Alabama Poultry, September/October 2016

September / October 2016 Vol. 11 No. 5

Lesli Turner Vance

Getting Back to the Green Acres

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

Board of Directors

Officers Harold Hunt, Vice President, Gadsden* Kenneth Sanders, Vice President, Brundidge* Mitchell Pate, Treasurer, Auburn* Jason Spann, Secretary, Hanceville* Tim Esslinger, Immediate Past President, Huntsville* Directors Johnny Adcock, Woodland Lou Ayers, Jasper Sam Black, Cullman Richard Curvin, Ashland Cory Early, Albertville Dale Gambrill, Snead Ben Gore, Cullman Brian Hanna, Russellville Lane Holladay, Tyler Tim Holmes, Decatur Casey Jones, Hoover* Clint Lauderdale, Hanceville David Massey, Enterprise Kevin McDaniel, Huntsville Todd McMahen, Dothan Dr. Shannon Morgan, Huntsville Mike Pigg, Montgomery John Pittard, Guntersville John Roberts, Cullman Keith Rhodarmer, Collinsville Roddy Sanders, Gordo Jason Shell, Huntsville* Steve Smith, Hanceville Rod Thomas, Montgomery Ryan Turner, Guntersville Stanley Usery, Athens Brad Williams, Troy Len Windham, Ariton

Advisors Vernon Abney, Auburn Dr. Don Conner, Auburn University James Donald, Auburn University Dr. Joe Hess, Auburn University Jacob Davis, Montgomery Dr. Tony Frazier, Montgomery *Executive Committee Members Johnny Adams – Chief Executive Officer Wanda H. Linker – Administrative Director Ray Hilburn – Associate Director Huck Carroll – Communications Director/Editor Jennifer Shell – Support Director

AP&EA STAFF

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

Send editorial and advertising correspondence to: Alabama Poultry Magazine Editor P.O. Box 240 Montgomery, AL 36101 Advertising rates and closing dates available upon request.

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

w w w. a l a b a m a p o u l t r y. o r g www.facebook.com/BamaChicken

CEO’s Message

Even as the drought continues, there is some good news for Alabama poultry growers. Thus far we have avoided any cases of avian influenza and the threat of LT is greatly diminished. Industrywide biosecurity measures are working, so we need to make sure that everyone is keeping up with those biosecurity practices.

Over the past few months there have been a number of incidents of unauthorized visitors on poultry farms. Some of these were quite innocent, others may not have been. We have heard of white vans following catching crews onto farms and attempting to photograph facilities. Still other stories involve people questioning farm workers about farm practices. Their motives are unclear, but radical animal rights groups are constantly trying to infltrate farms to stir up trouble. Remember growers, it is your farm and anyone that comes on to it without your invitation is trespassing. If possible get their names and car tag numbers. Take photographs as well. You might even consider a video surveillance system. Report all incidents to your county sheriff.

On a much happier note, thanks to Ray, Huck and all of those who participated in the career fairs, expos and youth leadership events held this fall.

It is so very important to get the word out to our young people that there is a great diversity and opportunity in careers in the Alabama poultry industry.

With the expansion of the 2+2 Program, those careers are becoming even more attainable.

Congratulations to President-elect Donald Trump. We wish him well in his new position and hope that he will roll back many of the onerous regulations that have needlessly burdened agriculture over the last few years.

With the world population growing, American agriculture, especially the poultry industry, can do much to increase international trade and feed the world.

Let me take this opportunity to wish you all a happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas.

Featuring This Issue Government Affairs Association News Career Fairs and Youth Leadership Cullman County Annual Meeting Allied Scholarship Golf Tournament Grower Profile: Back to the Green Acres Industry News Recipe Auburn Happenings Practical Applications Calendar of Events

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Governmental Affairs

Overview of New Agriculture Webpage at Alabama Power Company Statement from Commissioner Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh on the launch of Alabama Power Company agricultural website.

While traveling throughout Alabama and speaking to various groups, I routinely heard questions on utility issues regarding the agriculture industry.

Through discussions with Alabama Power Company it was evident that there was no single resource for farmers to use for all their energy information.

The agriculture industry employs over half a million people and has an annual economic impact to the state of $70 billion. It is the largest industry in Alabama, and for this reason, as well as many other reasons, it made sense for Alabama Power Company to develop a resource to benefit this important industry in our state.

On October 31, 2016, Alabama Power Company announced the launch of a new agriculture page on their website at www.alabamapower.com in the business section. This new page is centered on providing information on rates, incentives, tax credits, and agricultural grants available to the farming community in Alabama. There are also links to many helpful websites and groups associated with agriculture.

The main goal of this tool is to serve the needs of the agriculture industry. One of the highlights of this page is the incentive program for farmers to switch from diesel irrigation to electric.

While this program has been around for three years, some farmers may not know it exists.

The more energy efficient our farming commu-

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nity becomes, the more money they can save. This website also details the six specially-tailored rates that the Alabama Public Service Commission has approved for Alabama Power Company to offer farmers in Alabama.

In addition to the benefits Alabama Power Company offers, the site contains information and links to several grant programs developed by the U. S. Department of Agriculture and others.

Click the link and you are taken to the site where information on grants and the applications are available. There are also links to helpful websites and other agricultural related groups.

“When I came to the Public Service Commission, I promised you I would do everything possible to use the Commission to help with job creation,” Cavanaugh said. “This is just another outstanding example of what can be accomplished when our regulated utilities work with the Commission to help real Alabamians solve problems.” Cavanaugh added, “The annual economic impact of agriculture to our state is a whopping $70 billion, and my priority is for the impact of agriculture in Alabama to continue to increase.”

