AP&EA P.O. Box 240 Montgomery, AL 36101 Address Service Requested
November / December 2018 Vol. 13 No. 6
Board of Directors
Officers Mitchell Pate, President, Auburn* Jason Spann, Vice President, Hanceville* Jason Shell, Treasurer, Decatur* Casey Jones, Secretary, Hoover* Kenneth Sanders, Immediate Past President, Brundidge* Directors Greg Abercrombie, Valhermoso Springs Johnny Adcock, Woodland Lou Ayers, Jasper Randy Caudill, Guntersville Jarrod Goodman, Snead Ben Gore, Cullman Randall Ennis, Tanner Tim Holmes, Decatur Harold Hunt, Gadsden Clint Lauderdale, Hanceville Neil Martin, Dothan David Massey, Enterprise Kevin McDaniel, Huntsville Dr. Shannon Morgan, Boaz Shaun Morris, Eufaula Mike Pigg, Opelika John Pittard, Guntersville John Roberts, Cullman Keith Rhodarmer, Collinsville Roddy Sanders, Gordo Steve Smith, Hanceville Rod Thomas, Montgomery Kevin Touchstone, Russellville Ryan Turner, Guntersville* Stanley Usery, Athens* Brad Williams, Troy Len Windham, Ariton Tony Wood, Brantley Advisors Vernon Abney, Auburn Dr. Don Conner, Auburn University James Donald, Auburn University Dr. Joe Hess, Auburn University Jacob Davis, Montgomery Dr. Tony Frazier, Montgomery *Executive Committee Members
AP&EA STAFF
Johnny Adams – Chief Executive Officer Wanda H. Linker – Administrative Director Ray Hilburn – Associate Director Huck Carroll – Communications Director/Editor Jennifer Shell – Support Director
Alabama Poultry Magazine is published by the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association 465 South Bainbridge Street Montgomery, AL 36104 Phone: 334-265-2732 Fax: 334-265-0008
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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
I sincerely hope that everyone has had a wonderful Christmas season and is looking forward to a prosperous new year. The Association is poised to have an exciting year with a number of plans in the works. The Auburn board of trustees has approved the final phases of the Miller Center, starting with the processing plant. The administration building, housing the Alabama Poultry Hall of Fame, classrooms and lecture hall, is scheduled to open in April of 2019. We are all looking forward to that. Alabama Poultry car tags continue to sell. We currently have more than 750 on the road, and we are hoping for even greater sales. This year we were able to award our first two scholarships from tag sales. Those students, Judd Powell and Ryan Oden, are grateful for the support, but we need to endow more scholarship through those tag sales. Many in our grower community will be encouraged by the passage of the 2018 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill provides funding to speed rural high-speed broadband build-outs, one of the Trump administration's and FCC's prime directives. It will take time to implement, but it is encouraging for the population of rural Alabama. The coming 2020 U.S. Census is something else that is going to be important for rural Alabama. Gov. Kay Ivey has given it a special priority in her coming administration, with a program called Alabama Counts. It is essential to get an accurate count of the folks in rural counties for federal money for healthcare and USDA programs. Census jobs are also going to be available. I am especially excited about our participation in career expos across the state. It is an opportunity for students from urban backgrounds to gain exposure to the industry. We should take every opportunity that we get to educate, not only the students, but their teachers as well, on the career possibilities in an industry that helps feed the world. Getting young people into the industry is essential. Their leadership potential is greatly needed. We see that at Auburn, where this year many of our baby-boom generation leaders in education and research are retiring. In the next year we will say goodbye to Dr. Don Conner, Dr. Joe Giambrone, Dr. Joe Hess, Dr. Gene Simpson and Jim Donald. Each has had an outstanding career at Auburn. They will be missed. Fortunately, we have a crop of younger leaders who will rise to the challenge of educating the next generation and carrying on the research that makes the poultry industry thrive.
Governmental Affairs Association News Gov. Ivey Pardons Clyde, 69 IPPE Grower Coupon AP&EA Christmas Open House and Board Meeting Industry News Grower Profile: Iven Miles – The Marine Comes Home Auburn Happenings Practical Applications Calendar of Events
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Featuring This Issue
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Governmental Affairs
The 2020 U.S. Census: Time to Make Rural Alabama Count
Rural Alabama has a huge stake in the upcoming 2020 U.S. Census – from a seat in the U. S. House of Representatives, a vote in the Electoral College and the allocation of federal funds, it’s all determined by the number of people counted. According to a recent study, in 2015 the U.S. government returned over $1,567 to the state for every Alabamian counted in the 2010 census. More than 100 federal programs use data collected during census counts as part of their formulas to distribute billions of dollars in federal funding to the states. Those programs include Medicaid, Medicare Part B, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Highway Planning and Construction, and Title 1 Grants to Local Education Agencies. Census-derived data also is used to allocate seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and in
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legislative redistricting. Rural Alabama is the beneficiary of four major types of federal funding:
• Grants – funds that are used for specific purposes related to the public interest. For example, the Formula Grants for Rural Areas program provides financial assistance to rural areas to support the development and operation of public transit. • Direct Loans – funds provided to a business or individual recipient for a specific period of time with the expectation of repayment. For example, Rural Electrification Loans help support rural America’s electric infrastructure. • Guaranteed/Insured loans – federal protection for a lender against part or all of any defaults by a borrower. For example, USDA Business and Indus-
Alabama Poultry Magazine
try Loans Program works with lenders to guarantee loans for rural businesses. This increases rural businesses’ access to credit. • Direct Payments – funds paid directly to individuals or private institutions for specific uses. For example, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food assistance to low-income individuals.
