Alabama Poultry, September/October 2015

September / October 2015 – Vol. 10 No. 5

Christopher Hilburn is ready for Avian Influenza – ARE YOU?

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

Board of Directors

Officers Tim Esslinger, President,Huntsville* Harold Hunt, Vice President, Gadsden* Kenneth Sanders, Treasurer, Brundidge* Mitchell Pate, Secretary, Auburn* Dale Gambrill, Immediate Past President, Snead*

Directors Johnny Adcock, Woodland Lou Ayers, Jasper Sam Black, Cullman Richard Curvin, Ashland Cory Early, Albertville Dennis Gordon, Montgomery Ben Gore, Cullman Lane Holladay, Tyler Casey Jones, Hoover David Massey, Enterprise Kevin McDaniel, Huntsville Todd McMahen, Dothan Dr. Shannon Morgan, Huntsville Mike Pigg, Cullman John Pittard, Guntersville John Roberts, Cullman Keith Rhodarmer, Collinsville Roddy Sanders, Gordo Jason Shell, Huntsville* Steve Smith, Hanceville Jason Spann, Hanceville* Richard Stewart, Decatur Ryan Turner, Guntersville Stanley Usery, Athens Ricky Walker, Snead David White, Russellville Brad Williams, Troy Len Windham, Ariton

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

AP&EA STAFF

Johnny Adams – Chief Executive Officer Wanda H. Linker – Administrative Director Ray Hilburn – Associate Director Huck Carroll – Communications Director/Editor Jennifer Shell – Support Director

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

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

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

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CEO’s Message

Avian influenza (AI) is again at the forefront of the poultry industry’s attention after a fairly uneventful summer. Although news on the AI front has been fairly quiet, the Alabama Poultry & Egg association staff along with the staff at the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries have been working very hard behind the scenes to be prepared in the event that AI surges and moves into the southern states. AI was diagnosed in several northwestern and Midwestern states last spring ultimately causing huge commercial losses in Iowa and Minnesota. The commercial poultry flocks affected were turkey and egg laying operations costing USDA more than $600 million in indemnification payments, and costing these states hundreds of millions of dollars in surveillance and depopulation costs.

We have spent most of our summer developing an AI outbreak response plan. Our number one objective is to make sure every farm and processing complex facility is biosecure. We can’t affect the migration patterns of wild fowl carriers, and AI may eventually come to Alabama. We can be ready if the disease is diagnosed here. If a farm breaks with the disease, it is imperative that it not be spread to other farms. That’s where strict biosecurity measures come in. Restrict who comes and goes on your farm. Be careful of where your activities take you. Keep a change of clothes just for the poultry farm. Wear protective clothing (make others on the farm do so as well). Wash tires with disinfectant when they come and go on the farm. Take measures to discourage wild fowl from being attracted to your farm (alligators decoys in ponds, etc.). Biosecurity is a team effort and we are only as strong as our weakest link!

The other area of focus is early detection and quick depopulation response. The Alabama Agriculture and Industries staff has spent weeks researching other infected states’ handling of this disease outbreak. One thing that has been noted is that the sooner the diseased birds are depopulated, the less spreading of the disease has occurred. The department is ready for any outbreak and has a broad state agency (the governor’s office, ADEM, EMA, Dept. of Public Safety, State Military Dept./ National Guard, Dept. of Public Health) plan to carry it out. We hope that the disease will not spread here, but we are ready to respond to it if it does.

For more information on AI, please refer to the USDA AI insert in this magazine or go to our website www.alabamapoultry.org and click on the “All In or All Gone” icon.

I want to take a moment to recognize and thank Agriculture and Industries Commissioner John McMillan and State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier, as well as AP&EA Associate Director Ray Hilburn, for the hundreds of hours that they have spent on our AI response plan.

Finally, I want to thank you, our members, our growers, allied members and company complex personnel, for their commitment to our growing industry. Working together we can face this challenge and overcome it as a stronger industry, Thanks,

Featuring This Issue

Governmental Affairs Association News 23rd Annual Allied Golf Tournament Poultry Industry Workshop USDA Biosecurity AI Checklist Biosecurity – Best Defense Industry News Auburn News: Scholarships Practical Applications Calendar of Events

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Governmental Affairs

Alabama Agriculture & Industries Department Joins the State’s Poultry Industry to Prepare Response Efforts in the Event of Avian Influenza Outbreak; Largest Animal Health Emergency in U.S. History Alabama’s poultry industry and the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries are part of a nationwide effort to respond to a possible outbreak of avian influenza (AI), the largest animal health emergency in U.S. history. As waterfowl from Canada migrate southward beginning this autumn, state and federal animal health officials will be on a heightened alert for a re-emergence of the disease.