September / October 2016 Alabama Poultry Magazine

Public Service Commission President Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh

Association News

Expos, Fairs and More Expos

October was the month for career fairs and expos in the northern half of Alabama. And, as usual Ray and I took to the road to represent the poultry industry before thousands of eager teenagers.

The first event, the Cullman County Career Awareness Fair, was held on Oct. 6, at the Cullman County Fairgrounds. With Ray tied up elsewhere, I was joined by former AP&EA President and Alabama Poultry Hall of Fame member Fred Cespedes, who helped me go over the various careers in poultry with more than 1,000 eighth graders from across Cullman County.

Many of these students have had no exposure to the poultry industry, even though they live in one of the most poultry rich environments in the state.

The next event was held in Tuscaloosa on Oct. 13-14 at Shelton State Community College, Martin Campus. This event, the second annual “Worlds of Work – WOW!” Career Expo, drew approximately 4,000 eighth grade students from the nine counties

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included in the Region 3 Workforce Development Council – West Alabama Works. The Expo is described as, “a fun, educational and hands-on opportunity for students, showcasing regional workforce needs.”

The published goal of the event is to have students “develop career portfolios and select plans of study for their

September / October 2016 Alabama Poultry Magazine

9-12 educational experience.”

A key element in the poultry segment was the demonstration trailer from the agricultural and biological engineering department of Mississippi State University. Ray and several volunteers from the Alabama poultry industry worked with representatives from Mississippis State to give the kids a mean-

ingful look at the various career paths within the poultry industry.

On Tuesday, Oct. 18, Ray and I headed for Birmingham and the Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex to participate in the Joint Leadership Development Conference. Here we presented the poultry industry to high school student leaders from across the state.

Alabama Joint Leadership Development Conference is the premier leadership event for youth in the state of Alabama! The conference is the largest non-athletic gathering of youth for an educational purpose in the state of Alabama. The event brought together more than 8,000 top students preparing to make Alabama the leading state for work, family, fun, community and great living!

These events gave us the opportunity to showcase the poultry industry to students who would never have thought of the incredibly rewarding careers available in the poultry industry.

In a world, even in Alabama, where the disconnect between urban life and agriculture is continuing to grow, these expos give us the opportunity to debunk

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stereotypes as we educate and perhaps interest young urbanites in meaningful careers in agriculture.

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Henry County Youth Leadership Tours Watson Farm

Henry County Probate Judge David Money is justifiably proud of the Henry County Youth Leadership program that he got started two years ago. That program brings three of the top juniors from Henry County’s three high schools together once a month to gain experience in different areas. One month they learn about volunteerism, the next will be about law and government. This Oct. 26, was the day that they concentrated on agriculture.

One of the stops that they made was at Paige Watson’s Chattahoochee Poultry Farm in Shorterville. Paige grows for Wayne Farms, and has six 60” x 600” broiler houses.

At the farm, they were able The students with Paige Watson and Dr. Perry Mobley to visit the control room and look inside an empty poultry house. and moral leaders.

Paige’s father, Henry County vetA number of students expressed inerinarian, Dr. Perry Mobley, also spoke terest in learning more about the poultry to the group about being responsible industry.

COLUMBIANA – The 4-H Center hosted 55 students from 30 counties participating in the Aspire Youth Leadership Conference. At the conference they learned about the Alabama Farmers Federation, Alabama Cattlemen’s Association, the Alabama Council of Cooperatives, Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, 4-H and FFA in a three-day session in July 2016.

The purpose of the conference was

to strengthen the students’, ages 15-17, understanding of agriculture and potential careers. Another aspect was strengthening their leadership skills through strengths awareness and habit based learning workshops.

There were 14 students from poultry growing families in attendance.

AP&EA Associate Director Ray Hilburn spoke at the event.

Growers’ Kids Participate in Aspire Youth Leadership

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September / October 2016 Alabama Poultry Magazine

Four poultry family students at the Aspire Conference (left to right) Trent Thomas (Pike County), Landon LeCroix (Limestone County), Wyatt Walker (Lauderdale County), and Kaleigh Backstrom (Blount County) and AP&EA Associate Director Ray Hilburn.

Pinkston Honored at Cullman County Annual Meeting

CULLMAN – On Saturday night, Sept. 17, Cullman County Poultry & Egg Association held its annual meeting at the Cullman Civic Center.

After a meal of delicious barbecued chicken, association President Kelly Culwell began the program by recognizing all of the non-profit organizations supported by the Cullman County association. They included: Bosom Buddies of Cullman County; Cullman Caring for Kids/United Way Food Bank; Good Samaritan Health Clinic; Hospice of Cullman County; Pilot Light Home; Project Lifesaver; The Link: and Victim Services of Cullman Inc. “ H a r b o r H o u s e . ” These worthy Robert Crumbley won for his organizations children, Allison and are supported William by selling raffle tickets for a John Deere Gator to be drawn for later in the evening.

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One of the great highlights of the evening was the introduction of the newest member of the Cullman County Poultry & Egg Association Hall of Fame. It was especially meaningful because the introduction was made by Hall of Fame member George Scott. Scott introduced a very surprised Charles Pinkston as the newest Hall of Fame inductee.

Pinkston began his career with the Alabama Cooperative Extension System as an assistant county 4-H agent in Lawrence County in 1983. In 1985, he began serving in Cullman County, eventually becoming regional extension agent, retiring in 2015. He served as advisor to the Cullman County Poultry & Egg Association board of directors from 20022015.