Gov. Kay Ivey has called for maximum participation in the 2020 Federal Census. But, rural Alabama is considered a hard-to-count population segment. With limited broadband, difficulty finding some residences and general indifference to the program, we need to reach out to the poultry community to encourage full participation.
Association News
Clyde 69 and Consort, Henrietta, Escape the Oven, Again
Thanksgiving was Bill Bates’ favorite holiday, because it was so very American, both in nationality and in attitude. It also highlighted a uniquely American bird, the turkey. A bird so uniquely American that founding father, Ben Franklin, wanted it to be our national bird. On Wednesday, Nov. 14, Becky
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Bates Sloane, Bill’s daughter, reminded us again of Bill’s passion for Thanksgiving, as, for the 69th time, Bates Turkey Farm presented the governor of Alabama with the opportunity to pardon one lucky turkey while accepting one for Thanksgiving dinner. This time Becky got to present old Clyde to one of Mr. Bill’s favorite peo-
Alabama Poultry Magazine
ple, Kay Ivey. Now governor of the great state of Alabama – duly elected. Mr. Bill would have been so proud that the country gal from Wilcox County would be enjoying one of his turkeys and celebrating her victory as the second woman, and first Republican woman, elected governor of Alabama. Congratulations, Gov. Ivey!
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Special Discount Offered to Poultry Growers at 2019 IPPE
Poultry growers are invited to attend the 2019 International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) with a special registration fee of only $5 (onsite only), a terrific savings of $95! IPPE will be held at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta from Feb. 12 - 14, 2019. We encourage growers to take advantage of this opportunity to attend IPPE at such a wonderful price. They will see the newest innovations and services, as well as attend a wide range of education sessions. With the largest trade show floor ever in the history of the show, there is a lot to see and do at the 2019 IPPE! We urge poultry growers to join us in Atlanta to experience it all,� said IPPE show organizers. Poultry growers can attend the IPPE on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Registration will begin each morning at 7 a.m. at the Georgia World Congress Center, 285 Andrew Young International Blvd., in downtown Atlanta. A completed registration form and a 2019 Grower Days coupon are required. Registration forms will be located at the Expo and should be completed onsite. Coupons are available through state poultry organizations.
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Alabama Poultry Magazine
AP&EA Participates in Fall Career Expos
Informing kids and their teachers and parents about the exciting career opportunities in the Alabama poultry industry has been an important mission of the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association. This is true especially for those students coming from more urban environments. With the growing disconnect between city and country lifestyles, many of these children, as well as their parents and teachers, have no idea of where food comes from, let alone who produces it. This fall we participated in two expos. The first was the Cullman Area Career Awareness Fair on Thursday, Nov. 8, at Wallace State Community College. The event brough eighth-graders from across Cullman County into Wallace State’s Tom Drake Coliseum. Jason Spann of River Valley Ingredients came over to help AP&EA’s Ray Hilburn. The second event was held in Birmingham on Tuesday, Dec. 4, in the East Hall of the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Complex. The Alabama Joint Leadership Development Conference was a two-day event, drawing more than 6,000 high school students, of which approximately 498 were FFA students, from around the state. The event featured speakers and employment skills training seminars. On the second day, it gave the students the opportunity to explore different companies and organizations, providing a look at multiple career paths. Our display was in a module along with displays from the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association other agricultural groups.
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Left to right: Clay Lemons, Kenneth Gamble, Sam Gullion, Ethan Rankins, Madison Richter, Gabe Hamm, Hannah Enskat, Noah McMinnis, Rice Nichols, Sam Sutton, and Amy Burgess.
Alabama 4-H sent a poultry team with 11 youth this year to the National 4-H Poultry & Egg Conference in Louisville, Ky. This year the Confer-
ence dates were Nov. 14-15. Alabama’s 4-H poultry team consisted of a poultry judging contest team of three, an avian bowl team of three, a turkey barbecuer,
a chicken barbecuer, and an egg preparation demonstration participant. The National Championship was brought home to Alabama in the turkey barbecue competition by Samuel Sutton and in the egg preparation demonstration competition by Hannah Enskat. Madison Richter came in third in the chicken barbecue competition, which was very intense, as well as held outside in lightly snowy weather! The avian bowl team fought hard for a fifth place win. Congratulations need to be given to all of the Alabama 4-H members who put in long and hard hours of preparation in order to represent our state at the national level.
