Poultry Times June 3, 2013 Edition

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Since 1954, the nation’s only poultry industry newspaper

June 3, 2013

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June 3, 2013 Volume 60, Number 12 www.poultrytimes.net

Delmarva Poultry Industry recognizes achievements

Special

DPI awards: Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. president Jenny Rhodes congratulates winners of the DPI achievement awards presented during its recent annual Booster Banquet. Left to right are Maryland State Senator Mac Middleton; Rhodes; Mountaire Farms Inc. Vice President Bill Massey and Delaware Secretary of Agriculture Ed Kee.

GEORGETOWN, Del. — The Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc. has presented its highest honor, the J. Frank Gordy Sr. Delmarva Distinguished Citizen Award, to chicken industry veteran and past DPI president William G. Massey of Wicomico County, Md. DPI also presented: yy The DPI Medal of Achievement award for an elected person to Maryland State Senator Mac Middleton of Charles County in southern Maryland; yy The Edward H. Ralph DPI Medal of Achievement for a nonelected person to Delaware Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Kee; and yy Twelve outstanding poultry producers.

The awards were presented dur-

ing DPI’s 57th annual Booster Banquet held in Salisbury, Md. Massey started working in the chicken industry in 1979 as a flock supervisor. He joined Mountaire Farms Inc. in 1988 as a flock supervisor and worked up the ranks where today he is vice president of live operations, overseeing hatcheries, feed mills and grower relations on Delmarva and in North Carolina.

Massey has been involved in various organizations to serve the industry. These include DPI where he served several years as chairman of the Growout Management Committee. He joined the DPI board of directors in 1998 and served as president in 2000. He remains on the DPI board of directors. He served two terms on the Maryland Agricultural Commission as a representative of

the chicken industry and he is chairman of the Maryland Poultry Political Action Committee. A native of Wicomico County, he is married to Cheryl and has two grown children and two grandchildren.

Middleton, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, is one of the few farmers in the Maryland General Assembly. He has been a strong supporter of the chicken industry and agriculture in general since joining the Senate in 1995. He was recognized, in part, because of his outreach to the chicken industry on General Assembly issues. Though his district does not include Delmarva’s chicken industry, he understands its importance to farmers in his area and to all citizens of Mary-

See Delmarva, Page 11

Water system inspection pays off Amid bird flu scare, IPC notes poultry is safe when properly cooked

By Jess Campbell, Dennis Brothers, Jim Donald & Gene Simpson

Special to Poultry Times

BRUSSELS, Belgium — Even though a new strain of Type A H7N9 influenza that apparently originated in a live bird market in China has infected more than 100 Chinese people, consumers can be confident in eating properly cooked poultry meat, according to the International Poultry Council (IPC).

The IPC, an organization comprised of poultry industry associations from more than 20 major poultry-producing countries around the world, is closely monitoring developments in China regarding the spread of this new strain of Type A H7N9 influenza.

Numerous human cases have occurred and have resulted in at least 10 deaths, most of which occurred in people who were exposed to the virus by handling infected birds.

Thus far, Chinese authorities have worked diligently and vigorously to contain the spread of the virus, have closed live bird markets in Shanghai and in other affected areas and have destroyed infected birds.

Although Chinese officials have found no Type A H7N9 influenza infections in any commercial poultry farms or in poultry processing

See Safe, Page 11

AUBURN, Ala. — Satisfying bird water needs is crucial for top flock performance, and it takes a great deal of water. A typical updated 40 x 500 broiler house in Alabama can consume 450,000 gallons or more of potable water a year for Jess Campbell and Dennis Brothers are poultry housing specialists with the National Poultry Technology Center, Jim Donald is a professor and Extension engineer and Gene Simpson is a professor and Extension economist, all with Auburn University in Auburn, Ala. More information can be obtained at www. poultryhouse.com.

bird consumption and operation of a 6-inch evaporative cooling system.

A four-house broiler farm of these houses may require 1.8 to 2 million gallons per year.

Satisfying water demand can be especially challenging in summertime when both birds and evaporative cooling systems are thirsty.

In addition to meeting the total demand, it is critical to meet the peak flow rate needed, which in hot weather might be as much as 50-60 gallons per minute for four houses.

We too often see farms that do not show obvious problems most of the time during cool and mild weather growouts — but show significant flock performance reductions in hot weather because of failing to meet the peak flow rate demand, which can be very costly to a grower.

Hot weather is fast approaching.

Are your houses’ water plumbing

and supply systems adequate to handle summer’s peak demand? If you can’t answer Yes, with confidence, it is time to put a water supply system inspection at the top of your spring cleaning checklist.

Broiler house water system inspections should be routinely scheduled, but there are some scenarios or situations to look for that tell you to do it NOW. (1) Can’t get weight on birds and/ or see higher than average mortality rates in hot weather.

(2) Have experienced a drop in performance after adding additional house on a farm.

(3) Upgraded fans for higher windspeed and 6-inch cooling system without upgrading plumbing.

(4) Experience low or no pressure at drinker lines and in control rooms

See Water, Page 10

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POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

UC Davis ranks number one in ag research & teaching DAVIS, Calif. — The University of California, Davis, is number one in the world for teaching and research in the area of agriculture and forestry, according to rankings released recently by QS World University Rankings.

This is the first year that the organization — which provides annual rankings in 29 other subject areas — has produced rankings in agriculture and forestry.

UC Davis this year also placed 12th in environmental sciences and 25th in biological sciences in the worldwide university ranking.

Both of these subject-area rankings reflect significant advances from 2012, when UC Davis ranked 39th in biological sciences and below the

top 50 institutions in environmental sciences.

“We are thrilled and excited by this evaluation, and it is gratifying to see that the ranking data validate the breadth and depth of our agricultural programs, which represent a variety of disciplines,” said Mary Delany, interim dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.

“At the institutional level, this ranking signifies rich teaching and research programs that developed and were built during our more than 100 years of service,” she said. “And at the personal level, it reflects the devotion of more than 300 faculty members who are passionate about their fundamental,

translational and applied research, and thoroughly devoted to training the next generation of scientists and agriculturalists.”

The college was founded in 1905 as the University of California’s University Farm. Today, it has more than 5,800 undergraduate students in 27 majors and more than 1,000 graduate students in 45 graduate groups and programs. More than 3,000 acres of UC Davis’ 5,000-acre campus are devoted to agricultural research.

Its programs have characteristically received top-tier rankings from the Chronicle of Higher Education, U.S. News & World Report and ISI Essential Science Indicators.

UC Davis, overall, ranked eighth

among public research universities nationwide in the U.S. News & World Reports’ 2013 America’s Best Colleges rankings.

The QS World University Rankings by Subject are prepared by Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), a British company that previously was the data provider for the annual Times Higher Education rankings. This is the third year it has produced its own world university rankings, independent of the Times Higher Education World University Rankings.

For this third edition of the QS World University Rankings by Subject, the firm evaluated 2,858 universities and ranked 678 of those institutions in 30 subject areas.

Previously, it used three measures to rank universities within subject areas: the number of times research publications from the institution were cited by other researchers in professional journals, opinions of other academics in the field and opinions of employers in the field.

This year, the organization added a fourth ranking measure — the Hindex — which measures the number of research papers published as well as the number of times those papers have been cited by other researchers, thus rewarding both the quantity and quality of research.

More information about the university can be obtained at www. ucdavis.edu.

Drought conditions are forecast to return to the central U.S. COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — Harris-Mann Climatology, a longrange weather, commodity and stock forecasting service, predicts the return of drought conditions in the central U.S. within the next four to eight weeks.

Harris-Mann Climatology’s annual summer outlook indicates a very good chance of drought conditions returning to the U.S. Great Plains and at least the western Midwest in June or July.

According to meteorologist Randy Mann, “Sea-surface temperatures in the south-central Pacific Ocean are cooling down. Since late 2012, ocean waters were in a ‘La Nada’ or in-between the warmer El Nino and cooler La Nina seasurface temperature event. However, a new cooler La Nina may be declared within a matter of weeks. A new La Nina often leads to drier and warmer than normal weather east of the Rockies during the spring and

summer seasons, as was the case in 2012.”

The drought pattern of 2012 in the central U.S. was compared to the devastating droughts of the 1930s ‘Dust Bowl’ era and was also as severe as dry periods of the 1950s.

According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, severe to extreme drought conditions still persist from South Dakota southward into eastern Colorado and down into northern Texas. The southwestern U.S. has also been experiencing drought conditions with not much rain in sight.

Long-term climatologist and forecaster Cliff Harris says, “The drought in the Southwest is expected to move and expand eastward over the central and southern Great Plains, as well as at least the western Midwest, by late June or July. Flooded areas near the Missouri River are likely to turn to the opposite extreme of dryness later this summer season.”

Harris-Mann Climatology predicts this current drought pattern may be the costliest U.S. natural

See Drought, Page 15

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3

POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

Truths and myths about LED lighting for poultry farms

By Gary Rosenfield

Special to Poultry Times

SAN JOSE, Calif. — The lighting industry has been experiencing a massive transformation during the past five years as technology shifts from inefficient and obsolete incandescent light bulbs, away from unpopular fluorescent light bulbs (those squiggly CFL’s) and toward LED lighting.

The transformation has allowed hundreds of new LED lighting companies to emerge that offer both LED bulbs (“lamps” as they are called in the lighting business) and full fixtures with LEDs integrated within them. However, like many other industries, there is a lot of misunderstanding and misrepresentation of LED lighting among its users. There is a lot of what some would call “snake oil” out there about LED lighting, and farmers need to understand how to detect the differences.

How does the operator of a poultry production facility choose from the many companies and ensure they are getting a product that performs to a specification, works as advertised, and will actually have the quality and reliability as claimed? This has been a key challenge not just for agricultural market segments, but for the entire lighting industry in general.

The answer to that, though, is fairly simple. Basic knowledge of what to look for in LED lighting, and knowledge of the standards that have been put in place, will help one compare the quality of all LED bulb products.

Let’s start with three things you should know about LED lighting: yy (1) Check the number of lumens One type of bulb that is commonly used in poultry farms is the “A-Lamp,” also known as the standard Edison bulb. The Edison bulb, or those old familiar incandescent light bulbs, set the standard for light

output. Light output is measured in lumens. The number of lumens is where the industry has seen many companies make inaccurate and false claims.

For example, if a manufacturer claims to have a 100 watt-equivalent LED bulb, that means it has to provide the same number of Lumens as a 100 watt incandescent light bulb does — which is a minimum of 1600.

Some manufactures that only have 800 lumens, not 1600, have misled the public and stamped the box “100W equivalent.” Not every bulb needs to be a 100 watt-equivalent, but if you want to match the standard, the lumens should always match. If it is a 40 watt-equivalent bulb, it should have a minimum of 450 lumens; 60, 75 and 100 wattequivalent bulbs should have a minimum number of 800, 1100 and 1600 lumens, respectively. yy (2) Location is key Look for where their LED bulb can operate in all applications.

For example, the vast majority of LED A-Lamps cannot be used upside down or in enclosed fixtures without degradation in their life or performance. This is because LED chips and other electronics need to be kept cool.

The industry term for this is “thermal management.” Unless a company claims their product can be used upside down, or is UL listing for enclosed lighting fixtures you may be taking a risk with your purchase. yy (3) You decide what’s the best lighting for you There is much controversy in the poultry industry about what is the best lighting for broiler, breeder, egg laying, and other applications.

Some companies are promoting the need for certain specifications in these applications, whether that relates to color temperature, color spectrum, dimmability, light performance levels, etc.

One important takeaway from

those I’ve talked to is there are many opinions, but not much research has been conducted to validate what is needed for a given application. Until an independent research organization, such as a major university, does a comprehensive study on what lighting requirements are best used in any given poultry application and how you might select LED products based on that, use your best judgment about what has worked for you in the past.

If you have been using a certain color temperature of light or dimming to certain levels at certain times, then find a reliable LED product that will work that way. Just make sure you ask the right questions of the company about how they test their products and validate their performance, and the life.

In addition to the knowledge above, there are three standards in which poultry professionals should ask about before buying. yy (1) Standardized testing There are two main test reports which reputable LED lighting companies will have — the LM-79 report and the LM-80 test. One should ask about these two reports before purchasing any LED product. Their standards are set by the Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) and the tests must be conducted by independent labs that have specialized test equipment.

The LM-79 report provides data on the actual wattage consumption, the distribution and quality of light, and the color temperature, among other things. As many companies are making claims of performance that are well beyond their products’ real capabilities, it is extremely important that you ask for these test reports.

The LM-80 test estimates the life of a specific LED product. LED bulb claims, for example, range from 25,000 hours up to 50,000 hours. Again, these claims must be based on this standard industry

test, which predicts end of life. If a company cannot provide you with this test report, and they have not conducted this at an independent lighting lab, there is real reason to be concerned about their claims of life and performance. yy (2) Energy Star & the U.S. Department of Energy The Energy Star brand carries more weight in LED lighting than any other consumer product. For consumer appliances, it primarily relates to energy savings. However, when the Department of Energy originally conceived the Energy Star standards for LED lighting, it covered well beyond energy efficiency.

The Energy Star requirements actually validate the performance of the product, and its life, as well as energy efficiency. Energy Star also utilizes the independent LM79 and LM-80 test reports as part of its criteria for a product to receive its stamp of approval. Although the Energy Star program is now managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, they have continued that standard, originally set by the DOE. The DOE, however, is still highly involved in influencing the perfor-

mance and quality of LED lighting.

One program managed by the DOE is called the Quality Advocate program. It’s described as a voluntary initiative for manufacturers that wish to associate their products with a prestigious DOE Lighting Facts label. The DOE label is the only label that independently validates the performance of the product. yy (3) Finally, UL and c-UL are standard certifications for electrical products of all kinds.

This primarily covers safety factors, and has little to with product performance. However, if a product in consideration does not carry a UL Listing, then you are taking a significant safety risk. One should also check whether the product is truly UL damp-rated. That means the bulb has been tested to perform in damp environments.

With the knowledge of these standardized tests, and a little LED 101, poultry professionals will be able to determine if they’re being fed the truth.

Gary Rosenfield is executive vice president of marketing & national accounts at SWITCH Lighting, a manufacturer of LED light bulbs, based in San Jose, Calif.

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POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

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

Coming to grips with aging infrastructure

By Garrett Hawkins Special to Poultry Times

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Our nation is grappling with aging infrastructure, particularly on inland waterways and ports.

The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the nation’s inland waterway system a D- grade in its 2013 infrastructure report card.

Nearly 50 percent of the nation’s 257 locks are classified as func-

Old Man River: The Mississippi River winds its way through America’s heartland.

tionally obsolete. By 2020, more than 80 percent will be functionally obsolete. On the Upper Mississippi and Illinois River System, 57 percent of the locks were built in the 1930s with a projected 50-year lifespan.

The challenge comes into focus when you consider that more than 60 percent of our grain exports are transported via inland waterways and ultimately, 95 percent of U.S. agricultural exports and imports are transported through U.S. harbors.

These activities support more than 400,000 jobs.

Members of Congress have attempted to address our infrastructure problems by rewriting the Water Resources Development Act, something that hasn’t been done since 2007. WRDA basically serves as the blueprint for new projects dealing with flood protection, port improvements and upgrades to lock and dam infrastructure.

The American Farm Bureau Federation and 20 other agricultural groups recently wrote U.S. senators to reinforce the importance of in-

Economist: Livestock producers should expect bright future

By Brian Wallheimer Purdue University

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — More efficient land use, a stalled demand for corn ethanol and increased demand for meat in developing countries should help boost the livestock industry in coming years, according to a Purdue University agricultural economist.

Farzad Taheripour, a research assistant professor of agricultural economics, used Food and Agriculture Organization and U.S. Department of Agriculture data, paired with Purdue’s Global Trade Analysis Project model, to guide analysis of global economic issues.

Brian Wallheimer is a research news writer with Purdue University News Service in West Lafayette, Ind.

“Due to consumer taste preferences, global growth in income and population, the livestock industry will grow, particularly toward poultry and pork,” Taheripour said. “The demand for poultry and pork will increase significantly.”

Taheripour said less land is being used for feed crops these days, but increased efficiency makes each acre more productive. More feed from those acres should help livestock producers manage their production costs.

Corn ethanol demand has also hit a wall. Over the past decade, diverting grains from food and feed to fuel has increased feed prices for livestock producers, Taheripour said, but the ethanol industry in the United States has now reached the Renewable Fuel Standard mandated

level. This may mean little growth in corn use for ethanol in coming years.

An ethanol production byproduct, dried distillers grains, has been used for livestock feed, helping to somewhat mitigate feed price increases.