Hall of Fame inductee, Charles Pinkston , and George Scott

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IPPE Time It’s Almost

The International Production & Processing Expo is the world's largest annual poultry, meat and feed industry event of its kind. A wide range of international decision-makers attend this annual event to network and become informed on the latest technological developments and issues facing the industry.

The 2016 IPPE featured more than 7,280 international visitors from more

than 141 countries. The 2017 version will be even bigger.

Latin American/Caribbean countries represent the largest region of international visitors, but there has been continued growth in numbers coming from Europe. Canada represents the largest single country outside the United States with regards to number of attendees.

For 2017, exhibit space has been expanded to more than 525,000 square feet, with an expected attendance of 30,000 industry leaders.

Dates for the Expo are Jan. 31 – Feb. 2, 2017. Growers will be admitted on Wednesday, Feb. 1, for $5.00 with a coupon from Poultry Times Magazine.

Growers should contact their companies about bus transportation.

wide monitoring quick and easy; online remote access, enabling producers to manage and administer multiple sites and houses from the comfort of their

truck, office, home or other off-site locations; and three levels of protection, including triple redundancy and built-in backup mode.

Cumberland Poultry to Showcase EDGE™ Controller at 2017 IPPE

Cumberland, GSI’s poultry division, will feature its advanced EDGE™ control system for managing all of the operational functions of poultry production facilities at the 2017 International Production & Processing Expo (Exhibit #B6129) Jan. 31-Feb. 2 in Atlanta, Georgia.

EDGE is a single, versatile platform that handles the environmental control applications for breeder, broiler, pullet, layer, turkey and virtually any other poultry house. Producers have the ability to adjust ventilation and temperature, manage lights and bird scales, and control multiple houses or farms, all from a single controller, saving time while increasing efficiency and productivity.

System features include a main controller, with a 15-inch color touchscreen that makes navigation and site-

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Ray Hilburn Talks To Wayne Farms’ Growers

TROY – AP&EA Associate Director Ray Hilburn was the guest speaker for the Wayne Farms grower luncheon at Sisters’ Restaurant in Troy on Wednesday, Oct. 12. He told the growers, many of whom were new, of the benefits of belonging to the association and all that it does on their behalf.

He also reported on a number of unauthorized visitors to poultry farms across the state. Several of the cases have involved people driving a white van and following catch crews. One incident involved a live haul driver spotting the van and someone taking unauthorized photographs. Hilburn urged growers to remain vigilant, reminding them that , ”if they are on your property without your permission, they are trespassing.”

Wayne Farms South Alabama Live Operations Manager Chris Torbert

talked about the approach of colder weather and reminded the growers of the Raised Without Antibiotics (RWA) Program and the necessity of continued awareness, especially with young birds, of any rise in mortality, even a small percentage, to report it to their service techs. “We have more options if we hear sooner than later,” he said.

Asked about the new feed mill

under construction in Newton, Torbert, replied that it should be running soon after the first of the year. The state of Alabama has provided a grant to repave the highway with a deceleration lane and the rail line is almost complete.

When complete, it will be the world’s largest feed mill.

The Wayne Farms’ feed mill in Newton is scheduled to open in January 2017.

Dawn Knox Awarded Fraternity Watch

Dawn Knox, co-owner of D&F Equipment Sales, was recently awarded the Alabama Poultry Fraternity watch.

The watch is emblematic of 15 years as a member of the Alabama Poultry Fraternity and having sold at least 15 tickets to the AP&EA “Evening of Fun” each year for 15 years.

Congratulations, Dawn, and thanks for all you do.

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Prize Sponsors First Place – American Proteins Second Place – Cobb-Vantress Third Place – Sunbelt Rentals and Jones-Hamilton Co. Fourth Place – Keystone Foods Gadsden

Putting Contest Prize – Casey Jones/L. B. White Longest Drive – Alabama Farm Credit Closest to Pin – Alabama Ag Credit

Lunch Sponsor – First South Farm Credit Dinner Sponsor – MWI Animal Health Drink Sponsor – Aviagen

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September / October 2016 Alabama Poultry Magazine

CHESLEY OAKS GOLF COURSE – It was a blustery day, with wind gusts up to 15 mph. Still, there were some great shots and some shots that could have been great, but just couldn’t quite cut the mustard. Fortunately, everybody had a day job to fall back on. But, it was a great day to be outside with friends, as long as you kept the Chapstick handy.

Poultry pros, and some wanna be golf pros, got together at the 25th annual Alabama Poultry Allied Industry Scholarship Golf Tournament to raise scholarship money for poultry science students in Alabama. The tournament was held on Oct. 21, at the Chesley Oaks Golf Course, near Cullman.