Wiregrass Poultry &Egg Association Holds Spreader Calibration Demo
On the cold and blustery afternoon of Tuesday, Nov. 13, the hay field in front of Jamie Wyrosdick’s house on Highway 189, in Elba, was a beehive of activity with cloudy skies and an emminent threat of rain. About a dozen growers had gathered to see a demonstration of accurate spreader calibration conducted by Alabama Cooperative Extension System Specialist Kent Stanford and Animal Systems Environmental Specialist Dr. Rishi Prasad. Calibration was illustrated on a single spreader, making three overlapping passes over a 10’ x 12’ tarp. The litter deposited on the tarp was then carefully weighed to determine the tonnage per acre. A simple calibration formula: Amount of litter collected in pounds x 120 sq. feet = A A x 43,560 (sq. feet in an acre) = B B ÷ 2,000 = Tons per acre After the demonstration, the meeting moved to Basin Baptist Church for a meal sponsored by First South Farm Credit of Andalusia and Enterprise, Alabama Ag Credit of Enterprise, and FFB Ag Finance of Enterprise.The program resumed after the meal with Power Point presentations from both Stanford and Prasad. Stanford stressed the need for proper record keeping and strongly recommended that spreaders be calibrated at least once a year.
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Alabama Poultry Magazine
The annual AP&EA Christmas Open House could well have been called the AP&EA Christmas Full House. The large meeting room was packed with good cheer and lots of good folks wanting to join in the festivities.
From the time the doors opened at 5:00 p.m., on Wed., Dec. 12, the friends of Alabama poultry came rolling in. There were elected officials, government staffers, judges, justices, political leaders, educational leaders, researchers, professors, and waiting to warmly greet them were the poultry professionals, who make the industry run. Also waiting was the food. Great mounds of sumptuous
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tasty treats: meatballs, shrimp, beef medallions, kabobed chicken, all sorts of cheeses and fruit. There were also tasty desserts to tempt even staunch dieters. As the crowd mingled, they got a chance to view photos from the year, projected on our new video projector. It was a glorious way to kick off the holiday season and say a hearty “thank you� to the folks that help our industry.
Alabama Poultry Magazine
Mitchell Pate
John McMillan
Dr. Paul Patterson
Dr. Gary Lemme
AP&EA Holds Fall Board Meeting
AP&EA President Mitchell Pate gavelled the fall AP&EA board meeting open on the morning of Thursday, Dec. 13. His remarks were brief, concentrating on recognizing retiring members: Dr. Don Conner, head of the Auburn University department of poultry science; Dr. Joe Hess; Jim Donald and Gene Simpson, of the National Poultry Technology Center; and Dr. Joe Giambrone. Outgoing Commissioner John McMillan of the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries thanked the Association for its support during his eight years as commissioner. He said he was sad to be leaving the best job in state government, but was experiencing a smooth transition with incoming Commissioner Rick Pate. Dr. Paul Patterson, dean of the Auburn College of Agriculture, thanked the Association for its continued support of the college. He announced that, because of the retirement of “baby-boomers,” in the faculty, there are currently 14 active faculty searches underway. The primary search underway is to find a replacement for Dr. Don Conner, head of the department of poultry science. The position has a new title added to the position. It will now be “head of the department of poultry science and executive director of the Miller Center.” Patterson finished by thank-
Andy Chamness
ing Dr. Conner for his outstanding leadership and vision over the last few years. Dr. Gary Lemme, director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, reported that poultry is now the largest animal science for 4-H students in Alabama. He cited more than 400 students were involved in poultry projects, outside of the popular chick chain. Steve Smith reported that the Allied Scholarship Golf Tournament in October had raised more than $10,000 for poultry science scholarships. He announced that the next activity would be the smoked chicken sale benefiting the 2+2 Poultry Education Program scholarships. Stan Usery, chairman of the grower committee, reported on the two clay shoots. Suggestions were made for changing the dates for next year to hopefully get some better weather. Randall Ennis of the Auburn facilities committee reported that a number of people who, at first, had shown little interest in contributing to the development of the Miller Center, were coming onboard now that there was something to see. He also reported that the administration building, housing the Alabama Poultry Hall of Fame, was scheduled to open in April. Dr. Joe Hess, of Alabama Cooperative Extension System, reported that they were
Dr. Don Conner
Jim Donald
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Steve Smith
Stan Usery
Randall Ennis
Dr. Joe Hess
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Dr. Tony Frazier
conducting practical research looking for antibiotic replacements, since the industry is moving toward antibiotic-free chickens. He also congratulated Dr. Brigid McCrea on the outstanding showing Alabama 4-H made at the recent 4-H Poultry Nationals. Dr. Don Conner gave his final report as head of the department of poultry science at Auburn University. He thanked the Association for its support of the department during his tenure.
