Poultry Times April 9 issue by The Times

Poultry Times PERIODICALS

Since 1954, the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only poultry industry newspaper

PO UL TR

Y H

POULTRY HE H AL LT TH A E

HEALTH Y R LT

April 9, 2012

ultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health

POULTRY H EA

ultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health Poultry Health

Poultry Health

EALTH PO Y H U TR LT R UL Y

Randy Jones Insurance Agency, Inc. Serving Poultry Farmers Across the Southeast with locations in:

Albertville, AL

8600 US Highway 431 Albertville, AL 35950 256-878-3271 1-800-648-6584

Anniston, AL

501 Quintard Ave. Suite 3 Anniston, AL 36201 256-237-7508

Arab, AL

340 Cullman Rd Arab, AL 35016 256-586-6544

Birminghman, AL

14 Office Park, Suite 105A Birmingham, AL 35223 205-822-8150

Centre, AL

1520 Chestnut Bypas, PO Box 309 Centre, AL 35960 256-927-5155

Gadsden, AL

301 South Fifth Street Gadsden AL 35901 256-543-9594

Scottsboro, AL

419 E Laurel Street Scottsboro, AL 35768 256-259-2545

Call RANDY JONES INS AGENCY INC Today

800-648-6584

SERVING ALABAMA, TENNESSEE AND GEORGIA

Woodland Office 23431 Highway 48 Woodland, AL 36280 256-449-2671

Poultry Times Lab-made bird flu research considered okay to publish Doesn’t reveal details bioterrorists could use The Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The U.S. government’s biosecurity advisers said March 30 they support publishing research studies showing how scientists made new easy-to-spread forms of bird flu because the studies, now revised, don’t reveal details bioterrorists could use. The decision could end a debate that began in December when the government took the unprecedented step of asking the scientists not to publicize all the details of their work. The research, by two scientific teams — one in Wisconsin, the other in the Netherlands — was funded by the U.S. It was an effort to learn more about the potential threat from bird flu in Asia. The virus so far doesn’t

spread easily among people. But the new lab-made viruses spread easily among ferrets, suggesting they would also spread among humans. Last year, after reviewing earlier versions of the papers, the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity said publishing full details would be too risky. The federal government agreed. Scientists around the world debated the matter. Many argued that full publication would

help scientists track dangerous mutations in natural bird flu viruses and test vaccines and treatments. In the March 30 meeting in Washington, board members announced they are satisfied with the revised papers. The panel’s advice now goes to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for a decision. The board unanimously supported publication of one study, led by Yoshihiro Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin. By majority vote it supported publication of the key parts of a second study from Ron Fouchier of the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. In an e-mail, Kawaoka said the revisions to his paper “were mainly a more in-depth explanation of the significance of the findings to public health and a description of the laboratory

See Lab-made, Page 8

April 9, 2012 Volume 59, Number 8 www.poultrytimes.net

Groups introduce IPPE tradeshow logo

ATLANTA — The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, the American Feed Industry Association and the American Meat Institute introduce the new International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE) logo. IPPE is serving as the umbrella name for the co-location of USPOULTRY’s International Poultry Expo (IPE), AFIA’s International Feed Expo (IFE) and AMI’s International Meat Expo (IME). The IPPE will be one of the 50

largest tradeshows in the U.S., the groups note. The entire tradeshow is expected to include more than 1,000 exhibitors and close to 400,000 net square feet of exhibit space. The show hours for the 2013 expo will be: Tuesday, Jan. 29, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; Wednesday, Jan. 30, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Thursday, Jan. 31, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. There will be a reception on the show floor from 4-6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 29. Organizers also note that the addition of AMI will complement and further enhance the education programs planned for the IPPE week. An announcement of the anticipated educational programs will be released in June.

ERS forecasts broiler production decrease By David B. Strickland

Utah law: Undercover videos illegal By Barbara Olejnik Poultry Times Staff

bolejnik@poultrytimes.net

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah has become the second U.S. state to enact legislation to criminalize undercover videos or photographs of agricultural operations. The state’s House and Senate passed H.R. 187 in early March and Gov. Gary Herbert signed the legislation into law on March 20. The law says that agricultural operations means property used for livestock, poultry, livestock products or poultry products.

A violation of the law is a misdemeanor and results in a fine and the possibility of up to a year of jail time. The law is aimed at animal activists who have used undercover videos to support alleged animal abuses. One activist group, Mercy for Animals, has said that it would explore legal challenges to the law. Utah joins Iowa as the second state to enact legislation targeting animal activist operations. Iowa’s Gov. Terry Branstad signed that state’s legislation into law on March 2.

See Videos, Page 8

Poultry Times Staff

dstrickland@poultrytimes.net

WASHINGTON — Production decreases are anticipated for broilers for the majority of the year, with a production increase predicted for the end of 2012, notes USDA’s Economic Research Service in its recent “Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook” report. Broiler meat production amounted to 37.2 billion pounds last year, the department said. Turkey meat production is also looking to decrease for the

beginning of 2012, then increase for the later three quarters of the year. ERS is projecting turkey

See ERS, Page 9

POULTRY TIMES, April 9, 2012

Poultry Federation plans annual symposium LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Poultry Federation will hold its annual Spring Symposium at the John Q. Hammons Center in Rogers, Ark., April 24-25. The annual conference is planned and coordinated by TPF, the Poultry Improvement Committee and the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science. Mark Penzo of Wayne Farms LLC serves as the 2012 Spring Symposium chairman. Live production personnel, and suppliers who support live production of turkeys, breeders, and broilers; and more specifically growers, service technicians and growout managers are encouraged to register and attend, the federation notes. To kick off the event, the an-

nual University of Arkansas Poultry Science Scholarship Golf Tournament is scheduled for Tuesday, April 24. The conference and vendor trade show is Wednesday from 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m. The 2012 Spring Symposium brochure can be downloaded from the Poultry Federation

web site — http://www.thepoultryfederation.com. Keynote speakers for the morning general session on April 24 include Justin Chesnut, director of the poultry business unit of Elanco; and Mike Czarick, an Extension engineer with the University of Georgia. A service technician awards ceremony is planned after the morning session. After the conference lunch, break-out sessions for Broiler, Turkey, Hatchery and Breeder are scheduled to run concurrently. The cost to register for the symposium is $60 for TPF members, $75 for non-TPF members and $100 for all on-site registrations. Students are free. Regis-

tration deadline is April 15. Table-top booth rental for the vendor trade show is $50 for TPF members and $100 for non-TPF members. New this year is a Grower Symposium on April 25 beginning at 3 p.m. Growers are also invited to view the vendor trade show and to attend the morning session on Wednesday. Grower registration is free but seats must be reserved. Online registration is available at http://www.thepoultryfederation.com or by calling Rachel Willis at 479-575-7118. Scheduled session speakers and topics include the following:

General Session, Wednesday, April 20 l Welcome by Mark Penzo, Wayne Farms, symposium chairman. l “The Poultry Federation Update,” Marvin Childers, president, The Poultry Federation (Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma). l “Animal Well Being: Looking Back to Go Forward,” Dr. Yvonne Thaxton, director, Center for Food Animal Wellbeing, UA Division of Agriculture. l “Prepared for a Disaster?,” Phil Gilliland, Chore-Time. l “Summer Ventilation,” Mike Czarick, University of Georgia. l “Making Safe, Affordable

See Meeting, Page 8

UC-Davis study is paving the way for a possible salmonella vaccine

DAVIS, Calif. — An international research team, led by a University of California-Davis immunologist, has taken an important step toward an effective vaccine against salmonella, a group of increasingly antibiotic-resistant foodborne bacteria that kills hundreds of thousands of people worldwide each year. The researchers’ discovery was published in February in the early edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The research team has identified a set of antigens — molecules in the invading bacteria that trigger an immune response — that is common to both mice and humans. “These antigens will provide the research community with a foundation for developing a protective salmonella vaccine,” said Stephen McSorley, an immunologist and associate professor in the UC-Davis Center for Comparative Medicine, which investigates diseases that afflict both humans and animals. Salmonella bacteria cause foodborne illness in industrialized nations. More than 1.4 million cases occur annually in the United States alone, according to the World Health Organization, at an estimated cost of $3 billion and the loss of 580 lives. There are currently no vaccines for the strains of salmonella that cause these type of illnesses.

Furthermore, salmonella bacteria increasingly are becoming resistant to existing antibiotic treatments.

See Vaccine, Page 8

INDEX AEB Hotline ..................... 15 Business ......................... 6-7 Calendar .......................... 10 Classified......................... 12 Viewpoint............................ 4 A directory of Poultry Times advertisers appears on Page 15

To subscribe call 770-536-2476 or www.poultrytimes.net

POULTRY TIMES, April 9, 2012

American Proteins and Sanderson win Clean Water Awards from USPOULTRY NASHVILLE, Tenn. — American Proteins in Cuthbert, Ga., and Sanderson Farms, in Flowood, Miss., were selected as winners of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s 2012 Clean Water Awards. Presented annually, the awards recognize excellence in the operation of wastewater treatment plants in the poultry industry. The presentations were made during USPOULTRY’s recent Environmental Management Seminar, with the winners being selected by a committee made up of industry engineers and managers, university personnel and state regulatory officials. Awards are presented in two categories, full treatment and pretreatment. The full treatment category covers facilities that fully reclaim wastewater prior to discharge into a receiving stream or final land application system. The pretreatment category includes facilities that discharge pretreated effluent to publicly owned, full treatment facilities. l American Proteins was selected as the winner in the full

treatment category after being runner-up last year. The American Proteins’ plant in Cuthbert recycles inedible poultry parts into valuable protein ingredients used in products such as pet food and livestock feed. Through an aggressive water conservation program, 17 million gallons of water are recycled every day. One highlight of their operation is a new state-ofthe-art analytical laboratory, which has decreased the analysis time on wastewater samples. The facility averages 1.5 million cubic feet of biogas burned per week, which lowers its demand for natural gas and/or diesel fuel. l Sanderson Farms was selected as the winner in the pretreatment category for their further processing facility operation. The Flowood facility was recognized for its pretreatment of wastewater, which consists of flow equalization, primary clarification, biological treatment and secondary wastewater clarification. Several innovative processes were recognized, including the application of cationic and anionic polymers to

neutralize the charge on particulate matter and efficient utilization of the primary dissolved air flotation unit. Sanderson Farms of McComb, Miss; Marshall Durbin of Jasper, Ala; and West Liberty Foods of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa; received honorable mentions. Sanderson Farms received a plaque in the full treatment category. Marshall Durbin and West Liberty Foods each received a plaque in the pretreatment category. “The poultry industry is recognized as a frontrunner in safeguarding our natural resources,” said USPOULTRY Chairman Mark Ingram, Ingram Farms, of Cullman, Ala. “U.S. Poultry & Egg Association continuously emphasizes the importance of environmental stewardship by identifying excellence in environmental programs at our member companies. USPOULTRY also offers technical assistance and training in environmental management. Congratulations to these five companies for their excellent work.”

Special

Sanderson Farms awarded: The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s 2012 Clean Water Award winner in the pretreatment category was Sanderson Farms in Flowood, Miss. Keith Miller, environmental coordinator, Brenda Flick, environmental manager–permits, and Dwayne Holifield, environmental manager of operations, accepted the award from Dr. Brian Kiepper, left, University of Georgia, and Jim Walsh, right, Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, both members of the selection committee.

Special

American Proteins awarded: The winner in the full treatment category of the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s 2012 Clean Water Awards was American Proteins in Cuthbert, Ga. Christopher Jones, center, American Proteins environmental manager, accepted the award from Dr. Brian Kiepper, left, with the University of Georgia; and Jim Walsh, right, with the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute, both members of the selection committee.

