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July 2, 2012 Volume 59, Number 14 www.poultrytimes.net
Senate may establish trade relations with Russia By Barbara Olejnik Poultry Times Staff
bolejnik@poultrytimes.net
WASHINGTON — Legislation lifting a 1974 law, the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, has been introduced in the Senate, which would allow the U.S. to grant permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) to Russia. The Jackson-Vanik Amendment was established to deny normal trading arrangement to countries that restrict emigration. It was a reaction to barriers the Soviet Union put up
for Jews and other minorities who wanted to leave that country in the 1970s. Under the Jackson-Vanik Amendment, the U.S. can grant normal trade relations to Russia only on an annual basis. However, presidents from both the Democratic and Republican parties have yearly granted Russia normal trade relations since 1992. “Jackson-Vanik served its purpose during the Cold War, but it’s a relic of another era that now stands in the way of our farmers, ranchers
and businesses pursuing opportunities to grow and create jobs,” said Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), who introduced the legislation repealing Jackson-Vanik. Baucus was joined in sponsoring the bill by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.), John McCain (RAriz.) and John Thune (R-S.D.). The repeal of Jackson-Vanik is necessary if U.S. businesses are to enjoy the lower tariffs and increased access to Russian markets
that will become available when Russia joins the World Trade Organization this summer. Russian WTO membership will enable U.S. companies to take advantage of many market openings, including lower Russian agricultural subsidies. Russia is a leading export market for U.S. soy, meat, poultry, egg and dairy products, importing more than $770 million in these products last year.
See Russia, Page 18
Senate passes farm bill Bill eliminates direct payments to farmers The Associated Press
Special
Gavel presentation: Chaz Wilson of Grove Services, right, incoming board chairman for the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council, receives the ceremonial gavel from outgoing Chairman Thierry Murad of AJC International.
Chaz Wilson elected USAPEEC chairman SAN DIEGO — Chaz Wilson, vice president of Grove Services, an international trading company with offices in Atlanta, has been elected chairman of the board of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council for 2012-13. Wilson succeeds outgoing chairman Thierry Murad, global product managerpoultry at AJC International, a major food exporter headquartered in Atlanta. The
election was held during USAPEEC’s recent annual meeting. As chairman, Wilson will head the eight-member USAPEEC Executive Committee, which sets policy and gives direction to USAPEEC, an organization whose mission is to promote and increase exports of U.S. chicken, turkey, duck and
See USAPEEC, Page 18
WASHINGTON — The Senate on June 21 completed a five-year, half-trillion-dollar farm bill that cuts farm subsidies and land conservation spending by about $2 billion a year but largely protects sugar growers and some 46 million food stamp beneficiaries. The 64-35 vote for passage defied the political odds. Many inside and outside of Congress had predicted that legislation this expensive and this complicated would have little chance of advancing in an election year. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell called it “one of the finest moments in the Senate in recent times in terms of how you pass a bill.” The bipartisanship seen in the Senate may be less evident in the House, where conservatives are certain to resist the bill’s costs, particularly for food stamps. Food stamp spending has doubled in the past five years, and beneficiaries have grown from by about 20 million to 46 million. The program’s budget is now about $80 billion a year, comprising 80 percent of the spending in the farm bill. Farm bills traditionally have been bipartisan efforts, and leaders of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee made a point in showing how their bill will bring
down the deficit. While overall spending under the bill’s jurisdiction has climbed because more people are receiving food stamps, the committee head, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and the top Republican, Sen. Pat Roberts of Kansas, said the bill would save $23 billion during the next 10 years compared with spending under the current farm bill. That comes from replacing four farm commodity subsidy programs with one, consolidating 23 conservation programs into 13 and ending several sources of abuse in food stamps. That program is called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The biggest change comes from eliminating direct payments to farmers whether they plant crops or not. That program, which costs about $5 billion a year, has lost much of its support at a time of $1 trillion federal deficits and when farmers in general are prospering. That subsidy, and a separate one where the government sets target prices and pays farmers when prices go below that level, will be replaced. There will be greater reliance on crop insurance and a new program that covers smaller losses on planted crops before crop
See Bill, Page 9
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012
Bird flu study published after terrorism debate The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The second of two bird flu studies once considered too risky to publish was released June 21, ending a saga that pitted concerns about terrorism against fears of a deadly global epidemic. Both papers describe how researchers created virus strains that could potentially be transmitted through the air from person to person. Scientists said the results could help them spot dangerous virus strains in nature. But last December, acting on advice of a U.S. biosecurity panel, federal officials asked the researchers not to publish details of the work, which identified the genetic mutations used to make the strains. They warned the papers could show terrorists how to make a biological
weapon. That led to a wide-ranging debate among scientists and others, many of whom argued that sharing the results with other researchers was essential to deal with the flu risk. Bird flu has spread among poultry in Asia for several years and can be deadly in people, but it only rarely jumps to humans. People who get it usually had direct contact with infected chickens and ducks. Scientists have long worried that if the virus picked up mutations that let it spread easily from person to person, it could take off in the human population, with disastrous results. The two teams that conducted the controversial research eventually submitted revised versions of their papers to the federal biosecurity
panel. They said the changes focused on things like the significance of the findings to public health, rather than the experimental details themselves. The panel announced in March it supported publishing the revised manuscripts, saying it had heard new evidence that sharing information about the mutations would help in guarding against a pandemic. It also concluded that the data didn’t appear to pose any immediate terrorism threat. The government agreed in April. The benefit of scientists sharing data from the new paper “far outweighs the risk,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said June 20. One paper, from Yoshihiro
Kawaoka of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and colleagues, was published in May by the journal Nature. On June 21, the journal Science published the second paper, from a team led by Ron Fouchier of the Netherland’s Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam. Both papers tested the ability of the altered bird flu viruses to spread through the air between ferrets, none of which died from those infections. The Fouchier paper reports that the virus could spread this way by acquiring as few as five specific mutations. Two of those mutations are already found frequently in strains of the virus. And the other three could arise during infection of people or other mammals, a new mathematical analysis in Science concluded.
But the likelihood is unclear. An author of the analysis compared the situation to earthquake prediction. “We now know we’re living on a fault line,” Derek Smith of Cambridge University and the Erasmus center told reporters. “It’s an active fault line. It really could do something.” Fouchier said the ferret results don’t give a clear answer about how deadly an altered virus would be in people. Eddy Holmes of Pennsylvania State University who studies the evolution of flu viruses but did not participate in the Fouchier or Kawaoka studies, said those works present the first good experimental evidence about how the bird flu virus could mutate to become more easily spread between people.
USDA: 3.5 percent increase in cost to raise child WASHINGTON — USDA has released its annual report, Expenditures on Children by Families, finding that a middle-income family with a child born in 2011 can expect to spend about $234,900 ($295,560 if projected inflation costs are factored in) for food, shelter and other necessities to raise that child during the next 17 years. This represents a 3.5 percent increase from 2010. Expenses for transportation, child care, education and food saw the largest percentage increases related to child rearing from 2010. There were smaller increases in housing, clothing, health care and miscellaneous expenses on a child during the same period. For the year 2011, annual childrearing expenses per child for a middle-income, two-parent family ranged from $12,290 to $14,320, depending on the age of the child. The report, developed by the USDA Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion, notes that family
income affects child rearing costs. A family earning less than $59,410 per year can expect to spend a total of $169,080 (in 2011 dollars) on a child from birth through high school. Similarly, middle-income parents with an income between $59,410 and $102,870 can expect to spend $234,900; and a family earning more than $102,870 can expect to spend $389,670. For middle-income families, housing costs are the single largest expenditure on a child, averaging $70,560 or 30 percent of the total cost. Child care and education (for those incurring these expenses) and food were the next two largest expenses, accounting for 18 percent and 16 percent of the total cost. These estimates do not include costs associated with pregnancy or the cost of a college education or education beyond high school. The report notes geographic variations in the cost of raising a child, with expenses the highest for fami-
lies living in the urban Northeast, followed by the urban West and urban Midwest. Families living in the urban South and rural areas have the lowest child-rearing expenses. The full report is available at http://www.cnpp.usda.gov.
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012
Nesting habits of broiler breeder hens By Dr. Jeanna L. Wilson Special to Poultry Times
ATHENS, Ga. — Flocks that lay more than 2-5 percent of their eggs in the scratch area or on the slats are a problem for both the grower and the broiler company. Few of these eggs will be collected and many of those that are collected from the litter or slats should not be used as hatching eggs due to cleanliness issues. In addition, the grower will invest more man-hours trying to collect these eggs than if the hen laid the eggs in the provided nests. The bottom line with these flocks is that number of eggs harvested and taken to the hatchery for incubation is less than if the entire flock laid in the nest. The most critical time for nest site selection is the start of lay through 22-27 weeks of age. Hens are creatures of habit and after the hen lays four to eight eggs in a particular location, the bird will seek out this or a similar site for lay. Hens start to identify a nest location about seven days before they lay the first egg. Have nests open and available to the hen at least a week before you expect the first egg. Make sure the young maturing hen finds a nest site by walking through the house several times a day to move the birds toward the nests. However, do not walk next to the nests as this will tend to run the birds out of the nests. Walk the sidewalls and center of the scratch area primarily in the afternoon, not during the early morning hours when the nests are full of hens. Hens are naturally drawn to areas in the house that provide them a sense of protection (i.e. tight, enclosed, or dark). Install equipment such that the only area that will appear a good nest site is the mechanical nest. Eliminate anything that the hen can get up under or back up to that might give her a sense of being enclosed. Feeder and drinker height should be high enough to allow the birds to move freely under it or as
Photo by Jeanna Wilson/UGA
Nesting: Nest boxes that provide a sense of protection are used by hens to lay their eggs.
close to the slat surface as possible to prevent the bird from getting under it. Shavings in the scratch area allow the hen to dig or fashion a concave surface to lay her egg, making the scratch area the single most attractive area in the hen house, especially if there is something that she can get under while digging in the litter. For this reason it is crucial to winch up the rooster feeder after the birds have eaten to prevent hens from being attracted to lay under the pans. Scratch area lights should be installed (staggered or offset) to reduce the shadow cast by the rooster feeder pans when the system is winched up after feeding time. The height of the slats or the distance the hen has to jump to access the slats and nests has reduced dramatically. It was not uncommon to have 24-32 inch slat height 15 years ago. Many new houses are being built with little (4-8 inch) difference between the scratch area surface and the slats by raising the scratch area or digging out the area under the
slats. The meat yielding birds used today are top heavy, more awkward and less able to get on high slats. For reasons of bird health and livability, lowering the slats improves bird access to feed and water. Likewise it easier for the hen to lay in the scratch area than access high slats to get to a nest. Producers with high slats often ask if floor laying could be reduced by building ramps in existing housing to aid the hen in accessing the slats and nests. In limited cases this may be helpful, but keep in mind that whatever is built should not provide corners or anything for the hen to get under as these areas will attract them as alternative nest sites. Light distribution should be even over the entire square footage of the house. This is challenging with the high light output of energy saving light sources used in the typical breeder house. Each light source (lamp) produces more light in a zone around that fixture and thus few fixtures are need. But with fewer fixtures, it is more difficult to get uniform light output to all areas in the
house. Go into the breeder house at dawn or dusk (when light from the translucent curtains is at a minimum) and look for dark areas. Also, go in the breeder house at noon on a bright sunny day and determine if there are dark areas (i.e., evaporative cooling pad end of house). Add light fixtures to increase the uniformity the light level. Hens will be drawn to the dark areas as they provide them a sense of being protected. The surfaces (ceiling, sidewall, slat skirt, curtains and slats) inside the house can assist if surfaces are reflective, so when given a choice always select white or light colors for the interior of breeder houses. Nest size is becoming an issue. The body weight (start and finish weights) of broiler breeders is continuing to increase as broiler weight increases. The nest that worked 20 years ago is not likely to work as well today. Nest manufacturers have increased nest size, lowered front entry areas and added holes for air movement. Hens won’t use what they cannot easily and comfortable enter.
The poultry industry routinely provides one mechanical nest for every 5 to 5.5 hens and this nest ratio has changed very little. When house design prevents having this ratio of hens per nest, competition for nesting space can encourage hens to seek an alternative site increasing floor and slat laying. Reducing the number of hens placed in a facility to get close to 5.5 hens per nest, reduces competition and floor and slat laying. Obviously, reducing hens placed is not popular with growers, but maybe necessary if adding nests is not possible. Some strains of hens are less likely to lay in nests and appear to lay anywhere they happen to be. With these strains, floor and slat egg numbers will be higher, but discouraging this behavior with a proper house design and good management will reduce floor and slat eggs numbers. Stray voltage can encourage alternative nest site selection by discouraging hens from visiting the nest. If a farm has a history of floor and slat eggs, the nest systems should be checked for stray voltage. Normally, checking the system once will not be sufficient, as levels of stray voltage come and go depending on electricity usage down line from the farm. Check the voltage of the nest system on each side of the house and several times throughout the day. Since nesting habits are more influenced by factors during the first weeks after moving to the laying house, check for stray voltage during this time as the season the year can affect stray voltage. We continue to learn about nesting habits of breeding birds and especially about broiler breeder hens. If you have additional facts that you would like to share or questions, please e-mail me at jeannaw@uga. edu. Dr. Jeanna L. Wilson is an Extension poultry scientist with the University of Georgia’s Poultry Science Department in Athens, Ga.