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Dr. Misty Edmondson
Alabama State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier introduced his new Associate State Veterinarian Dr. Misty Edmondson. He also announced plans for a low-path AI response planning session for 2019. Other reports followed from Jim Donald, who reported on the various seminars conducted by the NPTC, and Andy Chamness gave the Department of Education advisory report. He talked about the chronic shortage of ag teachers and the development of a credential-
Johnny Adams
ing program for high school students wanting to go into industrial maintenance. AP&EA CEO Johnny Adams concluded the meeting by thanking the soon-to-be retirees for their service to the Association and to the Alabama poultry industry. He also presented a look forward to the upcoming legislative session, and its potential impact on the industry in the coming year.
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Industry News
Ross 308 AP Takes Off in US Market
With balanced performance traits for both breeders and broilers, bird represents “The Complete Package” for U.S. markets and beyond HUNTSVILLE. – Enjoying large-scale popularity throughout Latin America, the Ross® 308 AP is now quickly gaining momentum in US markets. Beyond the US and Latin America, the strong and robust bird is currently being tested in other regions such as India, where consumers can potentially benefit from its numerous favorable qualities.
The Complete Package: Balanced traits for breeders and boilers The Ross 308 AP delivers outstanding live broiler and processing performance. The bird’s high environmental tolerance makes it favorable for a variety of climates. Additionally, Latin American customers have seen 2-3 points in feed conversion improvements. These qualities, combined with higher meat yield, greater uniformity and a healthy growth rate, provide considerable economic and market advantages to poultry producers worldwide. In addition, the Ross 308 AP boosts the
productivity of breeder farmers with ease of management, high chick numbers, good egg quality, exceptional hatchability and ability to consistently maintain strong egg production.
Increasing customer and industry success Ross 308 AP customers in Latin America have profited from the superior field performance and efficiency for nearly five years. The special qualities of the bird have fueled the success of Aviagen customers and the growth of the poultry industry in Brazil as a whole. Aviagen President of North America Kevin McDaniel commented on the increasing popularity of the bird. “At Aviagen, our number one priority is our customers, and we’re committed to giving them everything they need for success. The broiler and breeder performance advantages of the Ross 308 AP have helped promote the businesses of Latin American farmers, and
these same benefits have led to a rapid growth in the U.S. as well.”
Committed to security of supply Aviagen continues to invest heavily in research and development, strict biosecurity program, and expansion of production facilities, including farms, hatcheries and staff, in order to ensure a consistent, safe, and secure supply of high-quality breeding stock to customers. In 2017, Aviagen was the first poultry breeding company in the U.S. to be certified as an Avian Influenza Clean Compartment. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) established the program to set standards to protect against avian influenza (AI) in primary poultry breeding companies. Aviagen's pedigree and great grandparent facilities were audited and certified as meeting these standards by the USDA APHIS.
Casey Jones New Poultry National Sales Manager for L.B. White
Casey Jones has been promoted to Poultry National Sales Manager for L.B. White Company, LLC. In this new role Casey reports to Henry Glover, VP of
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Sales, and has oversight responsibility for all poultry product sales through all channels in North America. This includes both L.B. White heaters and Reeves cooling products, and includes broilers, layers, ducks, turkeys, etc. – if it has feathers, Casey will be involved. This new position brings a greater depth of focus for the company in the poultry segment. All L.B. White sales personnel in the South who are involved primarily with broilers report directly to Casey. All other sales personnel continue to report directly to Henry Glover and will work closely with Casey to further develop the poultry market and enhance L.B. White’s ability to respond to customers’ needs. Casey has been with L.B. White 21
Alabama Poultry Magazine
years and brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to this new role. Prior to L.B. White he worked in the poultry industry for 10 years as a sales manager for an animal health supply company. Casey’s family has been in the poultry industry for over six decades: his father and grandfather worked in the poultry industry, both in production and the development and distribution of poultry health products. Casey has a high level of commitment to the poultry industry and has been involved in several industry organizations over the years; currently he serves on the Executive Committee for the Alabama Poultry and Egg Association. Casey lives in Birmingham, Ala, has a business degree from Auburn University, and in his spare time enjoys playing golf.
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Grower Profile
The Marine Comes Home
Iven Miles was home on leave from the U.S. Marine Corps, when he decided to help his father, who had been hired by the buyer, to do some renovation on a house that his sister was selling. He knew the buyers’ oldest daughter and son, but there on the job site, he met their youngest daughter. He was 20 and she was just 14. Her name was Charlotte. His leave finished, he returned to duty at the Marine Recruit Depot at Parris Island, S.C. He must have made an impression, because she started to write him, and he began to write her. Shortly after his enlistment was up and he had returned home in February, they were engaged. In July, they were married. He jokes that she married him so she could get out of the house and away from her seven siblings. She chuckles, but doesn’t disagree. In the Marines, serving in Korea and Okinawa, he had learned to be a diesel mechanic, but he had also learned carpentry as well. It was to carpentry that he turned for a vocation, moving Charlotte with him to Birmingham. He pitched headlong into the housing boom going on in the area. After a time, they moved to Foley, then to the Pensacola area. He had excellent crews and continued building houses. In the early 70s, when their fourth child was born, they decided it was time to move back to Sand Mountain. Iven’s paternal grandmother was full-blooded Cherokee, and he remembered her telling stories about her family moving by horse and wagon from Georgia to the hills of northeastern Alabama. That connection with the mountain must have
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Iven and Charlotte will celebrate their 60th anniversary in July. (Right) The flagpole outside their home, a gift from his children and grandchildren, celebrates his love of Country & Corps.