POULTRY TIMES, April 9, 2012

Viewpoint Compiled by Barbara Olejnik, Associate Editor 770-718-3440 bolejnik@poultrytimes.net

Regulatory aspects of food safety By Dr. Steve Roney Special to Poultry Times

CONYERS, Ga. — The National Poultry Improvement Plan was established in 1935 as a program for control of vertically transmitted diseases of breeding poultry. The program has been extremely successful in controlling diseases that threatened to limit the growth of the modern poultry industry. For more than 50 Roney years, NPIP has been devoted to control and certification of diseases of poultry, which has allowed the development of a primary breeder industry that now supplies well over 50 percent of the world’s poultry stock. In the late 1980s, Salmonella enteritidis (SE) surfaced as a human health problem, particularly in the northern quadrant of the United States. Research indicated that this serotype of salmonella was egg-transmitted, very much like Salmonella pulDr. Steve Roney is director of the National Poultry Improvement Plan with offices in Conyers, Ga.

“

The willingness of the FDA and the USDA to work together on the issue of Salmonella enteritidis control in table eggs is encouraging in that positive interaction of government agencies could be a method of making our food supply safer.

”

lorum and Salmonella typhoid which were the targets of earlier NPIP efforts. It was a natural progression for NPIP to adopt SE into the program and thus the establishment in 1989 of the current SE eradication and control programs for egg and meat-type breeding chickens in the NPIP. This brought the NPIP into the area of food safety since SE is more a disease of people that is carried by chickens. By bringing the program under the auspices of the NPIP regulations, the program could be adequately administered and necessary changes could easily be accomplished through the NPIP Bien-

nial Conference method of proposed changes and modification of the provisions. In July 2010, the Food & Drug Administration Egg Safety Rule was implemented in an attempt to control SE infections in commercial layers. The FDA Egg Safety Rule affects 99 percent of US egg production and requires the facility to register and maintain required records, implement biosecurity and pest control programs, conduct environmental testing for SE at 14-16 weeks and 40-45 weeks, and requires mandatory diversion and egg cultures in the event of an SE positive environmental test. The simultaneous occurrence of the largest egg recall in history in the Midwest for SE contamination served to kick start the enforcement of this rule and prompted interagency cooperation with the bacterial testing demanded by this situation. For environmental testing, the FDA has recognized USDA’s NPIP provision from Title 9 CFR 147.12 “Procedures for collection, isolation, and identification of Salmonella from house environmental samples, cloacal swabs and hatchery samples” as equivalent to FDA methods in accuracy, precision and sensitivity in detecting Salmonella enteritidis infections. This revised provision gained interim approval by the General Conference Committee (GCC) of the NPIP in December 2010 and is currently awaiting publication as a program standard as referenced in the 9 CFR Part 147. Another requirement of the FDA Egg Safety rule is that commercial layer pullets be sourced from breeder flocks certified under the US Salmonella enteritidis Clean Program of the NPIP or an equivalent program. This program requires that breeder flocks be tested for SE through both environmental and serological methods and any positive environmental samples must be followed by bird culture for

flock status determination. The willingness of the FDA and the USDA to work together on the issue of Salmonella enteritidis control in table eggs is encouraging in that positive interaction of government agencies could be a method of making our food supply safer. In 2009, the Food Safety & Inspection Service proposed new performance policy aimed at controlling the seemingly increasing incidence of Salmonella enteritidis in processed broilers. As a response to the concerns of FSIS, the delegates to the 40th

Biennial Conference of the NPIP voted to adopt the SE Monitored Classification for broiler breeders. This is a program to monitor prevalence of SE in broiler breeders and establish a baseline of SE incidence to compare against the incidence of SE in broilers. This is an example of the concerns of one government agency addressing the concerns of another agency through the cooperative nature of the NPIP. On Jan. 4, 2011, President Obama signed into law the Food

Poultry Times

Gainesville, Georgia 30501. Telephone 770-536-2476; Fax 770-532-4894. Postage paid at Gainesville, Georgia 30501.

www.poultrytimes.net

Corporate Headquarters Poultry & Egg News Inc. P.O. Box 1338 Gainesville, Georgia 30503 Telephone: 770-536-2476; 770-718-3444 (after 5:30 p.m.) Fax: 770-532-4894

General Manager Cindy Wellborn 770-718-3443

cwellborn@poultrytimes.net

See Roney, Page 10

Poultry Times assumes responsibliity for error in first run of an in-house designed ad only. Advertisers have ten (10) days from publication date to dispute such an advertisement. After ten (10) days, ad will be deemed correct and advertiser will be charged accordingly. Proofs approved by advertiser will always be regarded as correct.

Editorial/Advertising Staff Editor David B. Strickland 770-718-3442 dstrickland@poultrytimes.net

Subscriptions: Surface mail in U.S., $18.00 for one year, $29 for two years and $40 for three years. Business or occupation information must accompany each subscription order.

Associate Editor Barbara L. Olejnik 770-718-3440

Change of Address: Postmaster, report change of address to Poultry Times, P.O. Box 1338, Gainesville, GA 30503.

Graphic Artist Courtney Canaday 770-718-3437

Companion Poultry Publications: A Guide to Poultry Associations; Poultry Resource Guide; Georgia Ag News.

Account Executive Stacy Louis 770-718-3445

The opinions expressed in this publication by authors other than Poultry Times staff are those of the respective author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Poultry Times.

Account Executive Dinah Winfree 770-718-3438

dwinfree@poultrytimes.net

Advertisement content is the sole responsibility of the advertiser. Poultry Times assumes no liability for any statements, claims or assertions appearing in any advertisement.

Poultry Times (USPS 217-480) ISSN 0885-3371 is published every other Monday, 345 Green Street, N.W.,

COVER: Staff member Courtney Canaday designed the cover for this issue of Poultry Times.

bolejnik@poultrytimes.net

ccanaday@poultrytimes.net

slouis@poultrytimes.net

POULTRY TIMES, April 9, 2012

Green muscle disease: Incidence and control measures By Drs. S. Bilgili, R. Lien & J. Hess Special to Poultry Times

OCEAN CITY, Md. — Green muscle disease (deep pectoral Dr. S.F. Bilgili is a professor and Extension scientist; Dr. Roger Lien is an associate professor; and Dr. Joseph Hess is a professor and Extension scientist, all with Auburn University’s Department of Poultry Science in Auburn, Ala. This article is drawn from a presentation given at the 2011 National Meeting on Poultry Health and Processing, held in Ocean City, Md.

myopathy or DPM) is a condition characterized by necrosis of the breast tender (pectoralis minor) muscles of poultry selected for meat production (Siller et al., 1985). One or both tenders may be affected. Tenders exhibiting DPM may be swollen and covered by a fibrinous exudate of pink to purple hemorrhages or have an overall green to tan discoloration and be dried up and friable “like rotting wood” due to complete myofiber degeneration (Harper et al., 1975). Appearance differences depend on lesion age (Richardson et al., 1980). We have recently photographically illustrated and characterized the chro-

nology of these changes in broilers (Lien et al., 2010a and b). DPM was first described and frequently observed in mature breeder turkeys (Dickinson et al., 1968) and then adult broiler breeders (Page and Fletcher, 1975). It was initially noted as a “dishing out” of one or both sides of the breast following nearly complete re-absorption of the necrotic muscle in these older birds (Wight et al., 1981; Siller 1985). Since broilers are reared exclusively for meat production and slaughtered at young ages, lesions typically don’t reach this advanced stage (Richardson et al., 1980). Le-

NCC joins 900 others to support funding of agricultural research WASHINGTON — The National Chicken Council has joined 900 organizations and individuals in expressing support for a strong federal investment in the USDA’s Research, Education and Economics (REE) mission area as a critical component of federal appropriations for FY 2013 (FY13). The 900 represent farmers and farmer groups, agricultural organizations, food and grocery manufacturers, technology providers, university administrators, scientific organizations and individual scientists from across the nation. The groups and individuals expressed the need for increased investments in science for food and agriculture in a letter sent to the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House Committees on Appropriations Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies Subcommittees. “The success of the agriculture and food industry plays a significant role in the overall health and security of the U.S. economy and has been one of the few bright spots in recent years,” the letter stated. The coalition’s support includes both USDA’s

suite of extramural programs in the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), such as the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) and formula funds, and USDA’s intramural programs including the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the Economic Research Service (ERS) and the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). “Investments in publicly funded research are critical for maintaining a successful agriculture and food sector. For every $1 invested in publicly funded agricultural and food research, $20 in economic activity is generated. Budgetary decisions made today have far reaching impacts, as the scientific research funded today will be responsible for enhancing the nation’s agricultural productivity and economic prosperity in the future. A strengthened commitment to investments in science for food and agriculture is essential for maintaining the nation’s food, economic, and national security,” the letter concluded. A full copy of the letter including a list of the 900 signatories is available here: http:// www.nationalchickencouncil.org/wp-content/ uploads/2012/03/FY13_Group_Letter_Final_ 0318121.pdf.

sions were not commonly reported in broilers until several years later (Richardson et al., 1980; Siller, 1985; Bilgili et al., 2000). However, pale, hemorrhagic, purple and green discoloration of broiler tenders is now frequently observed in various severities and results in their condemnation once discovered during deboning in the plant (Bilgili et al., 2000; Bianchi et al., 2006). Hemorrhaging of fluid from necrotic tenders often also extensively stains broiler breast fillet (pectoralis major) muscles, requiring them to be trimmed or condemned as well (Bilgili and Hess, 2002; Kijowski and Konstanczak, 2009). The breast fillets and tenders are the primary flight muscles and typically account for nearly 25 percent of live-weight in broilers, although they are obviously not used for flight. The fillet muscles are attached medially to the keel and wishbone (furculum), and laterally on the underside of the wing (humerus) bone. This massive pair of muscles is responsible for the downward movement of the wings. The tenders, on the other hand, act to raise the wings.

This is accomplished through a unique rope and pulley mechanism, whereby the tender muscles are attached to the upper side of the humerus by a tendon that passes through the middle of the junction of the three bones that make up the shoulder-girdle (Bilgili and Hess, 2002). During contraction, the tenders exert a downward pull on the tendon but result in an upward movement of the wings. Muscular activity results in DPM, since it can be reproduced by repeated contraction of the pectoral muscles through electrical stimulation (Wight et al., 1979), or by inducing turkeys or broiler breeders to flap their wings to exhaustion by holding them upright by the legs and leaning them slightly backwards (Siller et al., 1979b). Recently, we developed a forced wing exercise (FWE) technique to stimulate DPM in about 50 percent of broilers reared under typical conditions (Lien et al., 2008). Broilers are individually raised and abruptly lowered by hand over a span of 3 feet a total of 20 times in a period of about 30 seconds. Each cycle induces the bird to flap its wings

See Measures, Page 13

2K RimmiR light dimmeR PAybAcK foR bRoileR gRoWeRS $ $ gReAt biofeedbAcK extends the life of compact fluorescent bulbs

ReVeRSe PhASe 2K gReeN RimmiR 16 Amps, 2000 Watts DIMS ALL DIMMABLE GREAT POWER FACTOR LONGER BULB LIFE We're look'n back and no dimmer is close

cutting edge reverse phase technology

541 Gaither Road • Statesville, NC 28625 www.pro-techinc.com

800-438-1707

POULTRY TIMES, April 9, 2012

Business Compiled by David B. Strickland, Editor 770-718-3442 dstrickland@poultrytimes.net

