Commercial Poultry Newsletter MAY 2019 MAY 2019

Commercial Poultry News

In This Issue:

2 - Delmarva’s Chicken

Industry Boosts Economic

Output and Generates

$1.05 Billion in Income for

Workers, Farmers

3 - Does Placing Paper Under

Drinker Lines Improve

Chick Performance?

8 - Let’s Talk About Those

“Factory Farms”

10 -USDA Launches New

Farmers.gov Features to

Help With H2A

Applications, Managing

Loans

11 - Biosecurity and Fomites

Upcoming Events

June 3 - Delaware Location Poultry Management for New & Existing Growers

Location information coming soon!

June 6 - Lunch & Learn: Pollinators Workshop

1pm - 3pm Hammond Farm

34381 Millsboro Hwy.

The next deadline for Conservation Stewardship Program applications to be

considered for funding this year is May 10, 2019. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) plans to invest up to $700 million new enrollments and contract extensions in fiscal year 2019. The 2018 Farm Bill made several changes to this critical conservation program, which helps agricultural producers take the conservation activities on their farm or ranch to the next level. For additional information, contact your local NRCS.

The University of Maryland Poultry Extension is excited to continue collaborating with the University of Delaware Cooperative Extension and Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. (DPI), in providing programs that inform and aid poultry growers on Delmarva in best commercial poultry practices.

Recent combined programs included:

Lunch & Learns on Insurance, Finance/Banking, Ventilation Rotem and Chore-Time Controller Workshops, and Poultry Management for New & Existing Growers

We need your help to provide the programs YOU would like to see

Please contact any of the commercial poultry extension team members with suggestions for future programming needs:

University of Maryland Extension Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc., 302-856-9037

Jon Moyle - jmoyle@umd.edu, 410-742-1178 Holly Porter - porter@dpichicken.com

Jenny Rhodes - jrhodes@umd.edu, 410-758-0166 Maureen Duffy - duffy@dpichicken.com

Nat Tablante - nlt@umd.edu, 301-314-6810 James Fisher - fisher@dpichicken.com

Jennifer Timmons - jtimmons1@umes.edu, 410-651-6542

University of Delaware Cooperative Extension

Georgie Cartanza - cartanza@udel.edu, 302-856-7303

Coordinated Programming!

Conservation Stewardship Program

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April 3, 2019 - Delmarva's meat chicken industry increased its economic output by 18.6 percent in the past five years by producing 4.3 billion pounds of chicken worth $3.4 billion in 2018, according to new data released by Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. (DPI). The 20,425 chicken company employees on Delmarva earned $784 million in wages in 2018, and the region’s 1,302 chicken growers earned $268 million in contract income. In total, income earned by employees and farmers associated with Delmarva’s chicken industry was $1.05 billion. Since 1957, DPI has collected and compiled data from the poultry companies operating on Maryland's Eastern Shore, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and in Delaware to gauge the scope and growth of Delmarva's chicken economy. Overall, farmers raised 605 million chickens in 2018, about the same number as were raised in 2017. The chickens were raised in 5,166 chicken houses across Delmarva – 9 percent fewer chicken houses than were in active use 20 years ago. Modern chicken houses, larger than those built in the past, are more energy-efficient and have climate, feed and water technology that improves bird health. The average Delmarva chicken farm today has four chicken houses in operation. “These numbers reflect certain challenges growers and chicken companies faced in 2018, including downward pressure on prices of all proteins, not just chicken,” said Holly Porter, DPI’s executive director. “The chicken community on Delmarva used resources efficiently and achieved modest growth in recent years, while at the same time embracing and extending environmental practices that are measurably improving the health of the Chesapeake Bay.” Highlights from DPI’s 2018 report on Delmarva’s chicken industry:

Chicken growers and companies planted more than 7,500 trees as part of DPI’s vegetative environmental buffers program.

Delmarva’s chicken companies invested $137 million in capital improvements, including investments in wastewater treatment and processing plants.

To make chicken feed, chicken companies purchased 93 million bushels of corn, 41 million bushels of soybeans, and 266,800 bushels of wheat. Total feed ingredient costs came to $1.01 billion, 3% more than the prior year.

Chicken companies purchased $260 million in packaging and processing supplies.

Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc. is the Delmarva chicken industry’s voice as the premier membership association focusing on advocacy, education and member relations. For more information, visit dpichicken.org.

Delmarva’s Chicken Industry Boosts Economic Output and

Generates $1.05 Billion in Income for Workers, Farmers James Fisher, Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.