Alabama Poultry Magazine
Granddaughter Makayla McDonald helps her granddad by cleaning out his mortality freezers.
helped, but it was Charlotte’s big and close family that sealed the deal. When they moved back, Iven built a restaurant on Highway 75, near Ider. He had some experience in the restaurant business, having worked with his father, who had been in several different businesses over the years. Iven’s father had owned a grocery store, a service station, a Greyhound Bus station and a restaurant. Iven and Charlotte put a mobile home behind the restaurant to live in and keep watch over their four young children. Charlotte had always been a homemaker, but in the restaurant she began working as a waitress. It was her first experience in working with the public, and it was a struggle. Her heart was always with her children. According to Iven, the restaurantwas quite a success, with people driving down from Chattanooga to eat there. At times, there were eight people working in the kitchen. He says, “If somebody asked for something that wasn’t on the menu, I’d tell them to come back tomorrow and we’ll have it. We even had fresh trout caught locally.” When their youngest daughter, Misty, was three years old, they decided to close the restaurant and move the family back to the family land in Higdon. They converted the restaurant into a house and sold it. In 1961, Iven and his father had built a small chicken house for Checkerboard on the property in Higdon. They moved their trailer
beside the old chicken house and set up residence. Iven went back to carpentry work and building houses. He, once again, assembled a good crew to help him. Living in rural Higdon, they had no trash pickup, so they were forced to burn most of their trash. One winter day, after a long dry spell, Charlotte was out burning household trash in a barrel when a spark ignited the dry grass that had grown up around the chicken house. The old tarpaper structure caught fire and burned to the ground. Fortunately there were no chickens inside. It was on the site of that old chicken house, 42 years ago,Iven built their home with his own hands. He says that he and his crew finished it in just 30 days. By this time all of the children were in school. Charlotte joined the crew. She proudly admits to painting and hanging wallpaper. This was a very productive time. They had great help and, according to Iven, they had as many as nine houses at a time under construction. But it couldn’t last. In his early 50s, Iven realized that he couldn’t continue doing carpentry too much longer. Besides, it was getting difficult to find the kind of skilled and dedicated help that he needed for construction work. He began looking for something closer to home. That’s when he refound the poultry business. In 1991, with a contract from Koch Foods in Chattanooga, he built four 40’ x 500’ houses, just down the hill
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Iven checks the settings in one of his control rooms. He has antennas on all four of his houses to relay conditions to a monitoring station in his home.
from his residence. These were the old curtain sided houses; they have since been converted to tunnel ventilated solid sidewall houses. About 12 years ago, Iven’s grandson, Blake Peek, had been helping him in the poultry houses. Blake loved the work. In fact, he wanted his own houses. It turned out that a cousin had four houses that he wanted to sell. So confident were Iven and Charlotte in Blake’s abilities that they helped him secure a loan to buy the houses. Charlotte remembers Blake, age 19, sitting in the office with all the lawyers and bankers signing the papers as if he had been doing it for years. Those four houses were under contract to Pilgrim’s Chattanooga. Iven and Charlotte decided that they would switch to Pilgrim’s as well. Neither grower has regretted their decision. Iven and Charlotte have continued to upgrade their houses over the years. Several years ago when a tornado damaged three of the houses they saw it as an opportunity to repair and upgrade the houses with new roofs, new fans, new cool pads, knee braces and hurricane strips. Charlotte is sanguine about the damage, she says, “I said it was terrible when it happened, but the Lord works in mysterious way,” she laughs, “We needed that updating. After it was over, I said, ‘“thank you, Lord.’” Fortunately, they had insurance to help them rebuild and cover their downtime. Since those repairs and upgrades, they have added new feed and water lines. They have also computerized ... sort of. The controls in the houses are computerized and they have a monitoring station in their home. It’s a bit of progress that neither Iven nor Charlotte is especially confident in using. Fortunately Blake is usually close by to help out with the computer and maintenance chores. The rest of the family lives close by and helps out whenever they are needed. In 1982, Iven used his carpentry and building skills to build the Higdon Baptist Church. His son-in-law, Jeff Peek, is now the pastor there. It is an important part of Iven and Charlotte’s family life. Charlotte says, “We couldn’t make
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Charlotte displays the monitoring station in their living room. From here they can monitor each of the houses remotely.
it without the Lord, He is everything to us. We have raised our children to believe in the Lord and trust him in everything.” It is a joyous family. Iven and Charlotte have four children, eight grandchildren and two great grandchildren. When I visited with them they were getting ready for Christmas. The house was decorated beautifully and Charlotte and Iven were excited to have all the family over to celebrate. I know that it was truly a celebration.
