Alabama Poultry, November/December 2013

Scotty McCreery Headlines 2014 “Evening of Fun” AP&EA Christmas Open House and Board Meeting

New Year’s Eve Party with the Chicks

Board of Directors

Officers Randall Ennis, President, Huntsville* Dale Gambrill, Vice President, Snead* Tim Esslinger, Treasurer, Eufaula* Harold Hunt, Secretary, Gadsden* Johnny Adcock, Immediate Past President, Woodland*

Directors George Attwood, Anniston Chris Carter, Guntersville Richard Curvin, Montgomery Cory Early, Albertville Billy Gilley, Cullman Ben Gore, Cullman Matthew Herman, Enterprise Heath Loyd, Decatur Dennis Maze, Horton Todd McMahen, Dothan Dr. Shannon Morgan, Birmingham Mitchell Pate, Auburn* Mike Pigg, Cullman John Pittard, Guntersville John Roberts, Cullman Keith Rhodarmer, Collinsville Kenneth Sanders, Brundidge* Roddy Sanders, Gordo Jason Shell, Huntsville Jason Spann, Hanceville Ken Taylor, Anniston Ben Thompson, Huntsville David Thompson, Ashland Stanley Usery, Athens Ricky Walker, Snead Brad Williams, Troy

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

AP&EA STAFF

Johnny Adams – Executive Director Wanda H. Linker – Administrative Director Ray Hilburn – Membership 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

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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 It seems like just yesterday that I assumed the role of president of the Association and have come to truly appreciate what a remarkable association we are involved. Over the past several months I have had the opportunity to attend grower meetings and am reminded of what an integral part of our industry these people are to us. I have communicated with many of you in this room and other leaders of our industry and am reminded of the dedication and passion that represents why the poultry industry is the leader in agriculture.

I have been intimately involved with the Association through board positions and committee appointments for the past 15 years, but today have a deeper appreciation for what Johnny and his staff do on a daily basis to represent us and guide the Association to meet the needs of its members. The dedication and pride they take in their jobs is refreshing to me and I have thoroughly enjoyed these past months.

We continue to see change in the landscape of our industry, whether through continued consolidation or changes in management within our companies. We continue to see pressures from outside groups who want to derail our success and more and more regulatory pressures. But our industry is resilient and we are coming off one of the best years in recent memory as we were blessed with good harvests in corn and soy, and broiler prices remain competitive for us.

Legislatively, everything is quiet but we are in discussions on the best way and timing to introduce some bills that would protect the intellectual property of our companies and to address those who try to deceptively gain employment with the intent to harm us or expose company advantages. We are actively looking at a car tag campaign that would generate revenue for our scholarships and other education programs. So although things may be quiet, we are actively working below the radar to further support our industry, and again I thank the AP&EA staff for the unwavering support.

I have the fortune of traveling around the world and invariably every discussion leads back to the U.S. industry and all eyes are on what is considered to be the most successful poultry model in the world. We have our challenges but seem to always overcome them and continue to meet the challenge of feeding the world.

I want to thank all of you who have responded for requests to serve on committees or support me and AP&EA this year. You guys make the president’s job easy.

Featuring This Issue Governmental Affairs Association News The Passing of Friends: John Livingston AP&EA Christmas Open House AP&EA Winter Board Meeting Grower Profile: Arrowhead Farms Recipes Extension News: Transfering the Farm Practical Applications Alabama’s National 4-H Winners Calendar of Events

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Governmental Affairs

Is Your Chicken Safe? NCC Responds to Consumer Reports

National Chicken Council responds to Consumer Reports article about the safety of chicken; Reminds consumers that 160 million servings of chicken are eaten safely by Americans every day WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans eat about 160 million servings of chicken every single day, and 99.99 percent of those servings are consumed safely. Unfortunately, this particular statistic was left out of the “in-depth” piece recently published by Consumer Reports.

U.S. chicken producers rely upon the best science, microbiology and technology to reduce food-borne pathogens, and spend tens of millions of dollars every year in the name of food-safety research which can be credited with the significant decrease in foodborne pathogens present in chicken over the last several years.

“The belief that affordable food means it is lower in quality or compromised in some way stands in stark contrast to the hard work and efforts of American agriculture, USDA and the hundreds of thousands of U.S. farmers and food producers who work tirelessly to produce a quality protein that is the envy of the world and enjoyed by millions of Americans,” said National Chicken Council President Mike Brown.

From 2001 to 2010 – the latest 10year period for which data are available – outbreaks related to E. coli, Salmonella and other pathogens decreased by more than 40 percent. In the past five years, Salmonella in chickens has decreased by 55 percent.

“Eliminating bacteria entirely is always the goal,” Brown added. “But in reality, it’s simply not feasible.”

Any raw agricultural product, including fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and poultry, is susceptible to naturally occurring bacteria. Whether it’s labeled “organic,” “natural,” purchased in the grocery store or at your local farmers’ market, there is the potential that fresh food could make us sick, if improperly handled or cooked.

Which is why the National

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Chicken Council agrees with Consumer Reports on one point – we all play an important role in ensuring food safety for our families, from the farm to the table.

“No legislation or regulation can keep bacteria from existing,” Brown added. “The only way to ensure our food is safe 100 percent of the time is by following science-based procedures when raising/growing, handling and cooking it. Right now, we’re at 99.9 percent but we’re going to keep working to reach 100.

“We take the safety of our chicken very seriously,” said Brown. “After all, our families are eating the same chicken as you and yours.”

NCC Concerns with Consumer Reports Report on Chicken

November / December 2013

• E. coli, enterococcus and klebsiella pneumoniae are not considered food safety risks in chicken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

• Consumer Reports tested 316 samples, or four-thousands of one percent (0.0004 percent) of approximately 42 million pounds of fresh chicken products in grocery stores on any given day.

• All bacteria, antibiotic resistant or not, is killed by proper cooking.

• The presence of generic E. coli, which is everywhere in our environment, is not a guaranteed indicator for fecal contamination, as suggested. Most E. coli strains are completely harmless and these findings do not differentiate between those strains and the ones that can cause food-borne illness, like E. coli O157:H7.

• All E. coli strains are killed through proper cooking. In addition, chicken processing plants strictly adhere to USDA’s “zero tolerance” policy for visible fecal

Alabama Poultry Magazine

material as a food safety standard.

• Health experts, veterinarians and FDA have all refuted the talking point used by Consumer Reports that “80 percent of all of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. each year are used in animal production.”

Pound for pound, humans and their pets use 10 times the amount of antibiotics than what is used in food animal production. About one-third of the antibiotics used on farms aren’t used in human medicine at all.

• Ten years after Denmark’s pork industry ceased using antibiotics for subtherapeutic purposes, the use of antibiotics prescribed by veterinarians in Denmark to treat sick animals has increased more than 100 percent. The total antibiotic use in the pork industry was higher than before the ban as reported in 2010 by DANMAR, the Danish monitoring agency.

• As the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has stated, “it is inaccurate and alarmist to define bacteria resistant to one, or even a few, antibiotics as “Superbugs” if these same bacteria are still treatable by other commonly used antibiotics.