Pfizer, Cornell &Texas A&M form partnership LAS VEGAS, Nev. — The Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences have announced a partnership with Pfizer Animal Health. This unique partnership between academia and industry will deliver the universities’ expertise in medicine and teaching, supported by Pfizer Animal Health’s information delivery and customer service know-how, the groups noted, adding that, together, the partnership will offer veterinarians convenient web-based educational products utilizing the latest advances in educational technologies. Practicing veterinarians need access to high quality educational opportunities throughout their career since the knowledge base that drives veterinary medicine continues to evolve after professionals have earned their degree, the groups added. The partnership between Cornell, Texas A&M and Pfizer Animal Health will seek to transform the learning process, providing practitioners with unique opportunities to stay current with the latest discoveries in veterinary medicine. “It is not very often in one’s academic lifetime that an opportunity arises which, if pursued, allows substantial change in our profession. I believe this partnership is just one of those opportunities. In the truest sense of collaboration, two colleges of veterinary medicine and Pfizer Animal Health are developing a unique public-private partnership that will revolutionize education and learning,” said Dr. Eleanor M. Green, Carl B. King dean of veterinary medicine, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. “A distinguishing factor that will set this educational content apart is that the academic partners are providing not only subject matter expertise and peer review, but also pedagogical expertise, which will result in transformative learning experiences. The excitement in the air on the Texas A&M campus is palpable and we are looking forward not only to working with Cornell University, but also to including content experts from other veterinary institutions.” “Ultimately, the goal is to support and bolster veterinarians in their pursuit of excellence and improve the quality of animal care,” said Dr. Michael I. Kotlikoff, Austin O. Hooey dean of veterinary

See Partnership, Page 7

In other Business news:

Bayer to acquire KMG animal health business SHAWNEE, Kan. — Bayer HealthCare LLC Animal Health Division has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire the Animal Health business of KMG Chemicals Inc. This move will further diversify Bayer’s existing insecticides portfolio in the U.S., allowing the company to offer a broader range of actives and forms in addition to its current product portfolio that includes cattle ear tags, pour-ons, dusts and farm hygiene premise sprays, the company said. “Bayer is committed to the animal health industry and we are excited about providing these established brands to our customers,” said Ian Spinks, president and general manager for Bayer Animal Health North America. “Acquiring KMG’s extensive line of ectoparasiticides as well as its cattle ear tag product line nicely complements our existing product portfolio giving us the opportunity to offer more robust insecticide solutions to livestock and poultry producers.” Products acquired in the agreement include brands such as the Patriot cattle ear tag and the Rabon and Permectrin insecticides. “KMG has undergone significant growth in the last five years, primarily in our electronic chemicals and wood treating chemicals businesses. As a result of this growth, the animal health business no longer fits with the strategic direction of the company and it is not a material contributor to our overall results,” said Neal Butler, president and CEO of KMG Chemicals. “However, we strongly believe that our Animal Health products have a promising future. We also believe that Bayer is the best company to help this business realize its potential, and provide

the level of service our customers expect and deserve.” Financial terms of the transaction are undisclosed. KMG Animal Health revenues for the four quarters ended Oct. 31, 2011, were $11.4 million. More information can be obtained at http://www.animalhealth. bayerhealthcare.com.

Meyn relocates to new headquarters facility OOSTZAAN, Netherlands — As of April 1, Meyn Food Processing Technology B.V. has relocated to a new, state-of-the-art headquarters and manufacturing facility. Located on the Amsterdam ring road, it is accessible within a 20 minute drive from Schiphol Airport. The 33,000-square-meter complex consists of an industrial unit, a five-story head office including modern meeting facilities and a multifunctional training center, as well as an office building for the Business Unit International. From this new facility, Meyn notes that it will be able to continue to deliver its products 24 hours a day, seven days a week, all around the globe. The visiting address for the company is Westeinde 6, 1511 MA Oostzaan (Amsterdam), the Netherlands.

Russia Also, Russian company Miratorg and Meyn-Ishida have agreed to the delivery of a complete 12,000 birds per hour Greenfield plant in the Bryansk region of Russia. This project is one of Russia’s largest dedicated poultry processing investments in recent years, the company said. The state-of-the-art facility will incorporate the latest technologies for fixed weight pack handing. The new plant is part of the poultry project where a complete vertical integration is planned, from grain harvesting for

feed production purposes up to the ready products, in consumer packaging or packaged for further processing. “Meyn-Ishida has an outstanding name and reputation in the poultry processing industry,” said Viktor Linnik, president of Miratorg Agribusiness Holding. “But what ultimately convinced us to opt for Meyn-Ishida, was the fact that they have an excellent local service organization in Moscow, with a local availability of spare parts. Our project and equipment design are carried out in accordance with best European practices and top suppliers in the industry and we are certain that Meyn-Ishida will help us achieve the highest standards in processing and reach our production goals.” The company added that, when completed in 2013, the Bryansk facility will be one of the leading poultry processing plants in Russia. More information can be obtained at http://www.meyn.com.

Merck Animal Health holds symposium BOXMEER, Netherlands — More than 400 veterinarians from Eastern Europe learned the basics about the latest innovations and products from Merck Animal Health at the company’s recent scientific symposium in Budapest, Hungary. For Merck Animal Health (formerly Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health), this marked the fifth annual event that organizers call a “three-in-one” symposium, which brings together veterinarians from the poultry, livestock and companion animal sectors. “The combination of our science and technical expertise with leading practitioners and opinion leaders from different segments of the industry creates a fascinating and lively forum that is educational for (Continued on next page)

POULTRY TIMES, April 9, 2012 (Continued from previous page)

everyone involved,” said István Gróf, general manager for Merck Animal Health in Hungary. More information can be obtained at http://www.merck-animal-health.com.

Merial acquires Newport swine vaccine company PARIS — Merial, the Animal Health division of Sanofi, announced on April 2 that it has acquired Newport Laboratories, a privately held company based in Worthington, Minn., which focuses on swine and bovine production markets. “Newport has demonstrated over time the ability to screen field samples and produce autogenous vaccines from large integrated producers with remarkable efficiency,” said Jose Barella, CEO of Merial. “The combination of Newport’s expertise and Merial’s strength in technology and geographic footprint will reinforce our exposure to the swine market segment and illustrates our strategy to expand our position in treatments for production animals.” Newport Laboratories’ molecular diagnostic technology assists in identifying pathogens, and their novel manufacturing technologies are used to produce autogenous vaccines, offering veterinarians and producers alternative methods to help prevent diseases in food animals, the company said,

7 adding that due to this specific positioning, Newport has developed a unique relationship in the U.S. with swine producers. Dr. Randy Simonson, COO of Newport Laboratories, said, “Joining forces with Merial allows us to expand our expertise in the market and enhance the profitability of our customers through solution-based animal healthcare offerings. We will also be able to reach untapped markets in the U.S., and eventually, even bring our expertise to the rest of the world.” This acquisition will enable Merial to expand its production animal business in the U.S. and optimize Merial’s product technology with Newport’s demand realization expertise, thus providing a unique opportunity to meet the needs of U.S. swine producers, the company noted. Newport Laboratories will continue to operate from its Worthington site. More information can be obtained at http://www.merial.com; and http://www.newportlabs.com.

Aviagen launches new production school HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Aviagen has announced the launch of its first Production Management School for customers based in Europe, Turkey, the Middle East and Africa following the success of similar schools in the U.S., China and Brazil, the company said. The new school will be aimed at poultry professionals involved in the broiler industry in these re-

gions and will complement and build on the experience of the existing well-established and highlyregarded customer education programs, Aviagen adds. The format of the school is modular, with individual week-long courses planned specifically on the management of broilers, breeders and hatchery/incubation. “The key aim of the new school is to provide poultry education to customers’ production and technical managers,” said Graeme Dear, general manager of Aviagen Ltd. “Participants will have an ideal opportunity to gain a detailed understanding of the main drivers in the poultry meat industry. This will enable them to manage, through best practice, broiler breeder flocks with optimum welfare, biological and economic performance.” The first module will be held in Edinburgh, Scotland, from Aug. 25-Sept. 1, at Heriot-Watt University and focuses on breeder management. It will include a series of lectures, practical workshops and demonstrations and will be presented by a mix of Aviagen specialists and external experts. More information can be obtained by e-mail at school@aviagen.com; or at http://www.aviagen.com.

Foodmate US moves to new headquarters BALL GROUND, Ga. — To accommodate growth, Foodmate US recently purchased a larger building for its headquarters.

Business Foodmate US is now housed at 300 Wilbanks Drive in Ball Ground, Ga., moving from its previous offices in nearby Canton. The company’s space is more than five times larger than the previous office, increasing from 5,800 to 31,000 square feet. “Our new space in Ball Ground is much larger than our original site in Canton that we opened early last year,” said Scott Hazenbroek, president of Foodmate US. “We quickly outgrew the building. Our new site gives us room to meet

continued staff growth and space for inventory.” Foodmate US’s new headquarters house the company’s sales staff, account and support personnel. It features a warehouse for inventory storage, conference room and a space that can be used as a demonstration room. There are additional areas that can be adapted to future needs, the company said. More information can be obtained at 678-819-5270, or http:// www.foodmate.nl.

•Partnership (Continued from page 6)

medicine at Cornell University. “This state-of-the-art learning environment will encourage innovation and flexibility in the profession, while meeting the needs of all those involved by aligning the abilities of the veterinarian with their clients’ and patients’ needs and responding to an identified need among practice owners to maintain their skills, improve their approach to practice management and continually develop their professional knowledge.” “At Pfizer Animal Health, we are proud to be part of this groundbreaking partnership with Cornell and Texas A&M, which will allow us to offer exciting opportunities for veterinarians to access worldclass learning that will be highly relevant and immediately applicable to their practices, produced by undisputed leaders in their scientific fields and delivered in an exciting technology platform,” said Dr. Michael McFarland, group director Companion Animal Veterinary Operations U.S., Pfizer Animal Health. “This is just another example of our ongoing commitment to education, innovation and professional readiness for veterinarians and this partnership is just the vehicle to ensure sustained development and delivery of top quality, unbiased, science-based education.”

POULTRY TIMES, April 9, 2012

•Vaccine

•Meeting (Continued from page 2)

and Abundant Food a Global Reality,” Justin Chestnut, Elanco. Broiler Session Chance Bryant, Cobb-Vantress Inc., presiding. Committee: James Cook, Simmons Foods; Rusty Sikes, Simmons Foods; Lance Martin, Tyson Foods; Marty McGuire, Peco Foods; Devin Glenn, Tyson Foods. l “Wind Speed and Summer Ventilation,” Mike Czarick, UGA. l “Are We in the Chicken Business or the People Business?,” Dr. Leonard Fussell, Cobb-Vantress. l “Update on RSS,” Dr. Jack Rosenberger, Aviserve LLC. l “Optimizing Early Performance,” Matthew Wilson, Cobb-Vantress. Turkey Session Galen Davis, Butterball LLC, presiding. Committee: Randy Jones, Cargill; Chris Imhoff, Cargill; Craig McAtee, Butterball; Jason Witt, Cargill; Doug Pfiefler, Butterball; John Smalley, Butterball. l “Reovirus Update,” Dr. Jack Rosenberger, Aviserve LLC. l “Improving Summer Cooling,” Dr. Yi Liang, UA Div. of Agriculture.

(Continued from page 2)

l “Silent Histomoniasis on a Turkey Brooder Farm,” Dr. Mark Blakely, Phibro Animal Health. l “Current Trends in Turkey Health, Vaccination Practices and Welfare,” Dr. Helen Wojcinski, Hybrid Turkeys. Hatchery Session Jason Nordin, Simmons Foods, presiding. Committee: Cody Smith, George’s; Keith Bramwell, UA Div. of Agriculture; Travis Frick, Wayne Farms. l “Energy Cost Savings,” Chad Daniels, ChickMaster. l “Hatchery Sanitation,” Scott McKensie, Ivesco. l “Improving Hatch and Chick Quality,”Jerry Garrison, Jamesway. l “Monitoring Eggshell and Chick Quality,” Scott Martin, Cobb-Vantress. Breeder Session Pat Brown, Tyson Foods, presiding. Committee: Toby Tapp, Wayne Farms; Kevin Teeter, Tyson Foods; Frank Meyers, Simmons Foods; Ricky Pinkerton, George’s. l LED Lighting Systems for Breeders,” Michael Ostaffe, Once Innovation. l “Pullet Sorting,” Ken

Semon, Cobb-Vantress. l “Intestinal Worms for Pullets and Breeders,” Dr. Sara Steinlage, Elanco. l “Prolapse in Pullets: Causes and Treatments,” Jim Young. l “Effects of Nutritional Deficiencies in Breeders, Signs and Symptoms,” Dr. Bret Rings, Cobb-Vantress.