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012
Viewpoint Compiled by Barbara Olejnik, Associate Editor 770-718-3440 bolejnik@poultrytimes.net
Farmers keep a watchful eye on an important watershed By Ken Gordon
MPA marks 75 years ‘Growing Mississippi’s Economy since 1937’ By Mark Leggett
Special to Poultry Times
PEARL, Miss. — In the poultry industry, and nearly all of the working world, we spend so much time fighting daily alligators we don’t take the time to look back at where we have been and what we have done. The Mississippi Poultry Association is stopping Leggett along the way in 2012 to look back over 75 years and to look to the future. We are reminding our neighbors and the world that we’re here and we’re global. The association is observing its 75th anniversary this year. The events planned for the year have caused us to understand what we mean to the state of Mississippi and to work to better explain that to those who are not in the chicken business. As you drive through the pine trees in east and south Mississippi past chicken houses on 2,000 farms you begin to understand how many farmers have been able to stay on their land, how many children and grandchildren have been able to go Mark Leggett is president of the Mississippi Poultry Association with offices in Pearl, Miss.
to college, and how many careers have been launched because of the income that has flowed into these rural areas. Because it is rural, because of biosecurity concerns, and because of most farmers’ humility and independence, others don’t know this vast, almost hidden, resource. When people think of Mississippi agriculture, they think of the Mississippi Delta where you drive through miles and miles of soybean, cotton, corn and rice fields and catfish ponds. I had a reporter ask me once, why the poultry industry didn’t develop in the Delta. I told him there were two main reasons: the land was considered too valuable and the families who started the industry weren’t there. It rearranges people’s perceptions to be told that the value of chickens in the 3rd Congressional district (number one in the nation) is greater than the value of all agricultural production in the 2nd Congressional district, which is the Delta. The families that built the industry were scattered throughout the rest of the state — small hatcheries, feed stores, milling companies, processors and primary breeders such as Leake Milling, Green Acres Farms, Southeastern Poultry, Purnell’s Pride, Fred Moore Co., Colonial Poultry, Gaddis Packaging, R&R Poultry, B.C. Rogers, Choctaw Maid Farms, McCarty Farms, Lady Forest Farms, and Davis Poultry. These became parts of
See Leggett, Page 17
Special to Poultry Times
WASHINGTON — If you step off Fred Yoder’s front porch and walk about 200 paces, you’ll be standing in Big Darby Creek. The Big Darby Creek Watershed is noted as one of the Midwest’s most ecologically diverse watersheds. It hosts many threatened and endangered species. Fred, his wife, Debbie, and his children farm 1,500 acres within the Big Darby’s watershed. Like many farmers in the area, he has implemented environmentally sound farming practices to help protect the watershed. All farmers are keenly aware of the relationship between their farming practices and the natural resources they rely on. They keep their eyes on the environment around them. But in Fred’s case there are other eyes watching as well. The Darby was designated an Ohio Scenic River in 1984, and later a National Scenic River. The designation is supported by the Darby Creek Association, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Environmental Protection Agency and more than 60 other government agencies and private organizations. The many watchful eyes that work to keep the Darby in its natural state don’t bother Fred. About 20 years ago, he joined the Operation Future Association (OFA) right after the Darby became a State Scenic River. “We rented canoes and traveled the Darby,” Fred says. “We found that the best areas with an abundance of fish and wildlife were near the farms Ken Gordon is a news contributor to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s Focus on Agriculture series. He is a public relations consultant in Ohio.
that were practicing conservation economic sense. tillage.” The Big Darby Watershed drains Fred and his family have farmed 580 square miles of land, and early close to the Darby near the small research conducted by the Environtown of Plain City, Ohio, since mental Protection Agency showed 1957, and he uses conservation causes of impairment to the Big measures on all of the acreage he Darby Watershed to include: nutrifarms. Fred agrees that conserva- ent enrichment, siltation, organic tion practices on the farm have enrichment, pathogens, low disan economic benefit by requiring solved oxygen and habitat alterafewer trips over the field and by tions. Among the sources that have substantially reducing sediment impacted the watershed, according runoff. Fred’s experience is typi- to EPA, are row crop agriculture, cal of many other farmers today; doing the right thing also makes See Gordon, Page 17
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012
Hatchery hygiene Product choices and procedures
Special
Hatch monitoring: Researchers at the Georgia Tech Research Institute and Auburn University are investigating whether the status of an avian embryo can be monitored and its hatch time predicted, using a noninvasive and rapid spectrophotometric technique to track the changing embryo in ovo or inside the egg.
In-ovo monitoring of embryonic development Could help optimize hatchery operations ATLANTA — Each month, more than 700 million “broiler” eggs (eggs from chickens that are bred for meat production) are hatched in the U.S. Typically, it takes a total of 21 days for an egg to hatch. This timeframe includes incubation, inoculation, removal of dead eggs and transfer of viable eggs to the hatcher. A number of factors, ranging from storage time and the age of laying hens, to temperature and humidity levels, to breed type, can have an effect on the developing embryo as well as hatch ability. A collaborative project being conducted by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) and Auburn University is investigating whether the status of an avian embryo can be monitored and its hatch time predicted. The team has developed a noninvasive and rapid spectrophotometric technique to track
the changing embryo in-ovo or inside the egg. This method allows researchers to predict when individual eggs will hatch, which in turn, should provide insight into a number of practices from animal health and welfare to the inoculation regime. Hatchability experiments were recently conducted where eggs were taken all the way to hatch and spectral readings were recorded at approximately the same time daily for 21 days. Different temperatures, humidity levels and with/without egg turning were examined. Analysis of the spectral data showed fertile, developing eggs changed at a greater rate than infertile eggs. A number of eggs were removed from the process and placed at a lower temperature to determine if the spectral changes continued. The previously observed spectral changes slowed significantly for the cooled eggs. “At a very early point, spectral data indicates the rate of embryonic development for each egg if the hatchery is running consistently,” explains Robert Wallace, a GTRI re-
search chemist who is leading the research. Perhaps the greatest overall benefit, he says, is spectral data can show whether individual eggs within an incubator are developing at different rates or if an entire incubator is developing outside of the established norm, giving hatchery managers the ability to better manage and thus optimize operations. For example, humidity, air flow, temperature and other factors may be changed over the course of the incubation process depending on the development of the chicks. In addition, the ability to track mortality may be beneficial as removal of dead eggs may prevent possible contamination of viable eggs that are also present. Reprinted from PoultryTech, a publication of the Agricultural Technology Research Program of the Georgia Tech Research Institute, a program conducted in cooperation with the Georgia Poultry Federation with funding from the Georgia Legislature.
IEPER, Belgium — It starts before the egg. The starting point of hatchery hygiene is obviously a healthy breeder flock. This should be combined with optimum biosecurity (including thorough farm cleaning and disinfection programs) and also precautions regarding all the vectors that threaten the eggs before they even arrive in the hatchery. Hatching eggs are at risk from: External contamination through the pores and hairline cracks in the shell. Vertical transmission (from infected flocks) Internal contamination (of yolk and albumen) Vectors such as hands, trays, vermin, transport equipment, etc. HACCP (Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point program) requires biosecurity measures for nests, egg belts, egg collection tables and the hands that touch the eggs. The equipment can be sprayed with a noncorrosive, full spectrum disinfectant with residual action. The hands should first be washed with nonperfumed soap and then disinfected with an alcohol based liquid or gel product. The gel allows for a better penetration of skin pores and under nails, where most micro-organisms are found. The Dutch and Belgian “IKB” (Integrated Chain Control) assurance scheme requires a specific physical layout for the hatchery (avoiding cross-contamination from dirty to clean zone), prevention of incoming infections, minimizing horizontal infections and keeping records on egg batches and chick flocks, as well as GVP (Good Veterinary Practice).
See Hygiene, Page 19 Information for this article provided by Luc Ledoux, business unit manager for Cid Lines in Belgium. He can be reached by e-mail at luc. ledoux@cidlines.com; or the web site http:// www.cidlines.com.
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012
Business Compiled by David B. Strickland, Editor 770-718-3442 dstrickland@poultrytimes.net
Aviagen develops new technique to improve hatch HUNTSVILLE, Ala. — Aviagen’s specialist hatchery team supports customers to get better results from their hatcheries, the company notes. Part of the team’s remit is to investigate and evaluate better ways of handling, storing and incubating eggs. One of the challenges many customers face is how to achieve the best possible hatch and chick quality from stored eggs. Tests in the U.S., Europe and Australasia have demonstrated big improvements in hatchability and chick quality when stored eggs are given short periods at incubation temperature during storage (SPIDES), Aviagen said. “The improvement in hatchability we see when we use SPIDES on stored eggs is a fantastically exciting step forward in our technical knowledge and understanding,” said Dr. Dinah Nicholson, Aviagen global manager - Hatchery Development and Support. “When market conditions are poor, or when order sizes are variable, longer periods of egg storage become unavoidable. Extended egg storage invariably causes lower hatchability, and higher cull rates. SPIDES offers a solution to these issues.” To date, the SPIDES technique has been found to give 2 percent to 3 percent better hatch in eggs stored for seven to 14 days and much more when they are stored for more than two weeks, the company notes.
After a series of replicated experiments, field testing is currently being undertaken in Aviagen hatcheries around the world. “The investigation was initiated by members of the hatchery support team, but has involved a huge amount of hard work and commitment from staff at our product development center in Alabama and in our PS hatcheries all over the world,” she said. “We are now focusing on how the SPIDES technique can be applied on a commercial scale.” The SPIDES technique will not completely prevent the decline in hatch due to long egg storage, but it can limit the loss and give much more predictability. Aviagen believes it will be of considerable interest to the poultry industry. A number of Aviagen customers have already expressed an interest in the trials and are keeping a close eye on any developments and further advancements of the technique, the company noted. More information can be obtained about SPIDES from Nicholson by email at DNicholson@aviagen.com. More information can also be obtained at http://www.aviagen.com.
Other Business News Cobb opens new research complex SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. — The latest U.S. Cobb-Vantress Inc. research complex, built in Deer Lodge, Tenn., at a $22 million investment to increase its pedigree breeding activities, has been officially opened. The recent opening occurred just more than 12 months after Cobb purchased the 1,000 acre site in Morgan County, as part of global expansion of research and development. “The pedigree research complexes are the heart of Cobb’s research and development efforts,” said Jerry Moye, president of Cobb. “The Dry Creek farm is at the very start of the supply chain and will play an important role in developing product that will sustain Cobb’s position as a world leader in broiler genetics.” The project will create up to 115 new jobs during the next year as the complex becomes fully stocked, the company said. It is also benefiting the local community through improved energy and water supply as a result of infrastructure investment aided by grants from the state of Tennessee. Donnie Smith, president and CEO of Tyson Foods, who graduated from the University of Tennessee and began his career with Tyson in Tennessee, said he was proud to see what Cobb was doing in his native state. “Cobb has absolutely the best genetics in the world,” he said. “You are a competitive advantage for our company and I’m delighted to be here to celebrate such a fabulous facility,” he told more than 120 guests at the grand opening event. He compared the complex to the 6,000 family farms producing chickens for Tyson Foods across the U.S., and to the level of biosecurity protecting the pure line stock. “How we protect this farm, and
the security on these farms, is second to none, he said. “We call it in Tyson biosecurity to the nth degree — they call it just another day at work.” He also spoke of U.S. citizens spending just 6 percent of their net income on food or 10 percent including restaurant meals. “This is the lowest percentage of annual income spent on food of any nation in the world.,” Smith added. “We’ve got it good here. There’s a lot of people that don’t share that privilege and we have a responsibility to feed them and so being able to have a breed of chickens that can grow well in arid, warm climates and where you don’t have access to the utilities that we might have here, that’s going to be more and more important in 10, 15 or 20 years from now.” Governor of Tennessee Bill Haslam, described the opening as a “big day for Tennessee.” He said the project recognized the three big priorities for the state — taking seriously their role to feed the world, focusing on rural economic development and bringing new high technology jobs. This is the second major investment by Cobb in Tennessee in less than two years. A $14 million parent stock hatchery was opened at Lafayette in November 2010, providing new opportunities for 21 contract farmers supplying hatching eggs from their breeder flocks and creating 59 new job opportunities. Dry Creek is situated amid a large area of commercial forestry isolated from poultry — factors that led to choosing the site of the complex, the company noted. It becomes Cobb’s sixth pedigree research complex worldwide. Dave Juenger, Cobb director of support services, explains that locating the research complexes well apart, and in multiple states, provides additional security in supplying not only North America but also markets across the world.
“Dry Creek is a very secluded area of Tennessee with very little poultry activity,” he said. “We’ve been received with open arms by the authorities here and we’ve worked closely with them in the infrastructure improvements. Naturally they welcome our new Cobb job opportunities in today’s challenging economic environment.” The complex comprises 34 poultry houses and a hatchery, involved in selecting and reproducing the pedigree lines, and producing the breeding stock that will in three generations supply the broiler chickens of the future. A number of different pedigree lines will be housed at Dry Creek including some of the Hybro lines which came to Cobb in 2007 as part of the acquisition which included the Herveld research farm in the Netherlands. Dr Frank Siewerdt, who has 20 years’ experience in animal breeding, has been appointed pedigree geneticist for the new operation. The complex manager is Craig Benich who has experience at a number of Cobb research farms during the past eight years. More information can be obtained at http://www.cobbvantress.com.
Meyn opens Netherlands HQ OOSTZAAN, Netherlands — On June 5, Meyn Food Processing Technology officially opened its new international headquarters. The state-of-the-art headquarters and manufacturing facility is developed to strengthen Meyn’s position as a global leader in poultry processing solutions, company officials noted. In order to express its community involvement, Meyn also donated chicken to all 27,500 clients of the Dutch Food Bank. More than 22,000 kilos in 70,000 portions of chicken were presented to Clara (Continued on next page)
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Sies, founder of the Dutch Food Bank which celebrates its 10th year anniversary. The gift was presented in the presence of international guests, local officials and the full staff of 600 employees of Meyn in the Netherlands. In his opening speech Han Defauwes, president and CEO of Meyn, said, “Meyn is a global leader in poultry processing solutions. We have successfully developed our services to encompass the entire poultry processing value chain, providing market leading efficiency to the industry. With CTB as a recent new owner, we will be able to continue our successful strategy to further build our leading position in the poultry processing industry. We are delighted to be part of CTB and we are looking forward to developing Meyn together with CTB by serving our customers with a broader range of products. Our new headquarters are a proud home base for further development.” More information can be obtained at http://www.meyn.com.
Sanderson notes 2nd quarter results LAUREL, Miss. — Sanderson Farms Inc. has reported results for its second fiscal quarter and six months ended April 30, 2012. Net sales for the second quarter of fiscal year 2012 were $595 million compared with $479.3 million for the same period a year ago. For the quarter, net income was $23.9 million, or $1.04 per share, compared with a net loss of $16.3 million, or 74 cents per share, for the second quarter of fiscal 2011. Net sales for the first six months of fiscal 2012 were $1.112 billion
compared with $907.1 million for the same period of fiscal 2011. Net income for the first half of the year totaled $15.9 million, or 69 cents per share, compared with a net loss of $49.8 million, or $2.25 per share, for the first six months of last year. “The results for our second quarter of fiscal 2012 reflect improved market conditions driven primarily by a decrease in the supply of poultry products,” said Joe F. Sanderson, Jr., chairman and CEO of Sanderson Farms Inc. “Our net sales were 24.1 percent higher than during the second quarter of fiscal 2011, reflecting increased production and higher average sales prices of chicken. We sold approximately 10.8 percent more pounds of poultry products during the quarter as a result of increased production at our Kinston, North Carolina facility. This increase was partially offset by our previously announced 4 percent production cut at our other facilities. Demand for chicken remains steady from retail grocery store and export customers. However, demand from our casual dining customers remains soft, and we expect this trend will continue with macroeconomic concerns and continued high unemployment affecting consumers’ spending decisions.” “Our profitability for the second quarter continued to be adversely affected by relatively high feed costs,” he said. “Feed costs in flocks sold decreased 9.8 percent compared to last year’s second fiscal quarter, but remained high relative to historical costs. Because of the tight supply of both corn and soybeans, we expect grain prices to remain high and volatile at least until markets get some visibility on the quantity and quality of this year’s corn and soybean crops. While there is some degree of optimism regarding the 2012 corn crop fueled primarily by the rapid planting progress this spring and the large number of acres expected to be planted, there is no margin for error with this year’s crop. Until the crop is harvested, we expect to pay higher prices, at least over the short term, for both corn and soybean meal.” According to Sanderson, market
prices for poultry products were higher during the second quarter of fiscal 2012 compared with the same quarter a year ago. As measured by a simple average of the Georgia dock price for whole chickens, prices increased approximately 7.5 percent in the company’s second fiscal quarter compared with the same period in 2011. Bulk leg quarter market prices were 22.4 percent higher compared with last year’s second quarter, and reflected continued strong export and demand. Boneless breast meat prices during the second quarter were 2.3 percent higher than the prior year period. Jumbo wing prices were up 121.5 percent for the second quarter of 2012 compared with the same period last year. Prices paid for corn and soybean meal, the company’s primary feed ingredients, decreased 6.44 percent and 15.19 percent, respectively, compared with the second quarter of fiscal 2011. “We are pleased with the continued progress at our Kinston, North Carolina, facility,” Sanderson noted. “We began processing chickens in January 2011 and this plant is now operating at about 96 percent capacity. We plan to hold that production level for at least the rest of this calendar year.” “Looking ahead, we will continue to closely monitor the chicken markets and production levels as we head into the summer months and what is typically a period of better demand for chicken,” he said. “Weekly broiler egg sets continue to run below last year’s numbers, and breeder placements are lower. With economic conditions continuing to affect consumer behavior, we expect to see continued soft casual dining demand. However, market prices for boneless breast meat sold to our food service customers improved seasonally the first two weeks of May, and market prices for retail grocery store product have also moved higher. We believe these market improvements are supply driven and, while market conditions remain fluid, we will maintain our focus on our operating performance and sales execution.” More information can be ob-
Business tained at http://www.sandersonfarms.com.