State agriculture commissioners, secretaries and directors throughout the nation have forged a working alliance with the USDA to develop and implement a sound risk management and disaster assistance program based on flock plans and compliance agreements to alleviate the significant expenses born by poultry growers. To date, USDA has issued as much as $600 million in indemnification payments to assist in cleanup efforts, with an additional $500 million committed to address another outbreak.

Alabama is the nation’s second largest producer of broilers, second only to Georgia, with 21.5 million broilers placed each week into production. With approximately 2,800 commercial poultry producers, Alabama’s poultry industry has a $15.1 billion impact on the state’s economy, employing some 86,000 people. In addition, there are many more game bird, game fowl, and backyard poultry flocks.

“If there is an outbreak of avian influenza in Alabama, a control zone will be set up around the affected area,” said Commissioner John McMillan of the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries. “We want to thank the Alabama Poultry & Egg Association for their diligence in working on this comprehensive plan.

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Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture & Industries John McMillan

Also part of the Alabama poultry joint task force plan: • The control zone would be made up of an infected zone, buffer zone, and surveillance zone. These zones would vary depending on the location and logistics but generally would be a total of 10 kilometers in diameter.

• Testing would be required at least weekly in the infected and buffer zones of all poultry premises.

All these samples would need to be collected by trained state personnel and tested in one of the state diagnostic labs, amounting to thousands of samples daily.

• All positive flocks must have flock plans and compliance agreements to cover procedures necessary to develop response and emergency plans.

• Quarantine and control zones may restrict movement of all poultry and equipment especially in the infected zone. Poultry plants in a control zone may experience delays. Most poultry plants have an annual payroll of between $12 and $48 million.

There are 18 poultry processing plants in Alabama, processing more than 21 million broilers per week .

This could affect other industries also, especially the cattle industry if a stockyard or other livestock was located within an infected or buffer zone.

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Association News

Steve Smith tells a Cullman student about the incubation process.

Ray Hilburn, at Shelton State, introduces some kids to poultry.

October puts the “O” in EXPOS – as in “Oh, Wow!”

There is nothing like watching children’s faces as they watch chicks hatch out of eggs. Now, for most poultry professionals, it’s pretty much an event that is largely taken for granted. For us, it’s an everyday event, but see it through the eyes of a child, and it becomes an everyday miracle.

That’s pretty much my experience at two of the career expos. The first expo, the Cullman Career Awareness Fair, was held on Oct, 8, at the Cullman Fairgrounds. Hundreds of Cullman County eighth-graders trooped through and were delighted by the sight of hatching chicks. Many had never seen a live chicken, much less a just hatched chick. Many thanks to the hatchery for providing us with chicks and egggs.

Many thanks also to Steve Smith of American Proteins for helping me man the booth.

While I was meeting the kids in Cullman, AP&EA Associate Director Ray Hilburn had his hands full at a twoday career fair at Shelton State Commu-

nity College in Tuscaloosa. Ray got to hang out with high school kids in Tuscaloosa. He was ably assisted by a group from Mississippi State University, lead by Dr. Jason Ward, assistant extension professor in agriculture and biological engineering. They brought a wonderful trailer that displayed the inner working of a modern poultry house.

On Oct. 20, I set up shop at the Birmingham Jefferson Convention Center in an agricultural cluster. The event,

The big chicken and the small incubator stand ready for the kids in Birmingham.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

the 2015 Alabama Joint Leadership Development Conference, brought high school students from across the state to the two-day program. Thanks again to the hatchery for providing me with some pipping eggs. The students, even though older than the ones in Cullman, were enthralled to see the baby chicks pecking their way out of the shells.

Each of these expos gave us the opportunity to tell the Alabama poultry industry story to a lot of kids who might never have heard it otherwise.

Clay County Association Meets

The Clay County Poultry & Egg Association held its quarterly meeting at Miss Anita’s Cafe in Lineville on Oct. 27. The meeting was well attended, almost overflowing the meeting room.

Fried catfish headlined the meal, which was sponsored by Randy Jones Insurance.

CCP&EA President Ricky New welcomed everyone and, after the meal, introduced Dana Bennett and Josh Bean, poultry specialists with the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries.

Bennett and Bean were two members of the three-person team that State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier sent to Minnesota in July to observe and assist in cleaning up the avian influenza outbreak, the largest and costliest animal health disease in American history. During the outbreak more than 7.5 million turkeys and 42.1 million layer chickens were lost to avian influenza. They shared their experience with the audience.

When they arrived in Wilmer, Minn., a small farming town two hours west of Minneapolis, the epidemic was over and the cleanup process had begun. For three weeks they woredk 10 hours a day, six days a week. Bennett reported that they spent most of their off time at the local laundromat washing clothes to prevent contamination.

They visited, on average, three farms a day, requiring a shower and clean clothes between each visit. While all of the turkey mortality had been composted in the turkey houses, they did participate in the removal of more than 2.1 million chickens from a layer farm where the chickens had been euthanized.

