New poultry housing systems installed at Cal Poly State

Salmet and OES Inc. are partnering with Cal Poly State University in San Luis Obispo, California, to install four poultry housing systems and a custom control system on the Cal Poly campus for use by the school’s poultry education program.
Completely integrated in the system are: poultry rearing housing systems, enriched colony housing systems and alternative cage-free nest systems. In addition to the cage systems, electrical control systems including bird weighing, LED lighting systems, climate controls, video surveillance, feed weighing and feed management technology, egg conveying, egg counting and control as well as an entirely automated agricultural computer system.
“The Cal Poly Animal Science Department is excited to partner with Salmet and OES Inc. on the recent renovation of our Poultry Production Center. As an institution that prides itself on innovation and advancement, Cal Poly has made it a priority to find partners with similar values. Salmet is a true industry leader, with a 50-year history of producing exceptional quality enclosure systems for poultry, and the advanced integrated control systems from OES will provide our students with access to cutting edge technology. We are thrilled to offer our students exposure to these quality products, and look forward to an ongoing relationship with these industry partners,” said Dr. Jaymie Noland, Animal Science department head, Cal Poly State University.
In addition to the benefits for poultry science students at Cal Poly, the Salmet/OES systems will act as a showcase internationally for the ever expanding poultry industry. One student from Cal Poly will be accepting an internship in Germany at a Salmet production facility. This opportunity will allow for hands-on experience and training with the products, which will be integral in the function and maintenance of future operations at Cal Poly. With a constant movement towards improving animal welfare within the poultry industry, this relationship creates opportunity for increased education for all poultry science students on proper animal care while still learning the most modern techniques of operation for increasing efficiency and production.

The new Salmet poultry housing systems and control system were made possible thanks to a $20 million donation from Cal Poly alumni, Peter Oppenheimer, and his wife, Mary Beth.

Poultry house permits surge in Virginia county

Accomack County, Virginia, is seeing a surge in applications to construct poultry houses in the county.
According to a DelmarvaNow report, the county currently has 84 poultry house applications pending. In addition, a producer from another state had earlier inquired about the possibility of constructing 72 more.
The new applications and inquiries signal substantial growth in the Virginia county’s poultry industry, as only 16 new poultry houses were built there from 2010 until late 2014. It is a growth that county officials believe will be a trend – at least for the short term.
According to a report prepared by Rich Morrison and Kristen Tremblay of the Accomack County Planning Department, “applications have continued to be filed at a high rate and all indications are that the trend will continue for at least the next one to two years,”
Some of the applications are being filed for locations that have not previously housed poultry. As a result, county officials said that residents of those areas are already voicing concerns about living near poultry farms.
Accomack County is located on the Eastern edge of Virginia on the Delmarva Peninsula. Its population is estimated to be just over 33,000 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Zimmerer Gruppe investments in layer monitoring technology

Germany’s Zimmerer Gruppe has announced that it has upgraded the monitoring systems across its egg farms. The company, whose best-known egg brand is Deutsche Marken-Ei, says that the investment will not only help it to better manage its farms, but will also help to guarantee the quality of its products.
The investments will allow Zimmerer to monitor its farms remotely, will improve efficiency, help to ensure to ensure that hens are kept in the best possible condition, and improve financial decision making.
Zimmerer has worked with Porphyrio and has installed the latters Lay-Insight system. The egg producer will now be able to predict the performance of its layer flocks and, based on early warnings, address potential problems. The data from the monitoring system can be directly translated into financial key performance indicators, and offers the possibility of comparing historical data stretching back 10 years. 

Moy Park begins construction on 100th new poultry house

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  Bigstock

  Moy Park has started construction on its 100th new poultry house.