Grandson Blake Peek is the next poultryman in the family. Two summers ago he built four mega houses to go with the four houses he already had. He and his father, Jeff, the preacher at Higdon Baptist Church, have a side business cleaning out poultry houses.
Alabama Poultry Magazine
On Nov. 6 -7, the National Poultry Technology Center presented a course on the basic principles of poultry house construction and retrofitting at their new facility on the Auburn University’s new Miller Poultry Research and Education Center. The event was well attended, with participants coming from across the nation.
First day topics included: Planning, Permitting and Insurance; Financing and Cash Flow; Service Tech Documentation; and Structural Design. There was a time for hands-on training, and a round table discussion on the day’s lessons. The topics for the second day included: Electrical Systems; Generator and Transfer Switch; Lighting Systems;
Alabama Poultry Magazine
Controllers and Alarm Systems; and Broiler Ventilation Designs. This was another in a series of events fulfilling the NPTC mission to improve the bottom line profitability of the live production sector of the U.S. poultry industry. Since the new facility was opened earlier this year, more than 2,000 poultry personnel have trained here.
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Auburn Happenings
AP&EA Sponsors 114th College of Ag Graduation Breakfast
There was something poignant about seeing Dr. Don Conner and Dr. Joe Hess flipping omelets for the Dec. 15, Auburn University Fall Graduation Breakfast for the College of Agriculture, knowing that this would be the last time that Conner would toss an omelet before slipping off to join the faculty at New Mexico State University. Hess may have one more omelet breakfast in him, but his retirement is imminent as well. Fall graduates: Sara Elizabeth Cloft (master’s degree), Dr. Don Conner, Dillon Christopher, Judd Powell, Casey Reagan and AP&EA Associate Director Ray Hilburn. Other poultry science graduates not present: Willard Hamilton, Autumn Hinote, Jacob Maddox, Slater Robinson and Ashley Stegall. Also receiving a master's degree in poultry science was Oscar Jonathan Tejeda Martinez. Congratulations, graduates!
Dr. Conner leaves the Auburn department of poultry science in great shape. The long line of poultry science graduates who have gone on to have a positive impact on the industry will continue. A new department head will be found, and each successive graduating class will be better equipped to handle the complexities of the industry than the class before.
Davis Named Director of Auburn’s National Poultry Technology Center Auburn University biosystems engineer Jeremiah Davis has assumed duties as director of the Auburn-based National Poultry Technology Center or NPTC. Davis had served as associate director of the research and outreach center since joining the Auburn faculty in 2015 and succeeds Jim Donald, who retired Dec. 31 as department of biosystems engineering professor emeritus and NPTC director emeritus. In announcing Davis’ selection to the post, College of Agriculture Dean Paul Patterson said poultry producers and the entire poultry industry can expect a seamless transition. “The NPTC serves a vital role for the poultry industry at the state, regional and national levels in carrying out its mission to improve bottom-line profitability of the live
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production sector,” he said. “I believe Dr. Davis’s impressive research background and his success as associate director make him an excellent fit for this role.” He commended both Donald and Auburn agricultural economics professor and extension specialist Gene Simpson, who also retired in December, for their strong commitment to fulfilling the NPTC’s mission of developing technologies and practices that have helped poultry growers increase efficiencies in housing, equipment, energy use and environmental control. Donald and Simpson were instrumental in the center’s establishAlabama Poultry Magazine
ment in 2007, and they – along with Davis and extension specialists Jesse Campbell and Dennis Brothers – have built the facility into a nationally respected industry resource that has saved poultry producers an estimated $30 million to date. The NPTC facility is located in the Charles C. Miller Jr. Poultry Research and Education Center north of Auburn’s main campus.