• The strains of Salmonella Heidelberg associated with the outbreak on the West Coast earlier this year were sensitive to the most commonly recommended and prescribed antibiotics used to treat infections with Salmonella. The health care providers for the people who were ill had the most common antibiotics used to treat food-borne illnesses available to them and they remain effective.

NCC Response to Consumer Reports Recommendations “To make chicken safer” Continued on pg. 6

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• FDA has already moved forward with implementing its plan to phase out over a three-year period the growth promoting use of medically important antibiotics in food producing animals.

• Passing a law or regulation to fight bacteria will not magically make it go away. Salmonella are microscopic living organisms found worldwide in cold- and warmblooded animals and occur naturally in birds’ intestines. What will make Salmonella disappear is science, research and breaking the chain of Salmonella at every stage of production from the breeder farm to the processing plant. Coupled with proper handling and cooking to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, chicken is safe to eat 100 percent of the time.

• Through mandatory reporting by establishments of adulterated or misbranded product, CDC monitoring of illness outbreaks, and the agency’s own routine in-plant and in-commerce surveillance, FSIS is readily able to identify and respond to potential foodsafety situations.

• In a report specifically about the safety of chicken, it is ironic that Consumer Reports chose to come out in opposition to a plan USDA says will prevent 5,200 foodborne illnesses every year.

• We expect a new FSIS performance standard for chicken parts sometime in 2014. NCC is taking this very seriously and we are working collectively as an industry to determine more opportunities in second processing that will further decrease Salmonella on chicken parts.

Keeping Salmonella off of Chicken

Proper handling and cooking in the kitchen is the last step in keeping Salmonella off of chicken, not the first.

It all starts even before the egg.

Healthy breeder flocks lead to healthy

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chicks – measures are taken to prevent diseases from passing from hen to chick and to ensure that natural antibodies are passed on which help keep the birds healthy.

At the hatchery, strict sanitation measures and appropriate vaccinations ensure the chicks are off to a healthy start. At the feed mill, the finished feed of corn and soybean meal is heat treated, which kills any bacteria that may be present. On the farm, farmers adhere to strict biosecurity measures and the chickens are routinely monitored by a veterinarian to keep them healthy.

At processing plants, the U.S. federal meat and poultry inspection system complements efforts by chicken processors to ensure that the nation’s commercial supply of meat and poultry products is safe, wholesome and correctly labeled and packaged.

Chicken processing facilities use a variety of intervention strategies at their critical control points that might include: the use of food-grade rinses that kill or reduce the growth of potential foodborne pathogens; organic sprays to cleanse the chickens and inhibit bacteria; and metal detectors to make sure that no foreign object makes its way into a product.

Microbiological tests for pathogens are then conducted by companies and federal laboratories to help ensure that food safety systems are working properly. The numbers tell us we’re making tremendous progress: • According to the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) Quarterly Progress Report released on October 26, 2013, 2.6 percent of young chicken carcasses tested positive for Salmonella – a fraction of the FSIS performance standard of 7.5 percent.

• The prevalence of Salmonella on raw young chicken carcasses is down 26 percent over the first quarter of 2013 and represents a decrease of 55 percent during the past five years.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

• Over the last five years, the prevalence of Salmonella on ground chicken has been reduced by 50 percent.

• From 2001 to 2010, the latest 10year period for which data are available, outbreaks related to E. coli, Salmonella and other pathogens decreased by more than 40 percent.

Antibiotic Use in Raising Chickens and Antibiotic Resistance

Administering antibiotics isn’t the only way to keep chickens healthy – it is one tool in the toolbox in raising healthy birds and producing a wholesome food supply.

And contrary to popular belief, antibiotics are not always used in chicken production; rather, they are administered only when needed to prevent and treat disease. On those occasions, they are used judiciously to treat and prevent disease under the care of a veterinarian.

For those antibiotics that are FDAapproved for use in raising chickens, the majority of them are not used in human medicine and therefore do not represent any threat of creating resistance in humans. There are several published, peer-reviewed risk assessments showing any threat to human health from antibiotic use in livestock and poultry production is negligible, if it exists at all.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stated that the most acute problem with antimicrobial resistance is with hospitals, and the most resistant organisms in hospitals are emerging in those settings, because of poor antimicrobial stewardship among humans.

Still, chicken producers are phasing out subtherapeutic or “growth uses” of antibiotics important to treating humans. NCC will continue to work with FDA to phase out by 2016 the growthpromoting use of medically important antibiotics in raising chickens.

Association News

The Tradition Continues Becky Sloane (left) and Thomas Bates (far right) listen as Gov. Robert Bentley reads a commendation for their father, Bill Bates, as First Lady Dianne Bentley looks on.

MONTGOMERY – November 20, just months after the death of Bill Bates, his daughter, Becky Sloane, and her brother, Thomas Bates, carried on the tradition that Bill Bates started in 1949, as they brought "Clyde 65" to Gov. Robert Bentley for pardoning.

Under a beautiful November sky, on the front lawn of the Alabama Governor's Mansion, in an emotional presentation, Becky remembered that Thanksgiving was her father’s favorite holiday. She expressed the Bates family’s desire to continue the holiday tradition so loved by her father.

Gov. Bentley, once again, graciously pardoned Clyde and his consort, Henrietta. Gov. Bentley also presented the Bates family with a special commendation honoring Bill for his years of service to the state and to the poultry industry.

The governor and Mrs. Bentley did receive a dressed turkey for their holiday table. Clyde was relieved that the only dressing he got was a funny hat and a cardboard name tag. Henrietta was just glad to have Clyde.

AP&EA Executive Director Johnny Adams presented First Lady Dianne Bentley with a case of warm blankets for her “Blankets With a Blessing” program.

The program ended with Clyde and Henrietta being serenaded by a group of children from Riverchase United Methodist Day School.

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November / December 2013

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Scotty McCreery to Headline AP&EA Evening of Fun

He won the tenth season of American Idol, and now Scotty McCreery is coming to Birmingham to perform just for us chicken folks. This year’s “Evening of Fun” will be on Saturday, June 7, 2014.

Scotty, raised in Garner, N.C., was only 18 when he won American Idol on May 25, 2011. His first single was his American Idol coronation song “I Love You This Big.” The song entered the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart at number 32, becoming the highest debut for a debut single since 1990. In June, he performed at the Grand Ole Opry, singing “I Love You This Big” and a George Strait song, “Check Yes or No.” Scotty was also featured in an ABC Special CMA Music Fest: Country’s Night to Rock where he performed “Your Man” with Josh Turner. He spent much of the rest of 2011 touring with The American Idols LIVE! Tour 2011.

In October, 2011, McCreery released his first album, titled Clear as Day. The album sold 197,000 in its debut week, and made Scotty McCreery the first country act to debut at No.1 on Billboard 200 with their first studio album. Not a bad start for a kid who just turned 19.

On October 15, 2013, just six days after his 21st birthday, McCreery released his third album, See You Tonight.

That’s just what we are hoping that we will do on June 7, 2014 – See You There. Tickets will be going on sale soon – so make your plans to attend. Remember, kids 18 and under get in free with a paid adult.

Three Receive Poultry Fraternity Watches The AP&EA “Evening of Fun” is the Association’s main fund-raiser. Selling tickets to the event is very important. It’s not always easy or convenient for those who are involved in the selling process. Some persevere.