  From WATTAgNet:
  Moy Park has hit a major milestone with its “Plan to Grow” program, as construction has started on its 100th new poultry house since launching the program in 2013. The 100th new poultry house will be located on a farm in Dungannon, Northern Ireland.
  Clive Marshall is the operator of the farm, and he expects birds to be housed there as soon as early 2015.
  “This is my first venture into poultry farming,” said Marshall. “I am currently a part time beef farmer with my father. I’ve always had a keen interest in farming and wanted to expand the existing farm business. I felt this opportunity with Moy Park was the perfect first step in making farming a long-term career for me.”
  David Gibson, Moy Park Director of Agriculture commented: “We are delighted to have reached this fantastic milestone and the success of the ‘Plan to Grow’ program has been highlighted through this build. We currently work with over 600 of the very best local poultry farmers, who employ the highest standards on their farms and we are very proud to be developing our farming base in Northern Ireland.’’
  Moy Park, through its Plan to Grow program, anticipates having 250 new poultry houses by the end of 2015.

Layer housing study preliminary results released

The Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply (CSES), nearing completion of a two-flock research study to better understand the sustainability impacts of various laying hen housing, including cage-free aviary, enriched cage and conventional cage systems, has released preliminary research results.
Over the course of three years, and two separate flocks, the research assessed five areas of sustainability: Animal Health and Well-Being, Environmental Impact, Food Affordability, Food Safety and Worker Health and Safety.
While the initial findings should be treated as preliminary and have not been subject to peer review, they begin to offer some insight into the variables to be considered in selecting different hen housing systems. The coalition’s research will result in meaningful science-based data that will help guide future egg production and purchasing decisions.
Animal health and well-being
Egg production through the first half of the flock cycles for each system remained fairly similar, with production from the aviary system declining most through the remainder of the cycle, in part due to its higher hen mortality. In total, production from the enriched colony system was approximately 3 percent higher than that of the conventional system and 6 to 10 percent higher than production in the aviary system.
The research findings found that pullets reared in the aviary system had better skeletal integrity than those reared in conventional cages. Hens in the aviary and enriched systems had a higher incidence of keel bone deviations and/or fractures than hens in the conventional system.
Conversely, hens in the conventional system had the highest incidence of foot problems, mainly hyperkeratosis. When hens in the aviary did have foot problems, they were more severe than those in the conventional or enriched systems.
Findings also showed that hens in the conventional and enriched systems had cleaner feathers but worse feather cover than aviary hens. Hens with large areas of feather loss lost more body heat than better-feathered hens.
Environmental impact
Research assessed the environmental impact of each of the three systems, including indoor air quality, air emissions, and energy use.
Regarding indoor air quality, daily mean ammonia concentrations were below 15 ppm in both conventional and enriched cage houses throughout monitoring period, but higher ammonia concentrations in the aviary house exceeding 25 ppm resulted from accumulation of some manure on the floor that was not removed until the end of the flock, as well as the building’s low ventilation rate in the winter.
Further, particulate matter (PM) concentrations in the aviary house were roughly eight to 10 times those in the conventional and enriched cage houses, which were by and large similar. Similarly, the aviary system had 6-7 times the PM emissions compared to the other two systems. The higher PM levels and emissions were caused by hens performing activities on the litter floor.
Separate research assessed whether dust from the ammonia and PM concentrations impacts worker or hen health.
Energy use and cost was similar across all three systems. The aviary house required some supplemental heat (from propane) in the first flock, but not in the second flock. In all houses, operation of manure-drying blowers accounted for 55-75 percent of total electricity use throughout different seasons.
Food affordability
Farm costs per dozen eggs were highest for eggs produced in the aviary system, followed by those from enriched housing and then conventional housing.
In total and driven largely by higher feed, labor, pullet, and capital costs, the aviary system was 36 percent more expensive to produce eggs in than the conventional system, while the enriched system was 13 percent more expensive, primarily due to capital costs per dozen, than the conventional system.
Food safety
Eggs from each of the three systems were assessed for quality two days post-lay, as well as after four, six and 12 weeks of cold storage, across multiple parameters, with it being determined that initial egg quality was not impacted by hen housing type, whereas hen dietary nutritional changes did impact egg quality.
Through environmental and shell sampling, the prevalence of Salmonella and Campylobacter was found on collected samples from all three systems, with environmental dust levels influencing shell total aerobes. The aviary forage area and enriched colony scratch pads had the highest levels of total aerobes and coliforms, while aviary floor eggs had the highest total aerobes and coliform levels.
Hens from all housing systems shed Salmonella at a high rate, between 89 and 100 percent. Also, the dry belt manure removal system impeded the detection of Campylobacter, as the manure was no longer a good environment for its detection. It’s important to note that management practices likely had the greatest influence on environmental and egg shell microbiology.
Worker health and safety
Airborne particulate matter inside hen houses, depending on its size, can make its way into workers’ airways, with smaller particles being deposited deep into the lungs. Endotoxins (bacterial toxins), can promote airway irritation and inflammation, as well as decreased lung function.
Sampling from personal exposure monitors worn by workers while in the hen houses, found that inhalable particle and PM2.5 concentrations, as well as endotoxins (bacterial toxins), were significantly higher in the aviary system when compared to those in the conventional and enriched systems, which were not statistically different from each other. It is believed that these levels were highest in the aviary system due to litter (dust-bathing material and manure) left on the floor.
Worker ergonomics were also considered, with a number of tasks standing out as possible risks. Loading and unloading of cages in the conventional and enriched colony systems during population and de-population require extreme body positions, including squatting for an extended time. There was also significant twisting while “herding” the birds and standing on small diameter railings in these two systems.
Gathering eggs that had been laid on the floor in the aviary system was also noted as an issue, as it warranted extreme body positions, including squatting for an extended period of time. Further, extreme arm positions over the shoulder and reaching to the side, as well as rapid and extreme hand and wrist positions were noted. Crawling and lying on the floor to collect floor eggs also exposes the employee to potential respiratory hazards, especially if no respiratory protection is worn, as well as to potential infection hazards to the hands and the knees.
The final analysis, which is scheduled for public release in March 2015, will explore interactions and tradeoffs between sustainability areas within each housing system.
CSES is a multi-stakeholder group collaborating on a commercial-scale study of housing alternatives for egg- laying hens in the U.S. This research and data collection has been conducted on a commercial farm, with all three housing types at the same location.