FPSA announces scholarship winners MCLEAN, Va. — The Foundation of the Food Processing Suppliers Association has announced the recipients of 10 $3,000 Career Development Scholarships for the 2012-2013 academic year. Winners of these 10 scholarships include family members of employees from FPSA member companies Provisur Technologies, Murzan, Power Engineers, Marel Townsend, Tetra Pak, the Dennis Group, Rath Gibson, Semi Bulk Systems and Marel Meat Packing. More than 270 applications were submitted to the independent selection committee. “The Foundation of FPSA applauds these scholarship winners, and thanks the more than 270 individuals who applied,” said Barry Shoulders, foundation chairman and co-chief executive officer, OYSTAR Holding GmbH. “This is an ongoing project of the foundation, and the 2013 application period will open in early January. The foundation board encourages FPSA mem-
bers to promote this program to employees.” The Foundation of FPSA established the Career Development Scholarship Program in 2005 as a unique benefit to FPSA members. It is designed to promote the career and professional development of FPSA member employees who work full time and their immediate family members. Since its inception in 1983, the FPSA Foundation has focused on supporting the growth of the food industry, the group noted. More information can be obtained at http:// www.fpsa.org.
JBT FoodTech notes $4M in proc. orders CHICAGO — JBT Corp. has announced that its JBT FoodTech business has signed contracts totaling more than $4 million with a global poultry processing company to supply portioning and freezing solutions. The projects are scheduled to be fully operational in the fourth quarter of 2012. More information can be obtained at http://www.jbtfoodtech.com.
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Breeders & Hatcheries
Maximizing genetics helps ensure a profitable flock By Dr. Ian Rubinoff
Special to Poultry Times
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Investing in pullets is an essential aspect of the layer business. The care and effort provided to a flock before the start of lay can mean the difference of 10 or more eggs per hen through 80 weeks. All birds delivered to a farm carry a genetic potential that exceeds the previous generation. The interaction of environment, management, health, and nutrition all join forces with individual genomes to set the stage for life as a productive layer. While the topics in this presentation have been covered before, the importance of understanding the impact of pullet development on future production can always be additionally emphasized. The life a pullet will be broken down into three parts 0 – 6 weeks, 7 – 12 weeks, and 13 – 18 weeks. Each section of this article will cover important areas to focus on, management tips, and pitfalls to avoid.
The start 0 – 6 weeks Chicks are precocial young, surviving without the intense care and nurture of a parent. However, the relatively minor embryonic development time of 21 days means there is still a lot of growth necessary after the chick has hatched. The main systems that are developing at this time are the intestinal tract, the immune system, and the integument (skin and feathers). Intestinal tract: The development of the gut is crucial for nutrient absorption that will determine a hen’s future efficiency. Strong intestinal development will also help the immune system and minimize the possibility of future gut related diseases. Immune system: The modern laying hen may live for over two years. She will need a strongly functional immune system to respond to vaccination and deal with disease threats in
any condition. Additionally, stressed immune systems use a lot of energy that could be going into growth or production. Integumentary system: The skin and feathers of a chicken provide not only a barrier between the external environment and the pullet, but also by six weeks allows for thermoregulation. The integument also contains many nerve endings critical for allowing birds to be more aware of the surroundings, carries pigments, and in open houses allows for conversion of vitamin D.
The growth spurt 7 – 12 weeks Now that pullets have a more mature intestinal tract, immune system, and are able to thermo regulate, more energy can be put into growth. Skeleton: Laying hens have three types of bone cortical, trabecular, and medullary. During this time, the cortical (outer structural shell) and trabecular (inner for strength and support) bone are forming. The skeleton is 95 percent developed by 12 weeks of age, and once the bone growth plates close, no more length can be added. Any lag in growth will affect the size of the mature bird and delay the onset of production. Uniformity and Weight Gain: Pullets that have higher levels of stress during this time period are more likely to have poor uniformity that can in turn affect peak production. When flocks lack uniformity, the birds on the low end of the body weight scale will not come into production for five to 10 weeks after other birds. Therefore while most of the flock may be laying 96 percent, the 5 percent of the flock laying sporadically or not at all will pull that peak down. Stressors that can be avoided include moving, injecting with killed vaccine, wide ranges in environmental conditions inside the house, poor feed quality, crowding, and any other
abrupt changes in routine. Stress can affect a flock at any time; however, this period is most critical as birds can gain up to 100 grams a week so any insult to growth will have a great effect.
The transition 13 – 18 weeks Pullets that reach 13 weeks have reached about 95 percent of their size, but only 75 percent of their mature weight. During the next six weeks leading up to the start of lay, muscle, medullary bone, and reproductive tract development will constitute much of the weight gain. Once birds have fully developed, the flock will be ready for light stimulation to start production. Muscle: Good muscle development is critical for producing a good layer. Muscles are the main store of glycogen which is the instant energy hens use for producing eggs. If hens have a poor muscle mass, efficiency during production will decrease. Medullary Bone: Medullary bone is a vital extra calcium source that allows hens to put 2 or more grams of calcium into an egg shell day in and day out. Medullary bone starts to form inside the cortical bones, especially in the legs, 10 to 14 days before the start of production. Birds with good skeletal structure will have more room to deposit medullary bone and be less prone to soft bone issues or cage layer fatigue. Reproductive Tract: Hens hatch with two ovaries and two oviducts, however as sexual maturity progresses, only the left ovary and oviduct develop. The developed ovary has thousands of eggs, but a typical layer will only have several hundred develop into mature ova. The oviduct will mature from a thin strand of tissue, into an organ capable of adding albumin, membranes, shell, and color over the 10 to 14 days before production. Target Body Weight: Body weight is the
best way to determine if all systems are sufficiently developed. Waiting to light stimulate until target weights are met is the most effective solution to ensure good persistency and avoid a post-peak dip.
Good practices It is very important to understand the different growth phases for pullets and the specific care and management that can be tailored for each time period. Additionally, there are good management practices that all gold standard pullet producers should follow throughout the growing period. Monitoring Body Weights: Start weighing birds every week at three or four weeks. Weigh at least a hundred birds from marked cages. The cages should be from different tiers, front and back, and on both sides. Vaccination Program: Vaccination programs should be tailored to the flock and region. All vaccinations should be done to ensure the best uniformity and coverage. Nutrition: Feed to target weights. Do not move to the next phase feeding program until the recommended body weights have been met. This ensures that pullets that are behind in body weight have the best possible nutrition to catch up quickly. Investment is the key to maximizing genetic potential managing a profitable flock. The goal of this topic is to enhance current knowledge and emphasize the important steps to follow at each age. More information can be found online at http://www.hyline.com/RedBook. Dr. Ian Rubinoff is technical services veterinarian with Hy-Line International in Dallas Center, Iowa. This article is drawn from a presentation given at the 2012 Midwest Poultry Federation Convention in St. Paul, Minn.
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insurance kicks in. The bill also prevents farm “managers,” often wealthy people who may not live or work on a farm, from receiving subsidy payments and gives greater help to fruit and vegetable producers and healthy food programs. The Senate rejected several Republican amendments that would have reduced food stamp spending by such means as tightening up eligibility requirements. The bill saves about $4 billion during 10 years, a small amount compared with the projected $770 billion in outlays. It stops lottery winners and more affluent college students from receiving benefits and cracks down on benefit trafficking. The House must deal with a North-South divide on the bill that the Senate chose to leave for future negotiations. The switch from direct payments to the revenue loss subsidy was welcomed by Northern and Midwestern corn and soybean farmers but strongly opposed by Southern rice and peanut growers. They traditionally have relied more on direct payments and targeted prices and want to keep parts of those subsidies. The House is expected to be more sympathetic to the Southerners. While transforming the subsidy system, the Senate left intact the sugar program that for some 80 years has protected beet and sugarcane growers and sugar refiners by controlling prices and limiting imports. The program is opposed by consumer groups and food and beverage companies that use sugar. They say it drives up costs and leads to confectioners relocating overseas. Amendments to either phase out or narrow the scope of the program both failed on close votes. In all the Senate considered more than 70 amendments in three days. Among the more significant, the Senate approved, over the objections of Stabenow and Roberts, a measure that would reduce by 15 percentage points the share of crop insurance premiums the government pays for farmers with adjusted gross incomes of more than $750,000. Sponsors of the amendments, Sens. Dick Durbin (DIll.) and Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) said that would affect only 1,500 of 1.5 million farmers and save $1 billion during the next decade. Stabenow and Roberts argued that it would result in fewer people buying insurance and more relying on ad hoc disaster relief. Currently the government bears an average 62 percent of crop insurance premiums and the Congressional Budget Office estimates that the crop insurance costs will be nearly $10 billion a year over the next 10 years. The Senate also narrowly rejected an amendment by Sen. Mike Johanns (R-Neb.) that would have barred the Environmental Protection Agency from all aerial surveillance of agriculture operations.
Breeders & Hatcheries
Research examines broiler breeder disease TUCKER, Ga. — Research to aid in the development of therapeutic and preventative control measure for Enterococcal Spondylitis and methods to re-create it in a laboratory, has been completed at North Carolina State University. The research project, funded by the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association and the USPOULTRY Foundation, was conducted by Dr. Michael Martin and Dr. H. John Barnes of NCSU in Raleigh, N.C. Enterococcal Spondylitis (ES) is a disease of broiler breeders, isolated in flocks in North Carolina, which causes significant mortality. Enterococcus cecorum (E. cecorum) has been found in spinal abscesses of infected flocks. Sporadic spinal abscesses similar to ES can be caused by other bacteria, including E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Outbreaks of spinal abscesses in broilers/broiler breeders associated with E. cecorum were first observed in 2007,
making it an emerging disease. The most likely route of infection, the researchers said, is oral ingestion and the presence of coccidia may increase the risk of infection. The objectives of the study were (1) to develop an experimental model for ES using E. cecorum, with and without coccidia challenge, to study possible risk factors (i.e. nutrition, infectious agents, genetics and management practices; (2) to examine the role of coccidia infection; and (3) to determine the development (pathogenesis) of ES. Enterococcal Spondylitis caused by E. cecorum was experimentally reproduced under controlled laboratory conditions. However, the researchers noted, the disease was observed in only one of 16 birds when challenged with both E. cecorum and coccidia. The researchers said that the lower incidence of disease may have been affected
by early E. faecalis colonization, lack of colonization of E. cecorum based on coccidia challenge technique, or change in the pathogenesis of the disease as is evidenced by the increased frequency of broiler operations affected and decreased frequency of broiler breeder operations affected anecdotally. These results provide further insight in the pathogenesis of ES in chickens. The role of different Enterococcal isolates in the pathogenesis should be further evaluated as interventions, prevention and causation is researched further. The research provides information that may be valuable toward the development of a study design to improve the ability to re-create the disease. The research model will allow therapeutic and preventative measures to be used to study the control of ES.
MSU Extension launches new website EAST LANSING, Mich. — Whether you’re a grower wondering what Mother Nature will deliver, a parent wondering what types of youth programs are available in your area, or an employee planning for retirement, a Michigan State University Extension educator can help. That’s not new, though. What is new is the way this information is being delivered via MSU Extension’s new website — http://www.msue.msu.edu. “We’re very excited about the vast extent of content available for Michigan residents through our new website,” said MSUE Director Tom Coon. The website, which debuted to a limited audience in April, features daily updates from MSU Extension educators from around the state whose expertise ranges from production agriculture to family relationships and just about everything in between. “The website really stemmed out of our desire to reach more people in ways that can truly have an impact on their lives,” Coon said. “MSU Extension educators,
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‘We’re very excited about the vast extent of content available for Michigan residents through our new website.’ faculty and staff members work daily to provide the most current information when and where people need it.” The site’s content is divided into eight content areas: 4-H Youth, Agriculture, Business, Community, Family, Food & Health, Lawn & Garden and Natural Resources. Each content area features more specific categories — 75 in all — packed with educational articles from more than 300 MSU Extension educators. “MSU Extension News has been a great way to connect with clientele interested in value-added product development in the Michigan livestock industry,” said Brenda J. Reau, assistant director, MSU Product Center. “Many producers are looking for ways to add value to their livestock operations and they have been
Tom Coon, MSUE Director able to glean important information from the news site.” The MSU Extension website is updated daily with new articles. It features a listing of MSU Extension events around the state, as well as a link to each county’s presence in the state. “Whether it’s helping grow Michigan’s agricultural economy, capturing opportunities that use our natural resources in a sustainable way, controlling healthcare costs by giving individuals the information they need to manage chronic illness or preparing tomorrow’s leaders, MSU Extension is creating opportunities and building communities that make Michigan strong, prosperous and a great place to live,” Coon said.