Those who sell 15 tickets in a year are rewarded with membership in the

Alabama Poultry Fraternity. Those who sell 15 tickets for 10 years are rewarded with a lifetime membership in the Fraternity. Each recognition comes with a printed acknowledgement in the “Evening of Fun” program.

Those who have persevered for 15 years, selling 15 or more EOF tickets

per year are awarded the Alabama Poultry Fraternity watch.

Today, we honor three new watch owners: Lou Ayers, Ingram Farms, Sherry Russell, Wayne Farms – Union Springs, and Bart Payne, Marshall Durbin.

Congratulations, to all!

Johnny Adams (right) presents Lou Ayers (left) his Fraternity watch.

Ray Hilburn (left) presents Sherry Russell (center) her watch, as Larry Parker looks on.

Ray Hilburn (left) presents Bart Payne (right) his Fraternity watch.

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The Passing of Friends

Alabama Poultry Hall of Fame Member, John Livingston Dies

John Livingston, one of the truly great pioneers of the Alabama poultry industry has died. The following is an edited reprint of his obituary in the Gadsden Times newspaper.

“John Harton Livingston, 96, of Cedar Bluff, died on Thanksgiving Day surrounded by his family. His family is thankful for the life of this remarkable man.

A native of Cherokee County, Ala., he graduated from Auburn University in 1940. He enlisted in the Navy in 1941 and served in the Pacific Theater during World War II from 1942 to 1945, serving as the Executive Officer of his last ship, the USS Laurens APA 158.

He married Virginia Carpenter of Fairfield in 1944 and they began life together in Hartselle, Ala. In 1948, he started the first poultry processing plant in northeast Alabama in Albertville. He is known to many as the founder of the poultry industry in the state of Alabama. He was inducted into the Alabama Poultry “Hall of Fame” in 1972 and to the Auburn University Agriculture School "Hall of Honor" in 1997 for his contributions to the poultry industry.

His awards and recognitions for his professional and community service are too numerous to list, but those that meant the most to him include: 1962 Southeastern Poultry & Egg Association "Work Horse Award"; 1970

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"Man of the Year" by the Albertville Chamber of Commerce; 1974 "Silver Beaver" by the Choccolocco Council Boys Scouts of America; 1975 Rotary Club "Paul Harris Fellow." He served on the Board of Trustees of Albertville First United Methodist Church, Jacksonville State University International House Program and Huntington College. He was a director of the Albertville National Bank for 13 years and served as a member of the Advisory Board for Auburn University for the School of Agriculture. In 2009, at age 92, he received the Heart of an Eagle Award from the Boy Scouts of America.

Upon retirement, he moved with Virginia from Albertville to Cherokee County, where he was active in the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, the Centre Rotary Club and the Cedar Bluff United Methodist Church.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

He was preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Virginia Carpenter Livingston; and his son, John Mark (Dalen) Livingston of Birmingham.

He is survived by his children, Alan (Susan) Livingston of Dothan, Carol (Charlie) Reed of Birmingham, Gail (Ted) Mills of Birmingham, and David (Inga) Livingston of Gadsden; 11 grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; his brothers, Jack Livingston of Scottsboro and Blake Livingston of Cedar Bluff; and many nieces and nephews.

He loved his family with a fierce passion. He loved his friends and his community deeply. His mind remained remarkable until the day he died.”

John was profiled in this magazine in the July/August and September/October 2008 issues.

MONTGOMERY – On Nov. 11, culture by a legislative act, it became 2013, the Alabama Department of active in September of 1883, with EdAgriculture and Industries cele- ward Betts of Madison County named brated 130 years of operation. The cel- as the department’s first commissioner.

Created as the Department of Agri-

ebration was held in the auditorium of the Richard Beard Building on Federal Drive. Commissioner John McMillan keynoted the program. There were congratulatory speeches by State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazer and Alabama Lt. Gov. Kay Ivey.

The department’s original headquarters were in the Main Building of the Agricultural and Mechanical College at present day Auburn University.

Early on, the department’s primary mission was the regulation of fertilizer sales and distribution. Since the Legis-

lature had allocated no monies for the new department, funds were raised by licensing fees from the sale of fertilizer.

Over the years there have been many changes. In November of 1972, the Department moved into the modern Richard Beard Building, named for then Commissioner Beard, next to Garrett Coliseum on Federal Drive. The spacious modern facility houses offices for the Commissioner and all divisions, as well as food and drug, agricultural chemical, and petroleum laboratories.

In addition, the department maintains a pesticide lab and animal and plant diagnostic labs at Auburn, diagnostic labs in Elba, Boaz and Hanceville, an aflatoxin lab in Dothan, and shipping point inspection stations throughout the state.

Today’s Department, operating with a budget of just under $30 million, employs 423 full-time and over 250 part-time workers who carry out regulatory and promotional responsibilities that touch the lives of all Alabamians.

The Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries has been serving Alabama farmers and consumers for over 120 years. It’s commissioner and employees look forward to providing expanded and improved services in the years ahead.

The Staples of Steele Win U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Enviro Excellence Award Congratulations to Garry Staples and his family. They have been raising chickens on their White Acre Farm in Steele, Ala., for only 12 years, but obviously they are doing something right – right enough to win this year’s U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Family Farm Environmental Excellence Award.

Garry and his wife, Denise, along with their son, Jeremy, and daughter-inlaw, Becky, run the eight-house farm.

Twelve years ago when they bought the farm, there were only four older houses. The first order of business was to modernize them. That accomplished, they added four more houses.

Over the years, the Pilgrim’s growers have also developed a thriving business in selling litter, producing approximately 600 tons per 60-day grow-out. Their primary buyer found them through a notice that Garry placed on Craigslist, announcing litter for sale.

The buyer transports it and resells the litter to row cropping farmers in Tennessee.

In a feature article in Manure Manager, Garry states, “We’re able to sell about 80 percent of our litter.” At $20 a ton, that’s some lucrative litter.

Congratulations, Garry and Denise Staples, and family on your excellent stewardship!

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Read the excellent profile of the Staples in the November/December issue of Manure Manager magazine.

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MONTGOMERY – With the holiday season almost in full swing, AP&EA hosted its annual Christmas Open House at the Association headquarters.

Poultry pros and friends of poultry gathered once again to celebrate the season and the bonds of friendship between the poultry industry and leaders of state government, federal and state regulatory agencies, education, extension and the private sector.

As usual, Kim Adams, wife of AP&EA Executive Director Johnny Adams, had done a wonderful job in decorating for the event. The food was both wonderful and plentiful.

It was a great opportunity for old friends to reconnect and a time to make new friends, all in the context of the most joyous time of the year.

We are truly thankful for this great industry, an industry that provides for our families while it also feeds the world.

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November / December 2013

Alabama Poultry Magazine

AP&EA Holds Winter Board Meeting

MONTGOMERY – The AP&EA winter board meeting got underway on Tuesday morning with Association President Randall Ennis opening the meeting by thanking all in attendance. At the close of his remarks, he said, “I have thefortune of traveling around the world and invariably every discussion leads back to the U.S. industry and all eyes are on what is considered to be the most successful poultry model in the world.”