Practical Applications
Dennis Brothers, Jeremiah Davis, Jess Campbell, Kelly Goneke, Jim Donald, Gene Simpson, Larry Bradford (Southern Solar Systems) National Poultry Technology Center – www.poultryhouse.com
Renewable energy is a hot topic in many of today’s conversations. Saving energy dollars as well as lowering consumption of non-renewable sources of energy like coal or oil are all potential positives of using renewables. Solar energy is perhaps the most accessible and easiest to utilize of all the renewable sources of energy. The use of solar panels to supplement poultry production is nothing new. In fact, many poultry farms across the state, and the nation, have solar panels either mounted on their roof or mounted on the ground close by. Most of the current solar systems on poultry farms are involved in “net metering.” The electricity produced by the solar power system is put back onto the power grid and offsets the electricity being supplied to the farm by the utility company. For such a system to be profitable there has to be some form of agreement between the grower and the utility company where the utility company agrees to pay the grower some set price for the KWH of electricity his or her solar system puts back onto the grid. These contracts always have stipulations and restrictions, and are only possible where the utility company chooses to participate. If they do, often the size of the system is restricted and the price paid for electricity produced will often be well below the retail rate the grower is paying for electricity used. Most states have net metering laws that offer some guarantee that these contracts treat both the utility and the customer fairly. Alabama currently has no such net-metering law. In Alabama, the individual utility company is in full control of net metering on their grid. Not all utility companies in Alabama choose to participate and contracts vary greatly for those that do. Because of this, solar energy opportunities have been limited for poultry growers in Alabama … until now. The National Poultry Technology Center of Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, with cooperation from Tyson Foods of Arkansas and Southern Solar Systems of Alabama, have embarked on a pilot project
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in Cullman, Ala. – Stand-Alone Solar Power for Poultry. The project will collect, store and use 100 percent solar energy to directly power a modern 54’ x 500’ broiler house. Zero utility power will be used nor will any of the power being produced be put back onto the utility grid. Photovoltaic solar panels (120 kW) will supply power to 176 KWH of battery storage, backed up by a small 35 KW generator. The solar power system will supply 100 percent of the power needed to run the fans, lights, pumps, etc., anything and everything electrical in the house. The goal of this project is two-fold. First, and foremost, to prove the capability and reliability of stand-alone solar power in modern poultry production. Second, to find ways to optimize and capitalize on otherwise wasted solar energy being produced but not utilized because of the highly variable nature of broiler house electrical usage compared to solar energy production. For example, some of this wasted energy can be converted to usable heat at a much lower effective cost than burning gas. We expect the Stand-Alone Solar System to be operational in the next couple of months. Stay tuned for further updates.
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Insect Proteins for Poultry Feeds? J.B. Hess, A. Morey and W.J. Pacheco, Poultry Science Department, Auburn University
Black soldier fly larvae are high in protein and fat
Poultry companies are always on the lookout for feed ingredients that can add value to poultry feeds while reducing production costs. Pressures to find new and novel feed ingredients and additives are particularly intense when feed prices are high, yet the search for feed ingredients is constantly progressing and new options are constantly coming on the market and being evaluated. Insect proteins have been available for quite some time and have been eaten (by people) in some cultures for hundreds of years. In 2017, the European Union passed legislation legalizing the use of insect proteins in aquaculture feeds. Rendered animal protein products are not used in Europe to avoid Mad Cow Disease, and insect proteins are viewed as a replacement for fishmeal in aquaculture feeds. Poultry feeds may be able to contain insect proteins if authorization comes in 2019 in Europe. However, insect production in Europe has been hampered by laws restricting feeding insects raised on waste products. This is not a hindrance in the U.S., so insects may be raised on a variety of waste products, reducing the cost of protein products in poultry feeds. Generally, insect meals have high protein content (40-50 percent) and high energy content due to the high fat content found in most insects. Studies with house fly larvae indicate that protein digestibility with insect meals is higher than 90 percent (similar to soybean meal). The fat
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Meal worms are being raised on a commercial scale
may be extracted from insect meals leaving a high-protein ingredient and producing insect oil to use as a feed ingredient (or as biodiesel), although the fatty acid content of insect meals will vary depending on the waste products on which they are raised. Meal Worms Two types of meal worms are raised for animal and human consumption, the yellow meal worm and the lesser meal worm. Each are good sources of protein and are sold in small bags as treats for wild bird feeding and for small poultry flock owners. Commercial production of meal worms is underway and may be able to be scaled up to the point where protein meal worms would be available for poultry companies.
Black Soldier Fly Larvae Black soldier flies are the most recent product to appear on a small scale as a poultry feed supplement. They are being marketed to small poultry flock owners as a protein-rich treat for laying hens. Researchers in the U.S. have studied black soldier fly larvae meals in feeds for broilers and layers with good results. Black soldier fly larvae have been cleared for use in commercial animal feeds by the FDA.
House Fly Larvae Although Europe recognizes house flies as a potential feed ingredient through commercial-scale production, I
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Dried crickets can also be used as a protein source in poultry feeds
have not seen them marketed in the U.S. to date. Apparently house flies can be raised in an economical manner on wastes for conversion to protein feed ingredients. After a lifetime of battling flies in poultry houses, it seems odd to me that we are considering growing them on a large scale, but if production systems are well managed, the nutritional benefits are likely to be of use to the poultry industry. I just hope that no one leaves the door to the production facility open.
Crickets and Earthworms Both crickets and earthworms have been touted as human food for decades. Earthworms have been considered for human food for some time and crickets of several types (House crickets, banded crickets, field crickets) are currently being mass produced for human food (as well as for fishing). Both can be raised on waste products that reduce the cost of production. Several markets will compete with commercial poultry for insect proteins and oils. To date, pet foods claim a large share of the commercial dried insect production. As mentioned previously, meal worms and dried black soldier fly larvae are packaged for sale to small poultry flock owners and the usage of insect meals is increasing in aquaculture feeds. Uses of insects and insect protein in human foods is another competitor for insect production. Continued on pg. 30
Controlled Atmosphere Stunning for Poultry Processing Types of controlled atmospheric stunning available for use in poultry processing.