However, this offset was not large enough to keep feed prices from rising sharply. In coming years, any new growth in corn production could go toward livestock producers, which will likely help them with feed prices.

“During the past 10 years, ethanol expansion contributed to feed price increases, but now it will not push feed prices upward,” Taheripour said. “In the future, livestock producers may struggle with other

See Livestock, Page 5

“

‘...more than 60 percent of our grain exports are transported via inland waterways.’ vesting in our inland waterways and ports. Thanks in part to their efforts, the Senate approved a WRDA bill.

Waterborne transportation is by far our most economical and environmentally friendly transportation mode, but lock malfunctions or other infrastructure-related problems slow movements, increase costs and ultimately delay shipments to consumers. Meanwhile, countries such as Panama, Argentina, China and Brazil are

moving aggressively to improve their infrastructure and therefore their competitiveness in international markets.

Improving and replacing an aging waterway and port system might seem daunting and expensive, but it can be done, one step at a time.

Garrett Hawkins is director of national legislative programs for the Missouri Farm Bureau.

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5

POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

A summertime housing ventilation checklist

By Michael Czarick

Special to Poultry Times

yy (1) Replace worn fan belts.

Fan belts do not stretch. A fan belt rides in the motor and prop pulleys on its sides. Over time, the sides of the belt wear and as a result it becomes thinner. The thinner a belt becomes the lower it will ride in the motor and prop pulleys and the slower the fan blades will rotate.

The slower the fans spins the lower amount of air the fan will move. It is not uncommon for a worn belt to result in a loss of fan capacity of 25 percent. Since the relationship between air speed and wind chill is exponential, a 25 percent loss of wind speed can reduce wind chill of possibly 50 percent! Keep in mind that though automatic belt tensioners reduce belt slippage and therefore increase belt life they do not eliminate the need to replace belts on a regular basis. At a minimum fan belts should be replaced once a year to insure maximum air moving capacity and therefore bird cooling. yy (2) Replace worn pulleys. If a producer does not replace their loose belts the slipping of the belt over the motor pulley will cause excessive wear on the pulley. As a result the motor pulley becomes more “U” shaped rather than “V” shaped. When this happens even a new belt will not ride in the pulleys properly resulting in reduced air moving capacity. This problem can only be solved by replacing the

motor pulley. yy (3) Conduct a static pressure test. In houses with evaporative cooling pads it is essential that all the air enters the house through the evaporative cooling pads and not through cracks in the sidewall and ceiling. With one 48-inch fan operating and the tunnel curtain closed measure the static pressure. Ideally, the pressure will be above a 0.10” pressure. The lower the pressure the more air you have entering through the cracks in the house and not the pads. A static pressure of 0.04” or lower indicates that at least one, possibly two, fans are pulling air through the cracks in the house and not the pads. In a study conducted a couple of years ago this amount of leakage was found to increase the temperature of the air at the fan end of the house by as much as five degrees. yy (4) Patch holes in dropped ceilings. The temperature of the air in the attic of a dropped ceiling house during the summer can exceed 130 degrees F. If this hot air is allowed to enter a house through holes and gaps in the ceiling vapor barrier the temperature difference between the fan and pad end of a house will rise.

Keep in mind that it is three to four times easier for air to enter through a hole in the ceiling vapor barrier than through the evaporative cooling pad. yy (5) Check the speed of the air entering evaporative cooling pads.

To maximize cooling it is very im-

portant that evaporative cooling pads are kept clean. Clogged pads can result in large temperature differences between the pad and fan ends of a house, reduced wind chill effect as well as increased electricity usage. An inexpensive air velocity meter is one of the best methods of evaluating the cleanliness of evaporative cooling pads. Standing inside the poultry house place the air velocity meter 1 to 2 inches from the center of the evaporative cooling pad. For a 6 inch pad you should find that the air is moving through the pad at a speed of approximately 350 to 400 feet/minute (2-inch and 4-inch pads the air velocity should be approximately 250 and 325 feet/ minute, respectively). The lower the air speed the lower the amount of air entering the house. For instance, for a 6-inch pad if the air is only moving through the pad at a speed of 300 ft/min, instead of 400 ft/min it indicates that you are bringing in 25 percent less air than you should be.

It is very important that the fan are cleaned, belts/pulley replaced and the house made tight before this test is conducted, because low air speeds through evaporative cooling pads can also be caused by poorly maintained fans or excessive air leakage. yy (6) Clean evaporative cooling pad distribution system. Make sure the holes in the water distribution pipe are clean to insure that maximum water flow over the surface

as China and India, which have booming populations and are becoming wealthier. Those countries are expected to demand more pork and chicken since those products are cheaper than beef.

One issue that could affect livestock producers is cellulosic biofuels produced from dedicated energy crops. If that technology becomes

economically feasible, Taheripour said there would be competition for land currently used to grow livestock feed. Converting some of that land to cellulosic biofuel feedstocks could once again drive up feed prices.

Taheripour’s findings were published in the Journal Animal Frontier.

•Livestock (Continued from page 4)

factors that affect feed prices, but because of the lack of increased demand in the ethanol industry, they will likely see lower overall feed prices.”

Taheripour said livestock producers would also face increased demand for meat in countries such

of the pad can be achieved. Water flowing over the surface of the pad helps to keep the pad clean, eliminates streaking, minimizes mineral buildup and therefore maximizes cooling. Keep in mind that water flowing over the surface of a pad has a negligible effect on static pressure and therefore does not affect the air moving capacity of your fans. yy (7) Clean evaporative cooling pad sumps. Dirt in the bottom of evaporative cooling pad sumps provides food for algae and therefore encourages its growth. To minimize algae growth sumps should be dumped weekly. yy (8) Clean fan shutters. Dirty shutters make it harder for the fans to move air and can therefore decrease their air moving capacity by

20 percent or more. yy (9) Check temperature of breakers when tunnel fans are operating with an infrared thermometer. Generally, the temperature of a circuit breaker should not exceed 140 degrees F. If it does, it means the circuit breaker is in danger of “tripping out” due to overloading or maintenance related problems. yy (10) Make sure that you have spare fan belts, motors, fogging nozzles, PVC pipe fittings, water filters and circuit breakers.

Michael Czarick is an Extension engineer with the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension Service in Athens, Ga. More information can be obtained at www.poultryventilation.com.

Agricultural Sales Professional Liphatech, Inc. an international manufacture of rodent products is seeking a high energy sales person for our Southern Animal Health sales territory.

The ideal candidate must possess strong selling skills, be an excellent communicator and exhibit professional interpersonal skills with past successful experience as an intern or outside sales representative. Additional characteristics include; being a demonstrated self-starter with problem solving capabilities who enjoys travel.

Primary responsibility of this position is to grow product sales by building effective business relationships with distributors and users in the Animal Health markets. Candidate should also understand how animal health distribution operates in the poultry and swine industries.

Liphatech, Inc. offers a competitive salary, company vehicle; results based sales bonus and excellent benefits package. Overnight travel is required approximately 60-80% of the time. Please send resume, cover letter and salary requirements to: Liphatech, Inc. Attn: Director of Administration- KB 3600 West Elm Street Milwaukee, WI 53209 Or bornhoferk@liphatech.com

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

Zaxby’s scores with major college sports sponsorship ATHENS, Ga. — Zaxby’s has announced it is “The Official Chicken of College Sports,” and has collective intellectual property rights at 25 Division I colleges through a two-year deal with their football and basketball teams.

The initiative gives Zaxby’s, a restaurant chain specializing in chicken fingers and wings, the opportunity to gain valuable exposure among the 173 million Americans who identify themselves as college sports fans and represents the brand’s largest sports sponsorship to date, the company said.

“Being ‘The Official Chicken of College Sports’ is a monumental partnership that allows us to support the colleges and towns that have continued to support us,” said Zach McLeroy, CEO and cofounder of Zaxby’s. “We opened our very first Zaxby’s in a college town and today, we have nearly 600 locations. I can’t think of a better association to have than one that keeps us true to our roots and links us with fine college sports teams across our footprint.”

The new college sports sponsorship, brokered by IMG College, a leading collegiate marketing agency, includes schools across every state where Zaxby’s is located, representing six major athletic conferences in the South, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. They include: Southeastern Conference —

University of Alabama, University of Arkansas, Auburn University, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, Louisiana State University, University of Mississippi, University of South Carolina, University of Tennessee and Vanderbilt University.

Atlantic Coast Conference — Duke University, Florida State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Virginia and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

Big 12 Conference — Baylor University.

Big Ten Conference — Indiana University of Bloomington and Purdue University.

Sun Belt Conference — Arkansas State University and Western Kentucky University.

Conference USA — University of Houston, University of Southern Mississippi and Tulane University.

Also, Zaxby’s notes that it has a separate agreement with Clemson University to provide brand presence at all football band basketball games.

As part of the new sponsorship, Zaxby’s developed a special collective logo featuring the 25 partnering colleges designed to identify Zaxby’s as “The Official

See Zaxby, Page 15

Other Business News Tyson hosts veteran job summit SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Tyson Foods Inc. held a Military Summit on May 20, where current and recently separated soldiers toured the company and interviewed for jobs.

The summit is part of the company’s commitment to expand its military hiring efforts.

“I know from experience that military veterans are well-trained and have an excellent work ethic,” said Alexa O’Leary, senior military recruiter for Tyson Foods and a U.S. Army reservist. “Our company appreciates and supports our nation’s veterans and we’re always looking to hire more.”

Tyson Foods is a leading supplier of food to the Defense Commissary Agency, as well as a leading supplier to the Defense Logistics Agency’s troop feeding program.

Tyson has been helping feed the U.S. military and their families for more than 50 years. The company, along with other military commissary suppliers in late 2011, committed to hiring more veterans and military spouses over the next two years. Since that time, Tyson Foods has hired more than 1,600 veterans.

The company also recently established a special “Camo’ to Khakis” human resources team to increase the hiring of veterans and their spouses. (Many Tyson team members wear khaki uniforms).

This effort has included increased involvement in military job fairs and the addition of a military hiring section to the company’s corporate website: www.TysonFoodsCareers. com/Military.aspx.

More than 30 current and former soldiers were taken on a poultry plant tour and also visited the corporate headquarters where they met with the company’s senior leadership. In addition, each candidate was interviewed for open management positions in the areas of operations, sales and marketing, purchasing and transportation.

“We hope to extend job offers to many of these men and women because they possess specialized and leadership skills, and they know how to perform under pressure,” O’Leary said. “These men and women represent the very best our country has to offer.”

“Military men and women put on the uniform of their respective service, raise their right hand and willingly commit to defending our country,” said Melissa Lee, Tyson corporate counsel and current U.S. Army Reservist. “When these same individuals put on a Tyson khaki uniform, they are making another commitment — to contribute to and protect our nation’s protein supply.

It’s an easy and honorable mission shift.”

Tyson provides differential pay for all employees called to active military duty, making up the difference between military compensation and pay they normally receive from Tyson. Since Sept. 11, 2001, Tyson has provided $2.2 million in differential pay to more than 400 employees.

Tyson Foods has a Veterans Business Resource Group for military veterans employed at the company’s corporate headquarters. This group, like the company’s other Business Resource Groups, provides an avenue for its team members to network and develop their professional knowledge and skills, the company said.

The company also is a supporter of Northwest Arkansas “Honor Flight,” a program that transports military veterans free of charge to Washington, D.C., to visit the World War II memorial and other military memorials. Since 2009 the company has helped coordinate and finance six of these flights of World War II veterans.

Pressley appointed AAA chairman TUCKER, Ga. — The Animal

Agriculture Alliance elected Paul Pressley, executive vice presidentindustry programs with the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, as chairman of its board of directors on April 30.

USPOULT RY has been an active member of the alliance for 24 years, and Pressley will serve a Pressley two-year term as chairman.

The alliance’s board of directors consists of representatives from all major sectors of animal agriculture.

“I look forward to working with Kay (Johnson Smith) and the alliance staff. The alliance has been a strong voice for all of animal agriculture for over 25 years. Now, more than ever, the ability to unite the industry across species lines is critical to responding to animal welfare issues,” Pressley said.

“We look forward to having Paul serve as our chairman,” said Animal Agriculture Alliance President and CEO Kay Johnson Smith. “His insight and continued leadership will provide critical guidance to ensure that the Alliance remains a leader in uniting all sectors of animal agriculture.”

Pressley is responsible for the strategic management of USPOULTRY’s technical and education services including food safety, production, worker safety and environmental programs. He is a 30-plus year veteran of the poultry industry, having spent 25 years with Gold Kist Inc. before joining USPOULTRY.

New H7N9 test may help detection WASHINGTON — Research (Continued on next page)

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POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013 (Continued from previous page)

that appeared online in Clinical Chemistry, the journal of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry, demonstrates that a recently developed diagnostic test can detect the new strain of influenza (H7N9) currently causing an outbreak in China.

Since the end of March, 31 people have died from H7N9 infection, and the number of confirmed cases has climbed to 129. Evidence suggests that most H7N9 infections have arisen from poultry-to-human transmission, and that passage of the virus between humans is limited.

However, researchers have also found mutations in the virus that are known to help avian viruses adapt to mammalian hosts.

If these mutations lead to sustained human-to-human transmission, a serious pandemic could occur, the association noted.

In this study, Wong et al. designed a diagnostic test with high specificity for the H7N9 virus that does not cross react with distantly related viruses, including all previously known avian and mammalian H7 viruses.

They also show that this one-step quantitative real-time PCR assay enables specimen processing in about three hours.

According to the authors, this new test should also detect viruses closely related to the H7N9 virus.

If confirmed, this capability could prove vital; it’s likely that the H7N9 virus is evolving rapidly, and there could be multiple introductions of avian H7N9 viruses from animals to humans.

The test also demonstrates a detection limit of ~0.04 median tissue culture infective dose per reaction.

This means that it should be sensitive enough to identify patients with active virus replications, AACC said.

“These results suggest that the established assay should be suitable for screening H7N9 viruses in human samples,” said lead investigator Dr. Leo Poon of the University of Hong Kong, though additional evaluation using clinical specimens

from H7N9 patients is needed.

If validated, this diagnostic test could help health officials avert a potential pandemic by allowing them to monitor the spread of the virus, AACC noted, adding that the test could also identify H7N9 patients in the early stages of infection, improving their chances of responding to clinical treatments.

A podcast on this paper is available at http://media.aacc.org/ CCJPodcasts/ClinChem_201307_ Poon.mp3.

New AMI web page promoting ‘meat’ WASHINGTON — Meat. It has been a part of our diets for millions of years. It inspires celebration from bacon festivals to “Meat Week” to meat art, and now it has inspired a Facebook page, where meat and poultry lovers can gather as a community to celebrate all that meat and poultry have to offer.

Simply called “Meat,” the page is a place for the meat and poultry lovers of the world, the people for whom meat isn’t just food on their plate. It’s a way of life, notes the American Meat Institute.

“Meat inspires an emotional bond for so many people,” said Janet Riley , senior vice president of public affairs at AMI. “There are many ways that people celebrate meat, but we noticed there was no central, online hub for people to congregate in a virtual space and share the bond meat and meat culture inspires.”

Fans of the Meat Facebook page can expect to find fun meat and poultry stories, occasional recipes, photos and events and are encouraged to share their own meat materials.

The page will be managed by the meat and poultry experts at AMI, and is open to those who love meat and poultry of all types, from steaks at the finest restaurant to hot dogs on the street.

The Meat Facebook page can be liked at www.facebook.com/celebratemeat.

Walmart highlighting Arkansas products The Associated Press

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — With labor and energy costs on the rise in Asia, Walmart highlighted an effort to promote domestic goods on May 20, including products made by more than 40 Arkansas suppliers.

Bentonville-based Walmart is encouraging customers to buy items made in the United States. In the company’s home state, the effort includes a red, white and black placard bearing the slogan “Arkansas’ Own.” Walmart Senior Vice President Michelle Gloeckler said promoting in-state vendors will improve sales and help the world’s largest retailer sell more U.S.-made products. Presently, 44 Arkansas suppliers produce 73 brands and 1,700 items for Walmart, according to the company.

“Of course, we expect these numbers to grow,” Gloeckler said, standing amid shelves packed with Arkansas-made foods and other items.

Gloeckler said about two-thirds of Walmart’s goods are produced in the United States. She also said the days of deeply inexpensive goods coming from Asia are over and that U.S. factories can now compete on price.

“The economics of manufacturing is changing,” Gloeckler said.