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33 Commercial Poultry Newsletter MAY 2019

Does Placing Paper Under Drinker Lines

Improve Chick Performance? The University of Georgia, College of Ag and Environmental Sciences Cooperative Extension

Figure 1. Paper placed under drinker lines.

Getting chicks on to feed and water as quickly as possible

after arrival on a farm has long been recognized as the key

to maximizing overall performance. If provided the ideal

environmental conditions and plenty of feed and water,

chick weights should increase by roughly 50% during the

first 48 hours compared to only 2% over the last 48 hours

of the flock! Quite simply, the less time it takes chicks to

start feeding and drinking, the more quickly their gut and immune system will mature, the quicker their

bodies will gain weight and the less likely they will get sick. Studies have shown that during these

formative hours that small problems can have a long-term impact. For example, one study found that

exposing day old chicks to 55oF for just 45 minutes resulted in a 10% reduction in weight by 35 days of

age (Lacy, 1994).

Placing paper under drinker lines has been a relatively common strategy to encourage chicks to start

drinking as soon as they are placed in a house. Producers have theorized that the sound created by chicks

walking on the paper as well as the novelty of the paper tend to attract them towards feeders and

drinkers as soon as they are placed in the house (Figure 1). Though the attraction of the chicks is widely

recognized, there are still aspects of placing paper under the drinkers that have not been thoroughly

studied. For instance:

1. Does placing paper under the drinker lines lead to a measurable increase in drinking and feeding activity?

2. How long does the attraction last?

3. Do chicks drink significantly more water in houses with paper under drinkers versus those without?

4. Does placing paper under the drinker lines improve first week weights and reduce first week

mortality?

A field study was conducted on multiple commercial broiler farms to explore the possible benefits of

placing paper under drinker lines during the first seven days. The study took place in Northeast Georgia

on seven contract broiler farms, which grew approximately a 4.5 lb bird at an average stocking density of

0.80 ft2 per bird. On each of the seven farms, two randomly selected houses were used for the study.

One house had no paper placed under drinker lines (Figure 2) and a second house had an 18” strip of

paper placed under every drinker line (Figure 3). The paper used was brown, thin, and light, similar to that

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44 Commercial Poultry Newsletter MAY 2019

Does Placing Paper Under Drinker Lines (continued)

of a heavy tissue paper. The effect of paper under drinker lines was evaluated with water usage, chick body weights, first-week mortality, and time-lapse cameras. Water usage was monitored in each house with ultra-low-flow water meters, which continually measured and recorded water usage on a min-to-min basis. These meters provided the capability to monitor water usage the moment chicks start drinking at placement.

Figure 2. No paper placed under drinker lines. Figure 3. Paper placed under every drinker line.

Figure 4. Minute-to-minute water usage during the first three hours (Farm 1).

Figure 5. Higher chick activity near drinkers in house Figure 6. Minimum chick activity near drinkers in with paper. house without paper.

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Does Placing Paper Under Drinker Lines (continued)

Shortly after chicks were placed on the first farm, water usage data indicated that chicks were drinking more water in the house with paper placed under drinker lines versus the house without. In fact, chicks drank roughly 30-50% more water within 15 minutes of being placed (Figure 4). Photos taken shortly after placement helped illustrate the attractiveness of paper under the drinkers, which lead to increased drinking (Figures 5, 6). However, the spike in water usage was short-lived. Data showed that after two hours, water usage was relatively similar between the two houses (Figure 7). Rate of activity around drinker lines between the houses was virtually indistinguishable (Figures 8, 9). By the end of the first day, water usage in the two houses was within 10 gallons of each other.

Figure 7. Minute to minute water usage during first 24 hours (Farm 1).

Figure 8. Four hours after placement (paper). Figure 9. Four hours after placement (no paper).

Figure 10. Minute-to-minute water usage during the first three hours (Farm 2).

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66 Commercial Poultry Newsletter MAY 2019

Does Placing Paper Under Drinker Lines (continued) On the next farm, moments after chicks were placed, no initial increase in drinking activity was noted. During those first few hours, no spike in water usage was seen in the house with paper under the drinkers (Figure 10). In fact, among the two houses, chicks were drinking approximately within +/- 5% of each other for the first twelve hours. By the end of the first day, drinking activity was relatively the same in both houses (< 10 gallon difference). Unlike the first farm, placing paper under drinkers seemed to have no effect on chick water usage. Figure 11. Cumulative chick water usage (Day 1). Figure 12. Cumulative chick water usage (Day 7).