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012
Calendar Compiled by Barbara Olejnik, Associate Editor 770-718-3440 bolejnik@poultrytimes.net
JUL 7-9 — NTF LEADERSHIP CONF., Washington, D.C. Contact: Jen Dansereau, National Turkey Federation, 1225 New York Ave., N.W., Suite 400, Washington, D.C. 20005. Ph: 202898-0100; jdansereau@turkeyfed.org. JUL 9-12 — PSA ANNUAL CONV., Georgia Center, Athens, Ga. Contact: Poultry Science Association, 2441 Village Green Place, Champaign, Ill. 61822. Ph: 217-356-5285; pas@assochq. org; http://www.poultryscience.org. JUL 10-12 — AEB MTNG., Chicago, Ill. Contact: American Egg Board, 1460 Renaissance Drive, Park Ridge, Ill. 60068. Ph: 847-296-7043; aeb@ aeb.org; http://www.aeb.org. JUL 12-15 — SCPF, NCEA & FPF/FEF ANNUAL CONF., Crowne Plaza Resort, Hilton Head, S.C. Contact: South Carolina Poultry Federation, 1921-A Pickens St., Columbia, SC. 29201,Ph: 803-7794700, martyg@scpoultry.com, http:// www.scpoultry.org; North Carolina Egg Association, 1939 High House Road, No. 102, Cary, N.C. 27519, Ph: 919319-1195, egglady@ncegg.org, http:// www.ncegg.org; Florida Poultry/Egg Association, 1625 Summit Lake Drive, Suite 300, Tallahassee, Fla. 32317, Ph: 850-402-2954, nancy@nstephens.com. JUL 15-17 — NCC & NPFDA CHICKEN MARKETING SMNR., Stowe Mountain Lodge, Stowe, Vt. Contact: National Chicken Council, 1015 15th St., N.W., Suite 930, Washington, D.C. 20005, 202-2962622, http://www.nationalchickencouncil.com, http://www.eatchicken.com; or National Poultry & Food Distributors Association, 2014 Osborne Road, St. Marys, Ga. 31558, 770-535-9901, kkm@npfda.org, http://www.npfda.org. JUL 16-17 — INFORMATION SYSTEMS SMNR., Doubletree Hotel, Nashville, Tenn. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770-493-9401; info@ uspoultry.org; http://www.uspoultry.org, JUL 19-22 — CFIA SUMMER CONV., Embassy Suites, Kingston Plantation, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Contact: Bonnie Holloman, Carolina Feed Industry Association, P.O. Box 58220, Raleigh, N.C. 27658. Ph: 919607-1370; bonnie.holloman@yahoo. com; http://www.carolinafeed.com. JUL 23-24 — AP&EA ANNUAL MTNG., Hilton Sandestin Beach, Fla. Contact: Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, P.O. Box 240, Montgomery, Ala. 36101. Ph: 334-2652732; http://www.alabamapoultry.org. AUG 5-9 — WORLD’S POULTRY CONGRESS, Bahia Convention Center, Salvador, Brazil. Contact: World Poultry Science Association, Brazilian Branch. Ph: +55 19 3243-6555; Fax: +55 19 3243-8542; wpsa.br@facta.org. br; http://www.wpsa2012.com. AUG 8-9 — NCPF ANNUAL MTNG., Grandover Resort, Greensboro, N.C. Contact: North
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Carolina Poultry Federation, 4020 Barrett Drive, Suite 102, Raleigh, N.C. 27609. Ph: 919-783-8218; rlford@ncpoultry.org; http://www.nncpoultry.org. 16-17 — WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP CONF., Hilton Sandestin Beach Resort & Spa, Destin, Fla. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770-493-9401; info@uspoultry.org; http://www.uspoultry.org, 20 — UEP AREA MTNG., Atlanta, Ga. Contact: United Egg Producers, 1720 Windward Concourse, Suite 230, Alpharetta, Ga. 30005. Ph: 770-360-9220; gene@unitedegg. com; http://www.unitedegg.com. 22 — UEP AREA MTNG., Philadelphia, Pa. Contact: United Egg Producers, 1720 Windward Concourse, Suite 230, Alpharetta, Ga. 30005. Ph: 770-360-9220; gene@unitedegg. com; http://www.unitedegg.com. 23 — UEP AREA MTNG., Columbus, Ohio. Contact: United Egg Producers, 1720 Windward Concourse, Suite 230, Alpharetta, Ga. 30005. Ph: 770-360-9220; gene@unitedegg. com; http://www.unitedegg.com. 28 — UEP AREA MTNG., Des Moines, Iowa. Contact: United Egg Producers, 1720 Windward Concourse, Suite 230, Alpharetta, Ga. 30005. Ph: 770-360-9220; gene@unitedegg. com; http://www.unitedegg.com. 29 — UEP AREA MTNG., Ontario, Calif. Contact: United Egg Producers, 1720 Windward Concourse, Suite 230, Alpharetta, Ga. 30005. Ph: 770-360-9220; gene@unitedegg. com; http://www.unitedegg.com. 30 — UEP AREA MTNG., Seattle, Wash. Contact: United Egg Producers, 1720 Windward Concourse, Suite 230, Alpharetta, Ga. 30005. Ph: 770-360-9220; gene@unitedegg. com; http://www.unitedegg.com. 4-6 — ARKANSAS NUTRITION CONF., Contact: Poultry Federation, P.O. Box 1446, Little Rock, Ark. 72203. Ph: 501-375-8131; http:// w w w. t h e p o u l t r y f e d e r a t i o n . c o m . 9-13 — IEC MARKETING & PRODUCTION CONF., London, England. Contact: International Egg Commission, Second Floor, 89 Charterhouse St., London EC1M 6HR, England. Ph: 44-0207490-3493; info@internationalegg. com; http://www.internationalegg.com. 12-14 — AFIA LIQUID FEED SYMPM., Grand Hyatt, Denver, Colo. Contact: American Feed Industry Association, 2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 916. Arlington, Va. 22201. Ph: 703-524-0810; afia@afia.org; http://www.afia.org. 13-14 — CPF ANNUAL MTNG. & CONF., Monterey Plaza Hotel, Monterey, Calif. Contact: California Poultry Federation, 4640 Spyres Way, Suite 4, Modesto,
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Calif. 95356. Ph: 209-576-6355; califpoultry@cs.com; http://www.cpif.org. 13-16 — MPA ANNUAL CONV., Hilton Sandestin Beach Hotel, Destin, Fla. Contact: Mississippi Poultry Association, 110 Airport Road, Suite C, Pearl, Miss. 39208. Ph: 601932-7560; beard!mspoultry.org. 17-19 — NAT’L. MTNG. POULTRY HEALTH & PROCESSING, Clarion Resort Fontainebleau Hotel, Ocean City, Md. Contact: Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc., 16686 County Seat Hwy., Georgetown, Del. 19947-4881. Ph: 302-856-9037; dpi@dpichicken. com; http://www.dpichicken.org. 21-22 — PF TURKEY COMMITTEE MTNG., Contact: Poultry Federation, P.O. Box 1446, Little Rock, Ark. 72203. Ph: 501-375-8131; http:// w w w. t h e p o u l t r y f e d e r a t i o n . c o m . 15-16 — POULTRY PRODUCTION & HEALTH SMNR., The Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham, Ala. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 300847303, Ph: 770-493-9401; info@uspoultry.org; http://www.uspoultry.org, 3-4 — PF PROCESSORS WKSHP., Contact: Poultry Federation, P.O. Box 1446, Little Rock, Ark. 72203. Ph: 501-375-8131; http://www.thepoultryfederation.com. 4-5 — POULTRY PROTEIN & FAT SMNR., Doubletree Hotel, Nashville, Tenn. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770-493-9401; info@ uspoultry.org; http://www.uspoultry.org, 4-7 — NPFDA FALL MTNG., San Diego, Calif. National Poultry & Food Distributors Association, 2014 Osborne Road, St. Marys, Ga. 31558, 770-535-9901, kkm@npfda.org, http://www.npfda.org. 9-12 — UEP ANNUAL BOARD MTNG. & EXECUTIVE CONF., Loews Coronado Bay, San Diego, Calif. Contact: United Egg Producers, 1720 Windward Concourse, Suite 230, Alpharetta, Ga. 30005. Ph: 770-360-9220; gene@unitedegg. com; http://www.unitedegg.com. 10-11 — NCC FALL BOARD OF DIRECTORS MTNG. & ANNUAL CONF., The Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C. Contact: National Chicken Council, 1015 15th St., N.W., Suite 930, Washington, D.C. 20005. Ph: 202-296-2622; http://www.nationalchickencouncil. cm; http://www.eatchicken.com. 16-18 — SUNBELT AG EXPO., Moultrie, Ga. Contact: Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition, 290-G Harper Blvd., Moultrie, Ga. 31788. Ph: 229-985-1968, ext. 28; http://www.sunbeltexpo.com. 17-24 — USAHA ANNUAL MTNG., Greensboro, N.C. Contact: U.S. Animal Health Association, 4221 Mitchell Ave., St. Joseph, Mo. 64507. Ph: 816-671-1144; usaha@ usaha.org; http://www.usaha.org. 31-Nov. 2 — ANIMAL FARMING UKRAINE 2012, International Exhibition Center, Kiev, Ukraine. Contact: http:// w w w. a n i m a l f a r m i n g e x p o . c o m . 7 — GRAIN FORECAST & ECONOMIC OUTLOOK, Airport Hilton Hotel, 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, 7-9 — AEB MTNG., Austin, Texas. Contact: American Egg Board, 1460 Renaissance Drive, Park Ridge, Ill. 60068. Ph: 847-296-7043; aeb@ aeb/org.; http://www.aeb.org.
Wastewater program provides important operator training OXFORD, Ala. — The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association recently presented its Poultry Wastewater Treatment Operators Training Program at the Hilton Garden Inn here. The training was led by Paul Bredwell, vice president of environmental programs for USPOULTRY. Sixteen individuals from eight association member companies participated in the program. “The Poultry Wastewater Treatment Operators Course has been an extremely valuable training resource for me and the rest of my wastewater team. This is the second year my facility has sent operators, as well as lab personnel to the class,” said Lisa Beckham, wastewater supervisor for Tyson Foods in Blountsville, Ala. “Their experience level has ranged from a couple of months experience to me, with 23 years of experience in wastewater treatment and wastewater lab analysis. Mr. Bredwell and Dr. Kiepper managed to make the course relevant to all of our levels of experience.” “The information presented was clear, concise, and easy to understand. My novice operators left with a basic understanding of wastewater treatment principles, which has given them a base on which to build with their handson day-to-day training,” Beckham added. “For my experienced operators, it was a much needed refresher course, which has reminded them that sometimes basic wastewater treatment principles are needed in order to troubleshoot and solve
seemingly complex problems with the treatment process. From a cost perspective, the course was the best value I have found from anyone offering wastewater treatment training. I highly recommend this class to anyone in the poultry industry who needs to understand the wastewater treatment process, whether you have pretreatment or a more advanced biological treatment process, or from the facility plant managers to the wastewater managers down to the operator with no experience.” The course introduced students to the regulatory structure governing poultry plant effluents, provided a primer in math, chemistry, and microbiology, and covered the predominant equipment and systems used to properly treat poultry effluent prior to discharge. After 14 hours of classroom instruction and active student involvement, participants received a certificate of completion with a number of states having approved the course to award professional development hours and/or continuing education credits necessary to maintain a wastewater treatment license or certification. The training program was developed by professionals with detailed knowledge of poultry wastewater treatment, the association noted. The course is primarily geared toward operators and supervisors who are presently involved in poultry wastewater treatment and is particularly suited for those with less than two years of experience in this area.
HACCP comment period extended WASHINGTON — USDA’s Food Safety & Inspection Service is extending the comment period 30 days for the Federal Register notice that clarifies requirements for Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Point validation and for the guidance document to assist
establishments in meeting the validation requirements. The new deadline to receive comments is Aug. 9. Comments can be submitted to http://www.regulations.gov, with docket number FSIS-2009-0019.
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012
Breeders & Hatcheries
Tips for trouble shooting turkey breeder issues By Gary Hall & Dennis Bauman Special to Poultry Times
ST. PAUL, Minn. — The purpose of this article is to address some common and important challenges that we have all encountered within the turkey breeder industry. Troubleshooting refers to determining what the underlying factor(s) causing or contributing to a problem are, correcting it if possible or minimizing the damage done and then putting a plan in place to hopefully prevent it from happening in the next flock. We will address the following: salmonella control; failure to peak and maintain peak; and drops in fertility (G.Hall). In 2011, we were asked by numerous breeding companies how to “get rid of” salmonella. The questions included firstly — is it possible?, secondly — what are the most effective strategies? and lastly — what can you do if the flock becomes positive? This spotlight on salmonella is a result of the USDA Food Safety & Inspection Service focus on pre-har-
Gary Hall and Dennis Bauman are with technical services with Hybrid Turkeys — a division of Hendrix Genetics. This article is drawn from a presentation given at the 2012 Midwest Poultry Federation Convention in St. Paul, Minn.
vest salmonella control and recent recalls of turkey products. Processing plants looked to live production to decrease the level of salmonella in commercial flocks. Live production in turn looked to the hatchery to supply them with salmonella negative poults and the hatchery turned to the breeder division requesting salmonella negative eggs. So to answer the first question: yes it is possible to have salmonella negative breeders. At Hybrid we have been producing salmonella negative parent stock for more than 12 years. This is not to say that we have never had a flock become positive but company policy dictates that those flocks are slaughtered because the risk of cross contamination within the hatchery and within our system is too high. This information is from many years of practical experience on how to keep salmonella out of facilities, and will focus on what you as a breeder manager can do. Consequently, this article will not discuss how to eliminate salmonella from feed, but only that it is a requirement. In addition, I do work with multipliers that have been successful in eliminating salmonella from farms and I am well aware of the effort that this takes each and every day.
Good monitoring A good monitoring program for salmonella is critical. It is your report card on biosecurity and sanitation programs. It determines the status of the environment and flock, possible vectors and therefore the critical control points. If you don’t look you won’t find, and (Continued on next page)
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012
(Continued from previous page)
if you don’t find then you don’t have the opportunity to fix it before it becomes a problem. A biosecurity audit of the farm is a good place to start, to ensure that the programs which are in place are actually happening. It is also a good way to communicate to farm staff the importance of salmonella control and the role which they play in achieving it. An evaluation of the structural integrity of the barn also needs to occur. A good test in solid sided barns (brooding and conditioning) is the light tight test. Turn off all the lights within the barn and look for any cracks of light coming in, especially those within 3 feet of the ground. To keep salmonella out, these must all be sealed. Salmonella can survive in the environment around the barn for years. So it is critical to ensure that what is outside the barn stays outside the barn. Curtain sided barns present a bigger challenge because if one barn becomes positive the likelihood of the rest becoming infected from dust blowing from barn to barn is high. In addition, wind blowing over gravel or dirt outside the barn
can also introduce salmonella into the barn.
Cleaning When it comes to cleaning and disinfecting the barn, emphasis has to be put on the cleaning aspect. It is important that the person cleaning the barn really understands how clean the barn needs to be and has the time and tools to get the job done. A visual inspection prior to disinfection will ensure that all organic material has been removed. If you are debating with someone whether the barn is clean enough or not — it likely isn’t. Areas commonly overlooked include: electrical panels, entry rooms, exhaust fan hoods, waterlines, feed bins and lines. Controlling salmonella, also means controlling the darkling beetle and rodent populations. All areas of the barn should be swabbed after disinfection to evaluate the effectiveness of the product and technique used. This is most important as day old birds are very susceptible to low level challenge. Remember that once the barn has been disinfected it must be treated as a biosecure area and precautions need to be taken by anyone entering
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the barn. All inputs (litter, brooderguard) entering the barn must also be salmonella negative. Check your litter supplier to determine where and how they are storing bulk shavings prior to coming to the farm. Know where the shavings truck was before it entered the farm and take appropriate measures. Although the truck (which should be disinfected prior to entering the clean side of the farm) may not enter the barn, the hose that was dragged into previous barns will. Consequently, each farm should have its own dedicated hose for shavings to eliminate this risk. Thermal fogging with disinfectant after the barn has been set up, prior to bird arrival can be beneficial. Obtain parent stock poults that are salmonella negative, hatched in a dedicated hatchery. Poult box pads are a good sample to test to know the status of the poults which are placed in the clean barn. It is important to know the status of the flock prior to moving them. Environmental sampling consisting of one pair of overshoe boots and one pooled dust sample have a higher probability of detecting salmonella than a drag swab alone. Testing of negative flocks a few days after a stressful procedure such as vaccination, selection or lighting will confirm whether they are truly negative. Knowing the flock status is the responsibility of the farm manager and supervisor. This information should be used in planning and logistics to ensure that salmonella negative flocks are moved, handled or inseminated before positive ones. We found it useful on farm to have color coded signs on barn entry doors (red=positive, green=negative) so that everyone who entered the barn knew the status. The answer to the second question regarding the most effective strategies is ensuring that biosecurity is being followed consistently by everyone — no exceptions. When a negative flock becomes positive it tells us that either there was a biosecurity breach or the current program is not effective to keep out the challenge and needs to be changed. Vaccination against salmonella can
be a useful ancillary strategy. However it is important to recognize that vaccines are serotype specific and take years to show effectiveness. If biosecurity programs are not in place, the vaccination program will eliminate one serotype and allow another one to take its place. The answer to the last question, what do you do if the flock becomes positive, is to focus on egg handling and sanitation, assuming that the salmonella serotype is not being truly egg transmitted. Most salmonellas enter the egg through the eggshell due to environmental contamination. As the egg cools, bacteria on the eggshell surface are pulled through the pores inside the egg. During incubation they multiple in number within the air cell. During internal pipping the poult becomes exposed/inoculated and then during external pipping, the poult releases the salmonella into the hatchers infecting hatchmates. The following measures on the breeder farm will help to minimize the transfer of salmonella in the environment into the hatching eggs: At the first collection, floor eggs should not be used as hatching eggs even if they are visually clean and warm. Keep nesting areas clean and ensure that only “clean” eggs are sanitized. Sanitize eggs as soon as possible after collection and keep them in a clean, restricted area to prevent recontamination.