(The full text of his comments can be seen on page 2.) He also announced a new project to help fund poultry science scholarships through the introduction of a new poultry license tag.

Casey Jones presented the Allied Committee report. He gave an update on the Allied Golf Tournament held in September, and announced plans for the “Big Bass” Fishing Tournament, tentatively scheduled for May 9, 2014, at Lake Guntersville.

Grower Committee Chairman Kenneth Sanders reported that the committee has not met but continues to work with Ray to develop county-wide and regional associations. Growers, he said, are concerned by the expansion and regulations getting tighter every year. He was complimentary of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System and the NPTC for helping growers.

Mike Pigg of First South Farm Credit presented the Investment Committee report. He stated that it had been a good year for Association investments.

Advisor Reports followed. State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazer reported that in the past year several companies had experienced problems with bronchitis. The Department of Agriculture and Industries had worked to get a new bronchitis vaccine by Zoetis approved by the USDA. He also reported that the state diagnostic lab had hired two new pathologists. One of those pathologists, Dr. John Roberts, will be dedicated to poultry issues. In addition, he told the group that there were two strong candidates for the position of lab director.

Jim Donald of the National Poultry Technology Center presented the department of biosystems engineering report.

He reported on the successful housing short course recently held at the Ham Wilson Arena at Auburn University. This was the seventh short course that has been held and there were approximately 150 in attendance. The goal of the short course is to promote better poultry houses and eliminate shoddy workmanship. Donald also announced a series of instructional videos available on YouTube by entering a search for “NPTC.” He also reported that energy audits had been completed on 30 farms and more than 120 houses, with at least one farm from each complex audited.

Dr. Don Conner, head of the Auburn department of poultry science, reported that there were 62 incoming students

for 2014, the largest incoming class that they have had for several years. He reported also that the 2+2 Program with Wallace State Community College in Hanceville was going well with six students enrolled. He said that the goal for next year was 10 students. He also spoke with pride of how poultry science students had gotten together to share their experiences in the various summer internship programs in which they had participated.

Conner also reported that the department was currently looking for replacements for Dr. Roger Lien and Dr. Manpreet Singh. He said that they were, “looking for folks with a farm-to-fork mentality.”

Dr. Connor was followed by Dr. Joe Hess of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES) who reported that a study is currently underway involving litter management and using sulfur as a feed-through ammonia control agent. Hess said that ACES had just concluded a pellet burning stove study in north and south Alabama.

Hess also reported that his colleague, Dr. Ken Macklin, is involved in looking at biosecurity on broiler farms in relationship to Salmonella, and is also doing field studies on disease control relating to Clostridium. Another colleague, Dr. Sarge Bilgili, continues to be involved in animal welfare audits.

Dr. Gary Lemme, director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, spoke briefly about a new program developed by ACES to help older farmers transfer farm businesses from parents to children efficiently. (Please see the article on page 22 for more details.)

Lemme also talked about the 4-H program, now serving more than 100,000 kids, but needing to expand even more.

He also reported on the success of Chick-Chain, which is now in 40 counties.

Dr. Perry Oakes of NRCS gave the environmental science advisory report for the final time, since he is retiring in December. He reported that environmental services continues to work with technical service providers doing nutrient management plans. He thanked NPTC for its work with energy audits. He cautioned those who might be thinking about expansion to make sure that they are not in 303(d) watersheds, areas that do not meet minimum water quality standards, some of which could be related to animal agriculture. These are not the best places to expand.

AP&EA Executive Director Johnny Adams concluded the meeting with a legislative update. He reported that because this legislative session was going to be shortened because of the June primaries.

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KILPATRICK – On Dec. 13, 2013, an open house was held at Jimmy and Sandra Williams’ Arrowhead Farms. It was a great opportunity for guests to view the two newly finished 66’ x 600’ poultry houses. The Williams are new growers and are under contract to Koch Foods Gadsden.

Vendors who supplied equipment for the houses lined the walls, and, from the look of things, found a receptive audience. Dale Hooper with Modern Poultry Supply, as the poultry house builder, was getting some very good attention. A number of financial institutions were well represented, along with equipment suppliers.

It was great to see Alabama Poultry Hall of Famer Dean Strickland come out to reminisce with some of his former Gold Kist friends who now work for Koch Foods.

There was no formal program, but a delicious barbecue chicken lunch was served. Sandra Williams thanked everyone for coming, and thanked Koch Foods for the opportunity to get into the chicken business.

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November / December 2013

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Grower Profile

NEW YEAR’S EVE – With all of the country getting ready to party, on the biggest party night of all, and ring in a new year, a new beginning had already begun in tiny Kilpatrick, Ala., on Arrowhead Farms.

By the time the first truck arrived from the Koch Foods hatchery, Sandra Williams had her crew in place.

Family, friends and Koch Foods personnel were all on hand for this first-time chick dump. The houses were toasty and partitioned, the feed bins were full and the water lines ready.

Sandra is an organizer. Twenty-two years as a WalMart manager hones those skills. She was ready. When the first pallet of chicks came down the aisle, she and her crew, including her 9-year-old grandson, Braden, started grabbing plastic trays loaded with hour-old chicks and plopping them on the fresh shavings.

The chicks, a little surprised by their new surroundings, soon scampered off toward those red containers for their first real food, their cheeps multiplying into a real cacophony that grew louder by the tray. For them,

it was time to celebrate.

With one house finished, it was time for Sandra and her crew to catch their breath as they waited for the next truck to arrive.

They will grow these chicks to 4-lb. birds, taking about 32 days. With a 14-day layout, Jimmy Williams estimates that they will raise seven to eight flocks a year.

This is the culmination of a 15-year dream for Sandra and Jimmy. Jimmy had always farmed and Sandra had worked at Wal-Mart, but the 12-hour shifts were really getting old. Because of her schedule, she was only able to attend chuch two days a month, and she was never able to attend any of her grandchildren’s activities.

It was time to make a change.

They had started talking about getting into the poultry business a number of years before, but didn’t feel that they could afford to mortgage their home to finance the project. However, the farm began to prosper, so, after a lot of prayer, they made the decision.

Sandra retired from Wal-Mart and began working

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Sandra and Jimmy, married for 35 years, are excited about the possibilities of working together in their own business.

with local grower Shane Ross to get a feel for the business. What she thought she liked, she began to love.

They began making calls to poultry companies.

Most were not interested in taking on more growers.

Koch Foods of Gadsden showed some interest and sent someone to talk with them. After a few meetings, things got settled pretty quickly.

Jimmy is quick to point out the prayers that went

into the venture. It was toward the end of May that they went to talk to First South Farm Credit. Ground was broken in July and construction was begun. By the middle of December, most everything was ready, thanks to the good efforts of Dale Hooper and Modern Poultry Supply in constructing the buildings and North Alabama Poultry Supply that installed the equipment. There were few hitches along the way. Probably the biggest concern was getting the natural gas line run.

As of the open house, the gas line had not been run.

Casey Jones of L.B. White came to the rescue with propane heaters that could be temporarily installed so the open house guests could be warm.

They give God credit for bringing it all together.