They urged growers to keep this from happening in Alabama by using good biosecurity.

Pam Skidmore of Randy Jones Insurance Agency was the last speaker, telling the audience about their avian influenza insurance policy.

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Dana Bennett

Josh Bean

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Every day we are working to keep you informed and up-to-date on what is happening in the Alabama poultry family through this magazine, on our website: www.alabamapoultry.org, and our Facebook page: BamaChicken, but, to be part of the family, you must be a member of AP&EA, so join today!

Call 1-800-254-2732 if you have questions or for more information.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

24th Annual Allied Industry Golf Tournament Tees Off

LAKE GUNTERSVILLE STATE PARK – It was raining when the intrepid poultry pros teed off on the beautiful Eagle’s Nest Golf Club, high atop the bluffs overlooking Lake Guntersville on Thursday, Sept. 29. The golfers’ clothes might have been wet, but their spirits we high for the annual scholarship fundraising tournament.

This year’s tournament was held in conjunction with the Alabama Poultry Industry Workshop to be

held the next day. It brought golf loving poultrymen from across the state, giving them the opportunity to mingle with folks from manufacturing, finance and other allied industries.

By the end of the day, under the big tent, the smiles and good fellowship were in evidence. It was another successful Allied Golf Tournament benefitting deserving poultry science students.

Hole Sponsors

Alabama Farm Credit AlaTrade Foods American Proteins, Inc. Ceva Clear View Enterprises Cobb-Vantress Inc. Cumberland D & F Equipment Sales Farmers Poultry First South Farm Credit, NA Fitco/IsoNova Technologies Georgia Poultry Equipment

Prize Sponsors

Hubbard LLC J & R / Farm Systems Keystone Foods, LLC Lee Energy Solutions Live Oak Bank Merial Select Randy Jones & Associates Reeves Supply Sunbelt Rentals Terra Renewal The Vincit Group

First Place – American Proteins Second Place – Cobb-Vantress Third Place – Sunbelt Rentals and Jones-Hamilton Co. Fourth Place – Keystone Foods - Eufaula Putting Contest Prize – Casey Jones/L. B. White Longest Drive – Meyn America Closest to Pin – Cobb-Vantress

Scholarship Sponsors Alabama Farm Credit AlaTrade Foods American Proteins, Inc. Animal Health International Aviagen Inc. Ceva Clear View Enterprises Cobb-Vantress Inc. Cumberland

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D & F Equipment Sales Diamond V Farmers Poultry First South Farm Credit, NA First South Farm Credit, SA Fitco/IsoNova Technologies Georgia Poultry Equipment Hubbard LLC International Paper

September / October 2015

Interstate Container J & R / Farm Systems Jones Hamilton Co. Keystone Foods, LLC Keystone Foods - Eufaula Lee Energy Solutions Liphatech, Inc. Live Oak Bank Marel Stork Poultry Processing

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Merial Select Meyn America LLC Randy Jones & Associates Reeves Supply Sunbelt Rentals Terra Renewal The Vincit Group Zoetis

1st Place – Perry Norris, Lindsey Goodwin, Gary Sadler and Pruett Allen

2nd Place – David Pruett, Wes Cumbie, Josh Richey and Lynn Shaddix

3rd Place – Russ Williams, John Pemberton, Michael Imming and Steve Smith

4th Place – Heath Mann, George Attwood, Daily Thomas and Kelley Crask

Closest to the pin: Mitchell Pate, Chris Carter, Perry Norris and Kelley Crask

Special Thanks To:

Putting Contest Winner: Clay Thornton

Raffle Prize Sponsor:

Shotgun Raffle Winner: Tanya Carter

Lee Energy Solutions Drink Sponsor:

Longest drive: Lindsey Goodwin and John Pemberton

Aviagen Box Lunch Sponsor:

First South Farm Credit Post Tournament Meal Sponsor:

IVESCO LLC Tent Sponsors:

AU College of Agriculture AIS Generator Service, Danny Griffin

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Under the tent – the food was great!

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Dr. Ken Opengart

Mike Donohue

Dr. Don Conner

AI Dominates Discussions at 2015 Poultry Industry Workshop

LAKE GUNTERSVILLE – Sept. 30, 2015. Even as the morning fog was lifting off the Tennessee Rive and Lake Guntersville far below, at the Lake Guntersville State Park Lodge things were off to a clear and early start at the 2015 Alabama Poultry Industry Workshop.

AP&EA Chief Executive Officer Johnny Adams welcomed the attendees and gave an update on the goings on in the association. He also discussed the budgetary problems in state government. He also talked about the 2+2 Program and Association President Tim Esslinger’s desire to see that program expanded to south Alabama.