Salmonella control Any person who crosses onto the clean side of your breeder operation should be aware of your commitment to salmonella control. Often this is presented as general “disease” control. This does not happen by osmosis but rather regular information meetings. Educational seminars should include not only company and contract employees but also any outside suppliers, i.e, shavings, propane, primary breeders. If we expect people to follow the biosecurity and sanitation measures necessary to stop the introduction of salmonella into our flocks, then we must ensure that they have enough
knowledge to apply it and make “correct” decisions.
Peak Failure to peak or to maintain peak (D. Bauman). When a breeder flock doesn’t reach its egg production goals, it is usually because they did not peak well or couldn’t sustain the peak. This is a critical time period to get quality settable eggs from the hen. The laying farm manager can do her/his best to provide the best environment and management to encourage the hen to lay in the nests but success or failure of the hen at this point, for the most part, has already been predetermined by how she was fed and conditioned for the prior 30 weeks of life. Some factors to consider when flocks don’t achieve your goal would include the following: 1. Significant deviations (above or below) the body weight curve of the primary breeder. Whichever breed or strain of turkey you are using, it is important to ensure that the targets for weight are reached each week. This requires weekly weighing of a representative sample of hens to ensure accurate weights and then feeding according to weight not age. If the flock is too heavy, move to next lower protein ration. If the flock is too light, delay move and stay on the higher protein ration longer. The hen will certainly become what she eats. For example: we know that overfeeding of lysine in early rations contributes to high early body weights and will prime the hen to have an increased appetite later on making her more difficult to manage. It is critical however, that a sufficient number of hens are weighed otherwise the average weight does not reflect the whole flock and actions taken may actually increase the lack of uniformity within the flock. Quality decisions are based on quality data. Experience has taught us the following: Flocks which overshoot their body weight target for several (Continued on next page)
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012 (Continued from previous page)
weeks and then are dramatically “pulled” back towards the curve, will not peak well. Inattention to weekly body weights and not taking the necessary corrective action during conditioning, causes irreparable damage and costs the laying farm in egg production. Allowing flocks which have overshot their body weight target to stay on a new higher bodyweight curve and be heavy at point of lay will salvage some eggs but cause other problems due to excessive abdominal fat and an unfit hen. This includes: Prolapsed oviduct resulting in mortality or culling at a time when the capitalized cost of the hen is high. Excessive double yolked eggs due to multiple ova of the same size within the follicular hierarchy that are all released at the same time. Initially, it is not uncommon to see doubles around 1.5 percent, reaching a maximum incidence around the time of peak egg production then trailing off toward 0.5 percent by the end of first cycle egg production. Egg peritonitis when multiple ova are released and are not caught by the oviduct but fall within the abdomen. These ova, if broken, provide the perfect media for bacteria such as E. coli to grow in. This E.coli may be the result of inadequate water sanitation or excessively dust conditions. This may result in either mortality and/or increased costs for medication and ultimately poor peaks and a flock that will not reach its performance goals. Remember, just because a flock may be at “target” weight as they enter the laying barn, doesn’t guarantee success. What is more critical is how the flock arrived at that weight which reflects body composition and level of fitness. 2. Weights and Feed Consumption in Lay Most companies do not monitor body weights or feed consumption once birds arrive at the lay farm. Although very little published research has been done in this area, data from companies that do monitor this is
showing that body weight is crucial from arrival at the farm to end of lay to ensure not only a good peak but good sustained production. There appears to be a correlation between flocks that lose the least amount of weight after the onset of production with longer peaks and overall higher egg production. More research needs to be done to improve feed consumption and nutritional intake especially during the first six weeks of egg production. 3. Light Spectrum During Conditioning For optimal reproduction, fluorescent lights in the 630 nm range are recommended during conditioning. Incandescent lights produce a continuous red spectrum (570 to 700 nm). Use of compact fluorescent cool lights (540 nm/green spectrum) and low intensity (4 foot candles) has been shown to result in poor peaks. This is something that is often overlooked because we cannot perceive the difference but turkey hens can. In these cases the hens are on target for body weight and environmental conditions within the barn may be excellent. There may also be historical, unexplainable differences in egg production between barns on the same farm due to replacing the type of lights in individual barns, due to age or energy savings initiatives. Research under field conditions, where hens were conditioned using the wrong light spectrum compared to hens conditioned using the correct light spec-
trum, showed the following : Signs present in hens during conditioning: Improper / lack of uniform molt. Molting even before shortening the day length. Very few feathers on the floor when day length shortened. Rough and broken feathers. Signs present in hens during lay: Delayed sexual maturity. Few hens squatting after transfer. Artificial insemination had to be delayed by three days. Start of egg production was delayed by five days. Peak of lay was 10 percent below standard. Total egg production was 13 eggs less at 24 weeks of production Once egg production is initiated, it is also important to remember that all hens do not respond with the same urgency or with the same intensity. Our ability to maintain uniformity within a flock for these criteria (age, weight, and sensitivity to light) dictates to a great extent our success in achieving satisfactory egg production for the entire flock of hens.
Drops in fertility Not only does the hatchery want a consistent, abundant supply of salmonella negative eggs, they also need them to be fertile. Trouble shooting drops in fertility requires the routine collection and analysis of information by the farm manager , insemination crew leader and hatchery quality control personnel. This information is extremely important in order to react quickly to minimize drops in fertility and also because many fertility drops are due to multiple factors. The first important step is to determine whether this is truly a drop in fertility or whether it is an increase in early dead embryos. Fertility can be monitored through hatchery candling or breaking out eggs that fail to hatch but this results in finding out there might be a problem two to five weeks after the problem started. In order to detect fertility drops in a timely manner routine egg breakouts are recommended to determine true fertility. Collect 50 to 100 eggs per barn over a seven day period. Cull
eggs may be used including double yolks, dirty, small and odd-shaped. Set these eggs in a small portable incubator and break the eggs 48 to 72 hours after setting to determine true fertility. This information needs to be given to the AI crew so that small adjustments can be made in semen dosage or in cases of severe or sequential drops in fertility, to the breeder manager so that an investigation can commence. Use of electronic data collection systems can ensure that information is available in a timely manner and allows the trouble shooter to analyze many variables at the same time. It is useful to know if the fertility drop is limited to one barn, one farm, across multiple farms, associated with a specific age of breeders or associated with one crew. In flocks that are suspected to have a fertility problem based on routine testing, it is recommended to set and break out good eggs to confirm that fertility drop and begin to trouble shooting. Potential problems can be discovered within seven to 10 days of last insemination. Below are the broad areas to investigate with a check list of possible factors involved: Poor quality semen or lack of semen. Check males for loss of bodyweight ensuring that adequate males have been weighed. Males should be weighed weekly from transfer and should not lose weight. Weight loss could be due to nutritional/feed quality problems or health challenges. If the fertility drop is occurring on multiple farms, nutritional inadequacies or toxicities should be considered. For example: fenbendazole in breeder feed has been reported to cause a drop in fertility due to decreased sperm mobility. If the fertility drop is confined to one farm, check that the lighting program is correct and that light intensity is adequate in all pens. Burnt out lights in one section of a barn can affect only the males in that area. Improper artificial insemination technique (collection, dilution, holding and transport, insemination
of semen and bird handling): Ensure that milkers are collecting good quality semen avoiding urates and fecal contamination. If feeding males by hand, feed after milking to reduce fecal and urate contamination. Use of a semen filter is necessary. No yellow semen. Check insemination technique. If the injector is going too deep, not deep enough or is inexperienced. Perivitelline membrane testing can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the insemination by measuring the number of holes (where sperm have penetrated) on the perivitelline membrane. Improper injection can also lead to wall damage of the oviduct. Always try to have experienced injectors do first inseminations. Document semen handling for time milked, time used and check this documentation to ensure protocol is being followed. Records should be kept of the lot numbers of semen extender used. It is important to know when a new batch or lot of extender is used. This can be important if fertility drops occur on several farms but not all farms. Check extender to ensure that it is not contaminated and meets specifications with respect to pH and osmolality. In a stud farm scenario, review all documentation immediately. Periodic semen analysis of onfarm males can be done quite easily and efficiently. Sperm analyzers are available to the industry. These machines can be taken to the farm and a quick semen analysis can be done in 5-10 minutes.
Conclusions Troubleshooting a problem on a breeder farms is most efficient when well documented monitoring programs are in place that are audited regularly. If information is worth collecting, it is worth analyzing and reacting to. With the economics within the industry today, we cannot afford to be complacent and wait to see if a problem will resolve itself. Additionally, the same mistake should not happen in subsequent flocks.
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012
Egg Processing
Importance of grit removal from wastewater By Drs. Brian Kiepper & Casey Ritz Special to Poultry Times
ATHENS, Ga. — Commercial shell egg processing facilities use 1.5 to 3 gallons (5.7 to 11.4 L) of water per case (1 case = 360 eggs) of packaged table eggs, producing a relatively high-strength wastewater stream. Commercial shell egg processors in Georgia annually produce approximately 7 million cases of table eggs (2.5 billion eggs), generating 10.5 to 21 million gallons of wastewater requiring treatment. Results of a 2005 survey of the U.S. commercial table egg industry
showed that more than 80 percent of shell egg processing plants treat their own wastewater on-site prior to discharge, typically through land application systems. The vast majority of these facilities are located in rural areas and rely solely or in-part on the proven reliability of waste stabilization ponds (WSP) to treat their wastewater streams. One essential element of an effectively operating commercial shell egg processing wastewater treatment system is the efficient removal of grit. The effects of poor grit removal are often not immediately apparent, but the negative effects can
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be substantial. These negative effects include a loss of treatment capacity and fouling of and damage to equipment. This article is designed to give commercial egg processors the information they need to understand and effectively deal with the wastewater grit generated from the conveying, washing and grading of table eggs. Answers to the four most commonly asked questions concerning grit in egg processing wastewater are provided: 1. What is grit and where does it come from in an egg processing plant? 2. What problems can grit cause in a wastewater treatment system? 3. What can be done to minimize the grit entering a wastewater treatment system? 4. What options are available for grit capture and removal, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each option? 1. What is grit and where does it come from in an egg processing plant? Grit in wastewater is defined as the heavy, substantially-inorganic particulate solids that have significantly greater specific gravities then the lighter substantially-organic particles in a wastewater stream. When wastewater enters a basin with a low velocity, the heavy grit particles quickly settle to the bottom while the lighter particles remain suspended in the water column. In typical municipal wastewater streams, grit consists of settable solids such as sand, gravel, egg shells and coffee grounds. In commercial shell egg processing wastewater streams, grit is predominately made up of pieces of broken egg shell and the particles associated with the debris (e.g., feces and dirt) cleaned from the out-
side of eggs during washing. The composition of grit can vary widely, even among commercial shell egg processing plants, with moisture content ranging from 15 percent to 65 percent, and organic content ranging from less than 1 percent to more than 50 percent. The specific gravity of clean inorganic grit particles can be as high as 2.7 (Note: the specific gravity of clean water is 1.0) and as low as 1.3 when a significant amount of organic matter is present. The bulk density of grit is, on average, about 100 lb/ft3 (1600 kg/m3). 2. What problems can grit cause in a wastewater treatment system? Three major negative impacts are associated with poor removal of grit from wastewater treatment systems: 1. At any point in a wastewater collection or treatment system where flow velocity is less than 1.5 ft/sec, grit will begin to fall out of suspension and collect. These low velocity areas can include drains, channels and pipelines. As grit collects in unintended areas, clogs can form, stopping wastewater flow. The trapped organic matter in these areas can then rapidly form pockets of anaerobic (i.e., septic) digestion that produce gaseous by-products that are harmful to both collection and treatment system surfaces as well as human health. 2. Grit is extremely abrasive and will produce abnormal wear on pumps and treatment system surfaces, significantly reducing the operational life of a wastewater treatment system and its components. The life of a pump impeller can be reduced by as much as 30 percent due to the abrasive action of grit. 3. Grit will accumulate within the major treatment basins (e.g., waste
stabilization ponds), eventually causing a loss in treatment capacity. In addition, since grit quickly settles out of wastewater and to the bottom of basins, the cumulative effect of the grit is often not known until major problems arise in loss of treatment efficiency (i.e., “out of sight, out of mind”). 3. What can be done to minimize the amount of grit entering a wastewater treatment system? The volume of grit entering wastewater treatment systems varies among shell egg processing plants due to differences in: A. how much external debris is on the eggs entering the processing plant, B. the number of broken eggs that occur during processing and how they are handled, C. the number and configuration of egg washers and final rinse stations, D. cleaning and sanitation procedures, E. where and how grit is collected in the wastewater system, and F. at what interval grit is removed from the wastewater system. A. Amount of external debris on eggs Dirty eggs equal grit. There is a direct relationship between the amount of external debris on the surface of the eggs entering a processing facility and the amount of grit in a processing plant’s wastewater stream. What You Can Do: Minimize external debris on eggs entering processing. Investigate causes of high levels of external debris and institute management practices to minimize external debris on eggs entering the processing facility. (For example, the longer hens have access to laid (Continued on next page)
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012 (Continued from previous page)
eggs, the dirtier they can become. Thus, layer cage bottoms should be checked to ensure a proper slope is maintained to efficiently move fresh-laid eggs to the conveyor system.) Cleaner eggs entering the processing plants will significantly reduce not only the grit entering the wastewater treatment system but also the overall wastewater load. B. Number of broken eggs that occur during processing and handling of broken eggs Typically, 1 percent to 2 percent of shell eggs are broken during the conveying, washing and grading process. This means that a commercial egg processing facility that handles 1 million eggs per day will produce 10,000 to 20,000 broken eggs. The percentage of broken eggs varies by flock, season and type of processing equipment utilized. The longer broken eggs remain on the processing line, the more opportunity broken pieces of egg shell and liquid egg contents have to enter the wastewater stream. What You Can Do: Minimize the occurrence of broken eggs and the amount of time broken eggs remain on the processing line. Investigate and document the number of broken eggs entering the processing facility. Also investigate and identify the key areas where broken eggs occur during processing (e.g., conveyor system, belt transfer points and egg washers). Once key areas where broken eggs occur are identified, make operational adjustments and institute management practices to minimize breakage. When breakages do occur, ensure that broken
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eggs are removed from the processing line as quickly as possible to minimize impact on wastewater. C. Number and configuration of egg washers and final rinse stations Commercial washing of shell eggs is typically conducted in single (~30 percent of plants) or dual mechanical washers arranged in a series (~70 percent of plants) followed by a final egg rinse. Mechanical washers typically use a series of nozzles that spray eggs with an alkaline detergent, while brushes move in a side-to-side motion across the egg surface to remove external debris. Eggs are moved through the units by sets of rollers that turn the eggs, ensuring all surfaces come in contact with the nozzle spray and brushes. What You Can Do: Minimize egg breakage in washers. Investigate and document the number of eggs broken during the washing/rinsing process. Make adjustments to washers (e.g., water pressure and brush height) to minimize breakage. Regardless of adjustments, external debris removed from the eggs in the washers will impact grit entering the wastewater stream; however, minimizing breakage will keep egg shell grit from entering the wastewater stream. D. Cleaning and sanitation procedures Extensive cleaning and sanitation of egg processing buildings and equipment are conducted on a daily basis; however, specific cleaning and sanitation procedures vary greatly from plant to plant. The first line of defense in minimizing the amount grit entering the wastewater stream is to develop clear procedures for cleaning and sanitation, DSI MODEL SHOWN ®
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and, more importantly, monitor how well the established procedures are followed. What You Can Do: Develop procedures that emphasize dry cleaning methods, that is to say, cleaning procedures that focus on broomand-shovel recovery of processing by-products, and not on hosing byproducts down the drain. Ensure that equipment and floor drains are fitted with cover screens to maximize grit capture within the plant, and that drain screens are not removed during plant cleaning. 4. What options are available for grit capture and removal, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of each option? It is important to note that removing grit from a wastewater stream involves two processes: grit capture (i.e., trapping grit on some sort of surface or in some sort of container) and grit removal (i.e., the physical step of moving the captured grit out of the wastewater stream). There are two options for grit capture from shell egg processing wastewater treatment systems: screens and grit chambers. Likewise, there are two options for grit removal from shell egg wastewater treatment systems: manual and mechanical. It is important to note that these categories are not mutually exclusive and that effective grit removal systems can include a combination of screens and grit chambers with manual and mechanical operations.