1st Place: Brooks, Spence, Loggins and Spann

Sponsors Alabama Farm Credit AlaTrade Foods American Proteins Inc. Animal Health International Aviagen California Pellet Mill - CPM Ceva Cintas Citizens Bank & Trust Clear View Enterprises Cobb-Vantress, Inc. Cumberland D & F Equipment Sales, Inc. Elanco Animal Health Farmers Poultry FFB Ag Finance First South Farm Credit

Fitco Hubbard LLC International Paper J. B. Hunt Agri-Services Jones-Hamilton Company Keystone Foods - Eufaula Keystone Foods - Huntsville Liphatech, Inc. Live Oak Bank Marel Inc. Merial Select Packers Sanitation Services, Inc. P.S.S.I Pilgrim's - Russellville Roxell USA Sunbelt Rentals Tip Top Poultry Zoetis

2nd Place: Young and Yarbrough (Not pictured Wood and Thomas)

3rd Place: Drake, Holmes, Baugh and Borden

Hole Sponsors Alabama Farm Credit American Proteins Inc. California Pellet Mill Ceva Cintas Clear View Enterprises Cobb-Vantress, Inc. Cumberland D & F Equipment Sales, Inc. Farmers Poultry FFB Ag Finance

First South Farm Credit Fitco Hubbard LLC Keystone Foods - Eufaula Keystone Foods - Huntsville Merial Select Packers Sanitation Services, Inc. – P.S.S.I. Roxell USA Sunbelt Rentals Zoetis

At the awards dinner there were numerous door prizes given, as well as cash prizes for the tournament winners. Also there was a raffle drawing to see who would win a 12 gauge pump shotgun that had been donated by First South Farm Credit. The winner was Clint Lauderdale.

Alabama Poultry Magazine

4th Place: Branch, Parnell, Cummings and Wilton

Closest to the Pin: Young, Morris, and Lacy (Not pictured) Nunley Randy Fason won the long drive on three holes, and tied with Drew Wood and John Sport to win the putting contest as well.

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Grower Profile

Getting Back to the Green Acres (Cover) Lesli Turner Vance is a straight shooter, and she has a trophy to prove it. This is all that remains of a 250 lb. boar hog that ventured into her crosshairs a few years back.

Getting back to her love of the grasslands of her childhood, Lesli is excited to report that they have just planted 50 acres in Tifton 9 Bahia grass to complement their four neat breeder houses. (This is where she wants her zip line).

From the porch of their home on one hill, Lesli Turner Vance can see her four breeder houses on the next hill. Everything is neat and in good order, but she is after her husband, Ted, to install her a zip-line so she can get to the chicken houses faster. He just shakes his head and laughs, knowing (hoping) that she is not serious.

2014 was a momentous year for Lesli and Ted Vance. They moved to the family farm, and started two businesses.

For 25 years Lesli had lived away from the family farm, just outside Louisville.

She had inherited 160 acres of farmland that her mother, Martha Tyler Turner, deeded to her when her father, E.J., died in 2004. But living in Enterprise and working in the medical field there wasn’t much she could do with the land, so she continued to lease it to a local farmer for cotton production, just as her father had done for many years.

Lesli decided that when her brother, Chris, was diagnosed in 2011 with esophageal cancer that she would give up her medical administrative position in order to travel up north with him for experimental treatments. She continued to have a desire to utilize her property in ways other than leasing it out.

While living with her brother, Chris, in Dothan, Lesli and Ted became friends on Facebook after Ted made reference to a mutual friend’s page and Lesli replied, “Amen.” That one word response on Facebook started a friendship that soon led to something much more. The relationship was very tentative, at first, in fact, it took several months before Lesli would even share her phone number with Ted. Ted, originally from West Virginia, and a former member of the Special Forces in the Army National Guard, had lived the past 20 years in Ozark working in the medical transport field.

Early on in their dating lives, they went target practicing and Ted learned that, even with his military training, Lesli could outshoot him. She also introduced him to hunting and he killed his first deer this past season. During their courtship she expressed her dreams of moving to the farm and being able to make a living there. Her desire was to see the land restored to what it was when her father and

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Lesli handles all of the paperwork for the two businesses, including paying the bills. Ted joked that when they got married he gave her his wallet with $40 in it. Last week, he says, just before she left for a cruise with her daughter and grandkids, she gave him back his wallet. He says it still had the same 40 bucks in it.

(Below) Lesli and her daughter, Brittany, and grandson, Bryson, and granddaughter, Braylee, aboard the Disney Dream. They sailed just as Hurricane Matthew was brewing. And, while the hurricane did not affect their cruise, they did get a couple of extra days at sea because the port was closed due to the storm.

Lesli jokes that she fell in love with Keystone Foods breeder manager, Perry Norris, faster than she did with Ted. Sadly, for Lesli, Perry will be retiring at the end of the year, after 40 years in the poultry industry. He has worked for Keystone Foods for the last 17 of those years. Before that he worked with ConAgra.

Lesli is not looking forward to that day, Perry has become a good friend.

Being in the field of behavior modification, Ted is a tough guy. Lesli jokingly tells Keystone Foods’ broiler growers, “If you get our chicks, and they misbehave, I’ll send Ted over to straighten them out.” Ted, however is very gentle with the eggs. He says, “After four days, it’s neat to know that you have safely handled more than 100,000 eggs.”

grandfather were living, with green rolling fields and cattle grazing.

Lesli and Ted married in May 2014 and opened not one, but two businesses that year. They bought a modular home and began restoring the property to the pastureland she remembered from her childhood. And so, “On Track Farms” was born.

Lesli and Ted wanted to do something with the farm, but they didn’t want to row crop or plant pine trees. Lesli was no stranger to the broiler side of the poultry industry. Her oldest brother, Benny, has been a broiler grower for Keystone Foods for 17 years, and her sister, Lana, was just getting into the poultry business with broiler houses. Lesli knew that poultry was a good industry to be involved in, but she also knew that she didn’t want anything to do with broiler houses. But, after visiting a friend’s breeder farm in Ewell, Lesli was hooked and knew this was what she wanted to do with her property.