Dr. Ken Opengart, vice president, live operations and corporate responsibility, for Keystone Foods, opened the program with “A Global View of Avian Influenza Biosecurity Update.”

He began by describing scientifically the nature of the disease and how it could start as a mild virus and mutate into something deadly. It effects the respiratory, intestinal and nervous system. Wild birds, especially waterfowl, are the primary carriers. Although there are many strains of avian influenza, the two of most concern are H5 and H7.

The first sign of the high path AI in chickens – they stop making noise; stop eating, drinking and laying; and

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show severe respiratory distress.

Other signs include cyanosis of the comb and wattles, head drooping, and discoloring of the shanks. Then, within a few hours of showing symptoms – they die.

Opengart gave some statistics on the recent Mid-West outbreak: • 223 farms involved • Turkeys: approximately 7.3 million • Layer chickens and pullets: approximately 42.1 million • Cost: more than $600 million At this time, Opengart stated, there are no active infections, but no one knows what the fall will bring.

While the virus is introduced into the area by waterfowl, it is usually people who are the number one method by which it enters the poultry house. That’s why proper footwear sanitation or dedicated footwear is critical, also dedicated clothes for the farm.

To view Dr. Opengart’s full presentation, go to our website www.alabamapoultry.org and click on the link provided. It is also on www.allinallgone.com, where you can also see what is happening in other poultry producing states.

Mike Donohue of Agri Stats, Inc. presented a comprehensive analysis of “Trends in the Poultry Industry and the Current State of the Broiler Industry.” He summarized his report

Alabama Poultry Magazine

by saying, “After a period of very good returns, we are heading into difficult times.”

Dr. Don Conner, head of the Auburn University department of poultry science, brought everyone up-to-date on the Farm Relocation Project. With only six poultry science departments at universities in the nation, the goal is to make Auburn the premier educational and research program in the world and relocating and modernizing the poultry research farm will help by improving curriculum and enhancing student preparedness.

The subject of “Challenges of Implementing a Raised Without Antibiotics Program” was presented by Dr. Suzanne Young Dougherty, Pecking Around Consulting, Inc. Consumer-driven demand is motivating broiler intergrators to begin phasing out antibiotic usage in all but therapudic cases, but doing so takes time to accomplish. Dougherty discussed some methodology for achieving the goal.

Then there was an informative panel discussion on “Management of Different Size Birds” with moderator Matt Jackson, broiler manager Keyston Foods Eufaula Division.

Panelists included: Jennifer Allen, broiler service technician, Tyson Foods Snead; and Terri Bell, broiler manager, Pilgrim’s Russellville.

Blake Gibson, business development manager, Jones-Hamilton Co., presented a primer on litter management, titled appropriately “Litter Management 101,” where he outlined the evolution of and ecology of litter management. He said, “Litter is a highly enriched environment for microorganisms, viruses, gases and insects and nutrients and that the birds and water management will affect floor ecology.

With the end of the presentation, the meeting was adjourned for lunch.

Lunch was served in the Golden Rod Room.

After lunch, Dr. Suzanne Young Dougherty again took to the podium, this time to discuss “Quality Control from Breeder to Hatchery to Broilers.” She summarized by saying, Dr. Suzanne Young Dougherty

“Pullet, hen and hatchery management are directly related to chick quality and broiler performance.

Jess Campbell of Auburn University’s National Poultry Technology Center gave a “New House Technology Update.”

Next followed a panel discussion, featuring Dr. Tony Frazier, Peggy Vardaro, Dana Bennett and Josh Bean titled “What We’ve Learned About Handling AI.” This discussion covered the spring AI outbreak in the Mid-West (see page 14 for more detail).

The panel discussion was followed by the final presentation of the day, as Dr. Robert Rowland, director of technical services for Ivesco, talked about controlling “Bedbugs and Beetles.”

Matt Jackson

Jennifer Allen and Terri Bell

Blake Gibson

Dr. Jess Campbell

Many Thanks to Our VIP Sponsors Platinum American Proteins, Inc. ChemStation Costco Wholesale D & F Equipment Sales, Inc. Elanco Animal Health First South Farm Credit, N.A. GSM Steel & Mechanical Contractors J & R/Farm Systems International Paper Company Gold AlaTrade Foods Aviagen Inc. C & E Supply CEVA Cobb-Vantress, Inc. Hubbard LLC Interstate Container K Supply Company, Inc. Kaman Industrial Technologies Inc. Marel Stork Poultry Processing Merck Animal Health Sand Mountain Electric Cooperative The Vincit Group Zoetis Silver Advanced Poultry Equipment and Supply Alabama Ag Credit Alabama Farm Credit Alabama Power Company Animal Health International Cintas Corporation Cumberland Evonik First South Farm Credit, S.A. Huvepharma Ivesco, LLC Jones-Hamilton Co. Live Oak Bank Merial Select Novus International PeroxyChem Randy Jones & Associates Sunbelt Rentals