Registration Golf registration is available by calling Sara Landis at 479575-3192 or e-mailing slandis@ uark.edu. Team sponsorship (four individuals) is $500 and a Hole sponsorship (includes one team) is $1,500. Hotel reservations for the conference can be made by calling Embassy Suites Northwest Arkansas at 479-254-8400. To receive the discounted group conference rate for the 2011 Poultry Symposium, mention code PS2. For more information on the Spring Symposium or the vendor trade show, contact Joyce Martz at the Poultry Federation: Ph: 501-375-8131 or e-mail joyce@ thepoultryfederation.com. The Poultry Federation is a tristate trade association representing the poultry and egg industries in Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Offices are located in Little Rock, Ark., Jefferson City, Mo., and Oklahoma City, Okla.

•Videos (Continued from page 1)

The Iowa bill criminalizes the act of surreptitiously getting into a farming operation to videotape animal abuse. Veterinarian Joe Seng sponsored the Iowa bill and said it strikes a balance by discouraging animal activists from sneaking into livestock facilities but doesn’t prohibit someone who legitimately works there to report animal abuse. The penalty for lying on a job application to get ac-

cess to an Iowa farm facility increases to a serious misdemeanor in the bill, and a second conviction makes it an aggravated misdemeanor. A serious misdemeanor carries a fine of up to $1,500 and imprisonment up to one year. An aggravated misdemeanor can be punished by a fine of up to $5,000 and imprisonment of up to two years. Agricultural protection laws similar to the Utah and Iowa measures have been proposed in several other states, including Indiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New York and Tennessee.

And no new, effective antibiotics are on the horizon. “Although salmonella infections are extremely important to human and animal health around the world, up until this time, the target antigens that are so key to developing a vaccine had not been clearly defined,” McSorley said. In an effort to identify those antigens, the research team created an array, or collection, of 2,700 proteins, representing approximately 60 percent of all proteins produced by salmonella bacteria. The researchers found that 117 of those proteins behaved as antigens when mixed with blood serum from salmonella-infected mice, triggering an immune response to defend against the bacterial infection. Fourteen of those proteins were common to all four strains of mice involved in the study. The researchers also identified 14 proteins that served as antigens in the blood serum from Malawian children infected with salmonella. Eight of those 14 proteins, or 57 percent, were among the 117 antigens identified in the mice. “Discovery of the eight antigens in both mouse and human infections suggests that some of these antigens might be successfully used in developing a vaccine to protect against salmonella and that the mouse model of salmonella will be useful before vaccine research moves into clinical trials,” McSorley said. Also collaborating on this project: UC-Irvine; the University of Malawi, Chichiri, Malawi; Novartis Vaccines Institute for Global Health, Sienna, Italy; and the University of Birmingham, England. The National Institutes of Health, the Wellcome Trust and the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline provided funding for the study.

•Lab-made (Continued from page 1)

biosafety and biosecurity.” Editors of the journals Science and Nature, which plan to publish the works, said they were pleased by the recommendation. “Subject to any outstanding regulatory and legal issues, we intend to proceed with publication as soon as possible,” said Philip Campbell, editor-in-chief of Nature. The man-made viruses are locked in high-security labs. Publication in scientific journals is how scientists share their work so that their colleagues can build on it, perhaps finding ways to better monitor and thwart bird flu in the wild, for example. University of Pennsylvania bioethics professor Art Caplan said the board’s recommendation makes sense, primarily because the information in the studies is already being shared among scientists. “The details of this paper are already out, these two papers. The horse is out of the barn, and trying to yank it back doesn’t make much sense,” Caplan said. Natural bird flu has infected people through close contact with animals, and it doesn’t easily spread from person to person. Scientists fear that a highly transmissible bird flu could cause a lethal pandemic. The researchers say the transmissible germs they created did not actually kill the lab animals. The bird flu virus, called H5N1, has spread mostly through poultry in Asia for the past decade. It has killed more than 300 people since 2003, mostly in Asia.

N Saves Feed N Increases Chick Weight N Moderates Feed Flow N Simple Installation N Fits All

Chickmate Feeders

800-331-7509 125 Evelyn S. Wade Blvd., Buchanan, GA 30113 770-646-9327 Fax: 770-646-9329 Email: sales@chickmate.com

www.chickmate.com

P . . . o t o T G ! w o n e n i l n O t e n . s e m i t y r t l w.pou

e t i s b e w The . y r t s u d n i y r t l u o for the p rsion of e v e n li n o n Featuring a

s e m i T y r t Poul : news feature

y poultry il a d r u o d n a

Be effective in the national and international marketplace by advertising on www.poultrytimes.net Contact Cindy Wellborn 770-718-3443 cwellborn@poultrytimes.net P.O. Box 1338 • 345 Green St., N.W. • Gainesville, GA 30503 Ph: 770-536-2476 • Fax: 770-532-4894 • www.poultrytimes.net

FPM Inc. Poultry Moving Equipment Pullet Trailer Units Move over 12,000 birds economically per load. Rhino Rail Lift Gate 2000# Capacity

Poultry Moving Carts Galvanized Finish

Depopulation MAK Carts Meet UEP Standards

Move your birds the right way!

FPM Inc. Fairbury NE 402-729-2264 www.fpmne.com

Still on top of the pecking order Since 1954 — Poultry Times is the nation’s only poultry industry newspaper Poultry Times focuses each of its biweekly issues on topical news and informative features to a wide audience, ranging from growers to processors to affiliated industries, and anyone wishing to learn more about an industry that is a foundation of North Georgia.

Poultry Times offers full coverage of industry issues, including: L Housing & Equipment L Health L Government Regulations

L Industry Events L Food Safety L Processing

With up-to-date news and standing features, Poultry Times provides its readers with the complete picture of the poultry industry — from farm to table. And at an annual subscription price of just $18 for 26 regular issues, as well as other special issues; it is a tremendous value.

Poultry Times

The nation’s only poultry newspaper Your one-stop source for news and information

Find us on Facebook

26 is for sues only $1 8

To subscribe, call 770-536-2476 or visit www.poultrytimes.net

Randy Jones Insurance Agency, Inc. Serving Poultry Farmers Across the Southeast with locations in:

Albertville, AL

8600 US Highway 431 Albertville, AL 35950 256-878-3271 1-800-648-6584

Anniston, AL

501 Quintard Ave. Suite 3 Anniston, AL 36201 256-237-7508

Arab, AL

340 Cullman Rd Arab, AL 35016 256-586-6544

Birminghman, AL

14 Office Park, Suite 105A Birmingham, AL 35223 205-822-8150

Centre, AL

1520 Chestnut Bypas, PO Box 309 Centre, AL 35960 256-927-5155

Gadsden, AL

301 South Fifth Street Gadsden AL 35901 256-543-9594

SERVING ALL ALABAMA, TENNESSEE AND GEORGIA

Scottsboro, AL

419 E Laurel Street Scottsboro, AL 35768 256-259-2545

Woodland Office 23431 Highway 48 Woodland, AL 36280 256-449-2671

HAVE YOU SEEN THE

THREE THIEVES? Large Roundworm a.k.a. Ascaris galli*

Cecal Worm

a.k.a. Heterakis gallinae**

The patented industry leading electronic indicator for harsh washdown environments

Capillary Worm

a.k.a. Capillaria obsignata

Bench Scales

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let intestinal worms rob you of your uniformity and profits.

Fight back with HYGROMIX .

Â?Recommendation: feed to pullets and breeders at 12 g/ton from placement through 50 weeks of age1,2 Â?Spot treatment is a reaction to a problem that has already become costly. Intervene early with the continuous control of Hygromix.

Â?The ONLY FDA-approved product for proven, continuous control of all three thieves in chickens Â?Helps control parasite infections associated with the three thieves, protecting Intestinal Integrity, which drives uniformity and profitability

The label contains complete use information, including cautions and warnings. Always read, understand and follow the label and use recommendations. Hygromix must be withdrawn 3 days before slaughter.

The WeighTech line of bench scales offers processors the best of both worlds: functionality and durability. Our bench scales feature our industry leading MicroWeigh indicator, and is available in many sizes to fit your processing needs.

*Otherwise known as Ascaridia galli. **Otherwise known as Heterakis gallinarum. 1 Eckman, M.K. 1998. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Controlling Helminth Parasites in Layer, Broiler Breeder Flocks.â&#x20AC;? Poult. Sci.: June/July. 2 Shumard, R.F. et al. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hygromycin B: An Anthelmintc for Effective Control of Nematade Parasites of Chickens.â&#x20AC;? Symposium of Tylan and Hygromix. Hygromix is a registered trademark for Elancoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s brand of hygromycin. Elanco , Hygromix and the diagonal bar are registered trademarks of Eli Lilly and Company. ÂŠ 2012 Elanco Animal Health. All rights reserved. PBU 1283

Hygromix

1-800-457-3720

www.weightechinc.com

1649 Country Elite Drive, Waldron, AR 72958

Phone: 479-637-4182 Fax: 479-637-4183

Coming in MAY

ng Year lo tion nta e s e r p re

clude n i o t e r u s Make n the i n o i t a m r r ad & info e.

id u G e c r u o s oultry Re 1, 2012

you

2012 P

Deadline: M

POULTRY TIMES, April 9, 2012

•ERS (Continued from page 1)

meat production at 5.86 billion pounds for the year. Table eggs are forecast to increase production for the year to 6.64 billion dozen, an increase of approximately 6.1 billion dozen from last year, the report noted.

Broilers “The estimate for 2012 broiler meat production was reduced from (January forecasts) by 400 million pounds to 36.1 billion pounds, down 3 percent from 2011,” ERS said. “Most of the reduction is the result of lower expectations for broiler weights. For the first three quarters of 2011, average broiler weights had been sharply higher than the previous year but in the fourth quarter fell below the previous year. The combination of lower chicks being placed for growout and expected lower weights is the major factor in the reduced production estimate.” The department also notes that product demand will be influenced by the domestic economy and unemployment rates, adding that expansion of broiler production, “will continue to be influenced by the outlook for feed costs.” Broiler production for the last quarter of 2011 was 8.9 billion pounds, a decrease of 6.6 percent from 2010, the report said. “The decrease was again due to both a decrease in the number of broilers being slaughtered (down 6 percent) and a decrease in the average liveweight at slaughter (down 0.7 percent),” ERS said. “The average liveweight per bird at slaughter in fourth quarter 2011 was 5.83 pounds. The fourth quarter was the only quarter where the average weight was less than the previous year.” Broiler meat exports for this year are being anticipated to be slightly more than last year, the report noted. And in regard to overall prices of broiler meat products, they are “expected to continue to gradually move higher in 2012 due to the influence of high prices for competing meats and lower levels of broiler production.” Eggs Table eggs are anticipated to have produc-

Health tion increases for all four quarters of 2012, with the majority of the total being for the first of the year, ERS said. “The production growth is expected to come from small increases in the number of hens in the table egg flock, with relatively little change in the rate of eggs produced per bird,” the report noted. “The number of birds in the table egg flock was down for the last six months of 2011, but the flock is expected to average above year-earlier levels through the first several months of 2012 as strong prices encourage production. Higher egg production is also expected to be supported by higher prices for most livestock and poultry products.” The department is estimating hatching egg production to be 1.04 billion dozen for the year, a decrease of 1.7 percent from last year. “The decline in production of hatching eggs reflects the expected decline in broiler production,” ERS noted. “The reduction in production is expected to mirror changes in broiler output, with production down on a year-over-year basis in the first three quarters and increasing in the fourth quarter.” Decreases in broiler production has also led to a decrease in the need for meat-type eggs, the report said, adding that, “the number of hens in the broiler-breeder flock averaged 3.2 percent lower in 2011 than in the previous year. The number of birds in the broiler-breeder flock is expected to remain lower than the previous year through the first half of 2012 and then to move slightly higher as demand for broiler chicks increases.” Wholesale table egg prices for 2011, Grade A Large, were at an average of $1.15 per dozen, ERS noted. Wholesale table egg prices are being forecast to average $1.03 to $1.09 per dozen for this year.