She quickly got the ball rolling and went to First South Farm Credit in Ozark and sat down with Michael McCraney who got her approval to build breeder houses. They just needed a company to give them a “letter of intent.” Uncertain of how long it would take to get that letter and sign on with a company, they opened up another business called “On Track Drug and Alcohol Testing and Addictions.”

Spurred by personal experiences, Ted had gotten involved in substance abuse recovery therapy and knew this was his passion.

That business provides drug and alcohol testing for the Alabama Department of Transportation as well as various boards of education and county commission offices. They also do individual client in-home testing and interventions. Part of their program is providing life coaching, drug testing and intervention services.

Ted uses his military training to provide tough love therapy. Sometimes he says the emphasis in on “tough.” He is not afraid to confront addicts and their enablers with the straight truth. Helping people and strengthening families is a great reward for both of them.

Soon after opening the drug testing business they met Perry Norris, Keystone

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Grandkids, Bryson and Braylee, love to help around the farm. During construction of the latest breeder houses, Bryson (above) hefted a sledge hammer. Braylee (below) prefers helping with egg gathering and sorting.

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Foods breeder manager. He was able to look at the property and discuss what needed to be done to begin the next phase of the breeder house business.

They signed on with Keystone Foods and began construction on two modern breeder houses in 2014. Each house holds approximately 8,500 females and 850 males, and earlier this year they added two more breeder houses. They are currently producing approximately 28,000 eggs a day for the Keystone Foods hatchery in Eufaula. Lesli stresses cleanliness and keeping her houses in beautiful condition, inside and out. They have been told that their egg rooms are “as clean as a doctor’s office.” If there was a poultry house beautification award, On Track Farms would be shooting for first place.

The 40’ x 425’ modern design houses feature a floor plan that incorporates a 25’ x 40’ cooler room at the entrance of each house. Here the eggs are collected and stored on racks for pick up in the same room. Each house has a porch to make hatchery pick up easier in wet weather.

Biosecurity is an important part of the operation as well. Ted has installed surveillance cameras around the property, with monitors in each of the houses. If an unauthorized vehicle comes on the farm, he will know it. There are footbaths in each house and no admittance signs posted around the property.

Lesli handles all the paperwork for the businesses and Ted provides most of the labor. Lesli does spend a lot of time in the houses, and she gets help from her grandkids, when they are around. Fortunately they live close by.

For Lesli, it is all about making a living and making a life, all at the same time.

Living the dream of putting the land back into the shape that she remembered from her childhood makes her proud and giving Ted and her daughter, Brittany, and grandchildren, Bryson and Braylee, and her mother, the credit for putting “life” to her dreams. As family is a huge part of her life and she always makes the time to care for and spend time with them.

Now, if she could just get Ted to build that zip-line.

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(Above) Concerned with security, Ted installed video surveillance camera systems outside each of the houses. Monitors (below) inside the houses keep them aware of any visitors, authorized or not.

Industry News

Aviagen Recognizes North American Customers with 2015 Flock Awards Winners achieved exceptional performance with Aviagen’s Ross 708 and Ross 308 broiler breeders HUNTSVILLE – Aviagen®, the world’s leading poultry breeding company, today announced winners of the third annual Aviagen Flock Awards. Aviagen presents these awards each year to North American customers who have accomplished exceptional results with Aviagen’s exclusive Ross® 708 and Ross® 308 breeding hens. The winning scores exemplified the performance peaks achievable when the full genetic potential of Ross products is realized. In some instances, the scores were close, with recipients winning by less than one point. Customer performance was evaluated based on 2015 flock data.

“Reaching the top rung of performance requires a committed, cohesive team with advanced expertise and field experience, as well as strong leadership,” according to Randall Vickery, Aviagen’s regional technical sales manager. “To get the most of Ross breeding stock, minute attention to detail and sound management practices must be applied in every phase of the production cycle.”

Aviagen’s vp of sales Frank Dougherty adds that close cooperation between Aviagen customer service and its customers is also essential to reaching outstanding performance with Ross breeding stock.

Our regional North American service teams have fostered a positive and effective way of working with their customers. These established relationships, along with customer confidence in and experience with the Ross brand, are indispensable in reaching superior results with Ross breeding stock,” remarks Dougherty.

The winning breeders achieved the highest results in three key performance areas: total eggs per hen housed, percent of total eggs hatched and number of chicks hatched per hen housed.

In the Ross 708 Total Eggs, Total Hatching Eggs and Chicks categories, Pilgrims, Guntersville, won 2nd place.

Back row: Dale Benefield, Dannielle Steele, Ted New, Jennifer Plunkett, Shawn Dunn (Aviagen) Front row from left: Greg Proctor; Sam Dooley; Phillip Smothers; Scott Gilbreath, breeder manager; Tim Gilbert, live manager

In the Ross 708 Hatch category, Wayne Farms, North Alabama. won 2nd place.

Back row from left: Stoney Gresham, breeder Manager; Trey Tidwell; Joe Carroll and Heath Hill Front row: Walter Heflin, Buck Brown, Donald Collins, Steve Price

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Recipe

THE HOLIDAYS ARE HERE! IMPRESS PARTY-GOERS WITH AN EASY, FUN & CUSTOMIZABLE EGGS BENEDICT BAR The fall and winter holiday party season has begun.

That means festive gatherings with family and friends – and of course, great food.

While planning your holiday get-togethers, don’t forget to pick up an extra dozen eggs for creating special holiday breakfasts, brunches and parties that will impress your guests. With minimal prep time, you can create a special eggs benedict breakfast bar where they can create their own personalized masterpiece.