Alabama Poultry Magazine

www.allinallgone.com September / October 2015

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Josh Bean, Dana Bennett and Peggy Vardaro talk about Minnesota trip

Dr. Tony Frazier

On July 26, 2015, the Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries poultry team, comprising Peggy Vardaro, Josh Bean and Dana Bennett, was sent by State Veterinarian Dr. Tony Frazier to Minnesota to observe and help in the cleanup of the worst poultry disaster to hit the United States. They stayed in Wilmer, Minn., two hours west of Minneapolis, for three weeks. On Sept. 30, they presented a report to the 2015 Alabama Poultry Industry Workshop.

When they arrived, they reported, they saw no live turkeys or chickens. All of the dead turkeys had been removed or composted. They did observe the clean out of a table egg farm where more than 2 million chickens had perished. They worked 11-hour days, six days a week. Because of tight biosecurity restrictions, they were only able to visit, on average, three farms a day. Instead, they jokingly estimated that 70 percent of their time was spent at the local laundromat or in taking showers.

The first takeaway from the visit was that the high path virus was much more virulent than expected. The photos on the left illustrate the nature of the virus.

This turkey flock first tested positive for the virus at 11 a.m., however signs of the virus began to appear and the flock was tested again at 1 p.m. By 5 p.m., 90 percent of the flock was dead. The virus, in fact, moves so fast that most of the time, once a flock tested positive, before a depopulation crew could be called in, the flock had already expired.

Another takeaway was, according to Vardaro, the virus is not airborne, per se, rather it rides on dust, feathers and fecal material once it dries and becomes part of the dust. Once on a farm, it can be spread by exhaust fans. The virus was found in dust more than 200 feet from infected houses. Early on, this became problematic because authorities would not let the farmers depopulate until an appraiser could asses the situation. This time consuming requirement made the houses virtual virus incubators and the vent fans helped spread the virus to the outside. The wind then picked it up and spread it to adjacent farms.

Originally, burial was tried for bird disposal, but that proved unworkable, so, according to Vardaro, 99.9 percent of mortality had to be composted in-house.

Once the 28-day composting period was over, the farmer could begin the clean out process. This involved removing all organic material and build-up. Vardaro describes toothbrushes being used in places. This usually took about two weeks.

Once the dry cleaning was done, everything had to be washed down thoroughly with detergent. Three to five days later, depending on drying time, the house had to be sprayed with disinfectant and allowed to dry. Twenty-one days later, the farmer could begin to restock. That is more than two months total time without income generation.

On the positive side, they reported on a small broiler company that lost no flocks to the virus. The reason: throughout the ordeal and before, they maintained good biosecurity standards and strongly encouraged their growers to do the same.

That is the best takeaway of all.

Department of Ag Poultry Team Describes Minnesota Experience 11 a.m. positive test

1 p.m. symptoms appear

5 p.m. 90% mortality

To see the panel discussion, visit our website at www.alabamapoultry.org

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

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Please detach from the magazine and post on your control room bulletin board or wall.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

For additional copies of this insert, call us at 1-800-254-2732

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Biosecurity – the best defense against High Pathology Avian Influenza

Ken Macklin, Joe Hess and Joe Giambrone Department of Poultry Science, Auburn University Utilizing signs, a keypad entry and a heavy gate keeps Christopher Hilburn’s Double H Poultry Farm secure from unauthorized visitors.

With the concern of avian influenza potentially affecting Alabama this winter/spring it is important that biosecurity plans are reviewed and if needed updated. Biosecurity literally means the safety of living things. In animal agriculture it means protecting livestock from being exposed to any infectious agent, such as: viruses, bacteria, fungi, mycoplasma, and external/internal parasites.

Biosecurity plans can be as comprehensive or simple as you wish to make them. One thing to take into consideration is that a failure in biosecurity can be disastrous. A recent example of this is the failure of biosecurity in the upper Midwest that resulted in over 48 million layers and turkeys being euthanized.

The main thing to consider about a biosecurity plan is that infectious agents need a way to enter the farm, and the more entry points that are secured, the less likely an infectious agent will enter the farm. Keep that in mind when designing or following a biosecurity plan. There are four points to a good biosecurity program including: Isolation, Traffic Control, Sanitation, and Recognizing Warning Signs. Below we will go over each one of these points in more detail, starting with Isolation.

Isolation is keeping your animals sheltered from any potential carrier of disease. Carriers can be people, insects, animals, equipment and even dust! Trying to completely eliminate all potential carriers is difficult, but there are several fairly easy steps that can be put into place. To minimize

entry into the poultry house by pests, all holes should be plugged and the doors kept closed.