Turkeys “Turkey meat production is expected to show a slight decline in the first quarter 2012, but then increase in the remaining three quarters of the year,” the report said. “The increased meat production is expected to arise from a larger number of birds slaughtered, as average liveweight at slaughter is expected to remain near year-earlier levels.

“Turkey producers, like other livestock producers, will continue to be influenced by the outlook for feed costs and the uncertainty over sustained growth in the domestic economy.” Turkey meat production totaled 1.5 billion pounds for the last quarter of 2011, which was a decline of less than 1 percent from 2010, ERS said. “The decrease in turkey meat production in fourth quarter 2011 was due to a smaller number of turkeys slaughtered (down 0.6 percent), as the average liveweight of those birds at slaughter was basically the same as the previous year,” report noted. “”With turkey production expected to be lower in the first quarter, but higher in the remaining three quarters, turkey quarterly ending stocks are expected to remain slightly above yearearlier levels throughout 2012.” Prices for frozen whole hen turkeys were an average of 98.4 cents per pound for January, which was 12 percent more than the same month in 2011, but approximately 8 cents per pound less than for December 2011, ERS said, adding that this is the usual seasonal decline for the first of they year. The report added that, “with only slightly higher production expected during the first half of 2012 and relatively low beginning stocks of whole birds and other turkey meat, national prices for frozen hens are expected to remain above year-earlier levels through the first half of 2012.”

Ag trade Exports in 2012 for poultry, livestock and dairy have been increased to a record $29.2 billion, an increase of $1.9 billion from 2011, ERS notes in its recent “Outlook for U.S. Agricultural Trade” report. “For poultry products, higher unit values, partnered with escalating Asian demand, led to an increase of over $300 million,” the report said. “Other livestock products are revised higher by more than $300 million, mostly on surging live cattle exports. Pork exports are raised $100 million on greater volumes to Asia.” The department is estimating overall U.S. agricultural exports for fiscal 2012 at $131 billion.

Avian Influenza remains a menace The Associated Press

HANOI, Vietnam — Thought bird flu was gone? Recent human deaths in Asia and Egypt are a reminder that the H5N1 virus is still alive and dangerous, and Vietnam is grappling with a new strain that has outsmarted vaccines used to protect poultry flocks. Ten people have died in Cambodia, Indonesia, Egypt, China and Vietnam since December during the prime-time flu season when the virus typically flares in poultry. “We are worried, and we will be very cautious,” said To Long Thanh, director of Vietnam’s Center for Animal Health Diagnostics in Vietnam. The H5N1 virus has killed 345 people worldwide since 2003, when it rampaged across large swaths of Asia decimating poultry stocks before later surfacing in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Europe. The number of poultry outbreaks has greatly diminished since then, but the virus remains entrenched in several countries and continues to surface sporadically, resulting in 20 to 30 human deaths globally in recent years. Bird flu remains hard for people to catch, with most people sickened after being in close contact with infected poultry, but experts have long feared it could spark a pandemic if it mutates into a form that spreads easily among people.

See Influenza, Page 16

POULTRY TIMES, April 9, 2012

Calendar Compiled by Barbara Olejnik, Associate Editor 770-718-3440 bolejnik@poultrytimes.net

APR 10-11 — EGG INDUSTRY ISSUES FORUM, Holiday Inn Hotel, EastStapleton, Denver, Colo. Contact: Egg Industry Center, 201 Kildee Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 500113150; 515-294-8587; answeb@ iastate.edu; http://www.ans.iastate. edu/EIC. APR 13 — OPA CELEBRATION BANQUET, Renaissance Columbus Downtown Hotel, Columbus, Ohio. Contact: Ohio Poultry Association, 5930 Sharon Woods Blvd., Columbus, Ohio 43229. Ph: 614-882-6111; jchakeres@ohiopoultry.org; http://www.ohiopoultry. org. APR 13-14 — GPF ANNUAL MTNG., Brasstown Valley Resort, Young Harris, Ga. Contact: Georgia Poultry Federation, P.O. Box 763, Gainesville, Ga. 30503. Ph: 770-532-0473. APR 13-15 — ALABAMA CHICKEN & EGG FESTIVAL, Lions Club Fairgrounds, Moulton, Ala. Contact: Festival web site at http://www.alabamachickenandeggfestival.com. APR 16-18 — HUMAN RESOURCES SMNR., Sandestin Golf & Beach Resort, Destin, Fla. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 300847303, Ph: 770-493-9401; info@ uspoultry.org; http://www.uspoultry. org, APR 24-25 — PF LIVE PRODUCTION SYMPM., Rogers, Ark. Contact: Poultry Federation, P.O. Box 1446, Little Rock, Ark. 72203. Ph: 501-3758131; http://www.thepoultryfederation.com. APR 25 — CPF QUALITY ASSURANCE SMNR., Stanislaus County Ag Center, Modesto, Calif. Contact: California Poultry Federation, 4640 Spyres Way, Suite 4, Modesto, Calif. 95356. Ph: 209-576-6355; califpoultry@cs.com; http://www.cpif.org. APR 28 — SPRING CHICKEN FESTIVAL & PARADE, Gainesville, Ga. Contact: Kelly Norman, Keep Hall Beautiful, 770-535-8280, knorman@hallcounty. org. APR 30-May 1 — FEDERAL FOOD REGULATORY CONF., Washington, D.C. Contact: Susan Glenn, conference coordinator, Prime Label Consultants, 536 7th St., S.E., Washington, D.C. 20003. Ph: 202546-3333; conference@primelabel. com; http://www.primelabel.com. APR 30-May 1 — I-RIM CONF., Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina Resort, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Contact: International Reflective Insulation Manufacturers (IRIM), rima@rima.net. APR 30-May 3 — AMI INT’L. MEAT POULTRY & SEAFOOD CONV., Dallas Convention Center, Dallas,

Texas. Contact: American Meat Institute, 1150 Connecticut Ave., N.W., 12th Floor, Washington, D.C. 20036. Ph: 202-587-4200; http://www.meatami. com MAY 1-3 — FMI EXHIBIT & EDUCATION EVENT, Dallas Convention Center, Dallas Texas. Contact: Food Marketing Institute, 2345 Crystal Drive, Suite 800, Arlington, Va. 22202-4813. Ph: 202-4528444; fmi@fmi.org; http://www.fmi.org. MAY 1-3 — UFPA UNITED FRESH MARKETPLACE & FRESHTECH, Dallas Convention Center, Dallas, Texas. Contact: United Fresh Produce Association, 1901 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 1100, Washington, D.C. 20006. Ph: 202-303-3400; united@unitedfresh.org; http://www.unitedfreshs. org. MAY 2-3 — STAKEHOLDERS SUMMIT, Arlington, Va. Contact: Animal Agriculture Alliance, 2101 Wilson Blvd, Suite 916B, Arlington, Va. 22201. Ph: 703-562-5160; http://www.animalagalliance.org. MAY 3-4 — POULTRY BREEDERS OF AMERICA NATIONAL BREEDERS ROUNDTABLE, Airport Marriott Hotel, St. Louis, Mo. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770-4939401; info@uspoultry.org; http://www. uspoultry.org, MAY 7-9 — UEP LEGISLATIVE BOARD MTNG., Washington Court Hotel, Washington, D.C. Contact: United Egg Producers, 1720 Windward Concourse, Suite 230, Alpharetta, Ga. 30005. Ph: 770-360-9220; gene@unitedegg.com; http://www.unitedegg. com. MAY 15-16 — TPF ANNUAL CONV., College Station, Texas. Contact: Texas Poultry Federation, 595 Round Rock W. Drive, Suite 305, Round Rock, Texas 78681. Ph: 512-248-0600; tpf@ texaspoultry.org; http://www.texaspoultrly.org. MAY 16-17 — POULTRY PROCESSOR WORKSHOP, Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Ga. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770-493-9401; info@uspoultry.org; http://www.uspoultry.org, MAY 21-24 — NATIONAL EGG QUALITY SCHOOL, Indianapolis, Ind. Contact: Deanna Baldwin, Program Manager, Maryland Department of Agriculture, Food Quality Assurance Program, 50 Harry S. Truman Pkwy., Annapolis, Md. 21401. Ph: 410-841-5769; baldwidl@mda.state.md.us. MAY 20-23 — ALLTECH HEALTH & NUTRITION SYMPM., Lexington, Ky. Contact: Alltech, symposium@ alltech.com; http://www.alltech. com/symposium.

Poultry organizations urge support for NPIP WASHINGTON —U.S. poultry organizations have called for increased levels of funding and support for the National Poultry Improvement Plan, a program that is “directly vital to the US poultry and egg industries and indirectly beneficial to the U.S. economy.” In a March 16 letter to USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service, the National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation, United Egg Producers, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and USA Poultry Export Council “strongly encourage moving past simply maintaining present levels of funding and support, and attempting to secure increased NPIP resources in both staffing and funding.” NPIP began in 1935 as a joint federal, state and industry effort to eradicate Salmonella pullorum. It has since expanded to include a variety of programs developed to address other highly pathogenic diseases in poultry (such as avian influenza), as well as food safety threats to humans like Salmonella enteritidis. “On behalf of our respective members, we strongly support the continued efforts of NPIP to help establish production and/or health standards for segments of the U.S. poultry industry, including broilers, turkeys,

•Roney (Continued from page 4)

Safety Modernization Act under the FDA. This is sweeping legislation that will be felt in several agencies and throughout many segments of the poultry industry. The new law is intended to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus of federal regulators from responding to contamination to preventing it. This law has three major categories which must be followed by all food companies: (1) Improving capacity to prevent food safety problems. This is a proactive approach involving records management, registration of facilities, hazard analysis with risk based preventive measures and protection against intentional adulteration. (2) Improving capacity to detect and respond to food safety problems. This involves laboratory accreditation for analysis of foods, enhanced tracking and tracing of foods and mandatory recall authority. (3) Improving the safety of imported food. Foreign supplier verification requirements and inspection of foreign food facilities are some of the areas covered.

commercial egg layers, primary breeders and multiplier breeders, as well as hobby and exhibition poultry, waterfowl and game bird breeders,” the groups wrote. “Every year, NPIP faces tremendous challenges posed by limited staffing and funding,” the letter continues. “On a state level, NPIP operates with significant industry support, but the NPIP office located in Conyers, Georgia, requires, and should receive, adequate federal funding to maintain efficiencies and the ability to deal directly with state, federal and global constituents. As NPIP programs grow in importance, it is imperative that said growth be matched by federal support.” The five associations represent the production from approximately 30,500 family farmers who raise broiler chickens, 8,000 family farmers who raise turkeys and more than 30,000 family farmers who produce eggs for both domestic and export consumption. The combined membership of these organizations represent an industry worth approximately $40 billion per year, of which more than $5.1 billion worth of product was exported in 2011.