Screens Screens are perforated surfaces that are placed in a wastewater
Low Relative Cost: Screens are typically the simplest and least expensive form of physical wastewater treatment. High Flexibility: Screens are available in many styles, sizes and materials. Screens can be utilized as stand-alone units or in a series, which allows coarser screens to remove larger particles before further screening by finer mesh units. Screens are available in both static (i.e., manual-cleaning) and mechanical (i.e., self-cleaning) grit recovery formats depending on the desired level of operation and maintenance intensity. Ease of Upgrade: Screens can usually be added relatively inexpensively to existing wastewater treatment systems to increase grit removal efficiencies.
Disadvantages: Lower Efficiency compared to grit chambers. Grit is determined by particle density as well as size, thus fine grit particles can pass through screen surfaces and still cause negative impacts in wastewater treatment systems. In addition, screens are non-selective, trapping lighter, large organic particles along with grit. Labor Intensive: Screens are only effective when screen surfaces are free of debris to allow the passage of wastewater. Thus, consistent operational checks and maintenance of both static and mechanical screens are required for efficient operation. More labor-intensive static screens are usually preferred due to the low relative wastewater flow volume from egg processing and aggressive nature of grit on mechanical systems. Sizing Difficulties: Screens must be sized properly to handle both the hydraulic flow and particle size of the wastewater stream to prevent ‘blinding,’ which is defined as the overload of a screen that results in the coating over of the gaps preventing the passage of wastewater. A balance must be found in minimizing the potential for screen blinding while maximizing grit capture. stream and are designed to retain particulate matter greater in size than the surface gap openings. Screens used for particle recovery such as grit are classified as Fine, with gaps 0.059 to 0.25 inches (1.5 to 6.0 mm); Very Fine, with gaps 0.008 to 0.059 inches (0.2 to 1.5 mm); and
Microscreens, with gaps <0.008 inches (0.2 mm). The advantages and disadvantages of screens for grit recovery in shell egg processing wastewater are listed in Table 1. Based on these advantages and (Continued on next page)
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Table 1. Advantages and disadvantages of physical SCREENS for grit capture and removal in shell egg processing wastewater.
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(Continued from previous page)
disadvantages, simple manuallyoperated static screens are usually preferred in commercial shell egg processing.
Grit Chambers Grit chambers are enlarged inline channels or tanks at the head of a wastewater treatment system that allow the velocity of wastewater flow to be reduced below 1.5 ft/sec (0.45 m/sec). The desired design velocity is typically in the range of 0.7 to 1.4 ft/sec (0.2 to 0.4 m/sec). At this reduced velocity, grit is allowed to settle to the bottom of the channel or tank, while the lighter particulates stay suspended in the wastewater stream. Retention times in grit chambers typically range from 45 to 90 seconds. The required length of a grit chamber is determined using the following equation: Length, ft = (Depth of Channel, ft) (Flow Velocity, ft/sec) Settling Rate, ft/sec where: Flow Velocity = 1.0 ft/ sec* Settling Rate = 0.075 ft/sec*† * typical design value used † represents a 2 mm piece of sand The advantages and disadvantages of chambers for grit recovery in shell egg processing wastewater are listed in Table 2. In most cases, grit chambers are part of the initial design in wastewater treatment plants; however, many egg processing facilities use standard septic tanks as grit chambers successfully. The use of septic tanks has the advantage of being installed as part of an initial wastewater treatment system design or added later to an existing wastewater treatment system relatively easily. Summary To effectively deal with the wastewater grit generated from the conveying, washing and grading of table eggs, commercial egg processors can take action in these five areas: 1. Minimize external debris on
Length, ft = (Depth of Channel, ft) (Flow Velocity, ft/sec) Settling Rate, ft/sec Where: Flow Velocity = 1.0 ft/sec* Settling Rate = 0.075 ft/sec*= *
typical desig value used =represents a 2 mm piece of sand
Table 2. Advantages and disadvantages of Grit Chambers for grit capture and removal in shell egg processing wastewater.
Grit Removal Advantages: Increased Efficiency compared to screens. Properly sized grit chambers will remove all but the finest grit particulates. Grit chambers also minimize the impact of lighter organic particles that can be trapped by screens. Low Labor Requirement: Once in operation, grit chambers require little daily operational procedures or maintenance. Grit chambers are available in both static (manual-cleaning) and mechanical (self-cleaning) grit recovery types. Availability of Advanced Separation Systems: Grit chambers can be designed to include aeration (i.e., introduction of air in wastewater that effectively reduces the specific gravity of the air/wastewater mixture over normal wastewater), which enhances grit settling. Cyclone grit separators are available that use primary and secondary vortexes to accelerate the removal of grit from wastewater in a small footprint.
Disadvantages: Higher Operational Costs compared to screens. Although grit chambers and screens have comparable initial capital costs, the need for periodic grit removal from chambers often involves hiring a vacuum pump truck, which produces higher average operational costs. “Out of Sight, Out of Mind:” Unlike screens, where problems tend to be readily apparent, grit chambers can continue to operate even if grit isn’t being removed efficiently. Since grit settles to the bottom of chambers (as well as other areas of wastewater treatment systems) it is easy to delay needed grit removal and cause long-term problems. Removal Difficulties: Since grit settles to the bottom of chambers, it has to be removed periodically. Mechanical removal systems are available, but due to the severe abrasive nature of grit, these systems are prone to frequent breakdowns. Most facilities with grit chambers opt to hire outside contractors to periodically pump grit from chambers for a fee. eggs entering the processing plant. 2. Minimize the occurrence of broken eggs and the amount of time broken eggs remain on the processing line. 3. Minimize egg breakage in washers. 4. Develop sanitation procedures that emphasize dry cleaning methods. 5. Implement an efficient grit cap-
ture and removal system that best fits the desired level of operation and maintenance intensity. For more information or for assistance with wastewater grit at your egg processing facility, contact your local University of Georgia Cooperative Extension agent or contact the authors at bkiepper@uga.edu and critz@uga.edu.
N.Y. Mets find farm for prank chicken The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Tim Byrdak and the New York Mets have given new meaning to baseball’s farm system. Thanks to the Mets’ wacky reliever and a successful Twitter search, the most famous chicken in New York is headed to its new home. And surely, “Little Jerry Seinfeld” will be much more comfortable on a farm upstate than it was in the clubhouse at Citi Field. All the fun started recently, when Mets closer Frank Francisco called the Yankees “chickens.” Of course, that made for cartoonish tabloid headlines in the Big Apple. As a prank, Byrdak, the Mets’ resident joker, brought a live chicken into the clubhouse on June 22, clucking up his teammates. The pitcher even posted a closeup video on Twitter of a chicken bobbing around on the carpet. Byrdak said the chicken, which he named after the funny-looking bird that stole the show on an episode of “Seinfeld,” spent a couple of days eating oatmeal and resting comfortably at the ballpark. But then he realized he had to find it a new home. So a Twitter search put him in touch with the Farm Sanctuary of Watkins Glen, N.Y., which sent a representative to Citi Field on June 24 to take the celebrity chicken in a salient exchange that sent the New York press corps scrambling to document an undoubtedly transcendent moment about two hours before the game. “The power of social media saved a bird’s life today,” Byrdak deadpanned. Francisco explained what he meant by his odd comment, saying he thinks the Yankees often protest calls by the umpires — especially balls and strikes.
“ ‘I did my best to stay out of the clubhouse yesterday when they were trying to pull the gag on Frankie. It was pretty funny. It keeps the clubhouse loose in certainly an intense situation.’ Terry Collins
New York Mets manager
He said he was excited to have a chance to strike out the side against them. For their part, the Yankees seemed pretty confused by the whole chicken dance all weekend. Confused, and disinterested. Not so the Mets. “I did my best to stay out of the clubhouse yesterday when they were trying to pull the gag on Frankie. It was pretty funny,” manager Terry Collins said on June 23, shaking his head and chuckling. “It keeps the clubhouse loose in certainly an intense situation.” Byrdak, of course, attributed his team’s five-run first inning on June 22 to its new good-luck charm. Francisco might not feel the same way — after saving the series opener, he was placed on a 15-day disabled list with a strained muscle on his left side. Earlier in the day, Byrdak acknowledged there was a lesson to be learned from his chicken conundrum: “Always think ahead if you’re going to get an animal.”
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EPA gives final OK for E15 fuel •Gordon WASHINGTON — The Environmental Protection Agency has given final approval for a fuel blend containing 15 percent ethanol, known as E15, to be sold at gasoline stations across the country. Ethanol is a renewable fuel that can be mixed with gasoline. Ethanol has been blended into gasoline for more than 30 years, but has been limited by law to 10 percent by volume for use in gasolinefueled vehicles. “Today, the last significant federal hurdle has been cleared to allow consumers to buy fuel containing up to 15 percent ethanol,” said Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack in a June 15 statement. “This gets us one step closer to giving the American consumer a real choice at the pump.” The secretary noted that the public has a right to choose between imported oil and home-grown energy and the EPA action advances that
“
goal. “Home grown biofuels are providing sustainable rural jobs that cannot be exported. Today’s action proves yet again that renewable biofuels are not a dream of the future, but are a reality, and are making a difference today,” Vilsack said. The E15 blend has been approved for use in cars and light trucks from the 2001 model year onward, but is banned from older vehicles. Motorcycles also cannot use E15. Engines
that cannot use E15 are all off-road vehicles, including boats and snowmobiles, all off-road equipment, including lawnmowers and chainsaws, and vehicles with heavy-duty engines. Dispensing E15 into a vehicle or engine that may not use E15 is prohibited by federal law. “In the eyes of the federal government, E15 is a legal fuel for sale to cars, pickups and SUVS made since 2001,” said Bob Dinneen, Renewable Fuels Association president and CEO. “E15 has undergone the most vigorous testing and regulatory process of any fuel approved by the federal government,” said Dinneen. “With all i’s dotted and t’s crossed as far as EPA is concerned, our undivided focus will turn to addressing state regulatory issues, identifying retailers wishing to offer E15 and paving the way to greater use of domestically produced ethanol.”
most of the MPA records, photos and mementos were lost when a storage building at the state fairgrounds was bulldozed to make room for something more modern. It took a lot of time to rebuild our history to remind everyone how the Mississippi Hatchery Association and the Mississippi Poultry Federation eventually became the Mississippi Poultry Improvement Association (MPIA) and then MPA. What we found along the way was how big the family was. I tell people that the industry in Mississippi is joined at the hip with Mississippi State University’s Poultry Science Department, where the association was initially housed. That close relationship continues today. We found that the sometimes-rocky relationship between industry and federal government was tight right from the beginning. The National
Poultry Improvement Program, for example, was the impetus to bring the various segments of the industry together to form the MPIA in 1937. The legislature and various state agencies boosted the industry’s growth as well. As we organized the video, we saw how all these elements — responding to vertical integration and globalization — have prepared Mississippi to be a major player in meeting the rising demand for protein over the next 40 years. Those farms the public can’t see and the plants they drive by are feeding the world and pulling in dollars from around the globe to grow Mississippi’s economy. We hope our efforts to recapture this history from the daily grind builds a sense of pride in those who built the industry, those who work in it today, and those who benefit from it without knowing it.
‘This gets us one step closer to giving the American consumer a real choice at the pump.’ Tom Vilsack
Secretary of Agriculture
•Leggett (Continued from page 4)
the companies known globally today — Cal-Maine Foods, Marshal Durbin, Peco Foods, Sanderson Farms Inc., Tyson Foods Inc., Wayne Farms LLC and Koch Foods. The poultry industry in Mississippi is still a close-knit family, so we decided a family reunion would be a good way to celebrate and brag some, too. We planned a dinner, held in May at Sanderson Farms headquarters in Laurel, Miss., to bring together those who played significant roles in making Mississippi’s poultry industry the state’s largest agricultural commodity. We unveiled a video we could use to explain the development and impact of the industry at civic clubs and other venues. We didn’t know how difficult this would be, because in the daily rush to get bigger and better over 75 years,
(Continued from page 4)
pastures and land application of manure, but also home sewage treatment systems, development, urban runoff, channelization, riparian removal and sewage disposal. Agriculture is doing its part to protect the watershed. Today, Operation Future boasts more than 140 farms. The members of OFA are proud of the water quality in the Darby. According to Fred, they feel very strongly about keeping “the high water quality and diversity found in the watershed.” After the group’s first canoe trip, they decided to host another trip and include members from many environmental organizations and government agencies. As Fred recalls, “We had a farmer in each canoe right alongside members of these groups. We found we all wanted the same thing, and the other groups found that farmers are good stewards of the land.” In 2004 the Darby was declared one of the 10 most endangered rivers in the country by the national conservation group American Rivers. It is the only national and state scenic river that lies within close
proximity to a major metropolitan area — Columbus, Ohio. Not only farming, but also urban expansion increases the awareness of what happens within the watershed. And a special agreement regarding development has resulted from all of the efforts to raise awareness about protecting the watershed. The bottom line is that farmers have been allowed to play a positive part in the Big Darby solution, so much so that many consider it a part of the family. “The Darby becomes very special to you when you work next to it,” Fred says. “You want to protect it and have it there for future generations to enjoy. When I took over the farm from Dad, the only thing he asked me to do with the farm was to leave it better than I found it. I think I’ve done that using conservation tillage and be keeping an eye on the Darby.” There is no better way to explain the stewardship ethic ingrained in America’s farmers. Voluntarily, they are keeping their eyes on the environment in a way that honors the past and respects the future. That’s what agriculture is all about.
