $22.00 to $30.00 per lamp, while the Overdrive 10-watt lamp retailed for $11.00 to $12.00 per lamp, plus an additional $2.00 for each keyless socket. For a 66’ X 600’ broiler house using 150 lamps, this amounted to an initial cost of between $3,300 and $4,500 for the Once Innovations lamps compared to $1,950 to $2,100 for the Overdrive lamps, including keyless sockets. Installation cost for all products was virtually identical. Since the operational cost for a house of 150 lamps only differs by between $75
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and $100 per house per watt per year (assuming 4,500 hours of annual use and varying electrical rates of 11 to 15 cents per kWH), a 2-watt reduction in lamp wattage only results in an annual savings of between $150 and $200 per house per year. Since installation and operational costs differences
are quite small, and any bird/flock performance improvements strictly due to lighting are unlikely to be realized, initial cost should be a key consideration in making a wise business investment decision.
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CALENDAR OF EVENTS “Evening of Fun” Golf Tournament Friday, June 3, 2016 Limestone Springs Golf Course
2016 “Evening of Fun” Saturday, June 4, 2016 Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex Birmingham
AP&EA Annual Meeting Saturday-Sunday, July 16-17, 2016 Destin
COUNTY ASSOCIATION MEETINGS Marshall County Poultry & Egg Association Annual Meeting
Alabama Poultry Magazine
Friday, August 5, 2016 Civitan Park Lake Guntersville