Not only are eggs delicious, they’re a nutritional powerhouse; one large egg provides 6 grams of high-quality protein and all 9 essential amino acids. They’re also included in all three healthy eating patterns recommended in the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

With just a dozen eggs, six English muffins and customized toppings like bacon, smoked salmon, crabmeat and lobster, you can create an unforgettable gathering your loved ones will be raving about all year.

HERE’S HOW Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Makes: 6 servings WHAT YOU NEED 12 EGGS 6 English muffins, split and toasted Blender Hollandaise: 1 cup melted butter 5 egg yolks 3 tbsp. lemon juice 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1/4 tsp. salt Pinch cayenne pepper

HERE’S HOW PREHEAT oven to 350°F. ADD 1 tbsp. water to each cup of 12-cup muffin pan. CRACK egg into each cup. BAKE for 10 to 12 minutes or until egg whites are set but yolks are still runny or until desired doneness. COOL for 1 minute. REMOVE each egg using slotted spoon and place on paper towel–lined plate to drain.

Blender Hollandaise: HEAT butter in small saucepan set over medium-high heat until melted. COMBINE egg yolks, lemon juice, 1 tbsp. water and mustard in blender; purée until smooth. With motor running, pour butter into blender. SEASON with salt and cayenne pepper.

TOP each English muffin half with Customized Toppings (see Insider Information), oven-poached egg and Hollandaise.

INSIDER INFORMATION Customized Toppings: Protein: Cooked canadian bacon slices, cooked crispy bacon, smoked salmon slices, crabmeat, lobster or caviar.

Vegetables: Sautéed spinach or kale, or avocado slices.

Herbs and Seasonings: Fresh chives, tarragon or basil, chopped capers, black olives or sun-dried tomatoes.

Cajun, Tex-Mex, Italian, harissa, herbes de Provence, curry powder or za’atar spice mix.

Keep Blender Hollandaise warm in water bath for up to 1 hour. Do not reheat.

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September / October 2016 Alabama Poultry Magazine

Auburn Happenings

AUBURN – On Friday night, Oct. 28, friends of Auburn Ag, especially poultry, met at the ALFA Pavillion for the Birds & Brews social scholarship fundraiser.

The gala featured delicious smallplate poultry dishes prepared by top local chefs, as well as fine beverages from area wineries, breweries and distilleries. Music was furnished by American Country Rock duo, Muscadine Bloodline.

The delicacies were everywhere and the food lines were manageable.

The lines to the beer and wine were a little more crowded, but no one seemed to mind.

There were lots of folks on hand to partake in the goodies. There was the inevitable talk of the coming football game and many wished that they could take some of the delicious food for tailgating the next day.

Even with a camera in hand, I got to do my share of sampling. Amsterdam Cafe had an incredible chicken and coconut milk soup. I went back for seconds on that.

One restaurant, Chartwells, was serving domestic quail that was quite delicious.

It was a wonderful evening, thanks to the hard work and organizational

skills of Amanda Martin. The event raised more than $18,000 for poultry science scholarships.

It was sponsored by Alabama Farmers Cooperative, Alabama Farmers Federation, Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, Aviagen and First South Farm Credit.

Brewer Poultry Scholarship Announced

A new Alabama Poultry & Egg Association scholarship, honoring the late Dr. Robert M. Brewer, former poultry science department head, has just been announced. This scholarship for outstanding poultry science students will join other AP&EA endowed scholarships in providing educational benefits for those enrolled in the Auburn University poultry science curriculum.

Dr. Brewer spent 32 years in the Auburn poultry science department.

He served as department head from 1987 until his retirement in 1998.

His students remember him for his warm and caring attitude.

He is a member of the Alabama Poultry Hall of Fame and the Alabama Agricultural Hall of Honor.

Ray Hilburn and Mitchell Pate, both students of Dr. Brewer, hold his portrait, while Dr. Don Conner, current head of the poultry science department, and Mrs. Jane Brewer talk about the scholarship.

Alabama Poultry Magazine

September / October 2016

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BioEngineering Students Get Experience With Industry

Jeremiah Davis, associate director for research, National Poultry Technology Center (NPTC) Jesse Campbell, Kelly Goneke, Carson Edge and Jeremiah Davis operating a small scale poultry tunnel house demonstration model designed

by Campbell and constructed by Goeneke.

Undergraduate and graduate students in the department of biosystems engineering have participated in some exciting activities involving the poultry industry over this past year.

Two student groups worked on engineering design projects last fall and spring as part of their capstone engineering design experiences. Holly Haber, Trey Colley, and Brock Daughtry designed and fabricated an automated feed bin gate prototype for their client, Cumberland GSI. The system, designed for two and three feed bin systems, would use a controller and bin sensors to open and close bins as feed is conveyed into the houses. The ultimate goal was to maintain feed presence in the house when growers are working on other activities or at times when a bin empties during overnight hours. The second student group, Paisley Guo, Kirk Copley, and Geoffrey Lein, worked to develop an erosion control design to reduce soil erosion along the roof dripline of the poultry house pad. During rain events, water flowing off the roof has a lot energy when it hits the clay pad.

This energy allows the rain to scour the packed clay, creating erosion issues.

If the erosion is extensive over time, the structural integrity of the house could be compromised. Geoffrey Lein is beginning a graduate research project this fall to continue their work with Davis and the NPTC faculty. The goal will be to develop cost effective solutions for the four to five-foot dripline area along the house eaves for both older houses and new construction. A second graduate student, Carson Edge, is working with Davis and Gene Simpson, NPTC associate

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director for extension to develop a decision tool to estimate rainwater harvesting storage capacity needs for poultry growers in Alabama and across the Southeast.