Poultry house construction an easier process with zoning change

Officials in Franklin County, Virginia, have changed zoning regulations to make it easier to construct poultry houses in the county. In doing so, the county hopes that the addition of new chicken houses would help meet the growing demand for poultry, give local farmers other production options, create additional jobs in the county and give local farmers another outlet to sell their feed grains.
During a recent meeting, the county board of supervisors voted to allow property zoned A-1 (general agriculture) to be used for poultry houses. That move would eliminate the need for property owners to obtain a special use permit and go through a lengthy hearing process. Three work sessions were held to discuss the zoning changes before voting on the matter, according to the Franklin News-Post.
Only one board member voted against the zoning changes.
Requirements still must be met to avoid special use permit
While the zoning change will provide an easier process for some landowners wishing to build poultry houses, some requirements will still need to be met. For instance, a poultry house must be at least 300 feet from a dwelling, 250 feed from a property line and at least 1,000 feet from a lake, river, public school or an area that is residentially zoned.

Poultry producers worried about propane’s short supply, high price

Low propane supplies and high propane prices have caused concerns among U.S. poultry farmers who rely on the fuel to keep their poultry houses warm amid the cold winter months.
Poultry producer Jeremy Brown, Ramer, Ala., told the Montgomery Advertiser he uses heaters fueled by propane to keep temperatures around 90 degrees in his six poultry houses, which each house about 28,500 chicks. Should that source of heat not be available, Brown said, the chicks would not survive.
The tight supplies have pushed prices to about $4.50 per gallon from the $.80 range they were at during the summer of 2013. "It's the highest I've seen them, possibly ever," Mason Hamilton, an analyst with the Energy Information Administration said of propane prices during a January 24 USDA radio report.
One of the reasons cited for the shortage of propane in the U.S. is that a larger-than-normal amount of propane was used in 2013 in an effort to dry grain during a late harvest.