To further discourage pests, a 10-foot perimeter around the poultry house should be established, in this area the grass should be kept short and any potential hiding places removed. By doing this, pests will be discouraged from coming near the poultry house, which will remove the temptation for them to enter the poultry house. Also rotating rodenticides and insecticides on a regular basis will help eliminate some of the pests that do come in. In addition to rodents and insects; wild birds, other livestock and pets should be kept outside the 10-foot perimeter, this will further isolate the chickens and further reduce the chance of disease transmission.

Traffic control is essentially minimizing the number of people that enter the farm. This is important, since they may be unwitting carriers of disease causing organisms. Post “no trespassing” signs; this will let people know that this is your livelihood and that there are certain procedures that need to be followed before entering the poultry farm. When not on the farm, lock doors and gates, this will keep curious people from entering the farm to look around. If people do have to enter the farm, make sure they put on disposable shoe covers and coveralls. Additionally they should sign a logbook, so that you can keep track of who has been on the farm and where they have been prior to coming on your farm in case there is a problem. Having footbaths/footpans and a way to

Vehicle tires must be disinfected before entering the farm.

Footpans must be protected from contamination and changed often.

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sanitize hands at every poultry house is also essential to minimize the spread of pathogens. People working on the farm should change clothes and sanitize when leaving the farm and when they come back onto the farm.

Sanitation should be performed on all equipment on the farm after every growout. Proper sanitation requires removing all the organic material on the equipment. Using a pressure washer or sprayer will increase the penetration of the sanitizer. In addition, rotating the type of sanitizers two to three times a year will maximize their effectiveness against disease causing microorganisms. When equipment is brought onto the farm, it should be thoroughly sanitized, again with a pressure washer. When the equipment is to be taken off of the farm it should be cleaned and sanitized, you do want to borrow the equipment again. Whoever is getting the equipment should sanitize it again; you can never be too safe.

Vehicles that enter the farm should have their tires sanitized. This can be performed using a hand held sprayer filled with sanitizer and spraying the tires or by a pressure washer. By doing this it will reduce the chance that infected dust will enter the farm. When the vehicle leaves the farm, tires should be sprayed again.

Another important tool is recording water consumption. Daily monitoring of water consumption is a great tool to identify avian influenza warning signs. Sick birds will not consume as much water as they did the day before due to the stress of the disease.

The final point for biosecurity is to know your chickens.

Walk the house two or more times a day, removing all mortalities, properly disposing of them, and observing the chickens for any warning signs. By observing the chickens, it is possible to catch a disease early on and report it before it becomes too serious. In general, sick birds lack energy; have poor appetites; have watery/green diarrhea; may Hilburn keeps disposable shoe covers exhibit sneezing; gasping for authorized visitors.

Dedicated clothing for working in the chicken house is important.

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for air; coughing; nasal discharge; discoloration of the wattles, combs or hocks; swelling on the neck and head or swelling around the eyes; drooping wings; tremors; twisting of the neck or head; lack of movement, etc.

One thing to remember about preparing and following a biosecurity plan is that this is your livelihood and even a mild disease can cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars, so there is no such thing as too much planning when it comes to biosecurity! Remember biosecurity pays!

This gator decoy patrols the waters of Christopher Hilburn’s pond to let any migratory waterfowl know that they are unwelcome.

Christopher Hilburn may be a young farmer, but he knows how to protect his investment and his family’s future.

He is taking the avian influenza biosecurity threat seriously.

We hope that you will also. Remember, your livelihood and way of life could well depend on your commitment to maintaining proper biosecurity.

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Alabama Poultry Magazine

Industry News Aviagen North America Announces Winners of 2014 Flock Awards Award recipients showcase exceptional performance of Ross 708 and Ross 308 female breeds

HUNTSVILLE – Aviagen announced that it has honored selected North American customers with the company’s second annual Flock Awards.

The expertise, real-world experience and teamwork of the Flock Award recipients showcased the exceptional performance of Aviagen’s exclusive Ross® 708 and Ross® 308 breeders.

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

The award results were evaluated based

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on 2014 performance data. In separate ceremonies led by Aviagen representatives, the winners of this year’s Flock Awards were presented with an engraved crystal egg to commemorate their achievements. According to Randall Vickery, Aviagen’s regional technical manager, 2014’s competition was very close, with some of the recipients winning by a tenth of a point.

“The closeness of the scores attests to the excellence of Aviagen customer base as whole. It’s no easy feat to reach these impressive ranks of performance.

Doing so requires team work, commit-

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Wayne Farms achieved first place in the Top Hatch category for the Ross 708 based on the highest percentage of total eggs hatched.

Front row from left: Stoney Gresham (breeder manager), Trey Tidwell, Heath Hill and Daren Rakestraw (Aviagen). Back row from left: Barry Fuller (Aviagen), Donald Collins, Randy Caudill, Steve Price and Jason Wilson.

ment, attention to detail and sound management practices, optimizing the genetic potential of our products,” explained Vickery.