Gloeckler said Walmart is investing $50 billion during the coming 10 years companywide to promote development of U.S.-made products, as well as offering longer contracts to U.S. suppliers so those companies can invest in new facilities, Gloeckler said.

Arkansas State Economic Development Director Grant Tennille said more than 80 percent of the Arkansas-made products that Walmart stocks are available nationwide.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe said the state is in talks with foreign manufacturers who are interested in building U.S. factories, but he said he didn’t have anything specific to announce.

Springdale-based Tyson Foods

Business Inc., the nation’s largest meat company, has a healthy presence on Walmart shelves. So do many smaller companies, from candle makers to specialty poultry producers.

Randy Zook, president of the Arkansas Chamber of Commerce, said businesses can grow with a company — such as Walmart — promoting their wares.

“We’ve got plenty of capacity for lots of items across the state. We just need more business, we need more activity,” Zook said.

The company stocked a corner of the store with items made in Arkansas, including tortilla chips, bread, peanut butter, ice cream, paper products, beauty items, frozen dinners and other goods.

“You could make a pretty good meal,” Zook said. “I don’t see any utensils, though.”

FCBT reporting strong first quarter AUSTIN, Texas — Farm Credit Bank of Texas (FCBT), a cooperatively owned wholesale funding bank of the Farm Credit System, reported strong financial results for the first quarter of 2013.

Net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2013, totaled $53.8 million, a 57 percent increase from the same period of 2012. The increase was due largely to a $6.4 million increase in noninterest income, combined with a $13.7 million decrease in provision for loan losses.

Return on average shareholders’ equity increased to 16.8 percent for the first quarter of 2013 from 11.2 percent for the first quarter of 2012.

The Austin-headquartered bank’s gross loan volume totaled $11.52 billion at March 31, 2013, compared with $11.34 billion at Dec. 31, 2012.

The 1.6 percent increase in the loan portfolio is attributable to growth in the bank’s participation loan portfo-

lio, officials noted.

Credit quality remains strong and continues to improve, with 97.8 percent of the bank’s loans classified as acceptable or special mention, up from 97.5 percent at Dec. 31, 2012, and 93.8 percent at March 31, 2012.

Nonaccrual loan volume decreased 24.2 percent during the quarter to $48.3 million at March 31, 2013.

“While the bank’s overall financial performance in the first quarter was strong, we are particularly pleased with the improvement in credit quality, which is one of the best indicators of a lender’s financial health,” said Larry Doyle, FCBT chief executive officer. “We have worked hard over the past year to improve our asset quality.”

Farm Credit Bank of Texas is owned by 17 rural financing cooperatives in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas, which in turn are owned by their customers — agricultural producers, agribusinesses, country homeowners and other rural landowners.

Together, the bank and its affiliated lenders comprise the Texas Farm Credit District, the largest rural lending network in the five-state region.

Collectively, the district lenders reported $115.8 million in net income for the first quarter of 2013, a 20.7 percent increase from the first quarter of 2012. District loan volume increased to $17.09 billion at March 31, 2013, up 1.3 percent from year-end 2012.

“Agriculture continues to remain a very bright spot in the nation’s economy,” said Jimmy Dodson, FCBT board chairman. “Farm Credit Bank of Texas and our local lending co-ops are proud of our healthy financial performance, which enables us to fulfill our mission to serve the financing needs of farmers, ranchers and agribusiness firms.”

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

JUN 4-6 — PAACO AUDITOR TRAINING COURSE, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark. Contact: Mike Simpson, executive director, Professional Animal Auditor Certification Organization, 402-403-0104, mike@animalauditor.org, www.animalauditor.org.

JUN 7-8 — AP&EA GOLF TOURNAMENT and EVENING OF FUN, Birmingham, Ala. Contact: Alabama Poultry & Egg Association, P.O. Box 240, Montgomery, Ala. 36101. Ph: 334265-2732; www.alabamapoultry.org.

JUN 10-11 — CPF SUMMER BOARD MTNG., The Cliffs Resort, Shell Beach, Calif. Contact: California Poultry Federation, 4640 Spyres Way, Suite 4, Modesto, Calif. 95356.

PAh: 209-576-6355; www.cpif.org.

JUN 11-13 — ITF SUMMER MTNG., Adventureland Inn, Altoona, Iowa.

Contact: Iowa Turkey Federation, 535 E. Lincoln Way, Ames, Iowa 50010. Ph: 515-22-7492;gretta@ iowaturkey.org; sheila@iowaturkey.org; www.iowaturkey.org.

14-15 — ANNUAL POULTRY JUN FESTIVAL, Rogers, Ark. Contact:

Poultry Federation, P.O. Box 1446, Little Rock, Ark. 72203. Ph: 501-3758131; www.thepoultryfederation.com.

2171; ldurben@minnesotaturkey.com.

JUN 20-22 — NCC SUMMER BOARD MTNG., Newport Coast, Calif.

Contact: National Chicken Council, 1052 15th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005. Ph: 202-296-2622; ncc@ chickenusa.org; www.nationalchickencouncil.org; www.eatchicken.com.

JUN 21-22 — DELMARVA CHICKEN FESTIVAL, Snow Hill, Md. Contact: Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc., 16686 County Seat Hwy., Georgetown, Del. 19947-4881; dpi@dpichicken.com; www.dpichicken.com

16-19 — AMSA RECIPROCAL JUN MEAT CONF., Auburn University, Auburn, Ala. Contact: American Meat Science Association, P.O. Box 2187, Champaign, Ill. 61825. Ph: 800517-AMSA; www.meatscience.org.

24-26 — FINANCIAL MGMNT. JUN SMNR., Orlando, Fla. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770-4939401, seminar@uspoultry.org, www.uspoultry.org/edu_index.cfm

JUN 19 — DPI COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP GOLF TOURNEY, 7:30 a.m. & 1 p.m. flights, Snow Hill, Md. Contact: Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc., 16686 County Seat Hwy., Georgetown, Del. 10047-4881. Ph: 302-856-9037; www.dpichicken.org.

JUL 27-30 — TPF ANNUAL CONV., San Antonio, Texas. Contact: Texas Poultry Federation, 595 Round Rock W. Drive, Suite 305, Round Rock, Texas 78581. Ph: 512-248-0600; tpf@ texspoultry.org; www.texaspoultry.org.

JUN 19-21 — GEA - GEC ANNUAL MTNGS., King and Prince Beach & Golf Resort, St. Simons Island, Ga. Contact: Jewell Hutto, Georgia Egg Assocation - Georgia Egg Commission, P.O. Box 2929, Suwanee, Ga. 30024.

Ph: 770-932-4622; goodeggs@bellsouth.net; www.georgiaeggs.org.

JUN 19-21 — MTGA SUMMER MTNG., Grand View Lodge, Nisswa, Minn.

Contact: Lara Durben, Minnesota Turkey Growers Association. Ph 763-682-

A-V Plastic Poultry Slats A-V plastic poultry slats are made from UV protected polypropylene.

Slats are lighter than wood and easy to move during clean out. Smooth surface is easy to clean, promoting better hygiene and foot health. Slats interlock for extra strength, surface continuity, and no separation. A-V slats are available in white or black. Fiberglass frames are available for a complete flooring system.

We can help with replacement parts for your nest system.

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JUL 9-10 — HATCHERY BREEDER CLINIC, The Wynfrey Hotel, Birmingham, Ala. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770-493-9401, seminar@uspoultry. org, www.uspoultry.org/edu_index.cfm JUL 10-11 — AEB BOARD MTNG., Chicago, Ill. Contact: American Egg Board, 1460 Renaissance Drive, Park Ridge, Ill. 60068. Ph: 847-2967043; aeb@aeb.org; www.aeb.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: 770493-9401, seminar@uspoultry.org, www.uspoultry.org/edu_index.cfm JUL 18-20 — AAMP CONV., Charleston Area Convention Center, North Charleston, S.C. Contact: American Association of Meat Processors, 1 Meating Place, Elizabethtown, Pa. 17022. Ph: 717-367-1168; aamp@ aamp.com; www.aamp.com.

JUL 21-23 — NCC & NPFDA CHICKEN MARKETING SMNR., Coeur d’Alene Resort, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Contact: National Chicken Council, 1015 15th St., N.W., Suite 930, Washington, D.C. 20005, 202-296-2622, www.nationalchickencouncil.com, www.eatchicken.com; or National Poultry & Food Distributors Association, 2014 Osborne Road, St. Marys, Ga. 31558, 770-5359901, kkm@npfda.org, www.npfda.org.

JUL 21-25 — PSA ANNUAL CONV., Town and Country Resort & Convention Center, San Diego, Calif. Contact: Poultry Science Association, 1800 S. Oak St., Suite 100,, Champaign, Ill. 61820. Ph: 217-356-5285; pas@ assochq.org; www.poultryscience.org.

JUL 22-23 — AP&EA ANNUAL MTNG., Destin, Fla. Contact: Alabama Poultry

& Egg Association, P.O. Box 240, Montgomery, Ala. 36101. Ph: 334265-2732; www.alabamapoultry.org.

AUG 8-9 — NCPF-NCEA ANNUAL CONF., Greensboro, N.C. Contact: North Carolina Poultry Federation, 4020 Barrett Drive, Suite 102, Raleigh, N.C. 27609, 919-783-8218, rlford@ncpoultry.org, www.ncpoultry.org; or Jan Kelly, North Carolina Egg Association, 1939 High House Road, No. 102, Cary, N.C. 27519, 919-319-1195, egglady@ncegg.org, www.ncegg.org.

AUG 16-17 — TPA ANNUAL MTNG. / SUMMER GETAWAY, Hilton Downtown, Nashville, Tenn. Contact: Tennessee Poultry Association, P.O. Box 1525, Shelbyville, Tenn. 371621525. Ph: 931-225-1123; dbarnett@ tnpoultry.org; www.tnpoultry.org.

AUG 19-21 — NATIONAL SAFETY CONF. FOR THE POULTRY INDUSTRY, Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Amelia Island, Fla. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770-493-9401, seminar@uspoultry. org, www.uspoultry.org/edu_index.cfm 19-29 — UEP AREA MTNGS., AUG TBA. Contact: United Egg Producers, 1720 Windward Concourse, Suite 230, Alpharetta, Ga. 30005. Ph: 770360-9220; www.unitedegg.com.

AUG 22-23 — WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP CONF., Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort, Amelia Island, Fla. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770493-9401, seminar@uspoultry.org, www.uspoultry.org/edu_index.cfm AUG 24 — GPF NIGHT OF KNIGHTS, Cobb Galleria Centre, Atlanta, Ga. Contact: Georgia Poultry Federation, P.O. Box 763, Gainesville, Ga. 30503. Ph: 770-532-0473; beverly@gapf.org; www.gapf.org.

SEP 10-11 — POULTRY PROCESSING & SAFETY WKSHP., Athens, Ga. Contact: Poultry Processing & Safety Workshop, Extension Food Science Outreach, University of Georgia, 240A Food Science Bldg., Athens, Ga. 30602-2610. Ph: 706-542-2574; http://EFonline.uga.edu; EFS!uga.edu.

SEP 12-15 — MPA ANNUAL CONV., Hilton Sandestin Resort & Spa, Destin, Fla. Contact: Becky Beard, Mississippi Poultry Association, 110 Airport Road, Suite C, Pearl, Miss. 39208. Ph: 601932-7560; beard@mspoultry.org.

SEP 10-12 — AFIA LIQUID FEED SYMPM., Union Station Marriott, St. Louis, Mo. Contact: American Feed Industry Association, 2101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 916. Arlington, Va. 22201. Ph: 703524-0810; afia@afia.org; www.afia.org.

SEP 17-18 — POULTLRY PRODUCTION & HEALTH SMNR., Marriott Downtown, Memphis, Tenn. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770-493-9401, seminar@uspoultry.

org, www.uspoultry.org/edu_index.cfm SEP 17-28 — PRODUCTION & HEALTH SNMNR., Marriott Downtown, Memphis, Tenn. Contact: U.S. Poultry & Egg Association, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084-7303, Ph: 770-493-9401, seminar@uspoultry. org, www.uspoultry.org/edu_index.cfm SEP 19-20— CPF ANNUAL MTNG. & CONF., Monterey Plaza Hotel, Monterey, Calif. Contact: California Poultry Federation, 4640 Spyres Way, Suite 4, Modesto, Calif. 95356.

Ph: 209-576-6355; www.cpif.org.

SEP 24-25 — GEORGIA POULTRY CONF., Classic Center, Athens, Ga. Contact: Extension Poultry Science, University of Georgia, Athens, Ga. 30602, Ph: 706-542-1325; or Georgia Poultry Federation, P.O. Box 763, Gainesville, Ga. 30503. Ph: 770-532-0473.

30-Oct. 2 — NATIONAL SEP MTNG. POULTRY HEALTH & PROCESSING, Ocean City, Md. Contact: Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc., 16686 County Seat Hwy., Georgetown, Del. 19947-4881; dpi@ dpichicken.com; www.dpichicken.com 2-3— NCC ANNUAL CONF. & OCT FALL BOARD MTNG., Mandarin Oriental, Washington, D.C. Contact: National Chicken Council, 1052 15th St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005. Ph: 202-2962622; ncc@chickenusa.org; www.nationalchickencouncil.org; www.eatchicken.com.

OCT 3-4 — PPFC SEMINAR, Doubletree Hotel, Nashville, Tenn. Contact: Poultry Protein & Fat Council, 1530 Cooledge Road, Tucker, Ga. 30084.

Ph: 770-493-9401; info@uspoultry.org; www.uspoultry.org/ppfc.

OCT 8-11 — UEP BOARD MTNG. & EXECUTIVE CONF., Inn on Biltmore Estates, Asheville, N.C. Contact: United Egg Producers, 1720 Windward Concourse, Suite 230, Alpharetta, Ga. 30005. Ph: 770-360-9220; www.unitedegg.com.

OCT 15-17 — SUNBELT AG EXPO., Moultrie, Ga. Contact: Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition, 290-G Harper Blvd., Moultrie, Ga. 31788. Ph: 229-9851968, ext. 28; www.sunbeltexpo.com.

OCT 17-23 — USAHA ANNUAL MTNG., San Diego, Calif. Contact: U.S. Animal Health Association, 4221 Mitchell Ave., St. Joseph, Mo. 64507. Ph: 816-671-1144; usaha@usaha.org; www.usaha.org.

OCT 21-23 — SOY & GRAIN TRADE SUMMIT, Hyatt Regency, Minneapolis, Minn. Contact: HighQuest Partners, 300 Rosewood Drive, Suite 30, Danvers, Mass. 01923. Ph: 978-8878800; info@highquestpartners.com.

NOV 3-6 — PROCESS EXPO and INTERNATIONAL DAIRY SHOW, McCormick Place, Chicago, Ill. Contact: Food Processing Suppliers Association, www.myprocessexpo. com; or International Daiary Foods Association, www.dairyshow.com.

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POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

How does tunnel fan placement affect fan performance?

By Michael Czarick & Dr. Brian Fairchild Special to Poultry Times

ATHENS, Ga. — During the summer of 2011 a study was conducted in a 66-foot wide tunnel-ventilated broiler house with 23, 52-inch tunnel fans to examine how tunnel fan placement affects average house air velocity and air distribution.

Five poles with three anemometers on each were evenly spaced across the width of the house approximately 100 feet from the tunnel fan end wall. The anemometers were mounted on each pole 2 feet above the floor, 2 feet below the ceiling and 4.5 feet above the floor.

Each of the 15 anemometers were connected to a data logging system that recorded air speed every minute for 10 to 15 minutes. The 15 anemometers accurately measured both the average house air velocity and air velocity distribution across the width of the house.

One of the many tests conducted during the study examined how operating adjacent fans in the corners of a tunnel-ventilated house affects the air moving capacity of the fans and, in turn, the overall air speed in a tunnel house. It is commonly thought that to maximize fan performance, there should be at least 4 feet between a fan in the end wall of a tunnel house and a sidewall, though there is little data to support this assumption.

To determine if operating adjacent corner fans had a detrimental effect on their performance, a comparison was made by operating all eight tunnel fans in the end wall and one of the tunnel fans in each sidewall immediately adjacent to the end wall while operating all the tunnel fans in the end wall with one tunnel fan in each end wall approximately 15 feet from the end wall thus essentially increasing the distance between adjacent fans from 1 foot to 15 feet.

Air velocity measurements indicated that increasing the distance between adjacent corner fans had little effect on the average air velocity in the house. Increasing the distance between adjacent fans from 1 to 15 feet increased the average air speed from 448 ft./min. to 453 ft./ min., an increase of only 5 ft./min.