The Food Safety Modernization Act will likely have a profound impact on how we produce and process poultry in the United States. The NPIP will undoubtedly be called on once again to provide assistance in reaching many of the new goals that will be mandated by this legislation. The “One Health” initiative is a movement to forge co-equal, all inclusive collaborations between both human and veterinary health professionals. This notion is intent on bringing together the many disciplines of animal and human health and encourages interaction among these groups. The federal government has reached a critical budgetary state. Spending must be curtailed to ensure the economic future of our country. Agencies will be asked to do more with fewer resources and less employees. This tight rein on spending will necessitate interagency and intra-agency cooperation in order to accomplish goals which have been set. Recent collaboration between FDA and USDA has established a precedent for this kind of cooperation and will hopefully set the stage for a continuing commitment of all involved agencies to apply those resources necessary to assure the safest and most wholesome food supply in the world.

POULTRY TIMES, April 9, 2012

Veterinary medicine addresses animal production WASHINGTON — At the recent 2012 Annual Conference of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), veterinarians, veterinary medical educators, and representatives of the food animal production industry discussed the rapidly changing nature of animal agriculture and how veterinary medical education and veterinary practice can respond. Experts described a strong global demand for food combined with the changing dynamic in the U.S. of the consolidation of the poultry and livestock industries and the regionalization of the poultry, swine and dairy industries. In the U.S., the swine industry is primarily located in the upper Midwest and in North

Carolina; the poultry industry is primarily located in Southeastern part of the country. In contrast, the dairy industry is migrating west, focusing in the upper Midwest, California, Oklahoma, eastern New Mexico and the Texas panhandle. In each commodity, the number of farms is decreasing but the size of operations is increasing, reducing the number of veterinarians required to serve on a day-to-day basis, the group noted. Instead, these industries are hiring veterinarians as consultants for specialized services related to education and management to minimize diseases, address food safety and animal welfare concerns and become more involved in managing the

impact of these operations on the environment. “Rural veterinary practitioners will need to respond to this changing dynamic by offering a diversity of services, including those that address the health of all species as well as the community’s public health and environmental management needs,” said veterinarian Bennie Osburn, interim executive director of the AAVMC. Worldwide, experts expect that a great demand for agriculture and animal protein will expand the market for U.S.-produced food, increasing the need for the veterinary medical supervision and expertise. For example, in size, China is about equal to or slightly smaller

UGA researchers use gold nanoparticles to diagnose flu in minutes at low cost ATHENS, Ga. — Arriving at a rapid and accurate diagnosis is critical during flu outbreaks, but until now, physicians and public health officials have had to choose between a highly accurate yet time-consuming test or a rapid but error-prone test. A new detection method developed at the University of Georgia and detailed in the journal Analyst, however, offers the best of both worlds. By coating gold nanoparticles with antibodies that bind to specific strains of the flu virus and then measuring how the particles scatter laser light, the technology can detect influenza in minutes at a cost of only a fraction of a penny per exam. “We’ve known for a long time that you can use antibodies to capture viruses and that nanoparticles have different traits based on their size,” said study co-author Ralph Tripp, Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar in Vaccine Development in the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine. “What we’ve done is combine the two to create a diagnostic test that is rapid and highly sensitive.” Working in the UGA Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, Tripp and co-author Jeremy Driskell linked immune system proteins known as antibodies with gold nanoparticles. The gold nanoparticle-antibody complex aggregates with any virus present in a sample, and a commercially available device measures

the intensity with which the solution scatters light. Driskell explained that gold nanoparticles, which are roughly a tenth of the width of a human hair, are extremely efficient at scattering light. Biological molecules such as viruses, on the other hand, are intrinsically weak light scatterers. The clustering of the virus with the gold nanoparticles causes the scattered light to fluctuate in a predictable and measurable pattern. “The test is something that can be done literally at the point-of-care,” said Driskell, who worked on the technology as an assistant research scientist in Tripp’s lab. “You take your sample, put it in the instrument, hit a button and get your results.” Gold is often thought of as a costly metal, but the new diagnostic test uses such a small amount — less than what would fit on the head of the pin — that the cost is one-hundredth of a cent per test. The researchers noted that the current standard for definitively diagnosing flu is a test known as PCR, for polymerase chain reaction. PCR can only be done in highly specialized labs and requires that specially trained personnel incubate the sample for three days, extract the DNA and then amplify it many times. The entire process, from sample collection to result, takes about a week and is too costly for routine testing.

See Nanoparticles, Page 12

than the U.S. but 70 percent of China’s land mass is mountains, plateaus and hills, much of which is not conducive for agriculture or livestock, the group added. With 1.34 billion people versus 313 million in the U.S., China is expected to experience a huge demand for food to feed its burgeoning population, as will other areas of the globe. “The animal health industry is at a crossroads,” said Rick Sibbel, director of technical services for U.S. cattle for Merck Animal Health, who pointed out that the veterinarians of tomorrow will need business and communication skills as well as medical skills. His observation aligns with the recommendations outlined in “The Roadmap for Vet-

erinary Medical Education in the 21st Century: Responsive, Collaborative, Flexible,” a report produced by the AAVMC as part of the North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium (NAVMEC), which calls for an emphasis on the competencies required for practice. For rural practitioners, those competencies would include communication skills, personnel management, education of farm workers, business skills and leadership, AAVMC said. The report also addressed the importance of reducing educational costs and student debt, as well as the recommended development of Centers of Excellence, which

See Vets, Page 16

When it comes to pressure washers & parts, Water Cannon, Inc has been putting the power in your hands for 30 years

LONG LASTING PORTABLE BELT DRIVE MODELS UP TO 6000 PSI Head to watercannon.com for a wide selection of heavy duty high power gas pressure washers. The 20 HP Honda GX630 engine powered beast shown here, offers major muscle and unrivaled parts warranties.

HIGH IMPACT ROTATING NOZZLES FOR IMPROVED CLEANING EFFICIENCY Get the most out of your pressure washer with a rotating nozzle a low cost, highly beneficial accessory.

Visit

watercannon.com Call 800-333-9274

POULTRY TIMES, April 9, 2012

Nutrient found in dark meat may •Nanoparticles have cardiovascular benefits (Continued from page 11)

NEW YORK — A nutrient found in the dark meat of poultry may provide protection against coronary heart disease (CHD) in women with high cholesterol, according to a study by researchers at New York University Langone Medical Center. The study, published online in the European Journal of Nutrition, evaluated the effects of taurine, a naturallyoccurring nutrient found in the dark meat of turkey and chicken, as well as in some fish and shellfish, on CHD. It revealed that higher taurine intake was associated with significantly lower CHD risk

among women with high total cholesterol levels. The same association was not seen in women with low cholesterol levels, however. There is very little information available about taurine, said principal investigator Dr. Yu Chen, associate professor of epidemiology at NYU School of Medicine, part of NYU Langone Medical Center. While there have been some animal studies that indicate taurine may be beneficial to cardiovascular disease, this is the first published prospective study to look at serum taurine and CHD in humans, she explained. “Our findings were

Classifieds For classified advertising information 770-536-2476

908 Supplies All Star Packaging For Sale: Egg Cartons - pulp or foam, 30 dz egg cases, 5x6 or 4x5 filler flats, 2 1/2 dz egg sleeves and plastic 5x6 filler flats. 954-781-9066; www.eggboxes.com. DISCOUNT EGG CARTONS. Buy Online. Poultry Supplies, Egg Baskets, Incubators, Egg Wash Powder. Free Catalog. www.EggCartons.com (888) 852-5340. Fall Harvest Products. Wholesale quantity pricing on laying nests, automatic hen house doors, desktop incubators & hatching access., mini egg washers & small poultry items. www.fallharvestproducts.com 1-866-352-6652 The Egg Carton Store. Online store with wholesale prices on Cartons, Trays, Nests, Incubators & much more. 866-333-1132. www.eggcartonstore.com

Visit www.poultrytimes.net

Business Opportunity, hatchery for sale. Excellent buildings and equipment including delivery vehicles and grow out building plus strong customer base, located eastern Iowa. Other options please call 563-6525407 and ask for Becky. www.sandprariequailfarm.com

924 Wants All Star Packaging Wants to buy Used pulp and plastic egg flats - used 15 dz wire or plastic baskets - overruns or misprint egg cartons foam or pulp - egg carts 240 or 360 dozen. 954-781-9066; www.eggboxes.com.

Poultry diagnostic test kits for vaccine and outbreak responses USDA licensed biological facility. Licensed test kits include NDV, IBV, IBD, REO, AEV MG, MS, ALV, AIV

479-464-0991 main@affinitech.net www.affinitech.net

very interesting. Taurine, at least in its natural form, does seem to have a significant protective effect in women with high cholesterol.” Coronary heart disease is the leading killer of U.S. men and women, causing one in five deaths. Also known as coronary artery disease, it is caused by the buildup of plaque in the arteries to the heart. Large prospective epidemiologic studies have provided evidence that nutritional factors are important modifiable risk factors for CHD. For the serum taurine study,

See Nutrient, Page 15

Advertising Rates Visa MasterCard American Express accepted

The alternative is a rapid test known as a lateral flow assay. The test is cost effective and can be used at the point-of-care, but it can’t identify the specific viral strain. It also misses up to 50 percent of infections and is especially error-prone when small quantities of virus are present, Driskell added. By overcoming the weaknesses of existing diagnostic tests, the researchers hope to enable more timely diagnoses that can help halt the spread of flu by accurately identifying infections and allowing physicians to begin treatment early, when antiviral drugs, such as Tamiflu, are most effective.

Poultry Tripp and Driskell are planning to compare the new diagnostic test with another that Tripp and his colleagues developed that measures the change in frequency of a laser as it scatters off viral DNA or RNA. Tripp also is working to adapt the new technique so that poultry producers can rapidly detect levels of salmonella in bath water during processing. Poultry is the largest agricultural industry in Georgia, he pointed out, so the technology could have a significant impact on the state’s economy. “This test offers tremendous advantages for influenza, but we really don’t want to stop there,” Tripp said. “Theoretically, all we have to do is exchange our anti-influenza antibody out with an antibody for another pathogen that may be of interest, and we can do the same test for any number of infectious agents.”

Open Rate $5.98 per line / 3 line minimum

Special Bold Face Type available at $5.60 per line. Blind Box Charge $5.60 per issue; 4 issues for $2.80 each; Classified Display: Open rate $40.00 per column inch

For Sale New 60” variable speed white epoxy finish $125.00 each. Can deliver

Place ad in 4 issues/3 lines minimum, only $4.65 per line, each insertion

Terra-Gator, Big A, Case, Tyler, Semi and Full-Flotation Trucks 3, 4 and 5 Wheeled Machines

Ag Application Equipment www.agapeq.com

270-213-0969

309-824-0963 Email: jhs1967@frontier.com

Poultry Equipment

We Buy and Sell GOOD Used Incubators

Wanted: CM 102 and Farm Racks

Aquatech specializes in water quality equipment for the poultry industry. Gas Chlorination, Iron Filtration, and Pond systems. Give us a call at

1-800-850-2423 www.aquatechpro.com

Save $1.33 per line

Self-Propelled High Flotation Spreading Machinery

Ceiling Fans

Water Quality Problems?