Auburn News

Auburn Dept. of Poultry Science Awards Scholarships

Our AP&EA license tag has been approved and is now available at your local probate office. The cost is $50 and is tax deductible. The association gets $41.25, from which $10 is sent to the association in the county where the tag was purchased for use in any county scholarship program.

The remaining money will be used for poultry science scholarships at Auburn, the 2+2 Program or other educational endevours..

Teal Wins Reeves Supply Scholarship 2015

On Oct. 4, 2015, the Auburn University department of poultry science awarded 74 scholarships to deserving students. Twenty of those students (left) received Alabama Poultry Foundation scholarships.

With our new license tag approved, we can award more and better scholarships in the coming years, but only if you participate.

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Dr. Tim McDonald, professor, and Dr. Steven Taylor, department head, Auburn University biosystems engineering department, present sophomore Stewart Teal of Bowdon, Ga., with a $5,000 scholarship check sponsored by Hazel Reeves with Reeves Supply for 2015-2016. Teal’s grandfather, Curtis Stewart, has been raising chickens on his farm, C&M Stewart Farms, for about 50 years. Congratulations and keep up the good work, Stewart!

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National Poultry Technology Center Holds Housing Short Course

The National Poultry Technology Center at Auburn University conducted a comprehensive two-day seminar on Oct. 13 &14, 2015. This seminar was held in the Ham Wilson Arena on the Auburn campus. This seminar is designed to address serious poultry house construction and retrofitting practices. Over 80 poultry company representatives, bankers, insurers, builders, and equipment installers came from 14 states outside of Alabama. Representatives came from Arkansas, California, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, and Washington respectively.

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Two additional international representatives came from Brazil and Argentina to learn about modern poultry house construction techniques.

Topics covered poultry housing from the ground up including planning, banking and financing, insurance, structures, utilities, ventilation, equipment and energy efficient lighting applications. NPTC team members as wells as industry experts conducted the seminar.

Attendees at the seminar enjoyed a surprise visit from Aubie for a game or two of bag-toss during the evening meal held at the ALFA Pavilion.

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Winter is coming, the time for preparation is NOW!

Practical Applications

As the season starts to change and the cool fall air refreshes us from the long summer, poultry growers should take this time when the weather is typically cooperative to prepare for the winter when the weather can cause substantial problems. This should always include efforts to tighten up your poultry house for leaks, pay extra attention to brooder maintenance and check the primary minimum ventilation fans and vents for optimum operation. Growers usually remember these important parts of poultry house maintenance. There are a number of newsletters to be found on these common wintertime subjects at www.poultryhouse.com. However, there are a few other important points of maintenance that often get overlooked during this prime time for winter preparation. These include: 1. Back-up Generator checks, 2. Rodent Control efforts, 3. Attic Inspections, 4. Drinker maintenance and 5.

Drainage issues.

By NPTC Team Auburn University

Back-up Generator Checks:

Two things that often cause problems for generators in winter are moisture in the fuel and batteries. Temperature changes can promote condensation in your fuel tank. The best

Check your generator fuel tank for moisture using a moisture indicating paste, or if equipped with a bottom tank drain valve, open the valve and drain any water out. As water is heavier than fuel, it will sit on the bottom of the tank.

way to combat this issue is to keep the tank full of fuel. Growers should also treat their tanks in the fall with moisture dispersion additives. It is also imperative that part of your normal generator service includes checking the tank for moisture, and if any is found, take appropriate action to clean the tank.

Batteries will often fail due to cold temperatures. Fall is a good time to check both the battery and the battery charger. It

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The battery should be checked in the fall using a load tester. Replace it if the battery is showing any weakness. The battery charger should be checked for proper amperage. Do not rely only on the indicator light on the charger to determine if it is working properly.

is recommended that batteries be left on a low amp trickle charger 24/7, year round. Chargers are notorious for failure and should be check regularly. It is recommended that batteries be changed every two years. They should be load tested in the fall and if they show any weakness, replace immediately.

Rodent Control:

Rodents can cause structural damage, harbor disease and consume poultry feed. We recommend every grower be utilizing a year round, rotational, multi-faceted rodent control program. However, we all know that in the winter, rodent pressure is greatly increased as the temperatures fall. Take the time this fall to clean and refresh your bait stations around the perimeter of your houses with new bait. Check the stations in the generator shed as well. Fall is a good time to put out fresh bait in the attics of your houses too.

Rodent pressure is increased in the winter with dropping temperatures. Rodents cause structural damage, carry disease and can even effect ventilation as seen in this photo of a sidewall vent stopped up from rodent activity. Fall is the time to ramp up the rodent control efforts.