Dianna V. Bourassa, Ph.D. Assistant Professor/Extension Specialist Poultry Processing Department of Poultry Science
Electrical stunning is currently the most common method for stunning broilers for slaughter. However, in the future this may no longer be the case due to multiple factors. An increase in the utilization of controlled atmosphere stunning (CAS) systems is being driven by pressure from customers and activists as well as expert opinions. CAS systems are perceived to have a higher level of animal welfare because broilers are irreversibly stunned prior to shackling, eliminating animal welfare concerns during this step in the process. Some CAS systems can eliminate transport module tipping (aka dumping) for removal of conscious birds. The hanging crew at the processing plant also benefits from increased ease of shackling unconscious birds and a cleaner work environment with better lighting. Additionally, there have been claims of improved yield and meat quality. However, these claims are typically in comparison to broilers electrically stunned at much higher currents than are used in the U.S.
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In addition to these advantages, there are some disadvantages to the use of CAS systems. Unconsciousness is not instantaneous, so birds can experience negative effects from gas exposure during the time between gas exposure and unconsciousness. If any birds are not fully and irreversibly stunned, recovery can occur very quickly potentially leading to conscious birds during neck cut. Identification of recent dead on arrival (DOA) birds can be difficult sometimes requiring viewing birds prior to stunning. Finally, these irreversible stunning systems may or may not be appropriate for use during Halal slaughter. There are multiple available options for CAS systems. Each of them works in three phases. The induction phase first induces unconsciousness, the transition phase moves the stunning parameters toward endpoint levels, and the completion phase holds the birds at endpoint levels until the stun becomes irreversible. CAS systems can be characterized by whether or not an added gas is used, type of gas, type of transport modules, and how the stun is applied. Typically, added gas-type CAS systems use increasing concentrations of
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carbon dioxide or combinations of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Inert gases such as nitrogen or argon are much less common. Application methods include linear, chamber, and underground. In linear systems, birds travel along a straight line of sections with increasing gas concentrations. Depending on the system manufacturer, this type of stunning can be used with dump-type transport modules either before or after tipping as well as with drawer-type transport modules. In CAS systems using the chamber application method, entire modules enter a chamber and gas concentrations are increased over time, then the added gas is removed when the modules exit. Underground systems use drawer-type transport modules where drawers are lowered into an underground chamber containing the gas. As drawers descend underground, gas concentrations increase due to carbon dioxide being heavier than air. This system allows for increased conservation of gas during stunning. The other type of CAS system that does not use gas is called low atmospheric pressure stunning. Low atmospheric pressure works by slowly decreasing the atmospheric pressure
within a chamber leading to bird unconsciousness and ultimately, irreversible stun. This type of system is commonly referred to by the trademarked name LAPSâ. Low atmospheric pressure stunning is a chamber-type system that allows for the use of existing broiler containment modules and does not require the continued purchase of gas. The type of transport module used is of interest for several reasons. Drawer-type (top loading) modules have a greater ease of loading than dump-type (side loading) modules. Tipping of broilers from transport modules
prior to stunning has been expressed as an animal welfare concern. However, changing the type of transport module currently in use is a large capital investment for a complex. The type of CAS system installed must be linked with the type of transport module used considering both present and future needs. Although CAS systems have a higher cost to install and operate, there is potential for increased revenue. Quite a few commitments are being made to convert to CAS systems for broiler processing. Tyson Foods and Wayne Farms have product lines that are processed
using CAS systems and Perdue Farms has committed to converting all of their processing plants to CAS systems. Customers such as McDonalds have committed to sourcing CAS chicken in the U.S. and Canada by 2024. As of this writing, 105 companies including restaurants, foodservice, and food manufacturers have committed to sourcing only chicken processing using CAS systems. Change in how chickens are stunned for processing is coming and the poultry industry will do what it does best, adapt.
Continued from pg. 26
Insect Proteins for Poultry Feeds?
Maple Leaf Farms in Canada has funded a company that produces whole roasted insects for human foods. Their products include BBQ meal worms, cricket powder blueberry muffins and chili lime crickets. Commercial insect products will require ongoing monitoring to make sure that no harmful bacteria or heavy metals are contained in the protein meals, particularly if processing or animal wastes are used to grow the insects. As with most new feed ingredients, the poultry industry will not consider insect meals until a steady supply can be provided so that feeds can be made long term with the ingredient included. Moreover, additional feeding trials will have to be conducted at the commercial level to determine the effects of feeding insect meals on the performance of poultry and meat/egg quality and safety. If these challenges are met, we may see insect meals included in our poultry feeds in the nottoo-distant future. If so, the early bird won’t be the only one getting the worm.
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Feb. 12 – 14, 2019 World Congress Center – Atlanta, Ga.
AP&EA “Big Bass” Tournament May 10, 2019 Lake Guntersville
Convention Golf Tournament May 17, 2019 Silver Lakes Golf Course Glencoe, AL
2019 AP&EA Evening of Fun
June 15, 2019 Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex
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