Poultry houses to get energy upgrades with USDA grants

Three Mississippi businessmen were awarded a total of $51,728 in U.S. Department of Agriculture grant money to help them make Mississippi poultry houses more energy efficient. The funds are being issued through the USDA Rural Energy for America Program.
Tuyet T. Vo, Union, Miss., was awarded a $26,446 grant. The money will be used to replace lighting, doors, fans, brooders and insulation in poultry houses. John Nguyen, Decatur, Miss., is receiving a $22,115 grant, which will be used to install controllers, baffle curtains, fans, brooders and doors in poultry houses. Willie R. Gilbert, Lake, Miss., was selected for a $23,067 grant to install brooders, doors, cool cells, fans, vents and lighting in poultry houses.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on September 26 visited Jackson, Miss., to announce these grants and others to support producers and rural communities throughout Mississippi.
"Rural Americans contribute a great deal to our nation, and these investments will help strengthen rural businesses and communities in Mississippi," Vilsack said. "These awards will help improve rural health facilities in the Delta Region, help socially disadvantaged business owners expand markets across the nation, and help small businesses save energy and grow their bottom line."

Poultry house environment the focus at annual Aviagen SweChick seminar

Aviagen SweChick recently held its annual customer seminar, attended by representatives of the company's customer base across Sweden, Norway, Iceland and Denmark.
The focus for the 2013 seminar, held in Malmo, Sweden, with 37 delegates in attendance, was about the importance of the poultry housing environment.
On the first day of the event, all attendees received a joint program to give a broad overview of the business in general, with the second day split for specialist discussions among Aviagen SweChick customers.
Being able to "think outside the box" was a key element to the second day of the seminar, with delegates encouraged to think up new ways of approaching specialist issues, with the overall aim being to develop new tactics and share information to drive performance and increase profits.
Thomas Carlson, managing director of Aviagen SweChick, said: "This year's seminar proved to be another success and I was happy with the outcome. One thing that always comes through at these events is the positive and open atmosphere among our customers.
"I believe wholeheartedly in the importance of networking among our customers and the strength between them to share knowledge for improvement and as a result, better profitability for their own businesses."
Among the presentations given by speakers from Aviagen and industry specialists, Sander Lourends from Wageningen University talked about the importance of the whole production chain taking responsibility to keep the chain as strong as possible.
Comments from customers who attended reflected their appreciation for the seminar and Jon Magnus Jonsson from Isfugl in Iceland said: "I thoroughly enjoyed the meeting and it was great to share information as well as take in the specialist presentations. The location proved to be an excellent choice also." 

Japan researchers study LED lights in poultry houses

LED lighting in poultry facilities is cost-effective and could reduce aggressiveness in birds, according to the Aichi Agricultural Research Center in Nagakute, Japan, which is studying the use of LED lights in raising the country's Nagoya Cochin breed of chickens.
Japan's government put out an order in 2008 for manufacturers to stop producing incandescent lightbulbs by the end of 2012 as part of energy-saving efforts, causing poultry producers to look for alternative ways of lighting their facilities. The center conducted tests on four-week-old birds for three months using four different colors of LED lights: red, yellow, green and blue. Researchers found that birds raised under yellow LEDs consumed the least amount of food but still grew the most during the test period. In addition, birds raised under yellow bulbs exhibited no signs of aggressive behavior, as opposed to the 10 percent that showed aggressive behavior under incandescent bulbs.
"So far, we haven't found any downside to switching to LED lights," said Yuzo Ida, an engineer in the research center's animal husbandry laboratory. "But I hope to carry out further research with different colors to help farmers (make a more informed decision)." 