Attic Inspections:

While putting out rat bait in the attic, take the time to inspect your trusses in preparation for possible snow/ice this

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Inspect your poultry house trusses for possible truss plate issues.

Moisture intrusion from roofing metal leaks or ceiling leaks combined with contraction/expansion from temperature fluctuations can cause the mending plates to come loose. This damage can lead to a truss failure and ultimately a total roof system failure and house collapse. These minor issues can usually be repaired easily before they become major problems.

winter. Look for signs of leaks and repair as needed before the winter rains cause more problems. Pay special attention to the truss plates that hold the trusses together. Over time these can become loosened and put individual trusses at peril of failure from increased snow/ice loads. If one truss fails, it often causes other trusses to fail as the loads are unequally spread down the house. Ultimately, one truss failure can lead to total house collapse. Most minor truss issues can be repaired relatively easily and cheaply if addressed early on.

Refer to: www.poultryhouse.com Newsletter #73 “Can Your Trusses be Trusted?” Also check out #70 “Avoiding Snow Disaster.”

tilation fans or the litter machine. Running more fans in the winter can be costly due to the cold temperature of outside air being brought in while trying to maintain warm temperatures in the house with heaters. One opportunity growers need to take advantage of this fall is to spend some time addressing drinker issues. If we can limit the amount of water going into our litter via leaking drinkers, then that is less we have to remove with the fans.

Drainage Issues:

With the expected increase in rain every winter, many poultry farms’ drainage systems gets overtaxed and overrun.

The cause is simple – drainage ditches and culverts between and around the houses often gets overlooked and overgrown during the long summer. This can cause numerous problems in winter. When the side house ditches become full because of a stopped up culvert between the houses at the feed bins, this water can enter the houses causing serious problems. Severe erosion issues can also result from poorly maintained drainage systems. Some erosion problems can become so severe that it threatens the structural stability of the poultry house. Take time this fall to clean out those culverts, work those ditches and prepare for the rains to come.

Drinker Maintenance:

One of the biggest obstacles growers face in the winter is moisture removal. If we don’t ventilate sufficiently to remove moisture, many problems occur that cost money to resolve.

Wet litter, poor air quality, ammonia damage to birds – all ultimately cause poor performance and low pay checks. The only ways to remove moisture from the house is with the ven-

Wet litter caused by drinker leaks can cause major problems with house environmental management. Having to increase ventilation rates to remove this added moisture from the house will cost additional electricity and heating fuel. Growers can benefit themselves in a multitude of ways by addressing these drinker issues early and keeping on top of their overall drinker management. Proper system cleaning, replacing/repairing leaking nipples as needed and proper height and pressure adjustment are key components to not allowing your drinker management to hurt you this winter.

Proper drainage around the poultry house is very important but often overlooked. Erosion issues can quickly become severe and problematic. Time needs to be spent cleaning out culverts, working and clearing ditches and making sure all rain water is directed away from the poultry houses and away from the farm.

Alabama Poultry Magazine

September / October 2015

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The Passing of Friends

Poultry Hall of Fame Member, Dwight Bond Passes Away

Dwight Snead Bond, 81, a resident of Loachapoka, Ala. passed away at Oak Park Nursing Home in Auburn, Ala. on October 31, 2015.

Memorial services were held at Oak Park on Thursday, November 5. Rev. James Q. Smith officiated.

Bond was born January 25, 1934, to Katie Snead and T. Harrison Bond in Clayton, Ala. He was preceded in death by his grandson, David Bond Haggard. He is survived by his wife, Ruth Ann Bond; two children, Cindy (Warren) Haggard of Bartlett, Tenn. and Bill (Anne) Bond of Charleston, S.C.; four grandchildren, Matthew Bond of Loachapoka, Ala., Sarah Bond of Brevard, NC, David Bond of Charleston, SC and Ann Haggard (Eric) Brennan of Columbus, Ga. The family received friends after the memorial service. In lieu of flowers the family requests that memorial contributions be made to the Loachapoka Community Cemetery Maintenance Fund (8755 Lee Road, 188 Auburn, Ala. 36879).

ADVERTISING INDEX

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg. pg.

8 7 20 31 8 24 21 6 5 21 26 30 22 22 32 27 9 2

AP&EA Christmas Open House Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2015 AP&EA Office AP&EA Board of Directors Meeting Thursday, Dec., 2015 AP&EA Office Annual Legislative Omelet Breakfast Wednesday, April 13, 2016 Capitol Lawn, Montgomery AP&EA Board of Directors Meeting Wednesday, April 13, 2016 AP&EA Office

County Association Meetings Southeast Alabama Poultry & Egg Association Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015 6 p.m.

Ariton Baptist Church, Ariton

Central Alabama Poultry & Egg Association Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2015, 6 p.m.

Alabama Poultry Magazine

Beeland Park, Greenville