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•USAPEEC (Continued from page 1)
Special
Executive Committee: Members of the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council Executive Committee for 2012-13 are, left to right, Mike Little, Mountaire Farms; Joel Coleman, Butterball, secretary-treasurer; Neil Carey, Simmons Foods, Marketing Committee chairman; Chaz Wilson, Grove Services, chairman; Charles von der Heyde, Pilgrim’s Pride, first vice chairman; Thierry Murad, AJC International, immediate past chairman; and Jim Wayt, Intervision Foods. Not pictured is Herbie Hoover, Sanderson Farms, second vice president.
egg products worldwide. USAPEEC members also elected Charles von der Heyde of Pilgrim’s Pride in Greeley, Colo., as first vice chairman of the board, and Herbie Hoover of Sanderson Farms in Laurel, Miss., as second vice chairman. Joel Coleman, vice president and general manager of international sales at Butterball LLC in Mt. Olive, N.C., was elected secretary-treasurer. He replaces Jim Hoben, vice president-poultry at Interra International, an Atlanta trading company. Hoben is a former two-time chairman of USAPEEC. Neil Carey of Simmons Foods in Siloam Springs, Ark., was elected chairman of USAPEEC’s Marketing Committee. The chairman of this committee also serves on the board and has a seat on the Executive Committee. Executive Committee at-large members are Mike Little, international sales manager, Mountaire Farms in Selbyville, Del., and Jim Wayt of Intervision Foods in Atlanta. Murad will remain on the Executive Committee as past-chairman. New members elected to three-year terms on the USAPEEC board are Claudio Saviano of House of Raeford, Raeford, N.C.; Greg Hinton of Rose Acre Farms in Seymour, Ind.; and Larry Gibson of George’s Inc. in Springdale, Ark.
•Russia (Continued from page 1)
Agricultural groups have applauded the Jackson-Vanik repeal legislation. In a joint statement, the National Chicken Council, National Turkey Federation and the USA Poultry & Egg Export Council said repeal of the Jackson-Vanik amendment will “create new jobs and boost the U.S. economy. As Russia enters into the WTO later this summer, PNTR will ensure that poultry companies can take full advantage of new business opportunities, that Russia’s commitments entering the WTO are enforced and that American businesses are on an equal playing field in the Russian market.” Russia is currently the third largest export market for U.S. broiler meat and is the 10th largest export market for U.S. turkey. “Continuing to export $300 mil-
lion of poultry to Russia annually will provide better incomes for more U.S. workers and additional poultry to be produced by a growing number of family farmers across America,” the groups stated. “The U.S. poultry industry encourages swift action on this legislation to establish PNTR before Russia joins the WTO,” the associations urged. “This gives the United States the best chance of enjoying the full economic benefits that comes with Russia’s WTO membership.” Also joining in welcoming the senators’ action were the American Farm Bureau Federation and the American Soybean Association. AFBF President Bob Stallman said, “Russia PNTR is a critical step toward ensuring the U.S. benefits from Russia’s accession to the WTO and remains competitive in that market. U.S. farmers will have
more certain and predictable market access as a result of Russia’s commitment not to raise tariffs on any products above the negotiated rates and to apply international food safety standards in a uniform and transparent manner.” Steve Wellman, ASA president, added that the announcement is an exciting one for farmers. “As Russia’s economy and purchasing power grows, Russian demand for soy products, poultry, pork, dairy and eggs grows as well, and that’s great news for American soybean farmers.” The announcement, however, has met with some opposition. Eight Finance Committee Republicans have written a letter to Baucus saying that Congress cannot ignore ongoing issues with Russia in moving to normalize trade relations. “Many aspects of the U.S.-Russia relationship are troubling,” they
said, including Russia’s poor human rights record in recent years and its policies on missile defense, Libya and Syria that have been at odds with the U.S. The letter also questioned whether Russia would comply if the WTO handed down adverse rulings on its economic policies. The GOP senators also warned against any weakening of human rights legislation now moving through both the House and the Senate, which could possibly be linked to repeal of the Jackson-Vanik amendment. The legislation, named after Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, who died in a Russian jail in 2009 after allegedly being subject to torture, imposes visa bans and freezes the assets of those held responsible for gross human rights violations in Russia, including the Magnitsky case.
McCain has said that while he supports the trade bill, “the extension of permanent normal trade relations status and the repeal of the Jackson-Vanik amendment must be accompanied by the passage of the Magnitsky Act.” The National Foreign Trade Council and USA-Engage, a coalition of business groups, has issued a joint statement saying the Magnitsky bill “would harm U.S. relations with Russia and many other nations, and would jeopardize the significant benefits arising from Russian concessions during its WTO accession negotiations.” Russian officials have condemned the legislation and indicated they will retaliate if Congress passes the Magnitsky bill. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012
â&#x20AC;˘Hygiene (Continued from page 5)
In the hatchery Ideally, eggs should be disinfected as soon as possible after collection at the breeder farm, and again upon arrival at the hatchery. The hatchery is the crucial funnel, collecting eggs from many breeder farms (or even imported eggs) and distributing day old chicks to many farms. The incubators do not only incubate embryos, but also many bacteria. In multi-stage setters, this growth of bacteria is uninterrupted, unless regular spray or mist disinfection is carried out and exploded eggs are removed and their debris is cleared up. Fumigation in the setter with formaldehyde, a carcinogenic product, cannot be done between 24 and 96 hours of embryo development. Moreover, formaldehyde has no residual action so it does not prevent recontamination. In the hatchers, at â&#x20AC;&#x153;pippingâ&#x20AC;? the germ counts explode logarithmically. Remember that bacteria can double every 20 minutes. Table 1 shows what bacteria need for growth and how the growth can be reduced. The hatchery layout should consider four flows: ď&#x201A;&#x2014; Product flow: no crossing of eggs and chicks. ď&#x201A;&#x2014; People flow: from clean (= egg) zone to dirty (= chick) zone, ideally with color coded areas, with showers, hand washing facilities and foot dips at the entrance and foot dips between every production zone for the personnel. Truck drivers should never enter the building. Offices, showers and toilets should ideally be separated. ď&#x201A;&#x2014; Airflow: Positive pressure in the clean zone with no air intake near a dirty zone exhaust. ď&#x201A;&#x2014; Waste water flow: separate drains for clean and dirty area. Product procedures Hatching eggs can be washed with alkaline products, either chlorinated
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or non-chlorinated, based on potassium hydroxide. Proper temperature control (42-45 degrees C or 108-113 degrees F) is crucial. Contact time should be limited to approximately five minutes, in order not to affect the cuticle. Disinfection afterwards should be at a slightly higher temperature, to prevent the product from entering the pores (45-47 degrees C or 113-117 degrees F); after rinsing at the same temperature. Ideally, products with a residual action should be used, to prevent early recontamination. Trays, crates and baskets can be washed with the same chemical as the eggs. It is important that the products do not foam when machine washing. Obviously, temperatures should be higher (50-60 degrees C or 110-140 degrees F) but not so high as to damage the plastic. Ideally, these alkaline products which remove mainly fat and proteins should be rotated with an acid, non-foaming detergent to remove mineral deposits (lime-scale, iron,) and residues from the alkaline cleaners. Hatcher baskets and chick boxes should be disinfected immediately after washing by spraying. If setter trolleys and trays go back to the farm, they must be disinfected. If farm buggies are being used, they should equally be disinfected. Floors, walls and setters can be washed with a â&#x20AC;&#x153;universalâ&#x20AC;? cleaner, designed specifically to remove the typical debris of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;clean zoneâ&#x20AC;? (yolk, albumen, blood). This detergent should also be suitable for application with a foam lance or
scrubbing machine and therefore have good adhesion. It is advisable to alternate once per month with an acid foam. A good foam formulation will cling to ceilings and vertical surfaces, allowing a longer contact time for the chemical to act. Be careful with aluminum: strong alkaline detergents (and definitely chlorinated detergents) will corrode aluminum. Check if they have special corrosion inhibitors ! The terminal disinfection should also be versatile enough to be applied by spraying, foaming and fogging. Room fogging (or misting) in the setter and hatcher rooms allows the product to enter the machines through the air inlets and to disinfect the incubators at the same time. Personnel rooms and sanitary rooms can be scrubbed or hosed down with a universal cleaner, rotated with an acid, rinsed and disinfected weekly with the terminal disinfectant. The same disinfectant can be used for foot dips at the entrance and in every production room. Ideally they should be renewed every other day. It should be â&#x20AC;&#x153;Standard Operating Procedureâ&#x20AC;? to wash and disinfect the hands when entering the hatchery and when leaving the toilet. In the dirty zone (hatcher room, plenum, exhaust ducts, chick room, wash room, reception and storage of dirty boxes), stronger cleaning products are advised; especially for cleaning the hatchers and plenums, where lots of fluff needs to be removed. (Salmonella can live for years in fluff!). An alkaline foamer,
or even better, an alkaline, non-corrosive gel with higher viscosity will do the job properly. Instead of relying on â&#x20AC;&#x153;elbow grease,â&#x20AC;? it is better to rely on the chemistry of specially designed products, allowing for a long enough contact time and thus saving on water consumption, energy costs and cleaning time (labor cost). Again, it is advisable to rotate on a monthly basis with an acid foamer . Especially in the dirty zone, it is important to follow the correct procedures: ď&#x201A;&#x2014; Remove all visible debris manually (with shovel and brush) ď&#x201A;&#x2014; High pressure wash with foam lance ď&#x201A;&#x2014; Rinse ď&#x201A;&#x2014; Allow to dry ď&#x201A;&#x2014; Disinfect Often, Step 4 is forgotten. When the disinfectant is sprayed on a wet surface, it may become diluted more than it should. Moreover, the surface tension of water that is still present in cracks and holes will impede good penetration of the disinfectant solution (even if it does contain surfactants). A well formulated product with good surfactants will penetrate dry cracks more easily. You will have noticed that there is no need for rinsing the disinfectant from the hatcher cabinet. When the product has a residual action of at least three days, you can simply spray, or (even better) foam it on all surfaces, load in the transferred eggs and close the doors. The product will keep on working throughout the hatching process! Air inlet ducts and setter exhaust ducts can be â&#x20AC;&#x153;mistedâ&#x20AC;? with disinfectant. The best inlet duct is the washable one ( made of cloth). Excellent results have been observed by fogging in hatcher cabinets. When no plenums are available, but instead exhaust duct work is being used, it is advisable to mist disinfectants in the room (at night, when no personnel should be around). The â&#x20AC;&#x153;mistâ&#x20AC;? will saturate the room, the hatcher (going in through the inlet) and going out through the
outlets, also the ducts. Dismantable ductwork can be cleaned, removing the fluff. Disinfection only gives real benefits after having cleaned first. When a vacuum waste removal and silo system is not available, the offal containers also need cleaning (with a universal detergent and disinfecting. The trucks should be washed outside (with a special traffic film remover) and inside, with a universal detergent, free of caustic (NaOH) and definitely chlorine free. Outside disinfection is important when entering the hatchery premises so use a wheel dip and a spray installation. Disinfect inside with a non-corrosive disinfectant, after washing out with detergent. Always pre-wash with recommended detergents, preferable from the same supplier as the disinfectants. Last but not least, it is advisable to treat hard and contaminated water. If mineral deposits cause problems, a â&#x20AC;&#x153;mineral binderâ&#x20AC;? will prevent nozzles from clogging. If the water is microbiologically infected, do not spray germs into the warm incubators, but disinfect the water first with a water sanitizer.
Sanitation plan A hatchery sanitation plan should be part of the Integrated Quality Control system. ISO certification will require a detailed program with well defined â&#x20AC;&#x153;Standard Operating Procedures,â&#x20AC;? both for implementation and control of hygiene. ISO certified hatcheries should preferably require their hygiene supplier to be ISO and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certified as well. The Operational Biosecurity must discipline and motivate the personnel through communication, implementation, control and feedback of the results. Correct hygiene management of the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;3 Pâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x201D; People, Products and Procedures â&#x20AC;&#x201D; will lead to the ultimate goal of every hatchery: more grade A chicks and thus . . . more profit.
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012
Dark meat sizzles for grilling season WASHINGTON — Grilling season is underway, and if recent supermarket point-of-sale data is any indication, grill masters will be turning to the Dark Side . . . of the chicken, the National Chicken Council notes. During the 13 weeks ending March 31, 2012, chicken thighs saw 6 percent volume growth at supermarkets (11 percent dollar growth) despite a 5 percent increase in average retail price; chicken legs/drumsticks experienced only a slight volume decline (dollars increased 4 percent) due to a 7 percent increase in average retail price, according to Nielsen Perishables Group FreshFacts® data. The breast still rules the supermarket roost, however, representing 56 percent of supermarket chicken category dollars, compared to 17 percent for chicken legs/drumsticks and thighs. Chicken breasts saw 2 percent volume growth and 1 per-
cent dollar growth during the same time period, with a 3 percent average retail price increase. According to a new nationwide
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poll by the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Association, flavorful food is a key component to the cookout. Consumers said they prefer their
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food tender (57 percent) and juicy (56 percent), which are two key attributes given to dark meat cuts by chefs and home grillers alike. “The growth in popularity of dark meat cuts can be attributed to four factors, really: an interest in its flavor, its popularity in more globally-inspired dishes, generally a lower price point and its attributes that make it better suited to the direct heat of a grill,” said Tom Super, vice president of communications with the National Chicken Council. “Chicken sausages are also finding their way on to more and more grills, too.” Sherry Frey, vice president of account services for the Nielsen Perishables Group, noted their data shows many cold-weather categories were lower in the first quarter of 2012. “We believe that’s due to the earlier spring and warmer weather many people experienced around
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012
Tyson Foods partners with Urban League to fight hunger in Miss. JACKSON, Miss. — Tyson Foods has announced a partnership with the National Urban League to establish a grassroots, community-based hunger awareness and relief program that will provide resources to Mississippi citizens impacted by food insecurity. Dubbed the Urban League–Tyson Foods Hunger Project Mississippi, Tyson and the National Urban League are targeting the state because it has the highest percentage of food insecurity in the U.S. according to Feeding America. Launching in Jackson, this collaborative project will provide education and hunger relief statewide. The project will provide assistance to the estimated 19,000 people who are food insecure in Adams and Warren counties. During the year-long pilot, Tyson Foods, the Urban League of Greater Jackson and the Mississippi Food Network (MFN) will work to improve access to food for people facing hunger by increasing the number of MFN member agencies distributing food in some of the most underserved areas of Mississippi, the groups noted. They will also host a pair of community fairs in Jackson and Vicksburg that will raise awareness through food preparation demonstrations, couponing workshops, education about food agency resources, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) registration, and nutritional, health and wellness education. “Tyson Foods is honored to partner with an organization like the National Urban League that has a rich history of elevating the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities,” said Donnie Smith, president and CEO of Tyson Foods. “Both Tyson Foods and the National Urban League have facilities in Mississippi, so we’ll be going straight into our own communities to begin to alleviate the problem of hunger. We want to show America
what can happen when a corporation and non-profit organization come together to fight hunger.” “Nearly 25 percent of African-American households face hunger every day and Adams and Warren counties have been impacted by the sharp rise in food and fuel costs and cuts made to federal assistance programs,” said Marc H. Morial, president and CEO, National Urban League. “This partnership enables and empowers the people of Jackson by providing valuable resources and necessary access to quality food.” To commemorate the alliance, Tyson Foods announced the donation of 30,400 pounds of protein, which will be distributed through the Mississippi Food Network. The announcement was made as part of the kick-off event held at The Art Garden at the Mississippi Museum of Art. Since 2000, Tyson has donated 86 million pounds of much-needed protein to hundreds of food banks, food pantries and relief agencies in 48 states, the company noted, adding that, in 2011, it helped fund one of the largest and most comprehensive studies on attitudes and perceptions of hunger. The study found that one-in-four Americans worry about having enough money to put food on the table. In order to receive assistance from the SNAP, individuals must live below 130 percent of poverty level. For a family of four, that means an income of less than $2,389 per month. In Adams County, 61 percent of the population lives below 130 percent of the poverty line and in Warren County that number falls to 51 percent. More information about the Urban League–Tyson Foods Hunger Project Mississippi can be obtained at http:// www.TysonHungerRelief.com.