Budget Saver

Also Residue from Control Panel Up Grades, All Kinds. For Sale: We have enough USED incubators in stock to Hatch over a million eggs per week. Lawing Incubator Co PH 828-738-4427

www.fpmne.com

www.incubators.com

Email joe@incubators.com

POULTRY TIMES, April 9, 2012

•Measures (Continued from page 5)

four to six times. Results indicate that DPM stimulated via the FWE technique is proportional but several fold greater and relatively less variable than spontaneously occurring levels (Lien et al., 2009). During repeated contractions, circulation to muscle is increased markedly to supply oxygen and nutrients. Hence, muscles swell due to an increase in intracellular fluid. The tenders of chickens increase in weight by about 20 percent due to this swelling (Martindale et al., 1979). Most muscles have room to expand so an increase in size does not impair function. However, because they lie in rigid compartments, bordered by the sternum, keel and an inelastic fascia, broiler tenders cannot expand during activity. Therefore, muscle swelling impairs blood flow due to an increase in intramuscular pressure (it “strangulates” itself) and ischemia rapidly develops (Martindale et al., 1979). This phenomenon occurs in “compartment syndrome” in similarly fascia constricted muscles of the lower appendages of man (Siller, 1985) and is well known as “March gangrene” or “shin splints” (Siller et al., 1979b). Following nerve stimulation forcing the repeated contraction of tenders, compartmental pressures of up to 600 mm Hg were measured in broilers, compared to pressures of 100-160 mm Hg in chickens not selected for rapid growth and large breast musculature (Martindale et al., 1979). In these birds, ischemia lasted for about 1 hour. In broilers, ischemia persisted for up to 24 hours. High compartmental pressures also returned to normal much sooner in the light than heavy breeds of chickens (Wight et al., 1979). The induction of DPM can be prevented by surgical incision of the constricting fascia prior to stimulation (Siller et al., 1979a) which highlights the role of the inelastic fascia in preventing muscle expansion and causing increased intramuscular pressure. It has been hypothesized that

intensive selection for breast meat yield may have contributed to prevalence of DPM in turkeys, where the defect appears to be inherited (Grunder et al., 1984; Siller, 1985). Up until 1990, few broilers were deboned, that is most were marketed whole or as bone-in parts. Therefore, DPM typically went largely undetected at the processing plant. The relatively few lesions occurring were sometimes discovered by consumers after cooking, which caused some complaints and product rejects or returns. This generally resulted in relatively minor economic losses or hard to detect losses in consumer acceptance. Since the percentage of broilers that are deboned, and hence the weights to which they are being grown, have both increased steadily over the last 20 years, both the incidence and detection of DPM in the plant has increased. Concurrently, there has been an increase in genetic selection pressure for greater breast meat yield in broiler stocks. Recent field reports from deboning plants in the U.S. and South America (Bilgili and Hess, 2002) Italy (Bianchi et al., 2006), Poland (Kijowski and Konstanczak, 2009), and Greece (Georgopoulou et al., 2005) verify an increasing rate of occurrence of broiler DPM. The incidence is expected to increase in the future, as selection for breast meat yield continues and broilers are increasingly marketed at heavier weights (Bilgili and Hess, 2002; Bianchi et al., 2006).

Monitoring studies During the last decade, we have been monitoring the occurrence of DPM in broiler growth and yield studies conducted at Auburn University with commercially available strains of broilers (Bilgili et al, 2000; Bilgili and Hess, 2002). In these studies, spontaneously occurring DPM varied from 3 percent to 17 percent, seemed to be higher in broilers with greater growth rates, high in cool weather and was more common in males than females. More recently, when using the FWE method to assess susceptibil-

ity to DPM, the gender effect was found to be relatively slight, and the influence of weight when age and sex effects were accounted for was negligible (Lien et al., 2008). However, DPM occurrence was greater in breast meat yield as compared to cut-up strains of broilers (Lien et al., 2009). In order to aid in field identification of factors causing DPM, a color poster was prepared that illustrated and described lesions induced by FWE one, three, five, eight and 11 days prior to slaughter. Mild redness and swelling of the tender muscles was noted at one day post exercise, while red hemorrhages covered much of the surface of the muscle at three days. At five days post exercise, blood breakdown was evident, with yellow and green pigmentation in addition to some remaining blood. At eight and 11 days post exercise, hemoglobin breakdown to associated pigments was complete, with a significant deterioration of muscle quality (Lien et al., 2010a and b). When we attempted to induce DPM with the FWE technique prior to about 35 days of age we observed no lesions. In addition we observed that DPM must be caused by wing flapping at least 24 to 48 hours before slaughter, since tenders take this long to develop the discolored lesions. In a limited preliminary trial on likely causes of DPM in the industry, lesions spontaneously occurred in 12 percent of control broilers, while only 5 percent of those driven over migration pipes twice daily from 10 to five days before slaughter developed DPM, but 20 percent of those subjected to a light intensity increases and caretaker disturbances daily during the same period developed DPM. Differences in photoperiod and intensity are known to markedly influence broiler activity levels. Increased activity levels were hypothesized to reduce the occurrence of DPM development by keeping tender muscles in better condition so that they withstand periods of flapping that might otherwise induce DPM (Siller, 1985).

Recently, we saw a reduction in spontaneously occurring DPM when broilers were provided ramps that had to be climbed over and “flown” off of to go from feed to water. However, activity inducing lighting programs had no effect and the incidence of induced DPM was not affected by either ramps or shorter photoperiods of brighter intensity (Lien et al., 2011). These results indicate that while ramps limited DPM susceptibility to naturally occurring inducers, a lighting program believed to increase activity did not, and neither reduced susceptibility to a strong artificial DPM inducer (the FWE technique). Creatine kinase (CK) is a muscle enzyme which is normally found in only limited amounts in the blood, but is found in elevated amounts following muscle damage. Blood CK levels are elevated in adult turkeys (Hollands et al., 1980) and broiler breeders (Grunder, 1983; Hollands et al., 1986) following the induction of DPM. Plasma samples collected before and 24 hours after FWE of broilers in our lab revealed

significantly elevated CK levels even in those in which DPM was not induced (14,000 before versus 56,000 after). However, many fold greater blood CK levels (408,000 after) were observed in broilers in which DPM was induced. Potential use of CK as an easily measured non-invasive marker for the occurrence of DPM in broilers is currently being investigated. It appears that multiple genetic, physiological and management factors play a role in the DPM susceptibility of broilers. At present the key to controlling this problem is to limit sudden and excessive wing activity through reducing stress and flock flightiness particularly after 35 days of age (Bilgili and Hess, 2008). Flightiness or excessive wing flapping may result from feed and water outages, human activity in the house, loud equipment or noises in or close to the house, increased day-lengths or light intensity, increasing light intensity episodically for flock inspection, or house preparation for feed and water withdrawal or catching.

MICHAEL FOODS INC

Immediate Opening! Excellent Benefits! Michael Foods Egg Products Company, the world’s largest supplier of processed eggs, has the following opportunity:

Veterinarian

We are seeking a highly motivated Poultry Veterinarian to oversee several million laying hens and pullets. The position has responsibilities for production contracts and internal production. The successful candidate must have a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree and 3-5 years of production experience, excellent written and verbal communication skills. For immediate consideration, please submit your resume to: Michael Foods, Inc. ATTN: Dave Meierdierks 105 N. Main Street, P.O. Box 573 Wakefield, NE 68784 dave.meierdierks@michaelfoods.com (402) 287-5222 EOE/AA

POULTRY TIMES, April 9, 2012

Markets

was mostly slow to moderate. In the parts structure, movement was light to moderate for early week trading. Prices were trending firm for tenders, steady to firm for breast items and wings, steady for dark meat cuts. Offerings were light for tenders, light to heavy for breast items, and moderate for wings and dark meat items. Market activity was slow to moderate. In production areas, live supplies were moderate at mixed, but mostly desirable weights.

Compiled by David B. Strickland, Editor 770-718-3442 dstrickland@poultrytimes.net

Nat’l. Broiler Market:

Offerings cover the full range, but was noted as mostly moderate to heavy for current trade needs. Retail and foodservice demand was light to moderate for first of the month business and Holy week. Floor stocks were mixed. Market activity

(Apr. 3): Whole broiler/fryer prices were trending weak to lower in the East, barely steady to weak in the Midwest, and steady in the West.

Parts: Georgia: The f.o.b. dock quoted prices on ice-pack parts based on truckload and pool truckload lots for the week of Apr. 4: line

run tenders $2.02; skinless/boneless breasts $1.58; whole breasts $1.00½¢; boneless/skinless thigh meat $1.31½; thighs 72¢; drumsticks 66¢; leg quarters 54¢; wings $1.89½.

Fowl: Mar. 30: Live spent heavy fowl Final prices at Farm Buyer Loading (per pound): range 8½¢-19¢

National Slaughter: Broiler: Estimated slaughter for week ending Apr. 7 is 151,645,000. Actual slaughter for the week ending Mar. 31 was 152,006,000. Heavy-type hen: Estimated slaugh-

The following chart provides an annual high and a comparison of recent activity of major poultry company stocks.

USDA Shell Eggs

AMS weekly combined region shell egg prices Average prices on sales to volume buyers, Grade A or better, White eggs in cartons, delivered warehouse, cents per dozen.

Annual High

Cal-Maine Campbell Soup ConAgra Hormel Pilgrim’s Pride Sanderson Farms Seaboard Tyson

42.40 35.66 27.34 30.50 7.80 55.05 2705.00 21.06

Mar. 30

Estimates: The estimated number of broilerfryers available for slaughter the week ending Apr. 7 is 151.9 million head compared to 161.7 million head slaughtered the same week last year. For the week of Apr. 14 the estimated available is 152.9 million head, notes USDA.

Broiler/Fryer Markets

Industry Stock Report

Company

ter for the week ending Apr. 7 is 1,250,000. Actual slaughter for the week ending Mar. 31 was 1,380,000. Light-type hen: Estimated slaughter for the week ending Apr. 7 is 1,778,000. Actual slaughter for the week ending Mar. 31 was 1,766,000. Total: Week of Apr. 7: 154,673,000. Week of Mar. 31: 155,152,000.

Mar. 30

Apr. 4

Extra Large Regions: Northeast 121.50 Southeast 125.50 Midwest 117.50 South Central 130.50 Combined 124.08

38.26 38.75 33.85 33.66 26.26 26.58 29.52 29.13 7.46 7.22 53.03 52.44 1951.00 1900.00 19.15 18.99

Large

Medium

121.00 123.50 115.50 128.50 122.42

97.50 96.00 94.50 98.50 96.71

Computed from simple weekly averages weighted by regional area populations

Grain Prices OHIO COUNTRY ELEV. Mar. 20 Mar. 27 Apr. 3 No. 2 Yellow Corn/bu. $6.68 $6.47 $6.60 Soybeans/bu. $13.42 $13.60 $13.89 (Courtesy: Prospect Farmers Exchange, Prospect, Ohio)

(Courtesy: A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc.)

USDA Composite Weighted Average For week of: Apr. 2 86.74¢ For week of: Mar. 26 91.58¢ Chi.-Del.-Ga.-L.A.-Miss.-N.Y.--S.F.-South. States For delivery week of: Mar. 19 Apr. 2 Chicago majority 92--96¢ 78--82¢ Mississippi majority 87--89¢ 82--88¢ New York majority 94--97¢ 87--90¢ For delivery week of: Mar. 21 Apr. 4 Delmarva weighted average 68¢--$1.12 70¢--$1.09 Georgia f.o.b. dock offering 93.25¢ 93.25¢ Los Angeles majority price $1.02 $1.02 San Francisco majority price $1.02½ $1.02½ Southern States f.o.b. average 64.13¢ 62.70¢

Turkey Markets Weighted avg. prices for frozen whole young turkeys Weighted average (cents/lb.) F.O.B. shipper dock National

Broiler Eggs Set/Chicks Placed in 19 States EGGS SET (Thousands)

Ala Ark

Ca,Tn,Wv

Del Fla Ga Ky La Md Miss Mo. N.C. Okla Pa S.C. Tex Va

19 States Total Prev. year % Prev. yr.

CHICKS PLACED (Thousands)

Mar. 10

Mar. 17

Mar. 24

Mar. 31

Mar. 10

Mar. 17

Mar. 24

Mar. 31

27,476 21,148 11,016 3,303 1,350 32,374 7,794 3,440 7,674 17,682 7,648 20,342 6,930 3,838 5,472 14,994 6,207

28,259 20,142 11,303 3,415 1,351 32,236 7,805 3,470 7,678 17,784 7,482 19,957 6,365 3,859 5,118 15,077 6,273

28,251 20,771 10,648 3,388 1,348 31,890 7,538 3,440 7,192 17,907 7,657 20,031 6,728 3,771 5,448 14,943 6,047

27,319 21,178 10,771 3,517 1,350 32,796 7,683 3,500 7,000 17,907 7,464 20,077 6,930 3,696 5,385 14,933 6,311

19,382 18,611 9,900 3,910 1,174 28,332 6,595 3,022 6,441 15,328 6,020 15,816 4,014 2,870 4,230 12,321 4,739

20,106 19,004 10,826 3,901 1,407 27,862 4,894 2,983 6,110 15,447 5,325 16,753 4,605 3,117 3,646 12,197 4,874

19,610 20,043 10,257 3,943 1,217 27,284 6,594 3,032 5,927 15,207 5,245 16,294 4,533 3,113 4,696 12,117 5,365

20,335 20,359 10,658 3,724 1,016 27,233 6,214 3,025 7,020 15,136 5,548 16,080 3,813 3,230 4,218 12,501 4,735

198,688 207,787

197,574 208,563

196,998 209,382

197,817 208,037

162,705 170,434

162,967 170,587

164,477 173,852

164,845 172,812

1/Current week as percent of same week last year.