This of course is not to say that the fan performance was unaffected. A decrease in air speed of 5 ft./min. in the 66-foot-wide house represented a decrease in the total air moving capacity of the fans of roughly 3,000 cfm. If we assume the decrease in 3,000 cfm was evenly split amongst the four fans in the corners, which were moving approximately 27,600 cfm, this would indicate that the air moving capacity of the four fans was reduced by roughly 2.7 percent.

This is in close agreement to the findings of Simmons et.al., in 1998 when they conducted a similar study. In their study two, 48-inch

fans (one movable, and one stationary) were placed in adjacent walls of a research broiler house. The air moving capacity of the stationary fan was measured as the movable fan was repositioned at regular decreasing intervals from 6 to 1 foot toward the stationary fan.

Their testing showed a 2 percent decrease in the air moving capacity of the stationary fan when the other fan was moved to within a distance of 1 foot.

Though efforts should be taken when it comes to maximizing tunnel fan performance, it is important to realize that placing tunnel fans in close proximity of the corners in a house should not be a significant concern.

If producers want to maximize their bird cooling ability during hot weather they should concentrate their efforts on things that have been proven time and again to have a much more substantial effect on a

fan’s ability to move air.

Namely, proper fan maintenance.

Fan shutters, housing and blades should be cleaned on a regular basis. Fan belts should be replaced yearly and evaporative cooling pads should be thoroughly cleaned after each flock to insure the fans do not have to work too hard to pull air into a house. By taking these simple measures producers will insure that their fans will continue to produce the maximum amount of air speed thus, insuring maximum bird cooling during hot weather.

Michael Czarick is an Extension engineer, and Dr. Brian Fairchild is an Extension poultry scientist, both with the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension. More information can be obtained at www.poultryventilation.com.

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POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

•Water (Continued from page 1)

when birds are drinking and evaporative cooling systems are filling at the same time (5) Have trouble keeping evaporative cooling systems from running out of water on hot days.

Dollars saved or lost If any of the situations or symptoms described above apply to your farm, a water supply restriction might be the root of the problem.

Identifying a water supply problems can be tricky but of utmost importance in dollars and cents. You don’t want an overlooked water restriction to drop you to the bottom of the settlement sheet.

Consider two farms, each with four similar 40 x 500 broiler houses that require approximately 13 gpm (gallons per minute) per house at peak demand on a really hot dry day, so the total farm water supply flow rate required is 52 gpm. Grower A has an adequate water supply and routinely checks for any symptoms of water shortage on the farm and corrects them. Grower B on the other hand, has consistently had trouble with performance during hot weather. He hasn’t identified the problem but notices the houses run low on pressure at times. The truth is that Grower B’s water supply system is either partially clogged or undersized, and can deliver on 40 gpm, not 52 gpm. That’s a lot of gallons not available during crucial times of the growout when birds and cooling pads need it the most.

In this situation of hot weather water inadequacy, Grower B’s flocks may take as much as a 3 percent hit in livability and lose as much as 0.4 pounds of potential per bird average live weight. What does this look like in dollars and cents, if each farm places 88,000 birds per growout? There are many other factors to consider, but let’s keep it simple.

Grower A, having an adequate water supply, received a check for

approximately $40,631.36 with a good average weight and good liveability. Grower B, having an inadequate water supply, sent fewer birds to the plant with poor liveability and a much lower average weight and brought home $3,109.57 less for the same number of chicks placed.

Grower B could easily find himself in this scenario for at least two hot weather flocks and see an estimated $6,219.14 in less income compared to Grower A, simply due to water inadequacy.

Cost of fixing a plumbing or other water supply problem on the average poultry farm varies greatly depending on the particular situation, but $6,000 would certainly go a long way toward fixing the problem.

Inspection points The first point to consider is that the water source used — whether a water utility or pumping from a well or pond, must be capable of supplying the amount and flow rate needed.

Particular poultry farm water needs vary greatly depending on location, weather conditions, number and size of houses and number and size of birds grown in those houses. Our example farm above, typical for the lower Broiler Belt growing large birds, needs a water source capable of supplying a minimum of 52 gpm at maximum demand. Remember, that is just for the poultry farm, not a dwelling or other farm needs. Contact your company representative for an estimated per-house water requirement.

Following are the main items to check to assure your water system and plumbing are adequate. Examples assume the same typical four-house farm with modern 40 x 500 broiler houses, the farm requiring 52 gpm at peak demand. Note: these figures are for illustration purposes only, and may not fit your farm. Each farm must be assessed according to the location of the farm, weather conditions, type and size of birds and amount and type of equipment used.

Undersized water meter: Undersized water meters can significantly reduce the amount of water pressure and flow that a farm receives during hot weather. The meter might be sufficient to supply a residential home but not a poultry farm. Our example farm requiring 52 gpm will need a 1.5-inch diameter municipal water meter to adequately supply the farm.

The typical 3/4-inch water meter is rated for up to 30 gpm and a 1-inch meter up to 50 gpm, each restricting 15 psi at given water flow. These are American Water Works Association (AWWA) standard pressure loss ratings. Specific meter ratings should be confirmed with the water supplier and meter manufacturer.

Undersized main plumbing line(s): Undersized main water supply lines are often found to be the root of a water problem. A certified plumber should be consulted to determine if a farm’s main line is undersized. The distance from the water source at the meter or well head to the farm’s control room determines the amount of pressure (friction) loss that will occur. Also, major changes in elevation contribute to pressure loss. For example, a 21.7 psi pressure loss will be felt if the farm is only 50 feet above the meter or well head. Our example four-house farm would need a 2-inch diameter PVC main water line and would have 20 psi of friction loss if the farm was 1,000 feet from the point of supply on level grade. If the farm water system was installed using only a 1.5-inch main line the friction loss would be approximately 60 psi (three times more) measured 1,000 feet away. A new 2-inch main water meter won’t fix the problem of an undersized main supply line on the farm.

Stopped up filters: The great thing about water filters is the fact that they are disposable just like the air filters in our homes. The problem is sometimes we forget to change them and even if we have a regimen we follow to change them once per flock, that might not be enough during summer months when we

are using more than average water.

Each farm is different and the rate of filter changes is based on quality and quantity of water used. It is imperative to have water pressure gauges installed on both sides of the filter so the grower can tell if and when the filter is restricting water pressure. This really needs to be checked when a significant number of the birds are up and drinking.

If no water is flowing through the filter then there will not be a pressure drop even if the filter needs to be changed. The poorer the water quality the more time and effort a grower will have to spend keeping filters clean.

Kinked drinker supply hoses: Also known as drop hoses, these connect the water supply plumbing to the drinker lines. The most frequent problem we see with drop hoses is that they become easily kinked and partially or totally stop water flow. Common household or “garden” water hoses are not good options for supplying water to drinkers as they are often vary easy to kink. Even if higher quality hoses are used, they too can become kinked. If small diameter drop hoses are used, be award that if biofilm builds up in these hoses, they too can become a source of water restriction.

Contaminated nipple drinkers: While modern nipple drinkers usually work well to supply birds with adequate water, they can become partially clogged with biofilm and other contaminants and functionally restrict water. This is not just a hot weather problem. It can occur at any time of the year, and is most often a problem with young chicks, resulting in high seven-day mortalities.

Young chicks are often not strong enough to break the drinker pins free if they are stuck. Activating nipple drinkers prior to bird placement is a must! As nipple drinker technology has evolved, there are several different types of nipple drinkers on the market, designed for the different types and size of birds. Make sure the nipple drinkers in your lines

were designed for the birds you are growing. If you have questions about what nipple drinker is right for the flocks being grown, ask your company representative about approve drinker types and options.

Backup water source Water plays an extremely important role in growing a good healthy flock of chickens, so making sure the farm has a good clean abundant source of water from day one to catch is imperative. Just as you need a backup generator, you need a fall-back water source. If your primary water source fails for any reason, your secondary source must be ready to take over and carry the farm until the primary water source can be restored.

The bottom line It is very difficult to maintain a competitive edge growing chickens on farms that have water supply problems, especially during hot weather growouts. Water restrictions can develop slowly over time and go unnoticed for years, but will have been robbing performance all that time. A little time spent on preventative maintenance on the farm’s water system can pay dividends by the end of the summer. We have received many calls and reports back from growers and company representatives that have basically “turned problem farms around” simply by identifying and successfully repairing water supply problems. This is not to say that this will fix every problem, but it is certainly worth a grower’s time this spring to pay some attention to his water supply system. If it is decided that a plumbing upgrade is in order for your farm and you are not comfortable or experienced in plumbing work, please contact a company representative and a local reputable plumber and come up with a plan together. There is never enough money for a redo and fixing mistakes in an emergency can be costly.

11

POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

•Delmarva (Continued from page 1)

land. As chairman of the Chesapeake Bay Commission in 2010, he sought DPI’s input on federal Chesapeake Bay legislation. He involved DPI in this year’s Agricultural Certainty bill in the General Assembly, a bill to help speed water quality improvement in the Chesapeake Bay while offering incentives for farmers to go beyond the minimum on environmental stewardship. He included the chicken industry in last year’s legislation to provide estate tax relief for heirs of farmland.

Among his accomplishments for agriculture, he successfully sponsored bills to create the Maryland Agricultural Education and Rural Development Assistance Fund; help the Maryland Agricultural Land Preservation Foundation in various ways; provide additional money,

•Safe (Continued from page 1)

plants in China, the situation has caused many consumers in China to refrain from eating poultry products. This anxiety among consumers has cost the Chinese poultry industry millions of dollars in lost sales as a result.

The World Health Organization and leading influenza experts agree that proper cooking is the best defense against foodborne illnesses, including influenza. In fact, Dr. Michael O’Leary, who heads the WHO office in Beijing, said that he eats chicken every day.

Cooking to an internal temperature of 74 degrees C (165 degrees F) destroys any residual viruses that may in the meat. In other words, there is no risk of contracting influenza from eating properly cooked poultry meat, IPC noted.

Chinese consumers can be as-

through the Agricultural Stewardship Act of 2006, for on-farm environmental programs and to assistant beginning farmers; and create the agriculturally-focused economic development finance agency called the Maryland Agricultural and Resource-Based Industry Development Corporation.

Middleton has also brokered numerous legislative compromises to make bills that were destined to pass more palatable to agriculture, a large factor in selecting him for this DPI recognition. In being presented his award, DPI noted that “if we had more like him in the Maryland General Assembly, all our lives would be easier.”

Kee, who has a lifetime of involvement with agriculture in Delaware, was educated at the University of Delaware. For more than 30 years, he worked for the University

sured that all poultry products they get in the market, regardless of origin, can be eaten safely when they are properly cooked, the council added.

“The global poultry industry has been impressed with the growth in per capita poultry consumption in China, which is eclipsing pork,” said IPC President Jim Sumner. “In fact, since 1990, China’s per capita poultry consumption has increased nearly five-fold, to more than 10 kilograms.”

Sumner also said that, while poultry consumption dipped during previous influenza occurrences in China, consumers quickly realized that properly cooked and prepared poultry meat is safe, and consumption rebounded.

He said that the reaction of consumers to previous incidents prompted the IPC to adopt the slogan: “Poultry is safe. Just cook it.!”

of Delaware; retiring in 2008 to become director of agriculture for Hanover Foods Corp., a national vegetable processing company. In 2009 Governor Jack Markell enlisted him to become secretary of agriculture.

In this position he has worked to enhance the profitability of farming and to keep farming an essential part of Delaware.

Kee has worked to help the chicken industry remain strong and grow. He is not hesitant to stand up for the agricultural community in battles with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Chesapeake Bay issues. He works with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control and the Delaware Economic Development Office to make sure state policies are not harmful to the

chicken industry. Much more, he helps promote the entire agricultural community.

He has worked on behalf of the chicken industry by seeking money to maintain and improve chicken diagnostic services at the University of Delaware. DPI noted that Kee is deeply interested in attracting and retaining young farmers into agriculture and has led Delaware’s efforts in this regard.

The 12 outstanding poultry producers, selected by their companies from Delmarva’s nearly 1,600 poultry growers, are: Mark and Theresa Baker, Greenwood, Del., Allen Harim Farms LLC Sam and Patti Cooper, Marydel, Md., Amick Farms, LLC

Rick and Kim Hall, East New Market, Md., Mountaire Farms Inc. Kiwon and Sunmee Kang, Laurel, Del., Perdue Farms Inc. Raymond and Dianne Marvel, Houston, Del., Perdue Farms Inc. Ronnie and Barbara Matthews, Greenbush, Va., Tyson Foods Inc. Chad and Tami Mitchell, Frankford, Del., Mountaire Farms Inc. Honeysuckle Farm, Pocomoke City, Md., Mountaire Farms Inc. Mindy and Tom Phillips, Gumboro, Del., Perdue Farms Inc. Jason Powell, Delmar, Md., Mountaire Farms, Inc. Lee and Dana Richardson, Willards, Md., Perdue Farms Inc. Ronald and Audrey Tyndall, Seaford, Del., Tyson Foods Inc.

CMYK

12

POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

Novel approach to stunning may improve bird welfare Poultry Science Association

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A study conducted by researchers in Scotland and the Netherlands strongly suggests that a new form of poultry stunning is likely more humane than alternative approaches to rendering birds unconscious prior to slaughter.

In a recent conversation, the paper’s lead author, Dr. Dorothy McKeegan of the Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine at the University of Glasgow, spoke about some of the factors behind her team’s research on a new approach, called low atmospheric pressure stunning (LAPS).

“Electrical stunning remains the world’s most widely used method of rendering poultry unconscious prior to slaughter. But concerns about stress caused to poultry by shackling prior to electric stunning and variability in its effectiveness have led

to legislation that will reduce the use of this approach in Europe and to the investigation of other approaches that may be less stressful to the bird. In our research, we found that LAPS has the potential to improve the welfare of poultry at slaughter by gradually inducing unconsciousness without distress, eliminating the stress of shackling and ensuring that every bird is adequately stunned prior to exsanguination.”

In low atmospheric pressure stunning, poultry are rendered unconscious just prior to slaughter by gradually reducing oxygen tension in the atmosphere. The authors note that since this process raises “legitimate welfare concerns around the experience of birds before loss of consciousness,” the goal of their study was to address these concerns through the collection and analysis of physiological data dur-

ing the LAPS process, to determine whether there were any indicators of distress to the birds.

Study and findings To determine whether the LAPS process is stressful, the authors outfitted 28 broiler chickens with wireless, self-contained telemetry logging units to capture high-quality, continuous electroencephalogram (EEG) and electrocardiogram (EKG) data. The data recordings were obtained in a commercial poultry processing plant, which is currently using LAPS. The researchers found that, based on their EEG analysis, a conservative estimate of the time to loss of consciousness during the application of LAPS was 40 seconds.

During this period they noted an increase in slow-wave (delta) brain

activity, consistent with a gradual loss of consciousness. The increase in delta wave activity began within 10 seconds of beginning LAPS and continued thereafter. Delta wave activity peaked at 30 seconds into LAPS, at which point it was consistent with the EEG signals of birds under surgical levels of anesthesia.

From the EKG analysis the researchers found that, during the application of LAPS, the birds’ heart rates consistently decreased. They found no instances in which heart rates increased during the period when the birds were potentially conscious. They also observed no behavioral responses that would suggest aversion to the LAPS process.

The authors concluded that “the scientific data strongly suggest that birds do not find LAPS induction distressing,” and that “collectively,

the results indicate that LAPS is an effective and humane alternative approach to stunning prior to slaughter.”

The results of the study appear in a recent issue of Poultry Science, a journal published by the Poultry Science Association, in an article entitled “Physiological Responses to Low Atmospheric Stunning and the Implications for Welfare” (D. E. F. McKeegan et al; 2013 Poultry Science 92 :858-868). The complete article is available for download at http://dx.doi.org/10.3382/ ps.2012-02749).

The Poultry Science Association is a global scientific society dedicated to the discovery and dissemination of knowledge generated by poultry research. Founded in 1908, PSA has a global membership of more than 1,400. For more information, go to www.poultryscience.org.

NCC notes that chicken is a safe, healthy part of balanced diet WASHINGTON — “The bottom line for consumers is that all chicken is safe to eat when properly handled and cooked,” states Dr. Ashley Peterson, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs at the National Chicken Council. “Consumers can continue to feel confident about including chicken as a lean, low-fat and high-protein part of a healthy, balanced diet,” Peterson was responding to a report from the Center for Science in the Public Interest which claimed that ground beef and chicken are the riskiest meat and poultry products in the U.S. food supply and pose the greatest likelihood of hospitalization.