So does placing paper under drinker lines have an effect? Of the farms studied, four out of the seven

farms (Farms 1, 3, 4, and 6 - highlighted in brown in Figures 11,12 and 14) saw an effect of increased

drinking activity. On those four farms, chicks were drinking approximately 30% more water for roughly

two to four hours post-placement. But, by the end of the day, only two of the four farms indicted a slight

increase in total daily water usage for the houses with paper under the drinkers. By day seven, only one of

the two houses with paper under the drinkers that had shown slightly higher water usage at end of first

day continued show a slight increase in cumulative water usage. (Figures 11, 12). First-week water usage

varied far more between farms than by treatment (paper vs. no paper). This is important for two reasons.

First, since feed consumption follows water usage, this would tend to indicate that total feed consumption

was more affected by variations between farms than the presence of paper under the drinkers.

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Does Placing Paper Under Drinker Lines (continued)

Secondly, it tends to indicate that there are other factors that are affecting first-week performance more than the presence of paper. Any effect that placing paper under the drinkers may have had upon water usage is generally minute when compared differences between the farms which would be due to various management practices such as air temperature, air quality, house tightness, drinker management, etc. By the end of the first week, it appears that general brooding management practices had a five times greater effect on cumulative chick water consumption, and therefore feed consumption, than placing paper under the drinkers.

The role that general house management can play on first-week performance was seen on a number of farms. One farm for example showed the house with paper placed under drinker lines using noticeably less water than the other house. After walking through each house, it was found that in the house with paper, the drinker lines were set too low for chicks to easily reach. Once lines were adjusted, water usage between the two houses became similar (Figure 13). On another farm, brooding temperature had likely masked the effect of paper under drinkers. The day chicks were placed, the average house temperature was 83oF, 10oF below ideal brooding temperature. Chicks were seen huddling and staying within feed lids rather than going towards the paper. An attraction towards drinker lines cannot occur if chicks are not willing to move. The last farm, however, was seemingly the opposite of the previous two where a lack of effect may simply been due to proper brooding management. The grower on this farm is typically a top producer. They preheat houses well before chicks are placed, thoroughly check drinkers and feeders, and in general run through a checklist before chicks arrive. With the key factors in place, the effect of paper may have been minimal. The chicks were placed in an environment that was comfortable and the chicks may not have needed the extra encouragement to go towards drinkers or feeders.

Figure 13. Minute-to-minute water usage before and after drinker line height adjustment.

Figure 14. Average chick weights (Day 7).

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88 Commercial Poultry Newsletter MAY 2019

Does Placing Paper Under Drinker Lines (continued)

A short-term effect of increased drinking activity in those first few formative hours did not significantly affect first week performance. Body weights 24 hours after placement indicated no significant differences between houses on all farms studied. Weights were within +/- 5% of each other on every farm. At seven days, body weight and mortality numbers demonstrated the same trend. There was little to no effect on seven-day weights (Figure 14) and no mortality reductions were observed on farms.

Was the sound created by the thin paper too quiet or disintegrated too soon to have a lasting effect on chick performance? A follow-up study was conducted on several additional farms evaluating a heavier paper that was comparable to construction paper/butcher paper. Analysis of these farms revealed similar results. Regardless of paper type, the effect was essentially the same. Placing paper under drinkers caused only a short-term effect on drinking activity and no measurable improvement in first-week performance.

What this study highlights is that though placing paper under drinkers may sometimes result in increased water usage for the first few hours after chicks are placed, it doesn’t appear to have a long-term effect on chick performance. Could placing paper under the drinkers have more of an effect on chicks which have been dehydrated due to long transportation or hold times or possibly on weak chicks from young breeder flocks? Possibly. But, at the end of the day, this study confirmed that maximizing first-week performance is primarily about getting the basics right: plenty of quality feed, clean water and proper environmental conditions.

Connie Mou Michael Czarick Brian Fairchild Graduate Student (PhD) Extension Engineer Extension Poultry Scientist Connie.mou25@uga.edu mczarick@uga.edu brianf@uga.edu

(The views and opinions expressed in this blog post are strictly those of the author.)

The term “factory farm” has been used to describe commercial chicken operations. If you look up the term, you find statements like “animals are numbered not named”, “animals don’t eat food, they convert feed”, “their goal is to raise animals as quickly, efficiently, and safely as possible”, and “their goal is to minimize inputs and maximize outputs” Well, yes! Agriculture – whether 25 or 25,000 chickens or 20 or 20,000 rows of lettuce – means you do it efficiently, safely and quickly. That’s how society has safe affordable food.

According to the dictionary, factory means “a building or set of building with facilities for manufacturing” and a farm is defined as “an area of land and its buildings used for growing crops and rearing animals, typically under the control of one owner or manager.” It is interesting how both of these are positive terms but when used together, our mindset changes to negative descriptor words like dark, dingy, dirty, cruel, and distant.