Week ending Mar. 30 Hens (8-16 lbs.) Toms (16-24 lbs.) Week ending Mar. 23 Hens (8-16 lbs.) Toms (16-24 lbs.)

104.50 105.14 104.50 104.50

Last year 96.00 99.00 Mar. avg. 103.70 104.45

Egg Markets USDA quotations New York cartoned del. store-door: Mar. 30 Apr. 4 Extra large, down 10¢ $1.33--$1.37 $1.23--$1.27 Large, down 10¢ $1.31--$1.35 $1.21--$1.25 Medium, down 11¢ $1.06--$1.10 95--99¢ Southeast Regional del. warehouse: Mar. 30 Apr. 4 Extra large, up 13¢ $1.14½--$1.30 $1.27½--$1.35 Large, up 14¢ $1.10½--$1.28 $1.24½--$1.33 Medium, up 13¢ 83½¢--$1.01 96½¢--$1.04

POULTRY TIMES, April 9, 2012

AMERICAN EGG BOARD HOTLINE AEB Hotline appears regularly in Poultry Times and provides an update on programs and services provided for egg producers by the American Egg Board. Details on any item mentioned may be obtained by contacting AEB at 1460 Renaissance Dr., Park Ridge, Ill. 60068. Phone: 847296-7043. l AEB is partnering with Discovery Education as a way to bring the Good Egg Project into schools and target an older audience of students, parents and teachers. Through web traffic, promotional campaign, media outreach, social media, contest and farm tour, AEB will generate nearly 53 million impressions for Good Egg Project through this partnership. The 2012 program will include two farm-to-table lesson plans for teachers to use in the classroom, a Virtual Field trip on the Hickman’s Family Farms that includes a post-trip activity and a microsite — Education Station. Additionally, the promotional campaign will include online banners, direct-to-teacher outreach, social media outreach and media relations. l AEB is working with local NBC affiliates in five markets (San Francisco, Dallas, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York) to continue educating about the farm-to-table process through the Good Egg Project. As part of the partnership, NBC will run a 60 second (pre-recorded) interview with a local farmer. The integration will run for three weeks leading up to an egg donation that will be made by the farmer to a food bank.

l The American Institute of Baking, one of AEB’s partners, is offering a Baking Industry 101 seminar for those companies that supply or interact with commercial bakers to learn what bakers expect from suppliers, the variables that impact product quality and the language used in the baking profession. Baking Industry 101 is scheduled for June 5-6, 2012, in Chicago. For more information or if you’re interested in a customized workshop for your egg product sales team to learn more about the commercial baking industry contact Steve Sollner, Baking Instructor, AIB, ssollner@aebonline.org or 785537-1493 x135. l AEB’s Culinary School program aims to educate students on egg safety/handling and the many benefits of using eggs in the foodservice kitchen. Last year, more than 2,200 students were reached at high-profile culinary schools across the country. The upcoming spring months will be a busy time for reaching culinary students and their chef instructors with relevant egg information and materials. Some of the timely topics that will be presented to these professional chefs of the future include: egg handling/preparation, breakfast trends/statistics, egg production information, the Good Egg Project, nutrition, range of product formats and egg industry overview. These topics supplement and highlight egg specific information that may be limited in the curriculum at many culinary schools.

•Nutrient (Continued from page 12)

funded by the American Heart Association, the researchers measured taurine levels in serum samples collected in 1985 — before disease occurrence — for 223 NYUWHS participants who developed or died from CHD during the study follow up period between 1986 and 2006. The researchers then compared those samples to the taurine levels in serum samples collected at the same time for 223 participants who had no history of cardiovascular disease. The comparison revealed serum taurine was not protective of CHD overall. However, among women with high cholesterol, those with high levels of serum taurine were 60 percent less likely to develop or die from CHD in the study, compared to women with lower serum taurine levels. If future studies are able to replicate the findings, taurine supplementation or

dietary recommendations may one day be considered for women with high cholesterol at risk for CHD. “It is an interesting possibility,” she said. “If these findings are confirmed, one day we might be able to suggest that someone with high cholesterol eat more poultry, specifically dark meat.” Chen explained that Caucasian women comprised more than 80 percent of the study population and, therefore, the results may not at this time be generalized to men or other races, but suggested that future studies should be conducted in these populations. In addition, she explained, it is unclear whether synthetic taurine as an additive in food and drink products will have the same benefit observed in this study, and health effects of these products should be investigated separately.

Index of Advertisers Agrifan, 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-236-7080; www.envirofan.com American Proteins, 8D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.americanproteins.com Biomune, Cover IV . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-846-0230; www.biomunecompany.com Chickmate, 8B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-331-7509; www.chickmate.com Creek View, 8H. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 717-445-4922 Danisco, Cover C . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 314-771-7766; www.danisco.com/animalnutrition.com Elanco, 8H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-428-4441; www.elanco.com FPM, 8D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402-729-2264; www.fpmne.com Genesis Instrument, 8D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-826-3301; www.selectdoser.com Hydro Systems, Cover B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-543-7184 IPS-Carefree Enzymes, 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262-878-3899; www.262-878-3899 Jones Hamilton PLT, 8A. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.joneshamiltonag.com Kelley Mfg, 8B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-444-5449; www.kelleymfg.com Lee Energy, 8E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.leeenergysolutions.com Merck Animal Health, Cover III . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . www.ihc-poultry.com Michael Foods, 13 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 402-287-5222 NeedMore Properties, 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 229-439-1837 Preserve, Cover II . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-995-1607 Pro-Tech, 5 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-438-1707; www.pro-techinc.com Randy Jones, Cover A, 8G . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-648-6584 Southwest Agriplastics, Cover D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-288-9748; www.swapinc.com Space-Ray, 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-849-7311; www.spaceray.com Star Labs, 8B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-894-5396; www.primalac.com Water Cannon, 11 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 800-333-9274; www.watercannon.com WeighTech, 8H . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .800-457-3720; www.weightechinc.com

•Vets (Continued from page 11)

could be consolidated in areas of industry specialization and focus. The creation of Centers of Excellence would reduce the costs of specialized education for individual colleges and take advantage of the economies of scale available in areas where a concentration of livestock and specialized expertise exists. Conference attendees also emphasized the need for loan repayment programs to assist those new graduates in repaying their student loans as they build practices in rural communities. “The information from these sessions, which brought the veterinary industry and education together, will form the basis for reviewing and planning for more collaboration of colleges to address the changing educational needs of America’s diverse agricultural systems,” Osburn said. More information about the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges can be obtained at http://www.aavmc.org. AAVMC is a nonprofit membership organization working to protect and improve the health and welfare of animals, people and the environment by advancing academic veterinary medicine, the group says. Its members include all 33 veterinary medical colleges in the U.S. and Canada, nine departments of veterinary science, eight departments of comparative medicine, 12 international colleges of veterinary medicine and three affiliate members.

Poultry Farm For Sale

10 Chicken Houses located on 134+/- acres in beautiful Baker County. Land can be divided and is fenced and cross fenced for cattle. There is also a small pond, 3 generators, 3 litter houses, and 3 Call Needmore ProPerties wells, as well as a spreader truck and front end loader for a profit229-439-1837 able chicken litter business. or Bob Dutton Asking $1,961,000. 229-894-7373

POULTRY TIMES, April 9, 2012

•Influenza (Continued from page 9)

Controversy The fresh wave of cases comes amid a controversy involving scientists who created new lab-only versions of the virus that spread more easily among animals, hoping to better understand it. After a loud uproar over whether publishing the research would put the recipe for a bioweapon into the hands of terrorists, the researchers agreed to temporarily halt their work. A two-day meeting on the issue was held in February with international experts at the World Health Organization in Geneva. After the meeting, WHO spokesman Gregory Hartl told The Associated Press the work would not be published until a full discussion could be held about both the risks and benefits of the research and risks of the virus itself. He said the consensus among experts voiced by a lead researcher was that the work should be published eventually since there was only a small chance the virus could be used as a bioweapon. Vietnam Vietnam has long struggled to control the virus, but it has made progress — going 21 months before reporting its two most recent deaths. It has also experienced a burst of poultry outbreaks in 11 provinces nationwide during the same period. Officials have issued fresh warnings for farmers to beef up surveillance, especially since they can no longer rely on the latest poultry vaccine in

the north and central areas where it is weak or useless against a new strain that has emerged in the region. “We have to increase biosecurity,” said Thanh, the animal diagnostics director. The new strain had earlier been identified in China and was also recently found in Bangladesh and Nepal, where it likely spread via wild birds, said Jan Slingenbergh, a senior animal health officer at the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization in Rome. Viruses are constantly mutating and require new vaccines to protect against infection — the same reason new human seasonal flu shots are developed each year. A new vaccine is in the works, and scientists have stressed that the new strain has not changed in any way that suggests the virus is becoming more dangerous. The U.N. agriculture agency warned of a possible resurgence in bird flu outbreaks after the new strain was identified, potentially increasing risk to humans. However, Vietnam’s two recent deaths occurred in the southern Mekong Delta, where the vaccine remains effective. WHO stressed it is also normal to see a spike in cases and poultry outbreaks during this time of year. “WHO has always said that as long as the virus is entrenched in poultry, which it is, there continues to be the risk of bird-to-human transmission,” spokesman Hartl said in Geneva. “That risk means that you cannot predict exactly if the trans-

mission will happen and if it will be regular, but there is the risk so that’s why it’s not surprising to see cases.” Vietnam buys most of its poultry vaccine from China, which has continued with its robust vaccination campaign of some 15 billion doses despite the emergence of the new strain. Researchers there have developed a new version that works against the strain, but it’s unclear when it might be ready for distribution, said Keith Hamilton, an animal influenza expert at the Paris-based World Organization of Animal Health. “We emphasize that vaccination is a complementary tool,” he said. “It has to be used in conjunction with other control measures — biosecurity on farms, early detection is essential, so is a rapid response to contain and eliminate sources of disease.” But in Ha Nam province, on the outskirts of Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, animal health officials worked to contain a poultry outbreak that hit in February. They ordered 1 million doses of vaccine, hoping it would provide at least some protection. “I wish to have an effective vaccine against bird flu as soon as possible, so I can go on raising ducks,” said farmer Nguyen Van Duong, whose entire flock was slaughtered after the virus was detected. “I am devastated at losing my investment on the ducks, but we will do anything to work with the authorities to stop it from spreading. The last thing we want is an outbreak to happen again.”

Have you thought about tomorrow?

The animal health industry has a key role to play in re-thinking the way we approach the world’s health. Whether it’s serving the needs of a pet owner in a growing city or working on ways to feed a global population of nine billion by 2050, our industry is an essential part of addressing global issues. At Ceva, we’re committed to meeting these challenges and together – with you – we will help build a healthy new world.

Together, beyond animal health