“Rigorous food safety standards are applied to all chicken produced in the United States, and all chicken products must meet or exceed these safety standards set forth by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety & Inspection Service (FSIS) in order to reach consumers,” said Peterson.

“The bottom line for consumers is that all chicken is safe to eat when properly handled and cooked,” she said. “Consumers can continue to feel confident about including chicken as a lean, low-fat and highprotein part of a healthy, balanced diet.”

The CSPI report — Risky Meat: A Field Guide to Meat & Poultry Safety — ranks 12 categories of meat and poultry based on outbreak reports and the likelihood of hospitalizations associated with the pathogens most commonly reported in those foods. According to the report, ground beef and chicken were responsible for the largest number of outbreaks and cases of illnesses.

Chicken nuggets, ham and sausage pose the lowest risk of foodborne illness.

NCC noted that the poultry industry takes very seriously any human illness attributed to the consumption of a poultry product. Poultry companies have invested tens of millions of dollars in technology

and other scientifically validated measures to enhance the safety profile of chicken products. Continuous inspection and testing by USDA has demonstrated the long-term success of these interventions in providing a safe, wholesome and affordable protein for consumers.

Also commenting on the CSPI report was the American Meat Institute Foundation President James H. Hodges, who pointed out that the “U.S. meat and poultry companies produce 90 billion pounds of meat and poultry products a year and 99.99 percent of these are consumed safely.

The report, Hodges said, “focuses only on the meat and poultry category. A broader examination of the total food supply could have delivered a more meaningful examination of food safety risk from our normal diets and would have shown that we have a meat and poultry supply that delivers consistently safe eating experiences.”

Peterson added, “In an effort

to continue our progress towards reducing foodborne illnesses, we believe that the poultry inspection system should be modernized to transition to a model that is more science and risk-based.”

Peterson noted that from 2001 to 2010, the latest 10-year period for which data are available, outbreaks related to E. coli, salmonella and other dangerous pathogens decreased by more than 40 percent, according to CSPI’s own analysis.

Additionally, CSPI clearly states that the illness data they use represent only a “small fraction of likely cases,” thereby biasing their data set from the start. Scientifically, if a complete data set were used and evaluated instead of evaluating only hand-selected data, the results would be quite different.

Over the past several years, most instances of salmonella outbreaks have been related to melons, lettuce, salads, fruit, sprouts, tomatoes or other fresh produce, according

to U.S. government data. “That is why it is an important reminder that all raw agricultural products — whether its produce, fruit, meat or poultry — could contain bacteria that might make someone sick,” Peterson said.

The chicken council emphasized that it is always important to consistently follow safe food handling and cooking practices. Steps to take in the home to significantly reduce any risk include: yy Clean — Wash hands and surfaces often. yy Separate — Don’t cross-contaminate. Use a separate cutting board for raw chicken. Do not rinse raw poultry in the sink. yy Cook — Cook to proper temperatures. For chicken it is 165 degrees F measured by a meat thermometer. If served undercooked poultry in a restaurant, send it back to the kitchen for further cooking. yy Chill — Refrigerate promptly.

specktacular

Janet Collins Speckt tacular Sweepstakes Winner Specktacular Wayne Farms Albertville, AL

results.

Specktacular results keep pouring in...

When Janet Collins entered the Specktacular Sweepstakes she never imagined she would be one of the winners. Today she certainly is happy to have won as her results from Lubing’s OptiGROW Broiler Drinking System are outperforming her other house that has a different brand of nipple drinking system.

The results: lower first week mortality Less than half of 1%

Increased weight gains

Average Daily Rate Gain - 0.144 lbs

Better feed conversions 2.08 (8.48 lbs broiler)

Barry Dutton

Regional Sales Manager Lubing Systems

Less cake on the floors with increased water consumption (The house with OptiGROW drinkers had 2.25 loads of cake whereas the other house had 3.)

For information aabout our new OptiGROW OptiGRO Broiler Nipple Drinking System please contact your al Lubing autho orized distributor or writ local authorized write to info@lubingusa.com. Technical and performance details are available at www.lubingusa.com.

Scan code for details LUBING Systems, LP • 135 Corporate Drive, SW • Cleveland, TN 37311 • tel 423 709.1000 • fax 423 709.1001

A Tradition of Innovation.

Better digestion to support optimal performance Add the power of Phytogenics to your diet:

• A unique blend of herbs, essential oils and functional flavors • Proven in science and practice • Tailored to the animal’s needs

digestarom.biomin.net Naturally ahead

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Komfort Kooler Evaporative Cooling

• Square bottom trough has 24% more Water Capacity

than round bottom systems; keeps your houses cool in even the most difficult conditions.

• The Original Jet Pump option; creates the most cost efficient cooling system.

• Maintenance Friendly; no tools needed to change evap pads.

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• Precise Installation; no field tube cutting which saves time and money.

• Create the right system for your application; • Concrete Installation.

• Open Top option.

• Submersible or Jet Pump available.

“Since installing the Komfort Kooler system, I have seen better and drier litter. It’s easy to install and needs very little time in routine maintenance. My houses with Komfort Kooler stay 3-4 degrees cooler than my other houses, causing less fans to run.”

Paul Sanders Pilgrim’s Grower - Stephens, Georgia

open top

ConCrete InstallatIon

For more information contact your local Cumberland or Hired-Hand dealer or visit us online at:

www.cumberlandpoultry.com Copyright © 2013 AGCO Corporation • CUMBERLAND - 1004 E. Illinois St., Assumption, IL 62510 / 217-226-4401 • HIRED-HAND - 1759 County Rd 68, Bremen, AL 35033 / 256-287-1000

BOOTH 4829

Poultry Farm For Sale Butler County, AL

2 Mega House Farm on 17+/- or 40+/- acres

Peace of mind is now wireless!!

• 2-60x660 feet houses Built in 2008 & 2009

• 2-8,000 Liquid Petroleum Storage Tanks

• Currently with Koch’s Food Montgomery on a 6lb bird

• 2-75kw John Deere Diesel Generators

• Currently at +/- 88,000 birds per flock

• 1-700 foot well and County Water

• Tunnel Ventilation, Radiant Tube Heaters, Rotem Controllers, Climate Controlled Control Rooms

• With 17+/- acres $1,050,000.00

No Monthly/Annual Fees to pay!

No wires to install and maintain between buildings!

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• With 40+/- acres, log cabin, lake, timber $1,380,000.00

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Contact these listing agents for more info: Randall Upchurch, Land Agent 256-239-5379 randall@sonuprealestate.com Robert King, Land Agent 256-252-9239 robert@alalandco.com Kenny King, Land Agent 334-566-8053 kenny@alalandco.com

Monitor:

Power Temperature Water Ventilation Controller Curtain Feed over run Generator Customized settings by owner

Call a Wyr-LS 4.0 and try it for yourself! Call 1-800-942-5276

when the Wyr-LS 4.0 answers, press 0 then # and listen to an actual Farm Alarm Visit www.alabamapoultry.com for any information on this property and other Alabama Poultry Farms for sale.

T: 800.407.5455 • F: 704.753.5205 • www.FarmAlarm.com

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September 24 Product Guide

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New for 2012 AgSeal 2.4, 3.4 & 10.4 Beetle Barrier Technology Poultry foam with DBK. Specially new formula designed to Combat and Kill the darkling beetle!

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AgSeal products are currently approved and/or specified for New Construction & Retro Fitting existing!

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SMITHWAY, INC.

Custom Built Environmentally Controlled Transport Systems

With over 33 years of experience, Smithway can handle your hauling needs no matter the size or age of your birds. Our new curtain sided trailers allow easy side loading of your cages while providing protection from the elements.

Smithway continually strives to meet and exceed the needs of our Customers.

SMITHWAY, INC. PO BOX 188 HWY 74A EAST FAIRVIEW, NC 28730

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The new name in poultry wastemanagement systems fromFarmer Automatic, of America, Inc.

Drastically Reduces The Number of Pathogens In Manure • Diesel Turbo Charged Engine • Flow Thru Drag Chain Conveyor Optional • Heavy Duty Tracks with Piston Drive Motors

C ompost-A-mAtiC Automated In-Vessel Compost System The cost-effective way to convert manure into pathogen-free compost!

• In-vessel, agitated bed design • Automatic & computerized operation • Reduces ammonia & foul odors • Breaks fly breeding cycle • Proven performance with installations worldwide

P.O. Box 39 • Register, GA 30452 • (912) 681-2763 • Fax (912) 681-1096 www.aggero.com • Email: info@aggero.com

Elanco’s Defense Sequence controls nuisance insects that can transmit Salmonella, Campylobacter and E. coli, top causes of food-borne illnesses worldwide.1 Additionally, Defense Sequence rotates chemical classes to reduce the risk of resistance.

The labels contain complete use information, including cautions and warnings. Always read, understand and follow the label and use directions.

1 Boutrif, E. and Schlundt, J. 2009. “Salmonella and Campylobacter in chicken meat.” Department of Food Safety and Zoonoses, World Health Organization; Nutrition and Consumer Protection Division, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

Elanco , Defense Sequence , Elector PSP, StandGuard Premise and the diagonal bar are all trademarks owned or licensed by Eli Lilly and Company, its subsidiaries or affiliates.

2013 Elanco Animal Health. All rights reserved.

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• Durable Medium Weight Feed Tray • Easy To Clean • Raised Center Keeps Feed From Shifting • Available In 3 Colors

Chickmate® allows more chicks to feed, increasing weight gain and reducing feed waste. All models will save you time, money and labor; while feeding your chicks automatically.

800-331-7509 • www.chickmate.com

May 8, 2013 4:06 PM

Controlling Salmonella enteritidiS – from floCk to food The U.S. poultry industry loses $330 million annually due to Salmonella enteritidis contamination in egg and meat products. During a S. enteritidis outbreak, poultry producers undergo severe financial losses due to product recalls, production losses, legal settlements, and brand-tarnishing1.

While most foodborne illnesses have shown a decrease in occurrences since 2008, Salmonella has increased; it’s the most common infection for people (1.2 million U.S. illnesses annually)2.

Given potential health threats, operators are keenly aware of how vital it is to have a strong, FDA-compliant S. enteritidis control program in place,” says Charles Broussard, D.V.M, MAM, Merck Animal Health. “Vaccinating with SE Guard™ protects flock health while protecting producers’ operations, profitability and future.”

leSSened floCk and human riSk.

“Because it’s anticipated being easy on the bird, our customers are excited about this product,” explains Dr. Broussard. “The emulsification process we use to make the vaccine produces a product undemanding on birds. We’ve seen this in Bron-Newcavac™-SE and expect the same result in SE Guard.”

Convenient vaCCination adminiStration.

With flexible administration timing options, SE Guard is easily incorporated into any comprehensive S. enteritidis protection program. Maternal antibodies protect pullets with a single vaccination beginning at 10 weeks of age. A second vaccination is recommended at least 6 weeks following initial vaccination. to learn more about Se guard and S. enteritidis poultry vaccination visit www.merck-animal-health-usa.com or contact a merck animal health representative by calling 800-211-3573.

1 Fink et al. FNR Is a Global Regulator of Virulence and Anaerobic Metabolism in Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium. J.Bacteriology, 2007.

2

“Trends in Foodborne Illness in the United States”-Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2011.

The patented industry leading electronic indicator for harsh washdown environments

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They Don’t Just Slide Anymore?

Last year, Eagan Manufacturing Company, Inc. introduced to the poultry market a revolutionary new Sliding Door system that had both builders and growers excited about the future of poultry house construction. But with the introduction of fans and cool cells being placed on the front of certain houses, using sliding doors in certain applications became problematic.

That’s when Eagan Manufacturing went to work on designing the next wave of end door technology.

Just recently, Eagan Manufacturing has introduced to the market their brand new Barn Door package. Constructed of two, neopor foam panels, covered in

fiberglass skins, these panels are designed for years of long lasting use.

They each are trimmed out with reinforced aluminum extrusion and are equipped with a total of three cane bolts for a secure, air tight fit. Each panel is hung using three heavyduty, steel, zinc plated hinges that have built-in mechanisms to allow for adjustments during installation.

Sales Manager Ryan Cernosek said, “We realized that the market needed another option when it came to doors for the ends of poultry houses. These doors give growers another option, along with our sliding doors and folding doors, that will fit their needs the best.”

You can visit Eagan Manufacturing on their website at www.eaganmfg.com or contact one of their friendly sales associates at 800-835-3002. They also offer a complete line of entry doors, tunnel door, attic inlets, wall vents, attic access doors, and much, much more.

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13

POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

Energy auditing your own poultry house

By Jess Campbell, Jim Donald, Gene Simpson & Ken Macklin

Special to Poultry Times

AUBURN, Ala. — Every poultry grower knows that the costs of propane and electricity are increasing steeply. The question is, what can a grower do to keep energy costs from eating away all farm profit? Fortunately, there are some answer to this questions. When energy prices are rising, growers have three good alternatives to reduce costs: First, we need to do all we can to be sure that we are buying our gas at the lowest possible price.

Second, we need to do all we can to reduce the amount of energy needed to operate our houses; that is, take steps to improve energy efficiency and reduce consumption.

Third, we should consider whether alternative fuel heating systems or alternative sources of energy could reduce utility bills without sacrificing bird comfort.

Following is a nine-point SelfAssist Energy Audit Checklist to help you make sure you are doing all you can to reduce your energy costs and maintain profitability.

Buying gas Have you looked into alternative methods of buying propane as a way of controlling cost? There are four main methods of buying gas: group contracting, pre-payment, bulk purchasing and buying as needed.

Jess Campbell is a poultry housing specialist with the National Poultry Technology Center, Jim Donald is professor and Extension engineer, Gene Simpson is professor and Extension economist and Ken Macklin is associate professor and Extension scientist, all with Auburn University in Auburn, Ala. More information can be obtained at www.poultryhouse.com.

Group purchasing permits a group of growers to negotiate a contract price, generally under more favorable pricing terms, by “booking” a large quantity of propane well in advance of cold weather. These cooperative booking arrangements have been very successful in reducing propane expense in several geographical areas.

Pre-payment is simply borrowing under simple loan terms to prepay for a specific quantity of gas over the next several months. Typically, this may secure a much lower gas price, with the only additional costs being an interest charge of 2-3 cents per gallon.

Bulk purchasing is advance of need can also secure a lower price.

However, installing large tanks imposes a high initial investment cost.

Other drawbacks include the risks entailed in physically taking possession of large quantities of gas, having to pay for it when delivery is made, complex permitting regulations in some areas and new Homeland Security on-site inspection and reporting requirements.

Buying gas as needed on the open market places the grower at the mercy of the market, and in a climate of continually rising prices, usually ends up costing the grower more than the other methods.

House tightening Is your house air-leaky?

If you run approximately 20,000 CFM of air in a house with all inlets, doors and windows completely closed and you read the static pressure and you are in the single digits, your house is costing you lots of money through unwanted heat loss through the cracks.

Tightening means creating a tightly sealed building envelope (sidewalls, endwalls and ceiling).

This ensures that fresh, outside air will enter the house only through intended inlets, not through cracks or other unintended openings.

Air leaks in hot weather cause

fans to have to run longer, and in cold weather the additional cold air leaking into the house means more propane has to be burned. Tightening houses has been shown to reduce energy bills by as much as 25 percent.

Tightening a house usually is not a very expensive operation. Tightening can be no more than using foam to seal cracks, plastic to cover fans, plastic to cover tunnel inlets, etc.

On curtain houses, installing flaps and boots, and sealing the curtain bottom with a lumber strip are recommended. Ensure that curtains and strings are tight, especially in cold weather. Also, several types of tunnel inlet doors now on the market both seal and insulate the tunnel inlet.

Tunnel curtain inlets have been shown to be the second most energy inefficient area of a poultry house, second only to whole house curtains, which makes the new inlet doors an item to be considered for retrofitting.

Insulation & solid walls Does your house need insulation?

An uninsulated lumber-walled curtain sided house might have an aggregate R value of 2 to 2.5. Adding batts or spray foam to increase this R value to 7 or 8 will cut heat loss through those surfaces by 75 percent and is one of the best investments a grower can make.

We are often told by growers that they can’t afford to invest in insulation and tightening. The fact is that they can’t afford not to. And it does not take big bucks.

We don’t need R values of 28 in poultry house walls; we get the biggest payback bang for our bucks just getting our walls up to R7 or R8.

Growers with open truss ceilings should replace damaged board insulation and seal the ridge cap.

Attic spaces above drop ceilings should be examined at least once a year for shifting and settling

of blown insulation. Batts can be placed over the ceiling peak for the entire length of the house and then the ceiling can be re-blown for uniform coverage.