Kelly Goneke, biosystems engineering junior, spent the summer working on teaching and demonstration projects for the NPTC. Kelly constructed a small scale plexiglass broiler house designed by Jess Campbell, NPTC extension housing specialist. The house, with electric fans and evaporative pads, allowed Campbell to demonstrate airflow and static pressure basics to professionals in the industry. Using smoke emitters, Campbell can trace the flow patterns within the house during tunnel ventilation. Kelly has constructed several other demonstration projects including a hands-on wind tunnel that will be used in both extension activities and in a new animal housing course “Commercial Poultry and Livestock Housing� being taught this fall by the NPTC faculty.

Two biosystems engineering seniors, Jacob Dickie and Tyler Smith, spent the summer under the direction of biosystems engineering alum, Gatlin Thornberry, project engineer at D&F Equipment Sales, Inc. They received hands-on computer-aided drafting (CAD) and engineering design experience during the development of poultry processing equipment and facilities. The experience will give these two a head start when they begin their projects in the capstone engineering design experience this fall and spring.

If you have internship or summer work experience opportunities for engineering students or have an idea for an engineering design project, email Jeremiah Davis at j.davis@auburn.edu or 334-734-2644.

September / October 2016 Alabama Poultry Magazine

Practical Applications

Practical Applications for Energy Savings National Poultry Technology Center – poultryhouse.com

Practical Application #1: Reduce Temperature Stratifications Hot air rises, cold air falls. Smoke emitters are used in this picture to illustrate what happens to residual heat from brooders during preheating and brooding. While the goal is to heat the floor, many growers don’t realize how much valuable heat rises to the ceiling in the process. All of the heat from brooders rises to the top of the house eventually. Recirculation fans can repurpose this residual heat that comes from the heaters in the house and puts it to use near the floor where it is needed.

One of the single most effective tools that can be used to improve in-house conditions and save gas in an older house, aside from house tightness and insulation, is the use of recirculation fans. Most recirculation fans designed for poultry cost about $100 each. They are a great

way to improve the efficiency of your heating and ventilation systems in winter. The payback for the typical system is less than one year in an older house and less than 4 years in a modern house. If you are experiencing high fuel bills and wet floors and seem to have trouble keeping up during winter growouts, a new recirculation fan system should be considered. Contact your company representative for approved fan designs, suggested layouts and methods of operation that might work best for your specific operation. Good luck saving energy this winter from the National Poultry Technology Center (NPTC) team. Visit poultryhouse.com for more information on recirculation fans and other energy saving tips.

Practical Application #2: Good Incoming Air Here is an example of good air flow through sidewall inlets on a cold day using thermal imagery. Notice all the cool air is entering the house and being kept along the ceiling. No cold air is hitting the walls or floor. The air is moving with sufficient velocity that it reaches the peak where only then does it lose momentum, mixing with the heat gathered there and falling slowly as tempered, warm air. This is accomplished by combining needed fan power with proper opening to create sufficient static pressure to throw the air into the center of the house. Any insufficiency in these three points and cold air can impact the floor and the birds causing many difficulties. See NPTC Newsletter #86 on poultryhouse.com for more details on improving winter ventilation air flow.

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September / October 2016 Alabama Poultry Magazine

Basket Fan (low ceiling) vs. Paddle Fan (high ceiling) Here are two examples of the most common and cost effective recirculation fan types used in poultry houses today. Basket fans with a more open wire cage design are common in dropped ceiling houses. These are low

powered fans blowing air parallel to the ceiling. Paddle fans are used in high ceiling houses in the up-blowing mode to help reduce temperature stratification and repurposing valuable hot air.

High Ceiling House with Tunnel Curtain Baffles –

54x600 - 66x600 Dropped Ceiling House - Basket Fans

54x600 - 66x600 Dropped Ceiling House - Basket Fans -

40x500 - 50x500 Dropped Ceiling House - Basket Fans

54x600 - 66x600 Dropped Ceiling House - Basket Fans Center Brood

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Example layouts (left) are for recirculation fans. Dimensions are for educational purposes only. Actual dimensions and layouts should be coordinated with your live production service representative or housing coordinator. Alternate layouts, fan directions, and operation may be necessary.

Growers with 66’ wide houses have some unique problems to deal with when it comes to winter ventilation. The width of these houses often makes conventional ideas of ventilation and airflow used in older style houses less effective. This fact makes innovation a necessity and trial and error is often where that starts. As you can see in this photo, this grower has made a very simple adjustment to his stir fans in his 66’ wide house. He has turned them at 45 degree angles to the length of the house. This causes his stir fans to “wipe” the peak of his ceilings, more effectively mixing the hot air found there than the straight line “race-track” manner they were originally installed at. He has two lines of stir fans in his houses, located approximately between the outside and inside feel lines. He kept the general “race-track” direction but turned every fan toward the center 45 degrees, so each adjacent fan’s stream is passing each other along the center of the house. This method may not be for every grower or every house, but it has proven effective for this farm keeping his sidewalls noticeably drier.