Their pastor, Rev. Allen Hallmark, in his prayer of dedication at the open house announced that Jimmy and Sandra wanted to dedicate their new houses to their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Sandra is relieved now that she can sing in the choir and be active in their church, Whitesburg Baptist.

Jimmy has been involved for many years in building maintenance.

Neither Jimmy nor Sandra come from a farming background. They both grew up in Boaz and come from large families. They both went to Boaz High School.

They started dating when he was a junior and she was in her sophomore year.

Sandra graduated in 1979. That same year, they were married.

Jimmy had gone through high school on a vocational program where he had learned to lay block and brick. He worked in the construction industry until 1992. That year he was offered a position teaching building trades at the vocational school in Guntersville.

For the next 15 years he taught, but in 2006, after some health problems, he was forced to come home to the farm.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

Kasey is not quite sure how active she is going to be in the poultry operation, but, it looks as though she has already made a friend.

On their 150-acre farm they raise cattle. Four years ago Jimmy started breeding heifers and selling them.

This year, he decided to keep 60 of those heifers. They have their own bull, rather than artificially inseminating the cows.

Sandra and Jimmy have three children, twin sons, Brian and Heath, and daughter, Kasey. Brian and his wife, Mo Shah, live in Hoover, along with daughter, Addyson, 2. Heath and his wife, Brandy, and their two sons, Braden, 9, and Layton, 6, live in Boaz. Kasey and her husband, Jody Lester, also live in Boaz.

For many, a project like this might be daunting, but Jimmy explains, “I laid block and brick for years, Sandra worked 12 to 14 hour days at Wal-Mart every-day – for people who have never worked a day in their lives, this would probably be overwhelming. It’s not going to overwhelm us, we are working people.” He continued, “We are doing this for a way-of-life. We are looking for a way-of-life where we can be together. We love the farm life.”

Sandra is excited she and Jimmy can spend more time with their family, especially the grandchildren.

It is going to be an exciting new year.

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17

Havana Junction: Black Belt Test Farm

The tunnels feature corrosion resistant steel and heavy duty polyethylene film. Tunnel ends can be closed in colder weather to preserve heat and humidity. In warmer weather the ends can be opened for ventilation.

AP&EA sees this as a potential income supplement to growers. We are planning a tour for interested growers in the spring.

MOUNDVILLE – Don Chamberlain, the former unsuccessful Republican candidate for the heavily Democrat 7th Congressional District, has a dream.

Much of that dream was articulated in his two campaigns – “Transform the impoverished Black Belt one acre at a time.”

While it didn’t win him an election, it got some folks listening. Randy and Debbie Brown of Moundville were two of them. The successful entrepreneurs (they owned Magnolia Restaurant, now sold, and a hardware store). Debbie, especially, was intrigued by Chamberlain’s ideas.

The vision included the building of a series of organic greenhouses throughout the Black Belt to supply the increasing demand for organic produce year round. Chamberlain, working with Harnois Greenhouses of Canada, has formed an organization known as Southern Fresh Produce.

“Our goal,” Chamberlain says, “is to build a network of 11,000 farms over the next decade concentrating on Alabama and Georgia, but particularly the Black Belt.” Chamberlain admits that it is an ambitious plan, but he believes that

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it would create jobs and help alleviate nearly completed, they held an open poverty by allowing small rural house at their Havana Junction Farm. landowners to become independent enAt the open house, Commissioner trepreneurs. of Agriculture and Industries John Currently most organic produce is McMillan said, “What the Browns and shipped in from California and Mexico, Southern Fresh Produce are doing here affecting both the freshness and price. will impact the whole state.” He menHaving locally available produce would tioned the organic fertilizer will use benefit the marketplace and cut down processed chicken manure from state on spoilage. chicken houses and waste byproducts Chamberlain’s plans call for two from catfish processing plants. different types of installation. An eight Whole Foods, an upscale organic tunnel bay, 300 ft. long unit on 1.54 grocery chain, with a store in Mountain acres; and a four tunnel bay unit on 0.77 Brook, is very interested in having local acres. The cost of setting up a four bay suppliers who can consistently deliver unit varies from $50,000 to $85,000, de- quality organic produce. pending on site prep cost and the availability of water.

The Browns investigated the possibilities of getting into the greenhouse business by visiting similar installations in Vermont and Canada, places with much colder winters. They were impressed by what they saw.

They opted for the Debbie Brown is excited about this new venture that larger unit, and on Dec. she and her husband, Randy, have undertaken.

19, 2013, with the project

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Recipes

Time to ditch the Winter blaahs with some spice!

Chicken and Mixed Pepper Enchiladas with Avocado Black Bean Salad and Lime Cream Drizzle 6 Servings

Enchiladas: 4

chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless, cut crosswise into ¼-inch strips 2 TBLS vegetable oil, divided 1 red pepper, diced 1 poblano pepper, diced ½ cup diced Spanish onion ½ tsp cumin 1 tsp chili powder ½ tsp paprika 1 tsp salt 1 TBLS chopped fresh cilantro ½ tsp adobo sauce ½ cup frozen corn 12 flour tortillas (6” size) 1 can (10 oz) can enchilada sauce 1½ cup grated quesa Blanca cheese 3 TBLS chopped cilantro for garnish

Avocado Black Bean Salad:

Lime Cream Drizzle:

2 16 2 1 3 ½ ¼ 2

½ 2

ripe avocado, halved, pit removed, and diced cherry tomatoes, quartered TBLSs olive oil can (15.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed TBLS fresh lime juice tsp salt tsp black pepper TBLS chopped cilantro

cup sour cream TBLS fresh lime juice

Make Avocado Black Bean Salad by combining all ingredients in medium bowl. Stir gently and reserve.

Make Lime Cream Drizzle by combining sour cream and lime juice in a small bowl. Reserve.

Preheat oven to 350º F. In a sauté pan, heat one tablespoon vegetable oil over medium heat. Add chicken strips and sauté until browned. Remove from pan and reserve. In same pan, add second tablespoon of oil and heat. Add red peppers, poblano pepper, onion, cumin, chili powder, paprika and salt. Saute until vegetables are soft, about 5-6 minutes. Add cilantro, adobo sauce, and corn. Stir to heat through.

Spray a large oven proof baking dish (or two medium-sized dishes) with non-stick cooking spray. Spoon about ¼ cup chicken mixture onto each tortilla, roll, and place in pan. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Enchiladas should be placed tightly in pan. Pour enchilada sauce over tortillas. Sprinkle with grated cheese.

Place in heated oven and bake until cheese is melted and Enchiladas are heated through, about 20-25 minutes.

Serve 2 enchiladas per person. Drizzle with Lime Cream and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve Avocado Black Bean Salad on the side.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

Pulled Chicken Sliders with Mango Barbecue Sauce and Pepper Jicama Slaw 4 Servings

4 cups shredded rotisserie cooked chicken 12 small slider or dinner rolls

Slaw:

Mango Barbecue Sauce:

½ ½ ½ ½ 1 2 1 2 1 ¼

1 1 1 1 ¾ 1 1 ¼ 6 ¾ 2 1 1

large jicama red pepper, chopped yellow pepper, chopped jalapeno pepper, chopped tsp chopped cilantro TBLS apple cider vinegar tsp lime juice TBLS olive oil tsp sugar tsp kosher salt

TBLS olive oil small onion, diced garlic clove, minced tsp minced ginger cups tomato puree TBLS Worcestershire sauce TBLS brown sugar cup orange juice TBLS apple cider vinegar tsp salt tsp Dijon mustard mango, pitted, peeled and diced TBLS chopped cilantro

Make slaw by shredding jicama in a food processor fitted with the shredding blade. Place in bowl. To jicama, add red and yellow pepper. Toss vegetables with cilantro, vinegar, lime juice, olive oil, sugar, and salt. Reserve.