As a poultry scientist, I love visiting farms because of the amazing people I meet. I always leave feeling

Let’s Talk About Those “Factory Farms” By Christine Alvarado, and was originally published by Meatingplace on March 8, 2019

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Let’s Talk About Those “Factory Farms” (continued)

appreciation for their work. But first, let’s address the elephant in the room. I think we all know there are a few bad apples. Even though they receive the most attention, they are the minority. So, what about the remaining 99 percent of farmers? This is where I introduce the typical family owned chicken farm.

The first chicken farm I ever visited was family owned by Joe who worked in town and Susan who stayed home with the kids. Recently, she had an empty house during the day as all the kids were officially in school. She wanted something to do to contribute to her family finances but didn’t want to enter the 8-5 workforce. She had always farmed; that’s what she knew how to do. She had a love of animals and raised cattle, pigs, and showed chickens in high school. She had a degree in animal science but decided instead to stay home and raise a family. So, they built 4 chicken houses on their family farm and she was able to contribute to the family finances, take care of their kids, and do what she loved – take care of her chickens. In addition, she raised her kids with work ethic as they learned how to care for chickens and learned about business. When I asked her if she ever took a vacation, she said “farming is not for those that like to vacation – these birds depend on me and I depend on them for my livelihood.” Chicken farms are owned and operated by people like us who care about providing for their family and who care about animal agriculture.

So, let’s talk the truth about these factory farms……the truth is that chicken farms are located in rural areas, are not industrial, and are family owned. The truth is that the chickens are well cared for – if not, these farms would be out of business.

The truth is, these farmers don’t go on vacation or have a luxury lifestyle. The truth is that it takes a lot of science knowledge (nutrition, physiology, biology, genetics, microbiology) to properly manage and raise healthy and “happy” birds. The truth is farmers don’t have to name their chickens to really care for them. The truth is farmers are not unfeeling people that love to send animals to slaughter – they want to feed their community good, nutritious, and safe chicken. The truth is that chicken farming is their chosen life, their passion, and they spend 7 days a week working hard to care for chickens so that consumers can eat high quality and safe chicken meat.

It’s not a lifestyle for everyone. So, the next time someone talks about factory farming, ask them when the last time they visited a chicken (or turkey) farm and invite them to come along for a learning experience. For today, I am thanking a chicken farmer! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The above story is not directly related to University of Maryland Senior Agent, Jenny Rhodes, but her family is a great example!

See an article in Farm Credit’s ‘LEADER’ magazine online: https://issuu.com/midatlanticfarmcredit/docs/mafc_leader_241_f_links/8

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1010 Commercial Poultry Newsletter MAY 2019

(WASHINGTON, D.C., April 3, 2019) – Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) launched two new features on farmers.gov to help customers manage their farm loans and navigate the application process for H2A visas. “Customer service is our top priority at USDA and these new features will help our customers as they manage their farm loans and navigate the H-2A temporary agricultural visa program,” said Secretary Per-due. “In my travels across the country, I have consistently heard people express a desire for greater use of technology in the way we deliver programs at USDA. As we adopt new technology, we are introduc-ing simple yet innovative approaches to support our farmers, ranchers, producers, and foresters as they support the nation every day. It’s my goal to make USDA the most effective, most efficient, most customer-focused department in the entire federal government, and farmers.gov is a big step in that di-rection.”

In 2018, Secretary Perdue unveiled farmers.gov, a dynamic, mobile-friendly public website combined with an authenticated portal where customers will be able to apply for programs, process transactions and manage accounts.

Navigating the H-2A Visa Process: Focused on education and smaller owner-operators, this farmers.gov H-2A Phase I release includes an H-2A Visa Program page and interactive checklist tool, with application requirements, fees, forms, and a timeline built around a farmer’s hiring needs.

You may view the video at this following link: youtu.be/E-TXREaZhnI

The H-2A Visa Program – also known as the temporary agricultural workers program – helps American farmers fill employment gaps by hiring workers from other countries. The U.S. Department of Labor, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, U.S. Department of State, and state workforce agencies each man-age parts of the H-2A Visa Program independently, with separate websites and complex business applica-tions.

Over the next several months, USDA will collaborate further with the U.S. Department of Labor on farmers.gov H-2A Phase II – a streamlined H-2A Visa Program application form, regulations, and digi-tal application process that moves producers seamlessly from farmers.gov website to farmers.gov portal to U.S. Department of Labor’s IT systems.

Managing Farm Loans Online: The self-service website now enables agricultural producers to login to view loan information, history and payments.