Sidewalls above and below curtains can have insulation added, either batts, blown cellulose or closedcell polyurethane foam.

However, it is preferable to retrofit curtain houses to solid wall houses. Solid wall cavities may be retrofitted with batts or cellulose and covered with a vapor barrier and either lumber, hard plastic, or flexible poly (tri-ply) with bands, or by spraying the wall surface and curtain opening with closed-cell foam and providing a physical barrier on the lower 2 feet of the wall to prevent bird and equipment damage.

Replacing tunnel inlet curtains with new insulating doors should also be considered. (See House Tightening above).

Ventilation management Is your ventilation management on target from minimum ventilation through full tunnel? Many growers don’t realize that good ventilation management is one of the prime keys to achieving maximum fuel efficiency — especially in cool weather. Matching the correct number of inlets to the number of fans running, adjusting inlet openings for good air velocity and getting the right amount of runtime on the mini-

See Energy, Page 14

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14

POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

•Energy (Continued from page 13)

mum ventilation timer are the three basic principles of fuel conservation when ventilating in cold weather.

For example, all perimeter air inlets should not be open when running just two 36-inch fans or a single 48-inch fan. Sidewall inlets need to be opened 1 1/2 to 2 inches for best air velocity.

Ceiling inlets should be opened about 1 inch for best air velocity.

Minimum ventilation should be run on a 5-minute timer, with the number of fans and on-off time intervals adjusted according to bird age.

All the adjustments need to be pretty much on the mark in order to get moisture out of the house and to keep birds comfortable without having to burn more propane than needed.

Stirring the air Does your house have properly selected and operated stir fans?

Stir fans prevent temperature stratification and help achieve more uniform temperature distribution end-to-end, side-to-side and floorto-ceiling.

They help prevent hot spots and cold spots, and promote drier litter, especially in the brood area. The mixing of in-house air brings drier air in contact with bedding, which results in more moisture removal per minute of fan run time.

This allows growers to reduce

fan run time with no effect on litter quality, thus saving on gas use. Stirring fans are beneficial in all poultry houses, but benefits are especially dramatic in houses heated by forced air furnaces since these houses are being heated from the top down, with the floor being the last place to be warmed by the furnace heat.

Litter management Are you following proper litter management steps, including using litter amendments to reduce ammonia?

Having too much ammonia coming out of litter not only harms birds, it requires using more fan run-time to remove the ammonia — which means you will have to burn more propane to restore lost house heat.

Proper storage of litter, de-caking between flocks, and being watchful to prevent water spills or leaks are all important to prevent ammonia problems. Using a litter amendment to hold down ammonia production is also highly recommended.

Studies have shown that houses that do not use litter amendments have fan run times higher than those houses with litter treatments, and litter amendments are now widely adopted by growers.

The economics are pretty simple.

We want to protect our birds and base our ventilation rates on proper moisture removal from the house, not on the need to remove ammonia.

Heater efficiency Does your management routine include regularly checking and maintaining heating equipment and gas plumbing?

If not, you may be wasting thousands of dollars. Heating equipment that operates under too high or low gas pressures will not operate properly or efficiently. Every gas plumbing system should be designed and maintained to meet the heating equipment manufacturer’s requirements for pressure and volume.

All flexible hoses that supply heating equipment must be marked for use with LP or gas. Air or water hoses are not approved for use with gas and often fail prematurely.

Orifices, pilots and igniters must be kept clean and in good operating condition.

Insufficient plumbing, ill adjusted regulators and leaking gas fittings or hoses will waste a lot of gas as well as risk devastating fires.

Regularly inspecting and maintaining heating system equipment and plumbing is extremely important.

Electrical efficiency Is your house using electricity as efficiently as possible?

Typically, about 75 percent of the electrical energy in a tunnel house is used by the fans and about 25 percent by the lights and other loads.

Keeping ventilation fan electricity consumption to a minimum requires

doing proper fan maintenance and cleaning of shutters on a routine basis.

Dirty shutters and slipping belts can reduce fan air flow up to 30 percent. If fan retrofit is in order or for new houses, choosing the right fans can save thousands of dollars in electric costs.

The key point is to purchase fans that have higher cfm/watt efficiency ratings. This can pay off over time even if the fans have much higher initial cost.

To hold down lighting costs, consider replacing incandescent light bulbs with dimmable 5-watt cold cathode fluorescents. In a 500-foot house with 50 bulbs, the amp load is reduced from 25 amps on 60 watt bulbs to 2 amps with 5 watt cold cathode bulbs, saving around $250 per house per flock, depending on electrical charge per kilowatt hour and the lighting program followed.

Alternative fuels Have you considered alternative fuels?

In some locations growers are saving money by using outside furnaces to burn wood chips, corn, coal, used motor oil or hay to heat their poultry houses.

Existing heating systems are still needed for back up and supplement.

And in some cases a lot more labor is required by the grower. Alternative fuel technology will be of most value when it is applied to houses

that have been modified and managed using the basic principles covered in this article.

Another option is install attic inlets to capture the free solar heat that is produced in the attic of a broiler house during the day.

These solar inlets may be either gravity type or controller actuated.

Gas savings will depend on sunshine, weather and management, but conservative estimates are in the 10 percent range.

A particular advantage of having attic inlets is being able to bring no-cost warm air into the house between flocks to dry out litter before the next flock arrives.

Costs of installing attic inlets will range from $1,200 to $4,000 per house, depending on number and type of system.

The bottom line Each of the nine items discussed in this article offers an opportunity for cost savings.

There are many older houses that still need basic energy retrofitting to make them more efficient; but even in relatively new houses growers who use this checklist will usually find one or more parts of the house or their management routines that can be improved to save energy.

Our studies have shown that money spent wisely on energy conservation pays back very quickly.

Work is moving ahead for new Georgia poultry laboratory

By Jeff Gill

Gainesville Times

GAINESVILLE, Ga. — State and area officials, including Gov. Nathan Deal, gathered on May 6 to mark the start of construction on the Georgia Poultry Laboratory Network headquarters in the future Gateway Industrial Centre off Ga. 365 near Gainesville.

“This is just another step in shoring up the importance of poultry to our state,” Deal told the crowd of about 100, sheltered under a tent from the misty rain.

Work on the $11 million building, located in a 518-acre industrial park, is expected to be finished in August 2014.

The lab, now located in a 50-yearold building off Oakwood Road in

Oakwood, Ga., provides diagnostic and monitoring services to the poultry industry and private poultry owners, among other tasks.

“With this facility, we’ll have the best lab network on the face of this globe,” Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Gary Black said at the ground-breaking ceremony.

The lab will use “21st century, if not 22nd century, technology . . . to

advance this poultry industry that has been so dear to all of us.”

Also at the ceremony, officials dedicated the road next to the lab as Abit Massey Way, named after the president emeritus of the Gainesville-based Georgia Poultry Federation.

“How fitting that for decades to come, visitors who come to this world-class facility will be using

Abit Massey Way to get here,” said Richard Mecum, chairman of the Hall County Board of Commissioners.

Massey then was presented a street sign with his name.

“This is overwhelming . . . what a special honor I will treasure forever,” said Massey, who led the Georgia Poultry Federation from 1960 to 2008.

15

POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

•Zaxby (Continued from page 6)

Chicken of College Sports.” The company will be integrated into football and basketball games at each of the participating schools with broadcast radio spots and special in-venue videoboard programming features such as the “Zaxby’s Sack Cam” and “Zaxby’s Dunk Cam,” as well as online ad placement on each school’s athletic website, the company noted.

“We are proud of Zaxby’s recognizing the power of college sports to drive its business with these premier schools,” said Jeff Huffman, vice president regional sales/ Southeast, IMG College. “This sponsorship represents a significant commitment to college sports, and the participating schools are eager to partner with Zaxby’s in helping build its brand.”

More information can be obtained at www.zaxbys.com.

TOUGH ON SALMONELLA EASY ON YOUR FLOCK

•Drought (Continued from page 2)

disaster of 2012 and 2013 as damage estimates could be near $200 billion, even more costly than Hurricane Sandy.

“We’re still in a pattern of wild weather ‘extremes,’ the worst in more than 1,000 years, since the days of Leif Ericsson. For example, 2012 was the warmest year ever for the U.S., but on Jan. 22, 2013, there was a record for the most ice and snow across the Northern Hemisphere continent,” according to Harris.

More information about HarrisMann Climatology is available on their website at http://www.LongRangeWeather.com.

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16

POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

Two approaches for optimizing field water productivity

By Dennis O’Brien

Special to Poultry Times

BELTSVILLE, Md. — USDA Agricultural Research Service researchers in Bushland, Texas, are helping farmers make the most of their water supplies in a region where they depend on the Ogallala Aquifer, a massive underground reservoir under constant threat of overuse.

Steve Evett, Susan O’Shaughnessy and their colleagues at the Conservation and Production Research Laboratory are developing and testing soilwater and plant-stress sensors and automated irrigation systems that will irrigate fields only as necessary.

Automated systems are considered key to sustainable use of the aquifer and to helping growers reduce water and labor costs.

“As water becomes more precious and the costs to pump it continue to rise, we need to tap the potential of every drop used in agriculture. To do that, we need to develop the best systems possible for accurately scheduling and controlling irrigation,” Evett says. The researchers are developing automated irrigation and sensor systems based on two approaches that complement each other, O’Shaughnessy says.

One system applies water based on levels of crop water stress detected by wireless sensors mounted on aboveground moving pipelines of commercial irrigation systems.

In the other system, the researchers are adapting sensor technology designed for urban sites so that it will work in agriculture. It triggers irrigation based on soil water content detected by sensors in fixed locations in the soil.

“Each system has advantages and disadvantages. But the combination of these two networked systems in a single field would be ideal, providing the temporal frequency and spatial coverage needed for monitoring crop water stress and robust control of irrigation,” O’Shaughnessy says.

Sensing needs Evett, O’Shaughnessy and their colleagues have filed for a patent

on the automated irrigation system.

They verified its effectiveness in numerous field studies that compared it with manual irrigation control based on soil water monitoring with a neutron probe. The probe is a research standard for irrigation scheduling, but growers avoid it due to expense and regulatory burdens.

In one study, the researchers cultivated early- and late-maturing sorghum for two years. They used 16 prototype wireless sensors on a center-pivot irrigation system to monitor crop canopy temperatures.

They chose sorghum because of its importance as a cash crop in the Southern High Plains and because it withstands water stress. Even so, irrigation plays a significant role in sorghum production in the region, tripling its yields.

Crop canopy temperature was monitored during the growing season as the pivot system moved across the field. Other instruments recorded weather data. The information was processed daily by a computer at the pivot point, which automatically scheduled and delivered irrigations when and where necessary.

“The sensor network was mounted on a six-span center pivot, but the technology could be adapted to other types of moving or static irrigation systems,” O’Shaughnessy says.

An earlier system used to trigger irrigation manually was the Crop Water Stress Index. It calculated water stress based on canopy temperatures and weather factors measured at midday. Because cloud cover and other weather changes could make once-a-day measurements irrelevant to daily water use, the researchers developed a system using continuous measurements over the course of a day and calculated an Integrated Crop Water Stress Index (iCWSI). Irrigations were delivered automatically when and where iCWSI values exceeded a threshold established from previous data.

Besides comparing crop yields

and water-use efficiency between automatic and manual control methods, the study also evaluated yields at “deficit irrigation” levels. This was important since growers in the region sometimes increase profits by irrigating less, which saves on water and pumping costs.

The study results, published in 2012 in Agricultural Water Management, showed that the automated method of irrigation scheduling was just as effective as the manual method at both the full and deficit irrigation levels, producing similar grain yields and water-use efficiency levels.

Through a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA), Evett and his colleagues are modifying Nebraska-based Valmont Industries’ commercial irrigation systems in ways that will make them more useful to growers.

The research team is integrating the ARS-developed sensor networks and irrigation-control system with the company’s variable-rate and center-pivot irrigation systems.

ARS researchers in Florence, S.C.; Maricopa, Ariz.; Portageville, Mo.; and Stoneville, Miss., are working with Evett and Valmont on the CRADA as part of an ARS multi-location research plan. The scientists are also developing sensor technology that will allow irrigation levels to be set based on site-specific data, which can be updated based on changing weather conditions.

Below soil surface For the automated irrigation system using underground sensors, Evett and his colleagues established a CRADA with Acclima Inc., of Meridian, Idaho, to create a soil-water sensor designed to measure deeply and accurately. Evett and Bushland researchers Robert Schwartz and Joaquin Casanova are coinventors of the system.

Acclima makes sensor-based irrigation control systems with probes that use time-domain transmission technology, which measures the time required for an electromagnetic

USDA Agricultural Research Service

Irrigation system: A variable-rate, center-pivot irrigation system at Bushland, Texas. Technician Luke Britten, left, and agricultural engineer Susan O’Shaughnessy, right, adjust wireless infrared thermometers in the field while technician Brice Ruthardt, center, uses a neutron gauge for soil water measurements.

pulse to travel along an electrode embedded in the soil. Water slows the signal’s travel, and the recorded speed is an accurate representation of the amount of water in the soil.

A computer automatically activates water pumps and/or valves at predetermined soil water content levels.

Because Acclima’s sensors are designed to control irrigation on tracts of grass, shrubs and ornamentals, they only need to monitor water content to depths of about 4 to 6 inches. For use in agriculture, the probes need to be installed at depths of 50 inches or more and take readings at multiple depths.

Evett and his Acclima partners are developing new technology that uses time-domain reflectometry.

They are using hollow, nonconductive, plastic tubes that can be drilled deeper into the soil. The tubes are divided into segments that attach to each other so they can be drilled down to any desired depth.

Prototype designs tested in water and test fluids, in clay and loam soils

and in the field have shown the feasibility of the approach, Evett says.

ARS and Acclima have filed for a patent on the technology, which also includes the ability to assess soil salinity.

A new generation of relatively inexpensive wireless sensors is likely to make sensor network systems affordable in the near future, O’Shaughnessy says. Combining these sensor systems and improving and testing control algorithms based on years of data will increase the robustness and effectiveness of the irrigation automation solution.

“This is the future of irrigation, getting water where it is needed when it is needed and limiting water use to the exact amount that is needed,” Evett said.

Dennis O’Brien is a public affairs specialist with the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville, Md. This article is drawn from one presented in the ARS magazine Agricultural Research.

17

POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

Spicy ‘hot chicken’ taking over Nashville The Associated Press

whether it’s half and half or not.”

McNew and husband-wife bandmates Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley have been coming to Nashville for almost two decades. For the music, of course. And the chicken.

They sing its praises to anyone who will listen. They even named two songs in honor of their love for Prince’s Hot Chicken Shack, which has been serving up searing hot chicken since sometime during the 1940s.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Most folks know Memphis for its barbecue and Philly for its cheesesteaks, but how about Nashville and its hot chicken?

If you’re not sure, you’ve never tried this fried chicken so fiery it will leave your mouth in shock. It’s a flavor you don’t soon forget.

Bands love it Born as cheap, flavorful fare for Nashville’s working class community and offered late into the night for its party-goers, hot chicken has long been a staple in town. But its reputation has grown in recent years. Taylor Swift and B.o.B. even featured one of the city’s best known hot chicken shops in a video they did together.

At heart, it’s fried chicken that gets finished with a potent — and nearly always secret — blend of dry, peppery seasonings (paprika and cayenne are common, though that’s just the start). But that oversimplifies things.

“I don’t know,” James McNew, hot chicken fan and bassist for New Jersey indie rock band Yo La Tengo, says of the recipe. “Some kind of combination of love and hate.

I’m not sure of the measurements, *SRB40 PTimes 2C_Layout 1 3/6/12

it has moved several times and its owners have missed a few bills, but Jeffries, with the help of her daughter, niece, brother and cousins, has managed to keep it in her family.

As the story goes, it all began with Jeffries’ great uncle Thornton Prince, a bit of a man about town whose girlfriend had put up with enough and wanted a bit of spicy retribution. So she made him a special chicken for breakfast with a fiery kick.

“But he liked it, I’m sure after he kind of startled himself on it,’” Jeffries said. “He had her make some more, whatever stuff she put on it. And word got around. People started coming out to the house for chicken.”

“My great uncle started it, but of course I give credit to his lady friend,” Jeffries said.

Sixty-odd years later, the family will be honored in May with a prestigious James Beard Foundation America’s Classics Award. It’s a proud moment for Jeffries, but one born out of a simple idea.

“I just wanted something to stay in the family,” she said. “Mom and pop places, they are phasing out.