In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic; cook for 5 minutes or until onion is softened.

Add tomato puree, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, orange juice, cider vinegar, salt and Dijon mustard. Stir to combine and heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add diced mango, stir to combine, and remove from heat.

Pour into the bowl of food processor and puree until smooth. Return to saucepan and add cilantro.

Stir in chicken and heat through, about 4-5 minutes. Serve on small slider rolls. Slaw may be served on top of chicken or on side.

Warm Tuscan Chicken Sandwiches Serves 4

1 pound pre-cooked chicken, sliced 2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced 2 teaspoons fresh basil, minced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 loaf crusty baguette, split lengthwise and soft insides removed 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 /3 pound sliced Provolone cheese 8 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and cut into strips Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Combine rosemary, basil, garlic, salt and pepper and set aside. Brush inside of baguette halves with olive oil. Sprinkle evenly with herb mixture.

Place sliced chicken, Provolone and sun-dried tomato strips evenly on one baguette half. Put other half of baguette on top, press down slightly and tie the baguette, at 2-inch intervals, with kitchen string, if desired.

Put baguette on a baking sheet and into the hot oven. Bake until warmed through and cheese is melted, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Remove strings and cut into quarter before serving.

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Extension News

Two-Generation Farm Business Workshops Scheduled for February For many families working to transfer a farming operation from one generation to the next, it’s not the legal, financial and technical issues that prove most challenging.

As many families have learned from experience – often bitter experience – the biggest challenge often involves ensuring that this transition occurs on the basis of open communication and trusting relationships among families members.

Indeed, effective relationship building and overcoming barriers to effective communication often prove to be the critical measure of success in the course of transferring a farming operation from one generation to the next, according to Dr. Paul Brown, associate director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System.

“As it happens, professional help, whether this turns out to be legal, financial or technical assistance, often comes together pretty well,” says Brown who grew up on a family farm in Iowa. “However, it is the human relationships and levels of communication among family members that often prove critical to success.”

“Individual family members come into this multigenerational dialogue with different expectations and goals, but as family members they must develop a common vision of how these goals are going to be met.”

With interest in farm succession planning on the steady rise, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System

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will hold a series of seminars in February to provide farm families with tools to better ensure that these operations are passed as successfully and seamlessly as possible from one generation to the next.

Workshops are scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 6, at the Wiregrass Research and Extension Center in Headland; Monday, Feb. 17, at the Tennessee Valley Research and Extension Center in Belle Mina; and Thursday, Feb. 27, at the Sand Mountain Research and Extension Center in Crossville.

Anyone interested in learning about the critical factors for success associated with transferring a farming operation across generations is encouraged to attend, according to Brown.

The workshops will help families assess the feasibility of two-generation farming operations and how to develop the communication and human relationship skills essential for success. Families will also be advised about the most effective ways to transfer ownership and management responsibilities and to divide business income.

The training will also identify the factors most essential for securing a business arrangement that serves both generations.

“What we want to accomplish through these workshops is to give families an overview of the farm business transfer process – the key factors they need to discuss as a family before they proceed with planning,” Brown says.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

The workshops will explore a four-stage transfer process whereby ownership, management and income are transferred from one generation to the next using a series of business arrangements.

These workshops will begin at 5:15 p.m. with registration, followed by dinner.

In addition to Dr. Paul Brown, other speakers will include Dr. Francesca Adler-Baeder, Alabama Extension specialist and professor in the department of human and family studies at Auburn University, and Dr. Robert Tufts, an attorney, Alabama Extension specialist and professor in the School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences.

The capstone of each workshop will be a discussion about planning assistance, further educational topics and future programming.

“Succession planning is a multiyear process as the torch is passed from one generation to the next,” Brown says. “So, it’s important that we get feedback about additional help people will need, either as individuals or as members of a multiplefamily operation.”

Pre-registration is required one week before each scheduled program so that meal arrangements can be made and materials prepared.

For more information, contact Nan Chambliss of the Alabama Extension Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Programs at (334) 844-4450.

Practical Applications

National Poultry Technology Center – Auburn University College of Agriculture By: Jess Campbell, Dennis Brothers, James Donald & Gene Simpson

We get a lot of questions, and one question always stands out during the winter months: “What is the silver bullet for growing chickens?” The answer is and will always be, “There is no silver bullet.” There are, however, certain basics of poultry husbandry, and the growers and companies that seem to always have the advantage are typically the ones who do the best job of managing those basics during brooding.

Brooding is the “lift-off” phase of chicken development, with the highest percentage of feed going to growth and so producing the most rapid growth rate, giving chicks a good start in life. That good start is extremely important.

No failure to achieve optimum growth during brooding can ever be made up later in the growout. Both research and on-farm experience show that even a few hours of poor conditions during brooding can do significant harm to overall flock performance.

Modern poultry houses and management systems give us the ability to control conditions in the house and give chicks the good start they need. All it takes is paying proper attention to the seven brooding basics: Brooding Basic #1: Litter Management

Litter conditions set the tone for the flock long before the chicks arrive on the farm. For best performance, chicks must be placed on a consistent minimum of 4 inches of dry bedding at or around 88-92°F. Anything less will cause losses in performance proportional to the degree of insufficiency. If chicks are not started on fresh litter, steps must be taken to reduce litter moisture and properly condition the litter to release as much ammonia as possible before flock placement. Allowing the litter to set in a house cold and wet between flocks is a recipe for disaster.

What to do: Remove caked litter ASAP after the birds leave. After this; windrowing, using litter conditioning equipment, heating the litter and ventilating between flocks can all help achieve the goal of dry litter with reduced ammonia at day one. Top dressing the brooding chamber and applying a company approved, ammonia controlling litter amendment at the manufacturer’s suggested rate and method is also highly recommended.

The goal of litter management is first of all to provide

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November / December 2013

comfortable bedding conditions for the chicks; but also to reduce the effect that litter moisture and ammonia have on the environmental control systems. If we have to manage heating and ventilation to compensate for poor litter conditions, it will be much more difficult – and costly – to provide the optimum growing environment chicks need.

Think about it: litter condition sets the tone for air quality, heating and ventilation through the life of the flock.

Brooding Basic #2: Temperature

Temperature differences as small as 0.5-1.0 degrees F can impact overall chick health, behavior and growth.

Electronic controller technology has given us the ability to monitor and manage temperature that precisely, and do this automatically on a real-time, 24-hour basis. This gives growers a huge management advantage over traditional manual thermostat control. Even so, the old computer adage “garbage in = garbage out” applies to controllers also. A controller’s management capabilities are only as good as the information from the sensors it uses. Therefore we must pay close attention to sensor placement! If the ideal starting temperature is 90°F, this means 90°F at the feed and water lines, as consistent as possible. Proper placement depends on the type of heating system and spacing in the house. Proper “ideal” temperatures can also vary according to individual flock requirements. A good manager always monitors his chicks and makes appropriate adjustments.