September / October 2016 Alabama Poultry Magazine

Curtain side house – two rows of lights

Curtain side house – three rows of lights

Curtain side house – four rows of lights

LED Lighting For Hen Houses Jess Campbell, Jeremiah Davis, Dennis Brothers, Gene Simpson & Jim Donald National Poultry Technology Center, Auburn University

Broiler breeder growers have traditionally relied on high pressure sodium vapor lights (HPS) to provide all lighting for their hen houses. However, with the doubling of electricity rates over the past decade and the availability of more energy efficient lighting technologies, we have seen a rapid move to LEDs in hen houses over the past 2 years. This move significantly reduces the power bill, yet, when installed correctly, does not harm performance. In fact, we have received many reports of slightly improved performance. We can now provide adequate intensity and improved lighting uniformity of breeder hen flocks at a much lower cost using LEDs. Most growers have seen annual power bill savings in the $2,000-$3000 range per house. We have also seen a reduction in floor eggs in most installations.

While very bright, each 150 watt HPS consumes about 185-190 watts.

We have monitored dozens of LED hen houses the past two years and typically find three common lighting layout arrangements, all using the same LED

Figure #1 2 Row Curtain

Figure #3 4 Row Curtain

bulb. We have found that a 10 watt, wider beam angled (1400) A19 shaped non-dimming LED in 2700-30000K with five year warranty works best, and that the ideal spacing is approximately10 feet on center (10’OC). Ideally all keyless sockets should be mounted on truss bottoms. With 5’ truss spacing this is not a problem. With 4’ truss spacing, sockets can be spaced at 8’ or alternated 8’-12’, or 8’- 8’-12’.

This will result in similar lighting uniformity as 10’-10’ spacing.

For curtain-sided houses, two layouts seem to be preferred. The first layout uses two main rows of 10 watt, wide beam LEDs from end to end, directly above the front edge of the nest boxes 10’OC, and uses supplemental LEDs in the cool cell end and possibly in the fan end corners, also 10’OC (see Figure 1).

The second layout, a three row approach (Figure 2), uses two main rows of 10 watt, wide beam LEDs, directly above the front edge of the nest boxes 10’OC, and a third row, also 10’OC, in the peak directly above the male feeder.

No cool cell or fan end supplements are

used. For solid wall houses, four rows of these same 10 watt, wide beam LEDs must be installed 10’OC to provide adequate intensity and uniformity (Figure 3). Several integrators are moving toward solid wall hen houses to maintain better temperature control during periods of extreme weather.

Individual breeder managers must be consulted to approve the layout chosen. We suggest that nickel plated screw shell keyless sockets be used, since nickel is much less prone to corrosion in this harsh environment.

After installation, if any dark or dingy areas need additional light, as evidenced by repeated floor eggs, a Yshaped socket splitter can be used with 2 LEDs. In a few curtain house installations, rolled burlap has been stapled on the outside of the curtain to diffuse sunlight and help reduce glare.

Typical rewiring cost for a 40’ X 400’ hen house will be $1,500-$2,000. including LED bulb cost, paybacks are well within 2 flocks.

Figure #2 3 Row Curtain

Y-shaped socket splitter

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Burlap diffuser

September / October 2016

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Grower Tips National Poultry Technology Center – poultryhouse.com

Tip #1: Cardboard Box Lid for Control Pans

Tip #2: Brood Curtain Management

Here we see a good solution to a common problem – keeping feed lines full and running with smaller birds. Many growers have figured out how they can use similar modifications to the control pans on the feed lines to help keep the line full with small birds. Taking the normal round pan off of the control unit and using a feeder lid as shown allows for the control pan to be more easily activated. Notice in this photo the addition of a combo-box lid to the system. Also notice that no spilled feed has left the combo lid or has gotten into the litter. What feed that has been scratched out of the feeder lid can still be eaten by the chicks out of the box lid. This is just one example of the many enterprising ways growers have found to solve just one of the everyday problems of raising broilers.

If your brood curtains are looking anything like this while you are brooding chicks this winter, you are losing heating dollars to a fairly easy problem to fix. The colder the air in the non-brood chamber, the more gas dollars being wasted. Oftentimes the issue is the curtain is simply not being let down far enough to maintain its proper position behind the brood boards. Brood curtains should be installed so as to be able to swing freely with the exhaust fans, but come back to rest against the brood boards after the fans go off, forming a seal against the boards to cold air traveling into the brood chamber. A simple adjustment of the strings and pulleys holding the curtain up will often fix this problem. Moving the brood board back to the curtain would help a lot too.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

ADVERTISING INDEX Alabama Ag / Alabama Farm Credit American Proteins Aviagen Cumberland Ecodrum First South Farm Credit Georgia Poultry Supply Jones-Hamilton PLT Klarion Lee Energy Solutions Merial Northwest Envirofan PoultrySouth Real Estate Randy Jones Ins. Agency Southwest Agri-Plastics Sunbelt Rentals Tractor & Equipment Company

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7 31 21 13 6 5 11 27 9 8 2 20 10 32 25 19 18

International Production & Processing Expo Jan. 31 – Feb.2, 2017 Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, Ga.

AP&EA “Evening of Fun” Concert Saturday, May 27, 2017 Birmingham-Jefferson Convention Complex

County Association Meetings Central Alabama Poultry & Egg Association Tuesday, November 29, 2016, 6:30 p.m.

Tom Harbin Ag Center, Luverne

Clay County Poultry & Egg Association Meeting Thursday, December 1, 2016, 6:30 p.m.

Clay County Farmers Market, Lineville

Randolph County Poultry & Egg Association Meeting Tuesday, December 6, 2016, 6:30 p.m.

Location TBD

September / October 2016 Alabama Poultry Magazine