Customers can access the “My Financial Information” feature by desktop computer, tablet or phone. They can now view:

loan information;

USDA Launches New Farmers.gov Features to Help

With H2A Applications, Managing Loans United States Department of Agriculture Press Release

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USDA Launches New Farmers.gov Features (continued)

interest payments for the current calendar year (including year-to-date interest paid for the past five years);

loan advance and payment history; paid-in-full and restructured loans; and

account alerts giving borrowers important notifications regarding their loans.

To access their information, producers will need a USDA eAuth account to login into farmers.gov. After obtaining an eAuth account, producers should visit farmers.gov and sign into the site’s authenticated portal via the “Sign In / Sign Up” link at the top right of the website.

Currently, only producers doing business as individuals can view information. Entities, such as an LLC or Trust, or producers doing business on behalf of another customer cannot access the portal at this time, but access is being planned.

Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox or Microsoft Edge are the recommended browsers to access the feature.

About farmers.gov: USDA is building farmers.gov for farmers, by farmers. Future self-service features available through the farmers.gov portal will help producers find the right loan programs for their business and submit loan documents to their service center.

With feedback from customers and field employees who serve those customers, farmers.gov delivers farmer-focused features through an agile, iterative process to deliver the greatest immediate value to America’s agricultural producers – helping farmers and ranchers do right, and feed everyone.

LEARN MORE at : https://www.usda.gov/media/press-releases/2019/04/03/usda-launches-new-farmersgov-features-help-h-2a-applications

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=8&v=E-TXREaZhnI

Fomites can be biggest threat to poultry health

Diseases can be spread through the air, but focus must be on fomites

Poultry diseases such as avian influenza or virulent Newcastle disease (vND) can be spread through airborne means, but when birds get exposed to fomites that may be carrying the viruses, that is when the risk is highest. (Fomites are inanimate objects that, when contaminated with infectious agents, can transfer disease to a new host.)

“It is difficult to know how (vND) spreads in all cases, but it is commonly felt that fomites – physical carriers of contaminants – carry the disease agent from one farm to another,” Eric Gingerich, DVM, technical service specialist with Diamond V, recently told WATT Global Media.

Dr. David Swayne, laboratory director of Southeast Poultry Research Laboratory, U.S. National Poultry Research Center, USDA, said similar things about the spread of avian influenza.

BIOSECURITY WATTS, Roy Graber

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BIOSECURITY (continued)

Speaking during an October 2018 webinar, “Combat high-pathogen avian influenza,” presented by WATT Global Media, Swayne acknowledged avian influenza can be spread by airborne means, but added that the odds are slim and that the biggest focus should be on fomites.

“If you are a farmer and you want to protect your flock, put all of your efforts into protecting your flock by reducing potential fomite exposure,” he said.

That means do not let people enter the barns in the same clothing or shoes that were worn outside, and such items to change into should be kept inside the barn, Swayne said.

All equipment that comes on, such as feed trucks, could be contaminated. It is better, if possible, if the feed truck never comes on the farm, Swayne added.

A good poultry biosecurity program needs a good leader

A biosecurity coordinator should be the go-to person to develop, implement and maintain a biosecurity plan

In order for a poultry biosecurity program to be highly effective, good leadership is essential.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has promoted its biosecurity principles through its “Defend the Flock” campaign, which has been promoted by both the federal agency and state agencies as an effective means of keeping diseases such as avian influenza or Newcastle disease from infecting both commercial and backyard flocks.

In a major turkey producing state like Minnesota, which was so heavily hit by avian influenza in 2015 that Rep. Collin Peterson estimated the outbreak cost the state $650 million, biosecurity programs – like those highlighted through the Defend the Flock campaign -- have been essential in preventing the spread of the disease.

But Dale Lauer DVM, poultry program coordinator for the Minnesota Board of Animal Health, said in 2018 at the Midwest Poultry Federation Convention that the key to having a strong biosecurity program is having one specific person to be the biosecurity coordinator.

“You’ve got to identify the chief; you’ve got to identify the coordinator ... who’s going to be in charge. That person is going to develop, they’re going to implement, they’re going to maintain the biosecurity program.”

A biosecurity coordinator can be a veterinarian, but doesn’t have to be. The key requirements for that person is a knowledge of biosecurity principles, and the ability to convey those principles to the personnel and caretakers on farms and poultry production sites. All workers must be trained and retrained on the biosecurity plan.

The biosecurity coordinator must also review the biosecurity plan at least once during each calendar year, Lauer said, and be able to make revisions to the plan as needed.

http://extension.umd.edu/poultry