Taiwan builds Asia’s first EU-style chicken house

Shi’an Farm in Kaoshiung City, Taiwan, is importing new equipment to construct the first Asian egg chicken house that will fit European Union standards.
Every mother hen must have at least 750 square centimeters of living space and the rooms must be at least 45 centimeters high. The width of the walking area and the length of the feed bunks also meet European Union standards. There are also egg-laying rooms, claw-rubbing rooms and a designated sleeping area in place of cages.
Manager of Shi’an Farm, Wenfeng Xie, said that the new chicken house will start off holding 120,000 chickens and producing 100,000 eggs per day, but will eventually rise to 500,000 chickens and 400,000 eggs per day. At that rate, said Xie, the facility can produce 140 million or more eggs per year.
The price of the eggs is high, however; a single package can cost around NTD 10–12 (US$0.33–$0.40), which is three to four times as much as the price of normal eggs.

Poultry house flooring company receives USDA grant

AviHome LLC was awarded a United States Department of Agricuture Natural Resources Conservation Service grant for commercial demonstration of its environmental technology to the poultry industry.
The USDA NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant Program will contribute 50% of the costs for the company's AviHome Flooring System project and will run for a total of three years with the cooperation of the University of Georgia, Perdue Farms and Fieldale Farms.
“These grants will help some of America’s top agricultural and conservation institutions, foundations and businesses develop unique approaches to enhancing and protecting natural resources on agricultural land,” says NRCS chief, Dave White.
After several years of research and development, AviHome says data indicates that AviHome Flooring System can reduce ammonia in poultry houses to near zero levels and significantly improve bird performance.  

USPOULTRY tests poultry house light sources

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has completed a research project regarding energy-efficient lighting technologies for use in poultry housing.
Research was conducted to determine the reliability, intensity and floor light patterns of new low wattage bulbs in poultry housing. Three alternate lighting sources were tested: CCFL-cold cathode fluorescent lamps, CFL-compact fluorescent lamps and LED- light emitting diodes.
Only one of the CCFL lamps failed during testing at 3,312 hours. While this represents double the life span of the incandescent bulbs, it was well less than the 8,000 hour manufacturer’s estimated lifespan for CCFL lamps. Three CFL lamps failed at 2,640 hours, well less than the 12,000 hours typical for CFL lamps. No LED lamps failed during testing, which was expected given the 30,000 hour lifespan typical for LED lamps.
CCFL and CFL lamps showed intensity reduction (approximately 20%-25%) during testing, while the LED lamps lost 60% of the initial intensity. All three lamps tested were more energy efficient (28%-33%) than incandescent bulbs. Based on durability, CFL lamps do not meet the expectations and should not be used, according to the research. CCFL lamps showed reasonable durability and are much less expensive than LED lamps. 

Lighting manufacturer filing complaint against poultry program

LED lighting manufacturer Once Innovations Inc. is filing an abuse complaint in connection with a poultry lighting rebate program, claiming that the Arkansas Economic Development Commission Energy Office is managing the program using recovery funds in an "arbitrary and capricious manner" and steering rebate-eligible lamps toward specific, pre-selected manufacturers and lamp designs.
ONCE has expressed concern over what the company says are inappropriate and incomplete specifications for lamps qualifying for these rebates. “In addition to not requiring minimum power quality standards, the AEDC specifications were technically incompetent," said Michael J. Ostaffe, ONCE executive vice president. "They refused to add safety standards, even though urged to do so several times, an omission that could lead to the potential risk of fire, shock or other electrical hazards detrimental to birds, farmers and property. The specifications don’t require, or even reference, basic ANSI, NEMA or UL standards, as is the norm for commercial lighting projects. Not only that, this is an energy saving program, yet lights that are significantly less energy efficient than CFLs or incandescent bulbs could actually qualify for a 50% rebate based on the minimum requirements published by the AEDC.”
In January, ONCE expressed concerns over the program on procedural grounds.