Big business is taking over, and so I think there’s very few mom and pop places open that’s been going for as long as we have. That was my goal.

“Something different” “It’s something different,” said Andre Prince Jeffries, second-generation owner of Prince’s. “It’s not a boring chicken. I mean, you wake up on this chicken. You’re gonna talk about it.”

And talk about it they do. The members of Yo La Tengo heard about hot chicken from another band that already had fallen for it.

They visited the humble strip-mall home of Prince’s in north Nashville, far from the trendy districts, and were immediately enchanted.

“It really was love at first sight,” Kaplan said during a recent interview at Prince’s. “Even before we tasted it. It was obviously unique.”

Prince’s is the most popular of Nashville’s growing roster of hot 1:45 PM Page 1 chicken restaurants. Over the years,

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a lot of errors with your cooking.”

The same is true for the customer.

Ordering errors occur all the time.

It’s best to start low. Hot is over the limit for most people, IngramMatthews says. And mild is hotter than what most chain restaurants consider spicy. Anyone who orders extra hot is asked if they’re a firsttimer and politely instructed to start at a lower temperature if so.

And, of course, there’s a little danger involved if you don’t take the encounter with the fiery pepper seriously.

“With the dry rub, wash your fingers,” she said. “Wash up under your nail beds. Do not touch your eyes.

And definitely wash your hands before you use the bathroom.”

Ingram-Matthews has plenty of advice. But don’t bother asking her for the family recipe.

“They say, ‘What is the secret to your recipe,’ and I say, ‘Love, joy, peace and happiness,’” she said.

“And I leave it that. Because it’s full of all of that.”

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Many family run spots Many of Nashville’s hot chicken restaurants are family run. Like Prince’s, the chicken recipe at Bolton’s Spicy Chicken & Fish — the restaurant that made the appearance in the B.o.B.-Swift video for “Both of Us” — has been handed down from one generation to the next. Dollye Ingram-Matthews, who owns Bolton’s with her husband, Bolton Matthews, thinks there’s a reason it’s become a Nashville tradition.

“Probably because it’s nowhere else and you have to have experience with it to know what you’re doing,” she said. “It’s not something you can say, ‘I’m going to open up a restaurant and da da da da da.’ You have to have experience with the pepper to make sure it comes out.

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POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

Rebuilding heals Ala. town fractured over immigration Following recent tornado The Associated Press

KILPATRICK, Ala. — For years before a tornado hit, few besides the immigrants who work at nearby poultry plants ventured down the pothole-rutted dirt roads of “Little Mexico.”

The community, whose official name is Kilpatrick, comprises a large population of Latin American residents who previously mingled very little with the white, Englishspeaking locals.

Oddly enough, it was the twister, with its 125 mph destructive winds and home-wrecking fury, that began bringing the two groups together, even as it tore much of what they owned apart.

People began working together clearing away debris and wreckage after the storm without regard to language or culture, and folks suddenly were getting along better.

Jacky Clayton, assistant police chief in Crossville, which includes part of Kilpatrick, doesn’t know exactly what happened, but he said things seem less tense now.

“Maybe it’s just a little more understanding of brotherly love,” Clayton said.

Ivan Barrera, of Puebla, Mexico, the 31-year-old owner of a full-service Latin grocery store in the town, noted that for much of the seven years he has lived here, he has felt a certain “neutrality” between the immigrant and native communities.

No blatant animosity, but no meaningful connection, either.

“I think things have gotten better since the storm,” he said, speaking in Spanish.

Cultural walls The tearing down of cultural

walls was a rather remarkable achievement in a state that two years ago passed the toughest antiimmigration law in the nation and is now bracing for the results of a protracted debate in Washington on immigration reform.

Located about 75 miles northeast of Birmingham in DeKalb County, Kilpatrick has drawn hundreds of immigrants from Mexico, Guatemala and other Latin American countries who moved to the rural area during the past decade to work in chicken-processing plants.

An estimated 2,000 immigrants live in Kilpatrick. An exact number is hard to nail down given the transience of some of the workers and the fact that many moved here without legal permission.

But their influence is unmistakable: The 600-student elementary school in nearby Crossville that many children from Kilpatrick attend is more than 60 percent Hispanic, unusual in a state where the population is only 4 percent Hispanic.

Driving through the area, it’s not hard to see why so many people call it “Little Mexico” or, alternately, “Little Tijuana.” Signs in Spanish advertise everything from $1 tacos at the El Taco Unico roadside stand to pastries, pinatas and Mexican spices at a Mexican bakery where Latin music plays quietly. On a main road a mile away, customers come and go from Barrera’s grocery store.

On a recent sunny spring afternoon, families strolled down the road to a small neighborhood store while boys played soccer in yards next to bleating goats and clucking chickens. Most of the children spoke Spanish, with a little English sprinkled in.

Rosemarie Chavez is a bilingual native of Texas who moved into the area about 16 years ago when hardly anyone else was around and

has most recently taken on the role of unofficial liaison between the immigrants and Alabama natives. She said the Hispanic population grew quickly once landowners began subdividing pastureland and selling acreage and mobile homes to the families who were moving in to take the poultry jobs.

The more the town grew, however, the more it became a target of the anti-immigration sentiment that had begun growing in the South and other parts of the country.

For advocates of the tough anti-immigration law passed by Alabama’s Republican-dominated Legislature in 2011, Kilpatrick was a prime example of unregulated immigration — many of the recently arrived workers had come to the United States without legal permission.

The new law allowed police to check immigration status during routine traffic stops and detain those who couldn’t produce the right papers. The legislation also required schools to verify students’ immigration status.

Police began to make Kilpatrick a focus of frequent traffic stops, and many residents were scared, said Chavez, who is also a community outreach worker for Quality of Life Health Care Services, which provides medical services throughout the area.

Many Hispanics left Alabama in the weeks after Gov. Robert Bentley signed the strict immigration law.

They gradually returned, however, as courts gutted the measure’s strictest provisions, officials relaxed enforcement and the public’s attention went elsewhere, Chavez said.

Still, their renewed physical presence did not translate into cultural assimilation. Kilpatrick’s residents seldom veered far from the route that led to their jobs at the poultry plants and their native neighbors

showed little interest in getting to know them.

Tornado damage That all began to change on March 18, the day two twisters plowed through DeKalb County, damaging 270 residences countywide. A total of 27 homes were destroyed, 19 of them in Kilpatrick, which was hit by an EF2 tornado, said Daryl Lester, deputy director of the DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency. Tornadoes are considered significant when they are rated EF2 or higher.

Students and volunteers from English-speaking churches accompanied the police, rescue squads and fire departments that descended on Kilpatrick within hours, helping to deliver food, right overturned vehicles, pick up fallen limbs and rescue photos and other precious keepsakes from the wreckage of the homes.

The immigrants were initially frightened by so many officials with badges, and some fled to the homes of friends and family instead of taking advantage of local agencies’ offers of food and shelter, Chavez said.

But Chavez and others helped spread the word that authorities were there to assist tornado victims, not to arrest or deport anyone.

Rebuilding Both immigrants and natives learned valuable lessons that day and in the weeks afterward as they found themselves working side by side. The newcomers discovered that not everyone resented their presence in town.

Alabamians with family roots reaching back for centuries discovered that the Hispanics down the road were a lot like them: family folks just trying to scrape by.

“We were helping a lot of the Hispanics and they were reaching out to help others,” said Clayton, the police officer.

Barrera said that in the weeks since the twister, English-speaking firefighters and church groups have continued to help the Hispanic community by taking up collections. Just two weeks ago, a man who has sold land and mobile homes to residents in the Hispanic community dropped

by Barrera’s store to let him know that food and replacement furniture were available at a nearby church.

Miguel Gomez, 24, a native of Mexico’s Michoacan state who has worked at the Guelaguetza Bakery in Kilpatrick for four years, said he felt a welcome change after the tornado, which did minor damage to the mobile home where he lives with his wife, child and mother.

“A lot of Americans came to offer us help, to offer shelter and food,” Gomez said, speaking in Spanish.

“It did surprise me a little to see it because not everyone tries to help the Mexicans.”

Signs of the tornado are still evident: Blue tarps still cover damaged structures, and some of the mobile homes brought in to replace destroyed trailers appear ramshackle and rickety. Meanwhile, immigrants and natives are far from being the best of friends in Kilpatrick, where immigrant residents say they still see the occasional police car pulling over drivers whose legal status might be in doubt.

“Bridging” But few deny that important progress toward tolerance and unity has been made since the day the twisters landed.

“A great bridging has taken place,” said Zach Richards, pastor at the local Union Grove Baptist Church. “It’s beautiful to see.”

19

POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

Much of South Dakota sees ease in drought The Associated Press

PIERRE, S.D. — Recent thunderstorms have eased the drought in much of South Dakota, but some western areas of the state remain dry, state Climatologist Dennis Todey said on May 28.

“While we get this perception it’s wet everywhere, it’s not. But we’re moving in the right direction,” Todey told members of the Governor’s Drought Task Force.

He said Sioux Falls and parts of southeastern South Dakota received 7 inches of rain or more recently, and a long stretch of the central part of the state got 2 to 3 inches. Western South Dakota is improving, but the northwestern and southwestern parts of the state in particular are still dry, Todey said.

Conditions have improved substantially from last year’s drought that hurt crop yields and forced some farmers and ranchers in South Dakota and other states to sell cattle.

“We’re not calling for a repeat of last year by any stretch, but we still could stay a little bit on the dry side in western parts of the state,” Todey said.

The task force, a group of state officials and others appointed by Gov. Dennis Daugaard, meets periodically to get an update on conditions and consider ways to respond to dry conditions.

The U.S. Drought Monitor report recently indicated that 39 percent of the state was rated in severe or extreme drought, with no part of South Dakota in the highest category of

exceptional drought. That’s a big change since February, when nearly two-thirds of the state was rated in extreme or exceptional drought.

The driest parts of South Dakota were in extreme southeastern counties and a broad area west of the Missouri River.

Kent Juhnke, who farms near Vivian in central South Dakota west of the Missouri River, said the 525 acres of winter wheat he planted last fall failed to grow. But he said the recent rains will give him a chance to raise milo, sorghum and other replacement crops he is planting in those failed wheat fields.

Grass is growing in Juhnke’s cattle pastures, but he said the lingering effects of a dry winter and a cool spring will likely reduce the yield in hay fields.

When he looks at the landscape and sees green, he’s encouraged, though.

“You’ve got to be an optimist to hang in there in our profession,” Juhnke said.

Because the grass is turning green and rain has fallen across much of the Black Hills, the danger of wildfires should remain low for the next month, said Daren Clabo, a fire meteorologist for the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

However, dry areas in the southern Black Hills and southwestern South Dakota prairies remain at risk of fire, he said.

Todey noted that parts of southeastern South Dakota have received so much rain that water standing in fields could kill newly sprouted corn plants. While the top layers of

Consumer Corner Zesty Summer Steak Salad American Egg Board Servings: 4 Prep time: 7 to 10 minutes Cook time: 18 to 25 minutes

Ingredients: 1 beef top sirloin steak, cut 3/4-inch thick (about 1 lb.)

1 tbsp. garlic and herb seasoning blend 1 medium sweet onion, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices 6 cups chopped romaine lettuce 1 medium tomato, sliced 6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled and sliced Sea salt bagel chips Dressing: 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 2 tbsp. honey 1 tbsp. olive oil 2 tsp. dried basil leaves 1 tsp. garlic and herb seasoning blend

Directions: Combine dressing ingredients in small bowl. Reserve 1/3 cup dressing for salad.

Brush remaining dressing on onion slices.

Press 1 tablespoon seasoning blend evenly onto beef steak. Place steak in center of grid over medium, ash covered coals; arrange onion slices around steak. Grill steak, covered 7 to 11 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, covered, 8 to 13 minutes) for medium rare (145 degrees F) to medium (160 degrees F) doneness, turning occasionally. Grill onion 10 to 12 minutes (gas grill times remain the same) or until tender, turning occasionally.

Carve beef into slices. Arrange lettuce on serving platter. Top with steak slices, tomatoes, onions and eggs. Drizzle with reserved 1/3 cup dressing. Serve with bagel chips as desired. (Onion and herb seasoning blend may be substituted for garlic and herb seasoning blend).

More egg recipes can be obtained from the American Egg Board at www.incredibleegg.org.

New

Product

soil have been replenished, deeper layers remain dry in many areas, he said.

Phil Hofer, who farms near Bridgewater in the eastern part of the state, said his fields received periodic half-inch rains through early May and then got 2 1/2 inches of rain Saturday night. Last year’s drought cut Hofer’s corn yield, but he said this spring’s rain gives him a better chance of raising a good crop this year.

Hofer said he has planted nearly all his crops, and the wet soil should help the corn survive if the weather follows a typical pattern and turns hot and dry in July.

“It doesn’t make a crop by any stretch, but it sure does improve your odds, improve your situation,” he said.

20

POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

MU researchers develop app to help save farmers’ lives University of Missouri

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Tractor rollovers are the leading cause of death among farmers and claim about 250 lives each year according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

These accidents are deadly because they often occur far away from farmers’ homes or roads and they may be unable to reach a phone to call for help. Now, University of Missouri researchers have developed an application for smartphones that uses GPS systems to locate farmers who have rolled their tractors.

The app, called VRPETERS (Vehicle Rollover Prevention Education Training Emergency Reporting System), uses sensors and GPS capability built into smartphones that can detect rollovers. Once the app

detects a rollover, it sends an automatic emergency e-mail and phone message with the coordinates of the accident location to family or emergency responders.

“The tractor is the main power source for field operations, and tractor rollover accidents have been killing people since the beginning of their use in agricultural production,” said Bulent Koc, assistant professor of agricultural systems management at MU and developer of the app. “More and more farmers are using their smartphones to monitor weather or calculate production inputs while operating machinery. Since they already have their phones with them, installing VRPETERS could help save lives.”

Data from the NIOSH show that one out of every 10 tractor operators will roll a tractor at least once.

NIOSH also notes that only half of the 4.7 million tractors on U.S. farms have rollover protection. In order to minimize false alarm rollovers on the app, Koc and his research assistant Bo Liu designed a device that must be attached to the tractor. This device helps calculate the stability characteristics of the tractor and will provide a warning to the driver when the tractor approaches its rollover point.

“Many farmers think they can jump out of their tractors in the event of a rollover, but this isn’t the case usually,” Koc said. “Side rollovers can occur in just three-quarters of a second and most people need a second or more to react to an event.

So, VRPETERS can benefit farmers when a rollover occurs because they often can’t reach their phones to make an emergency call.”

VRPETERS can benefit more than just farmers, as the app also can be used on construction vehicles, trucks, snowmobiles, military vehicles, riding lawnmowers and all-terrain vehicles.

In addition to the rollover device installed on tractors and other dangerous equipment, Koc and Liu designed another device that can be used with VRPETERS. This device can be installed on vehicles and can be used as a backup to stream data to a smartphone or tablet.

“With this additional device, parents or fleet managers can obtain real time data on how machines are being used,” Koc said. “If the device detects improper operation, an intervention can occur before an accident happens.”

Initial testing of VRPETERS was done using a remote-controlled model tractor. Once fully tested on a standard tractor, Koc and Liu will look for an industry partner to market the app.

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21

POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

Texas A&M Wins National Poultry Judging Contest TUCKER, Ga. — Texas A&M University recently won the 66th U.S. Poultry & Egg Association National Poultry Judging Contest, held at Louisiana State University.

This is their sixth consecutive win, having won first place at the event every year since 2008. Additionally, Michael Clay, a junior at Texas A&M, was announced high individual winner.

The Kansas State University team placed a close second in the team competition, with William Trieb, sophomore, finishing second in the individual category.

USPOULTRY and the USPOULTRY Foundation sponsor the National Poultry Judging Contest as part of its comprehensive student outreach program. The contest was established to enhance young people’s interest

in the poultry industry and encourage student enrollment in poultry science studies. Teams compete in production judging, breed selection and market products judging.

The association also sponsors the annual College Student Career Program at the International Poultry Expo, supports National FFA and National 4-H poultry activities, and funds student recruiting efforts for poultry science departments and related programs through the USPOULTRY Foundation.

Eleven universities participated in this year’s competition. The awards were presented by Barbara Jenkins, vice president of education programs, U.S. Poultry & Egg Association.

Tyson names Well-Being Advisory Panel SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Tyson Foods’ has announced the formation of an independent Farm Animal Well-Being Advisory Panel.

Members will serve as advisers to the Tyson FarmCheck program, a comprehensive initiative designed to ensure responsible care and overall well-being of farm animals.