However, don’t expect temperature adjustments to fix every problem every time. Temperature is the most commonly monitored and controlled condition in poultry houses, but the other brooding basics can be just as important to flock performance.

Brooding Basic #3: Air Quality

Excess ammonia or carbon dioxide, along with too high or too low relative humidity, can become serious problems, especially during winter flocks. The only way to solve or reduce air quality problems once they have occurred is to increase the ventilation rate. Ventilation decisions should be based on accurate assessment of

Alabama Poultry Magazine

conditions, but neither controller systems nor growers are equipped to accurately monitor air quality factors.

For relative humidity monitoring, inexpensive sensors can be purchased from local hardware stores and placed near mid-house away from heaters and air inlets. Oftentimes controllers can be fit with humidity sensors as well.

Either way, the goal is to maintain in-house relative humidity at 50-65 percent during brooding as long as possible. If relative humidity is below 50 percent, deduct 15 seconds from minimum ventilation run time. If it is above 65 percent, add 15 seconds of run time. Early morning is an excellent time to judge air quality conditions and make ventilation adjustments, if needed.

Too-high ammonia (NH3) or carbon dioxide (CO2) levels can impact bird health and growth and can be challenging to control in winter, but are more difficult for a grower to accurately measure. Because growers become accustomed to smelling ammonia, the “nose test” cannot be relied on. Birds can suffer and even be blinded before the grower becomes aware of a serious problem. Carbon dioxide is odorless, and it takes a while for humans to experience symptoms – headaches, nausea and sleepiness – of excess CO2 levels. Therefore, growers typically must make judgments about these factors based on observation of birds and bird behavior.

If accurate monitoring equipment is available, ammonia levels should be kept below 25 ppm. A minimum of 15 seconds of additional minimum ventilation run time should be added to houses testing above 25 ppm and an additional 30 seconds for over 100 ppm. CO2 levels should be kept below 3,000 ppm. Too-high CO2 levels are usually highest when preheating and brooding chicks in tight houses during cold weather when heating systems are running constantly and ventilation run time is lowest.

Fortunately, most ammonia and carbon dioxide problems can be minimized by proper litter management (including use of ammonia-suppressing amendments) and adequate minimum ventilation (including control of relative humidity).

Brooding Basic #4: Ventilation

Good environmental control during brooding requires properly executing the minimum ventilation basics: 1. Pressure. A good rule of thumb for pressure is for every 0.01 inches of static pressure measured in water column, air travels about 2 feet. To get the air to the middle of the house near the ceiling requires about 0.10 inches of pressure in a 40-foot wide house. This means we have to have a house that can pull 0.15 inches or more during a house tightness test with fan power of 1 cfm per square foot of floor space.

2. Inlet door Opening. The required air pressure capability must be combined with the proper perimeter

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November / December 2013

inlet door opening to throw the air to the center of the house. Too little or too wide of an opening will result in outside air blowing directly onto the feed and water lines and, more importantly, onto the chicks. Step one of vent management should be to manually latch closed all or most of the vents not located in the brood area of the house, after which additional vents inside the brood area may need to be latched closed to achieve the proper air flow with the desired fan power (typically 1 -1.5 cfm per square foot). Bottom line is you have to get the correct inlet door opening and static pressure to achieve the desired air throw and mixing. Latching doors or opening doors can be used as a method of fine tuning your perimeter inlet set up.

A smoke emitter of some type will show exactly where the air is going. Do whatever it takes to get the air to the peak of the ceiling to promote good mixing.

3. Fan Run Time. Finally, it is essential to calculate the correct amount of minimum ventilation fan run time. We offer a handy electronic calculator on the poultryhouse.com website that anyone can use (no computer training required). You only have to know the basic numbers for your house fan capacity and the number of chicks you are brooding, along with the per-chick run-time you want (and there are even suggestions for deciding what that number should be).

Click the Minimum Ventilation Run-Time Calculator link at the top of the poultryhouse.com homepage.

(And there is a separate link to a calculator designed for smart phones, if that is how you are getting to poultryhouse.com).

Brooding Basic #5: Water Quality and Availability

Having high-quality water freely available can make a huge difference in getting chicks off to a good start. One of the first things a grower should do if he is experiencing consistent performance problems is have a water sample analysis conducted. Contact your company or local county Extension office for help with water sampling and analysis. If substantial water quality problems are found, a consultation with a respected water quality expert is in order.

Water quantity problems can be difficult to diagnose; however, a common sense approach to making sure chicks have plenty of water available is to do a good job of routine drinker system maintenance. The importance of getting water into the chick as soon as possible cannot be overstated. This means that cleaning water systems and activating nipple drinkers before every flock arrives is extremely important. Also pay close attention to initial drinker height and make adjustments that reflect bird growth on a routine basis. Chicks will consume a lot less water than older birds so flushing drinker lines often in the beginning will keep the water fresh and promote greater consumption. Water filters, regulators, and any possible

Alabama Poultry Magazine

water restriction points must be monitored before and during each flock. Don’t assume water quality and availability are adequate, verify it.

Brooding Basic #6: Feed Availability

look for about 95 percent of the chicks with feed and water in their crops after 24 hours. Remember, if a chick is given the choice between comfort and feed or water, it will choose comfort. Make sure every chick gets feed and water quickly and easily.

Feed availability runs hand in hand with water availability and is of equal importance. The quicker chicks have access to and consume quality feed, the better start they will have. The actual amount an individual chick consumes on day one through seven is very small, so the tonnage of feed in the house on day one is not nearly as important as providing access for every chick to easily get to feed. Another way to say this is that feeding space/opportunity is most important. Chicks having sufficient access to feed is more than just feeder pan, chick tray and supplemental feed lid management. Environmental factors also play a huge role in feed availability because if a chick isn’t comfortable (too hot, cold or drafty) near the feed trays or lines, it will not eat or drink sufficiently. This can be a severe problem that must be corrected. Many companies

Chicks grow, gain, and perform better the quicker they gain access to feed and water, and light stimulation further encourages feed and water consumption. Specific lighting programs are under constant revision and vary from one integrator to another. However, the most common recommendation for light intensity when lighting is on calls for a minimum average light intensity of 3 or more foot-candles for the first 7-10 days, measured along the feed lines between grow lights. Large shadows, blown bulbs and insufficient lighting intensity and uniformity are problems that can be identified and corrected with the use of a simple $150-$200 digital light meter. Don’t assume your light intensity is adequate, verify it. Buy a meter and calibrate

Brooding Basic #7: Lighting

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November / December 2013

27

the dimmer in each house. Many growers are surprised at how far off their settings are after they measure them with a meter.

The Bottom Line

Each of these brooding basics has evolved and improved into what the industry considers standard procedures for brooding chicks today. Using the tools and equipment available to follow these basic procedures is not just the best but the only way to give your chicks the “liftoff” they need to become a top-performing flock. Growing chickens today is not a matter of managing by the day, but by the hour. Mistakes made in the first 72 hours can’t be made up later in the flock. Taking the time to do brooding right pays off at catch time.