Special
Texas award winners: Gary Fuchs, left, top photo, the 2011 Texas Poultry Federation Golden Feather winner, presents a plaque and gold feather lapel pin to Robert (Bob) Palm as the 2012 winner. The Golden Feather is the highest TPF award, given to an industry person for distinguished service to the poultry industry of Texas. Palm is a retired senior vice president from Pilgrims Pride. (Bottom photo) Keith Staggs, left, the federation’s 2011 Salesman of the Year, presents a plaque and lapel pin to Bob Rochelle as the 2012 winner. Rochelle is a territory manager with Merck. The awards were presented at the Texas Poultry Federation’s recent annual convention. Also honored during the convention were Maxine and Wayne Hillman as 2011 U.S. Poultry & Egg Association Family Farm regional winners and Ramino and Ruth Rosales as the 2012 Texas Family Farm award winners.
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012
Markets
activity was slow to moderate. In the parts structure, movement was light for early week business. Prices were trending firm to higher for wings, steady to weak for dark meat items, and steady for breast meat. Offerings of breast were moderate, wings were light and held with confidence, and dark meat items were moderate to heavy. Market activity for parts was slow to moderate. In production areas, live supplies were moderate. Weights were mixed, but noted as desirable to heavy.
Compiled by David B. Strickland, Editor 770-718-3442 dstrickland@poultrytimes.net
Nat’l. Broiler Market:
erate to available for trade needs. Retail demand was light to good, mostly moderate. Foodservice demand was light to moderate. Most buyers were keeping floor stocks closely balanced with regular orders satisfying needs. Market
(Jun. 26): Whole broiler/fryer prices were trending steady to weak in the East, steady elsewhere. Offerings cover the full range, mostly mod-
Parts: Georgia: The f.o.b. dock quoted prices on ice-pack parts based on truckload and pool truckload lots for the week of Jun. 25: line run tenders $2.05½; skinless/boneless breasts $1.58½; whole breasts $1.00½¢; boneless/skinless thigh meat $1.30½; thighs 73¢; drumsticks 74½¢; leg quarters 54½¢; wings $1.84½.
National Slaughter:
Fowl: Jun. 22: Live spent heavy fowl Final prices at Farm Buyer Loading (per pound): range 9½-20½¢
Broiler: Estimated slaughter for week ending Jun. 23 is 153,894,000. Actual slaughter for the week ending Jun. 16 was 155,366,000.
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 42.40 Campbell Soup 35.10 ConAgra 27.34 Hormel 30.50 Pilgrim’s Pride 8.68 Sanderson Farms 55.87 Seaboard 2705.00 Tyson 21.06
Jun. 15
Estimates: The estimated number of broilerfryers available for slaughter the week ending Jun. 23 is 156.8 million head. The estimated U.S. slaughter for the week of Jun. 30 is 156.5 million head, notes USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
Broiler/Fryer Markets
Industry Stock Report
Company
Heavy-type hen: Estimated slaughter for the week ending Jun. 23 is 1,659,000. Actual slaughter for the week ending Jun. 16 was 1,950,000. Light-type hen: Estimated slaughter for the week ending Jun. 23 is 1,823,000. Actual slaughter for the week ending Jun. 16 was 1,628,000. Total: Week of Jun. 23: 157,376,000. Week of Jun. 16: 158,944,000.
Jun. 26
36.77 37.44 31.78 32.24 24.97 25.23 29.69 29.07 8.36 7.11 52.62 47.01 2094.85 2090.85 18.76 18.58
Jun. 22
Extra Large Regions: Northeast 102.50 Southeast 100.50 Midwest 93.50 South Central 105.50 Combined 100.71
Large
Medium
98.00 98.50 91.50 100.50 97.26
69.00 69.00 64.50 70.50 68.34
Computed from simple weekly averages weighted by regional area populations
USDA Composite Weighted Average For week of: Jun. 25 83.06¢ For week of: Jun. 18 84.86¢ Chi.-Del.-Ga.-L.A.-Miss.-N.Y.--S.F.-South. States Jun. 5 Jun. 25 For delivery week of: Chicago majority 70--80¢ 65--79¢ Mississippi majority 80--84¢ 80--85¢ New York majority 85--88¢ 82--85¢ For delivery week of: Jun. 8 Jun. 26 Delmarva weighted average 65¢--$1.04 66¢--$1.02 Georgia f.o.b. dock offering 94.50¢ 94.50¢ Los Angeles majority price $1.04 $1.04 San Francisco majority price $1.04½ $1.04½ Southern States f.o.b. average 66.70¢ 65.46¢
Grain Prices
Turkey Markets
OHIO COUNTRY ELEV. Jun. 5 Jun. 12 Jun. 26 No. 2 Yellow Corn/bu. $5.98 $6.22 $6.46 Soybeans/bu. $13.15 $13.98 $14.56 (Courtesy: Prospect Farmers Exchange, Prospect, Ohio)
(Courtesy: A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc.)
Weighted avg. prices for frozen whole young turkeys Weighted average (cents/lb.) F.O.B. shipper dock
Broiler Eggs Set/Chicks Placed in 19 States 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.
EGGS SET (Thousands)
CHICKS PLACED (Thousands)
May 26
Jun. 2
Jun. 9
Jun. 16
May 26
Jun. 2
Jun. 9
Jun. 16
28,321 21,553 11,060 3,699 1,353 32,656 7,838 3,409 7,388 18,078 7,989 19,953 7,133 3,838 5,277 15,070 6,353
28,305 21,578 10,756 3,710 1,352 33,032 7,728 3,500 7,672 18,065 7,988 19,992 6,801 3,840 5,091 15,039 6,425
28,277 21,492 10,589 3,547 1,350 32,466 7,647 3,439 7,194 18,000 8,023 19,843 7,024 3,789 5,558 14,790 6,325
27,813 21,556 10,736 3,519 1,351 32,501 7,676 3,409 7,483 17,404 7,635 19,508 6,600 3,713 5,066 14,550 6,252
20,482 20,303 10,618 3,733 1,333 28,532 6,768 3,111 6,367 15,401 5,387 16,820 4,156 2,993 3,766 12,345 5,009
20,128 20,800 10,341 4,235 1,285 27,656 6,305 3,084 6,528 15,672 5,186 16,227 4,315 3,007 4,623 12,171 5,021
20,710 20,656 10,856 4,333 1,175 27,682 6,213 3,077 5,864 15,201 5,408 16,345 4,430 3,023 4,937 12,083 5,264
20,278 20,410 10,514 4,764 1,260 28,160 6,497 3,240 5,801 15,582 6,084 16,236 3,636 2,867 4,683 12,325 4,922
200,968 205,932
200,874 205,234
199,353 204,659
196,772 199,826
167,124 172,753
166,584 171,318
167,257 169,855
167,259 168,765
98
98
97
98
97
97
98
99
1/Current week as percent of same week last year.
National Week ending Jun. 22 Last year Hens (8-16 lbs.) 107.50 103.25 Toms (16-24 lbs.) 107.75 106.65 Week ending Jun. 15 May avg. Hens (8-16 lbs.) 109.50 107.77 Toms (16-24 lbs.) 106.00 108.86
Egg Markets USDA quotations New York cartoned del. store-door: Jun. 15 Jun. 26 Extra large, no change $1.05--$1.09 $1.05--$1.09 Large, no change $1.03--$1.07 $1.03--$1.07 Medium, up 2¢ 75--79¢ 77--81¢ Southeast Regional del. warehouse: Jun. 15 Jun. 26 Extra large, no change 97½¢--$1.06¼ 97½¢--$1.07 Large, no change 96¢--$1.03 96¢--$1.03 Medium, up 2¢ 66½--74¢ 68½--76¢
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 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: 847-296-7043. The Egg Nutrition Center exhibited at the 4thAnnual Collegiate and Professional Sports Dietitians Association’s (CPSDA) Conference. RDs, who work with college, professional, Olympic and tactical (military and law enforcement) athletes, are uniquely positioned to enhance and advance public perception and understanding of registered dietitians. The sessions were varied and included talks on protein, performance, working with different athletes and much more. More than 200 members came through the exhibit hall, and many participants commented that they appreciated ENC’s presence and efforts to promote a whole food with many health benefits. They also reported that ENC’s materials help them, and many showed a specific interest in the MyPlate, stating they are great for the different groups they work with and counsel. AEB conducted an egg product workshop at Safeway’s Culinary Kitchen in Pleasanton, Calif., alongside by Dr. Shelly McKee, Auburn University, and Walter Zuromski, AEB’s research chef, Lincoln, R.I. The meeting was attended by 20 Safeway staff members involved in product development in the areas of ice cream and frozen novelties, shelf
stable foods, deli foods, bakery, salad dressings and sauces, frozen foods and cereal bars under the various Safeway private labels. Based on the types of questions asked of all presenters, Safeway product developers were very interested in the information presented along with the product samples prepared for observation and tasting. AEB has plans to conduct additional workshops with food formulators in 2012. ENC held a two-day meeting with the Health Professional Advisory Panel (HPA) in May. This year the panel has diversified beyond Registered Dietitians and now includes a Nurse Practitioner, Personal Trainer and Physician Assistant. The first day of the meeting included research presentations on protein and cholesterol by Dr. Don Layman, ENC research director, and Catherine Anderson, a doctoral student from the University of Connecticut. ENC overviews and open discussions were also part of the agenda. These sessions spurred HPA members to think outside the box, providing ENC with fresh ideas on targeting our outreach to critical audiences. On the second day, we toured Pearl Valley Eggs in Pearl Valley, Ill. Ben Thompson, CEO, vice president and son of the founder of Pearl Valley Eggs, led us on the tour of the farm that included their egg production and compost recycling areas. The HPA members enjoyed the real-life experience of seeing a hen house, and many discussed how the tour has helped them to discuss egg farming more effectively.
Mexico, Canada invited to join Trans-Pacific trade negotiations WASHINGTON — The U.S. and the seven other countries negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership have invited Mexico and Canada to join in negotiations of the free trade agreement involving countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Other countries in the negotiations are Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Chili, Malaysia, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam “We are delighted to invite Mexico, our neighbor and second largest export market, to join the TPP negotiations,” said U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk. “Mexico’s interest in the TPP reflects its recognition that the TPP presents the most promising pathway to boosting trade across the Asia Pacific and to encouraging regional trade integration.” Ambassador Kirk noted that “Inviting Canada to join the TPP nego-
tiations presents a unique opportunity for the United States to build upon this already dynamic trading relationship. Through TPP, we are bringing the relationship with our largest trading partner into the 21st century.” The U.S. Trade Representative Office has listed three points that the agreement will include: Core issues traditionally included in trade agreements, including industrial goods, agriculture, textiles as well as rule on intellectual property, technical barriers to trade, labor and environment. Cross-cutting issues not previously in trade agreements such as making the regulatory systems of TPP countries more compatible so U.S. companies can operate more seamlessly in TPP markets and helping small- and medium-sized enterprises participate more actively
in international trade. New emerging trade issues such as addressing trade and investment products and services, including digital technologies and ensuring state-owned enterprises compete fairly with private companies. As a group, TPP countries are the U.S. fourth largest goods and services export market. U.S. good exports to the broader Asia-Pacific totaled $775 billion in 2010, a 25.5 percent increase over 2009 and equal to 61 percent of total U.S. good exports to the world. U.S. exports of agricultural products to the region totaled $83 billion in 2010 and accounted for 72 percent of total U.S. agricultural exports to the world. The next round of negotiations is scheduled to take place July 2-10 in San Diego, Calif.
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POULTRY TIMES, July 2, 2012
USDA Agricultural Research Service
USDA completes genetic analysis of corn By Dennis O’Brien
Special to Poultry Times
BELTSVILLE, Md. — USDA scientists and their colleagues have published the most comprehensive analysis to date of the corn genome, an achievement expected to speed up development of improved varieties of one of the world’s most important agricultural commodities. The work was organized by USDA scientists and funded in the United States by USDA and the National Science Foundation. The research was a collaborative effort by an international team of scientists at 17 institutions including Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, the University of California at Davis, Cornell University, the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) in El Batan, Mexico, and BGI, a genomic research center based in Shenzhen, China. The results are expected to boost international efforts to increase yields, expand areas where corn can be cultivated, and produce varieties that are better equipped to resist pests and disease. “This work represents a major step forward
and an important tool in the arsenal available to scientists and breeders for improving a vital source of nutrition, as well as a source of fuel, in the face of changing climates, growing populations and a diminishing supply of arable land,” said Edward B. Knipling, administrator of the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), USDA’s principal intramural scientific research agency. The research supports the USDA goals of promoting agricultural sustainability, international food security and developing new sources of bioenergy. The researchers published two separate reports in Nature Genetics that shed light on corn’s remarkable genetic diversity, reveal its evolution, and outline how corn, known as maize among scientists, continues to diversify as it adapts to changing climates and habitats. One report, published by a team led by ARS scientist Doreen Ware in collaboration with ARS colleagues Ed Buckler, Peter Bradbury, Jim Holland and Michael McMullen, examined the genetic structure and the relationships and sequential ordering of individual genes in more than 100 varieties of wild and domesticated corn.
Lead author Jer Ming Chia described how the structures of genomes can vary tremendously from one corn variety to the next, how structural variations within a genome can have major effects on traits and how the corn genome is essentially still in flux. The researchers also discovered significant variations in the physical size of genomes of different varieties. The research expands on a study published by Ware and another international team in 2009 that provided a genetic blueprint of the corn genome and identified roughly 1 million genetic markers. Using a sophisticated, population-genetics scoring model, Chia and his colleagues were able to identify 55 million markers. The achievement is expected to vastly enhance the ability of scientists and breeders to track and select for valuable regions of the genome to enhance targeted traits. A second report, published by a group led by Jeff Ross-Ibarra from the University of California at Davis, gives an unprecedented glimpse into how corn evolved from a wild, scrubby plant into today’s ubiquitous international commodity. Lead author Matthew Hufford and his col-
leagues compared wild varieties with traditional corn varieties from across the Americas and with modern improved breeding lines. The researchers identified hundreds of genes that played a role in the transformation of corn from its wild roots to today’s cultivated crop and show how that transition was largely achieved by ancient farmers who first domesticated the crop thousands of years ago. They also found that since corn was first domesticated, many of the changes in patterns of gene expression by modern day breeding efforts have been centered on genes selected for hybrid vigor. The economic value of the U.S. corn crop was $76 billion last year, with U.S. growers producing an estimated 12 billion bushels, more than a third of the world’s supply. It is the largest production crop worldwide, providing food for billions of people and livestock and critical feedstock for production of biofuels. More information can be obtained at http:// www.ars.usda.gov. Dennis O’Brien is a public affairs specialist with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Md.
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