Tyson Foods launched the FarmCheck program initiative in October 2012 to focus on a broad array of animal well-being issues.

Panel members will help to determine research priorities and suggest ways to improve the audit program.

Their participation is not a public endorsement of the FarmCheck program, Tyson Foods or any specific animal well-being program.

In addition to the advisory panel of experts, the FarmCheck program includes: yy Auditing the treatment of ani-

mals at livestock and poultry farms that supply the company yy Using research to identify potential new and better methods for animal care and handling yy Reaffirming Tyson’s commitment to animal well-being issues with a dedicated senior management team “The FarmCheck program continues our long-standing commitment to responsible farm animal care,” said Donnie Smith, president and CEO of Tyson Foods. “This Advisory Panel is a diverse group of experts who bring valuable perspective on animal well-being.

They will help shape the future of the program and ensure its effectiveness.”

Members of the panel include: Ryan Best, 2011-2012 president, Future Farmers of America; Anne Burkholder, cattle feedlot owner; Ed Cooney, executive director of the Congressional Hunger Center;

Dr. Gail Golab, director of American Veterinary Medical Association’s Animal Welfare Division; Dr. Temple Grandin, professor of animal science, Colorado State University; Karl Guggenmos, dean of culinary education, Johnson & Wales University; Dr. Tim Loula, co-founder and co-owner of Swine Vet Center in St. Peter, Minn.; Miyun Park, executive director, Global Animal Partnership.

Dr. Ashley Peterson, vice president of scientific and regulatory affairs, National Chicken Council; Dr. Richard Raymond, former USDA undersecretary for food safety; Dr. Janeen Salak-Johnson, associate professor in Animal Sciences, University of Illinois; Dr. Janice Swanson, chair and professor, Animal Behavior and Welfare, Michigan State University; Dr. Bruce Webster, professor of poultry science, University of Georgia.

For more poultry industry news visit www.poultrytimes.net

Special

Winners: Texas A&M University won the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s 66th National Poultry Judging Contest. This was the sixth straight win for Texas A&M. Members of the winning Texas A&M team are, left to right, Jason Lee (coach), Kyle Brown, Katie Burchfield, Michael Clay (also high individual winner) and Timothy Broderick.

USDA gives grant to develop biofuels for military jets and ships OMAHA, Neb. — BioProcess Algae LLC has been selected to receive a grant of up to $6.4 million from the U.S. Department of Energy, as part of a pilot-scale biorefinery project related to production of hydrocarbon fuels meeting military specification.

The project will use renewable carbon dioxide, lignocellulosic sugars and waste heat through BioProcess Algae’s Grower Harvester technology platform, co-located with the Green Plains Renewable Energy Inc. ethanol plant in Shenandoah, Iowa.

“BioProcess Algae was the only algae platform chosen to be a part of this project by the DOE,” said Todd Becker, president and CEO of Green Plains. “This project will link our commercial scale platform for growing and harvesting algal biomass with technology partners for conversion into advanced biofuels. While this is a project for the development of drop-in biofuels, we continue to focus our technology for growing and harvesting algae for feed, food or fuel.”

The project will demonstrate technologies to cost-effectively convert biomass into advanced drop-in biofuels and the recipient is required to contribute a minimum of 50 percent matching funds for the project, officials noted.

CMYK

22

POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

Markets

was moderate to good as dealers assumed product for the extended holiday weekend. Prices were firm for wings and breast cuts and wings were balanced to closely cleared; most dark meat items were light to moderate and clearing satisfactorily.

Trucks continued to be very limited in availability and high in price.

Market activity for parts was mostly moderate. In production areas, live supplies were moderate at mixed but mostly desirable weights.

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

Nat’l. Broiler Market: (May 24): Whole broiler/fryer prices were steady to firm in the East and Midwest, firm in the West.

Offerings were light to moderate for

current trade needs. Retail and foodservice demand was light to good, mostly moderate to good entering the Memorial Day weekend. Floor stocks were mixed. Market activity was moderate to at time active.

In the parts structure, movement

F owl: May 24: Live spent heavy fowl

Final prices at Farm Buyer Loading (per pound): range 10-22¢

Parts:

Georgia: The f.o.b. dock quoted prices on ice-pack parts based on truckload and pool truckload lots for the week of May 24: line run tenders $2.09½; skinless/boneless breasts $2.25½; whole breasts $1.37; boneless/skinless thigh meat $1.48½; thighs 75¢; drumsticks 75½¢; leg quarters 55½¢; wings $1.34½.

N ational Slaughter: Broiler: Estimated slaughter

for week ending May 25 is 158,593,000.

Actual slaughter for the week ending May 18 was 156,964,000.

Heavy-type hen: Estimated slaughter for the week ending May 25 is 1,655,000.

Actual slaughter for the week ending May 18 was 1,625,000.

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.

Company Annual High May 14 May 28

Cal-Maine 47.66 43.62 45.05 Campbell Soup 48.83 47.64 45.85 ConAgra 36.31 35.69 34.98 Hormel 43.17 42.89 41.68 Pilgrim’s Pride 12.30 11.43 12.12 Sanderson Farms 67.36 64.77 65.56 Seaboard 2934.00 2767.62 2782.84 Tyson 25.65 24.93 24.86 (Courtesy: A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc.)

May 24

Extra Large Regions: Northeast 129.00 Southeast 132.50 Midwest 122.50 South Central 132.50 Combined 129.24

Large

Medium

127.00 106.50 130.50 106.00 120.50 100.50 131.50 107.50 127.53 105.21

Computed from simple weekly averages weighted by regional area populations

Grain Prices OHIO COUNTRY ELEV. May 14 May 21 May 28 No. 2 Yellow Corn/bu. $6.78 $6.75 $6.82 Soybeans/bu. $14.74 $15.24 $14.76 (Courtesy: Prospect Farmers Exchange, Prospect, Ohio)

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

CHICKS PLACED (Thousands)

Apr. 27

May 4

May 11

May 18

Apr. 27

May 4

May 11

May 18

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

27,614 20,913 10,539 3,411 1,221 33,023 7,633 3,470 7,580 17,823 8,018 20,313 6,749 4,137 5,420 14,842 6,568 8,067

28,065 21,984 10,517 3,476 1,222 33,287 7,817 3,485 7,647 17,794 8,125 20,186 6,560 3,547 5,286 14,796 6,739 8,197

27,918 22,018 10,622 3,450 1,219 33,568 7,809 3,500 7,673 18,023 8,314 20,089 6,732 3,538 5,450 15,028 6,557 8,025

27,899 21,839 10,910 3,626 1,221 33,675 7,780 3,490 7,681 18,174 8,314 20,616 6,590 3,973 5,596 15,204 6,557 8,088

20,601 19,698 10,794 3,710 1,336 27,026 6,031 3,149 6,435 15,099 5,296 15,750 4,845 3,169 5,087 11,859 5,178 5,659

21,068 20,668 10,821 4,174 1,522 26,401 5,900 3,140 6,392 14,867 5,385 16,258 4,469 3,105 4,306 11,783 5,395 5,949

20,748 19,992 9,881 4,361 1,323 26,655 6,534 3,155 6,162 15,059 5,106 15,551 4,520 3,106 4,798 12,189 5,311 5,741

21,226 19,412 10,335 3,671 1,157 26,836 6,086 3,106 6,861 15,131 5,646 16,222 4,187 3,140 4,166 12,162 4,909 5,804

19 States Total

199,274

200,533

201,508

203,145

165,063

165,654

164,451

164,253

% Prev. yr.

101

100

101

101

99

100

98

100

Ala Ark

Ca,Tn,Wv

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

Estimates: The estimated number of broiler/ fryers available for slaughter the week ending May 25 were 155.4 million head, compared to 160.7 million head slaughtered the same week last year. The estimated U.S. slaughter for the week of May 25 was 158.9 million head or 3.5 million more than estimated available.

For the week of June 1 the estimated available is 155 million head, notes USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service Poultry Programs.

Broiler/Fryer Report

Industry Stock Report

Light-type hen: Estimated slaughter for the week ending May 25 is 1,743,000. Actual slaughter for the week ending May 18 was 1,934,000.

Total: Week of May 25: 161,991,000. Week of May 18: 160,523,000.

USDA National Composite Weighted Average For week of: May 24 For week of: May 17

113.53¢ 111.12¢

Majority (whole body) May 24 Eastern Region: $1.11--$1.17 New York: $1.12--$1.17 Central Region: $1.05--$1.12 Chicago: $1.07--$1.13 Western Region: $1.11--$1.17 Los Angeles: $1.12--$1.17 Negotiated prices in trucklot and less-than-trucklot quantities of ready-to-cook whole body broiler/fryers delivered to first receivers; prices in cents per pound.

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

Week ending May 24 Last year Hens (8-16 lbs.)

97.20 105.90 Toms (16-24 lbs.)

96.27 107.37 Week ending May 17 Hens (8-16 lbs.)

Toms (16-24 lbs.)

97.43 97.53

Apr. avg.

97.30 96.45

Egg Markets USDA quotations New York cartoned del. store-door: May 21 Extra large, down 8¢ $1.36--$1.40 Large, down 8¢ $1.34--$1.38 Medium, down 7¢ $1.15--$1.19 Southeast Regional del. warehouse: May 21 Extra large, up 4½¢ $1.22½--$1.40 Large, up 7½¢ $1.18½--$1.39 Medium, up 5½¢ 96½¢--$1.15

May 28 $1.28--$1.32 $1.26--$1.30 $1.08--$1.12 May 28 $1.27--$1.48 $1.26--$1.47 $1.02--$1.23

CMYK

23

POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

Broiler-type eggs set in the 19 state total up 1 percent

AMERICAN EGG BOARD HOTLINE AEB Hotline appears regularly in Poultry Times and provides an update on programs and services provided for egg producers by the American Egg Board. Details on any item mentioned may be obtained by contacting AEB at 1460 Renaissance Dr., Park Ridge, Ill. 60068. Phone: 847296-7043. yy As part of the Good Egg Project (GEP), America’s egg farmers have teamed up with Share Our Strength’s 2013 No Kid Hungry Campaign. AEB’s program features several promotional components and showcases egg farmers’ commitment to fighting childhood hunger.

One component — the NBC Universal Television Segments — includes two 30-second PSA segments focus on AEB’s partnership with Share Our Strength and showcases America’s egg farmers’ commitment to giving back. The spots are airing now. yy The Egg Nutrition Center recently returned from Experimental Biology (EB) in Boston.

This conference brings scientists from around the world together to share research on a variety of topics, including nutrition and health. Seven poster sessions and three mini-symposia showcased ENC-funded research. Social media was used to amplify ENC’s messages. The poster sessions included a variety of ENC-funded research and topics included cholesterol, obesity, nutrient density and more. ENC actively tracks all its research as it moves toward publication.

Once published, AEB/ENC can

promote the findings within its marketing and PR efforts.

AEB is in second year of its national advertising campaign “Wake Up to Eggs” that includes magazine ads, online banners, radio spots and keyword searches. In total, AEB advertising will reach 92 percent of Americans, ages 18-49, 10 times this year. Also new in 2013 are two print ads that brings the total number of print ads for this campaign to eight. AEB’s ads appear in more than 25 different magazines, including Cooking Light, ESPN The Magazine, Food Network Magazine, Esquire, Parade, Shape and Weight Watchers. The “Sunbather” ad focuses on the fact that eggs are a naturally good source of vitamin D. The “Newsroom” ad promotes eggs as a way to maintain a healthy weight. yy ENC partnered with Dr. David Katz, MPH, to host a “Dietary Patterns for Cardiometabolic Health: Unscrambling the Guidance” webinar with ADVANCE, specifically targeting Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants. ADVANCE will continue to promote this webinar to its 15,000 members, and it will also be hosted on ENC’s website for the next year continuing to drive health professionals to the site and resources. yy AEB regularly meets with the food and nutrition editors to share the latest news about eggs?

In April, AEB met with editors from magazines, included Family Circle, Ladies’ Home Journal, Food Network Magazine and Woman’s Day.

Chicks placed down slightly WASHINGTON — The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Services reports that commercial hatcheries in the 19 state weekly program set 203 million eggs in incubators during the week ending May 18.

This was up 1 percent from the eggs set the corresponding week a year earlier.

Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 84 percent.

Average hatchability is calculated by dividing chicks hatched during the week by eggs set three weeks earlier.

Broiler growers in the 19 state weekly program placed 164 million chickes for meat production during the week ending May 18.

Placements were down slightly from the comparable week a year earlier.

Cumulative placements from

Dec. 20, 2012, through May 18, 2013, for the 19 state total were 3.28 billion, up slightly from the same period a year earlier, NASS noted.

The 19 states in the program include: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia.

More information can be obtained at www.nass.usda.gov.

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CMYK

24

POULTRY TIMES, June 3, 2013

Soybean farmers see growth potential in edamame The Associated Press

MULBERRY, Ark. — A small but growing number of farmers have been experimenting with an edible soybean as they look to capitalize on Americans’ interest in adding non-meat proteins to their diets.

The United States is one of the world’s top soybean producers, but most beans grown here are used to make cooking oil and feed farm animals. They aren’t eaten whole.

Now, some farmers from Arkansas to Minnesota are planting a type called edamame, which is commonly used in Asian cuisine.

Food trend experts and farmers say edamame remains a niche product — somewhere between chia seeds and quinoa in popularity — but they see potential for growth if food companies can figure out an efficient processing system for a crop that must be harvested and packaged quickly. Plus, with meat prices rising, Americans are interested in less expensive, alternative proteins.

And possible marketing worries, including the notion that soybeans are livestock food, have faded.

“Soy has not historically been viewed as being an edible crop in the U.S., but now, with more people becoming aware of Asian foods like tofu and edamame . . . and more people adopting plant-based diets,” things are changing, said Ray Chung, who runs an Arkansas plant billed as the first one in the U.S. dedicated to processing edamame.

Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst for The NPD Group, a consumer market research firm, said he’s seen a trend in cost-conscious consumers looking for alternatives to meat.

“If you can make my proteins cheaper by providing me with an alternative protein source, I think you have a wider market because now

you’re talking about money saved,” Balzer said.

It’s not clear how much edamame is being produced in the U.S. because the USDA doesn’t distinguish it from other soybeans. But trade groups, such as the American Soybean Association and the Ankeny, Iowa-based Soyfoods Council, agree that the amount is small, and most of what Americans eat now comes from Asia.

Farmers who are testing the edamame market have mostly started small. Ray Gaesser has been planting about one-tenth of an acre on his farm near Corning, Iowa. His main business comes from some 6,000 acres of soybeans and corn.

“Growing edamame is the same thing as growing a conventional soybean. It’s the harvesting that’s the difference,” said Gaesser, who is also first vice president of the St. Louis-based American Soybean Association.

Farmers typically plant soybeans — edamame or otherwise — in the spring. The plants sprout, grow leaves and flowers and, eventually, bean pods. Most commercially produced soy is left to dry in the fields before its seeds are harvested to make oil and animal feed. Edamame, on the other hand, is picked when the bean pods are green and tender.

“Once it’s harvested, you’ve got a certain amount of time to get it to the processing plant to get it processed or you start losing quality and you start losing product,” said Jeremy Ross, an Extension soybean specialist at the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service.

Gaesser has been growing edamame for several years now and said he would consider planting more, but there’s not a processing

AP Photo/Jeannie Nuss

Edamame: Ray Chung, who runs a plant in Mulberry, Ark., billed as the first in the U.S. dedicated to processing edamame, shows some of the soybeans in this photo taken in March.

plant close enough to his farm to make it practical.

In Arkansas, Chung and his father convinced nearby farmers to grow some 900 acres of edamame last year for his company, American Vegetable Soybean & Edamame Inc. He plans to increase that number this year, although he wouldn’t say by exactly how much.

He wouldn’t allow The Associated Press to talk to his farmers, either, citing confidentiality agreements.

Chung is protective of his company’s share of what he estimates is a $175 million to $200 million market, with 25,000 to 30,000 tons of edamame being consumed each year in the U.S. All the edamame frozen at his

plant about 140 miles northwest of Little Rock is grown in the U.S. Chung and Gaesser said that edamame could be more profitable for farmers than other kinds of soybeans.

Chung’s company is selling now to stores including Sam’s Club and Whole Foods. Someday, he hopes to

export American-grown edamame to Asia, where people have been eating it for centuries.

“There’s a big middle class that’s emerging in China, and they’re becoming more educated about food choices,” Chung said. “And so, to them, when they see a ‘Made in the USA’ label . . . they want it.”

For more poultry industry news visit www.poultrytimes.net

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