Purina announces Facebook contest to win chickens, feed

Purina and P. Allen Smith are sponsoring the Rule the Roost Sweepstakes, giving contestants the chance to win a free chicken coup, chicken flock and year's supply of feed.
Contestants can enter the Rule the Roost Sweepstakes by "liking" Purina Poultry and Chicken Chat on Facebook, and filling out a contest entry form. The grand prize winner will receive a Horizon Structures chicken coop, heritage flock from P. Allen Smith’s farm and Purina Layena Plus Omega feed for a year. First place prizes include a signed copy of P. Allen Smith’s book, “Seasonal Recipes from the Garden,” and a free bag of Purina Layena Plus Omega-3 feed. All entries will receive a $3 off coupon for Purina Layena Plus Omega-3 feed.
The Purina Rule the Roost Sweepstakes ends September 18, and prizes will be awarded by September 30. For more information, visit Purina Poultry's Facebook page.

UK food manufacturer invests in low-energy poultry farms

British food manufacturer 2 Sisters Food Group has invested in four new low-energy farms that will house an extra 6 million birds a year, according to the company.
During the past 12 months, 2 Sisters has introduced more than 700,000 square feet of new poultry housing. The latest additions will allow for more efficient ventilation, heating and lighting management, according to the company. “Climate change remains a hot topic for us, and we want to play our part in helping to manage CO² emissions and use energy more efficiently while still growing our business," said a 2 Sisters spokesman. “These new chicken houses offer the potential to lower energy usage and prevent unnecessary heat loss at farm level."

USPOULTRY donates $25,000 to egg, hen research facility

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association is donating $25,000 to the Michigan State University’s new egg-laying hen research facility.
The new MSU facility will provide housing and rooms to conduct research on hens in conventional cages, cage-free aviary and enriched colony stages. The facility will allow researchers to measure performances and behavioral traits of hens using nests and perches at a variety of floor spacings per hen.
In addition to this donation, USPOULTRY’s research program has funded a $72,600 project, entitled, “Enriched Colony Cages: Stocking Density on Laying Hen Well-Being,” that will be conducted at MSU in the new facilities.

Energy study may give broiler farmers alternative to propane heating

A collaborative heat recovery ventilation study aims to provide broiler farmers with a more energy-efficient way to heat their broiler houses in the winter months.
The study focuses on heat loss through broiler house fan ventilation systems and the potential ways of recovering that heat and using it to complement the existing systems. It is spearheaded by the Crowder College Missouri Alternative and Renewable Energy Technology Center and was taken on as a result of rising fuel costs and farmers' desires to find an alternative heating fuel to propane. As an added benefit, a successful solution would reduce broiler farms' carbon footprints, according to those involved in the study.
The project began in October 2010, and the first trial ran from January through March 2011. The second trial began in March and is expected to end in May.
Evaluation of the data and findings will be submitted for publication after the completion of the second trial.

Ukraine's Agroton to launch eight poultry houses in 2011

Ukraine's Agroton Holding has plans to complete the construction of eight poultry houses for young breeding stock in 2011.
According to the company, the poultry houses will produce hatching eggs, which will be used in Agroton's incubator facilities to produce chickens for fattening. Each group of young breeding stock will include 36,528 birds, totalling 73,056 breeders supplied in 2011.
The first four poultry houses will start operating by the end of April and the remaining four will start operating in August when a second group of breeding stock is supplied. Agroton estimates that it will produce 1.6 million eggs in the fourth quarter of 2011. In 2012 the company plans to produce 8.5 million eggs.

American Humane Association to evaluate alternative poultry housing

A project directed by the American Humane Association with the participation of Cargill Kitchen Solutions, McDonald's Corp., USA, Michigan State University and the University of California-Davis will evaluate alternative housing systems, according to Charlie Arnot, CEO of the Center for Food Integrity.
The study will be funded by the Coalition for a Sustainable Egg Supply and will take place at a large commercial farm in Iowa. The objective of the project is to compare conventional cage systems, colony cages and aviaries.