NOTE: This article should be considered a basic guide for getting chickens off to a good start. Individual integrator recommendations may vary from these guidelines due to location, type of bird grown, type of heating system, ventilation set up, type of house and other factors. Follow your integrator guidelines.

Feed & Water: Offering chicks easy and early access to quality feed and water cannot be over emphasized.

Feeder lines and drinkers must be maintained and kept working properly.

Also realize that if chicks have to make a decision between comfort and feed and water, they will often choose comfort. That means it is essential to make sure conditions at chick level around feeders and drinkers are good: no cold spots or drafts, no wet litter, etc.

Basic Tools: Paying proper attention to the seven brooding basics requires making proper use of just six basic tools.

Five of these, shown below the bucket, left to right, are relatively low-cost instruments that every grower should be familiar with: wind meters, smoke emitters, pressure gauges, air temp and humidity meters, and infrared temperature guns.

The bucket represents the sixth and most important tool: you, yourself, live and in person, taking the time to sit on a bucket inside each house observing chick behavior and equipment operation.

The gadgets are essential for getting accurate readings of particular in-house conditions, but they do not tell the whole story. It’s up to you to assess the situation and make the right management decisions to give your chicks the best start possible.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

Increased Incidence of a Crippling Disease in Broilers

J. J. Giambrone, Professor Poultry Science Department, Auburn University Joel L. Cline, Director and Diagnostician J. B. Taylor Regional Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, Elba, Ala.

Viral arthritis (VA) also called viral tenosynovitis is a chronic debilitating disease, which can result in damage to the legs and hearts of broilers, broiler breeder pullets, and young turkeys. VA is caused by reovirus, which is resistant to many chemical agents. Commercial egg layers seem to be relatively unsusceptible to VA caused by reoviruses. Reoviruses are genetically unstable and can mutate, which are not protected against by existing commercial vaccines.

Reoviruses are spread laterally from bird to bird or vertically from hen to their offspring. Fecal-oral or respiratory tract transmission can also occur. The clinical signs are birds down on the hocks (knees), which have reduced growth, slight increase in mortality, are reluctant to move, or move about unsteadily. VA can also cause downgrading and trimming in the broiler processing plant and culling in breeder pullets and turkeys and may lead to suppression of the immune system.

Swollen tendons above and below the hocks and a ruptured tendon are also seen. The tendon is fibrous tissue that connects muscle to bone.

Figure 1 shows an enlarged hock joint Swelling and rupturing of the tendons around the hocks and heart damage is diagnostic (Figures 1 and 2) for VA. Figure 3 shows three week old broilers with reduced growth rate and are down on their hocks and reluctant to move.

Figure 2 shows a ruptured tendon

Figure 3 shows an increase in yellow colored fluid in the hock joint The diagnosis of this disease is by gross and microscopic changes of the diseased tissues and viral isolation and fluorescent antibody test. A molecular test, called a PCR test, may also be used to further characterize the isolated viruses.

The prevention is by vaccination of breeder pullets with multiple vaccines containing both live and killed reoviruses. Breeders usually receive at two weeks and again between 6-8 weeks a live virus vaccine by drinking water.

Killed vaccine viruses are given at 18 weeks or when pullets are transferred from the pullet house to the breeder house by injection under the skin. The killed viral vaccine contains three different reovirus genetic types in order to prevent the disease from occurring in the field.

There is no treatment for VA. Since reoviruses are stable in the house they are difficult to eradicate, therefore prevention must be by vaccination of the pullets or turkeys to prevent the disease in them and the broiler progeny through transfer of the maternal immunity from the hen to the chick through the egg yolk. This passive immunity will protect the chick from infection during the first three weeks of age, when they are most vulnerable to reovirus infection. Live reovirus vaccines are not normally given to broilers in the hatchery, because they are expensive and may interfere with the efficacy of other vaccines given in the hatchery.

For the past 20 years commercial live and killed vaccines were highly effective; producing near 100 percent protection in the turkeys, broiler breeder pullets, and their progeny. However, over the past two years there has been an increase in VA in broilers, hatched from vaccinated hens, in major broiler producing areas throughout the eastern coast of the United States.

Researchers in several University and private research laboratories as well as state diagnostic laboratories have

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isolated and identified new genetic reoviruses using various molecular tests. Dr. Holly Sellers of the Poultry Disease Research Center in the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Georgia showed that the viruses were placed in two genetic groups. The first one was only 50 percent related to prior reovirus field and vaccine reoviruses and the second was 80 percent related to the same viruses. However, the two groups were less than 50 percent related to each other. Using vaccination and challenge studies she showed that current vaccines provided little or no protection against viruses in either of the two groups. Sellers has made a killed vaccine from a virus in the first group of new viruses. She found that this vaccine was able to prevent VA caused by all the reovirus isolates in the first group. She has not tested the vaccine against the second group of reoviruses. The vaccine

is currently being patented and will be provided to a commercial pharmaceutical company in the near future. It would be added to the current killed reovirus vaccine for help in reducing the incidence and severity of this reemerging crippling disease of poultry.

Several reoviruses have been isolated from broilers with VA and heart damage from Alabama flocks showing lameness and suppression of weight gain by all four Alabama state veterinary diagnostic laboratories. We are in the process of obtaining these reoviruses and comparing them with other reoviruses isolated from around the United States using a new molecular test developed in our Auburn laboratory.

When possible we will publish this valuable date to help in developing a new vaccine for use in controlling this crippling disease in our state’s poultry flocks.

2013 National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference Alabama Winners Alabama 4-H would like to thank the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association for sponsoring Alabama delegates in the National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference. National 4-H Poultry and Egg Conference recognizes 4-H members who have excelled in their states in poultry learning experience activities. The activities and contests are designed to introduce participants to poultry and the poultry industry. Life skills are also learned through preparation for the various contests. The conference is used to make participants aware of careers in poultry and allied industries.

The chicken and turkey barbecue contests involve skills in barbecuing, preparation of a product, and a presentation that demonstrates knowledge of the subject industry, food safety and product attributes.

Life skills learned are becoming an informed consumer, food safety, leadership, communication skills, problem solving and decision making. Special thanks to the event leader Amy Burgess, Etowah County Extension coordinator and chaperones Joy Maxwell and Kristen Roberson, regional Ex-

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pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg.

28 7 31 27 17 10 5 16 25 2 16 32 23 19

Alabama 4-H Winners: (left to right) Kristen Roberson, Jacob Walls, Miller Kintsley, and Joy Maxwell

tension agents.

Congratulations to the national winners: Miller Kintsley, Shelby County, 8th place Chicken Que; Jacob Walls, DeKalb County, 9th place Turkey Que.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS AP&EA “Big Bass” Fishing Tournament Friday, May 9, 2014 – Lake Guntersville, Guntersville, Ala.

AP&EA Golf Tournament Friday, June 6, 2014 – Limestone Springs Golf Course

AP&EA “Evening of Fun” Saturday, June 7, 2014 Grower Seminar, Birmingham Ballroom/Sheraton Program and Concert, BJCC Complex Dance, Sheraton Ballroom

Alabama Poultry Magazine