Proposed layer farm opponents sue county, Sonstegard Foods

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  Opponents of a proposed Sonstegard Foods layer farm in Turner County, S.D., are suing the company the county.

  From WATTAgNet:
  A group of homeowners is suing South Dakota’s Turner County Commission and Sonstegard Foods, the owners of a proposed layer farm, in hopes of keeping the company from building the operation near the city of Parker.
  Sonstegard Foods, parent company of Sunrise Farms, hopes to build an $85 million farm, which when fully realized, would house 6 million hens.
  The plaintiffs claim the commission used a fax from the Sonstegard Foods to re-write the county's zoning ordinance without public input. In doing so, the commission made it possible to locate the operation less than three miles from Parker city limits.
  Michael Schaffer, who represents three couples opposed to the Sonstegard Foods facility, in the lawsuit asks a judge to declare the ordinance null and void, which he says would nullify any building permit the county issues.
  The county's lawyer, Matt Olson, says the commission didn't break any rules. State law was followed in the 2014 zoning ordinance rewrite, and Sonstegard Foods' proposal could be eligible for permits at its current location under the old or new version of the ordinance regardless, OIson said.
  At issue is a last-minute tweak to the way animal units are calculated in permits for concentrated animal feeding operations. Turner County's planning and zoning board met several times in 2014 to rework its 2008 rules. The changes were designed to make livestock permitting easier, Olson said.
  Under the old ordinance – which was approved by the zoning board and sent to the county commission for approval - each chicken in a liquid manure system counted as .01 animal units. Under that factor, Sonstegard's operation would be equal to a 60,000 beef cattle operation and need to be 5.4 miles from any city.
  In Moody County and in the entire state of Minnesota, chickens in a dry manure barn are calculated with a different factor: .003 animal units. Under those calculations, Sonstegard has an 18,000 animal operation. That can be placed less than 2.5 miles from a city.
  Peter Sonstegard, vice president for sales of Sonstegard Foods, sent a fax with Moody County's animal unit rules to the county commission after its September 9 first reading of the new zoning ordinance, Argus Leader reported. That fax showed up on the commissioners' table at the second reading of the zoning ordinance in September 2014, the lawsuit claims, and the new rules were added and approved without further public notice of the specific change.
  That fax should have been available for public viewing, Schaffer said, and the zoning ordinance should have gone back to the zoning board before the county commission approved it. Because that process wasn't followed, Schaffer said, and because "there are serious questions" about how much access there was to the zoning ordinance for public review, the suit says the zoning ordinance is invalid.
  However, the county commission has the authority to make changes to a zoning ordinance between a first and second reading, Olson said, and it can do so by considering any public input. Also, Olson said the zoning ordinance was changed several times during the yearlong revision process, and all of the revisions were available for public review at the planning office in the courthouse, he said.
  At a recent meeting with the zoning board, planning commissioners and Olson told the plaintiffs that Sonstegard had no hand in drafting the 2014 ordinance.
  The company and county commissioners have 30 days to respond to the lawsuit. Sonstegard Foods has applied for a conditional permit, but a hearing on the matter has yet to be scheduled.

Sonstegard Foods plans to build layer farm in SD

Sonstegard Foods, headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is hoping to expand its egg business by building a new layer farm near Parker, South Dakota.
"We've been talking about building another chicken farm for five years," Peter Sonstegard, the company's vice president of sales, told the Argus Leader. "We've looked at buying some other companies, we've looked at buying some other farms and we've come to the conclusion that we're better building it ourselves."
The expansion in Parker would cost $85 million overall, with 18 months separating the initial groundbreaking from the first shipment of eggs, he said. The facilities would include two barns to start with and 30 to 40 employees. Sonstegard hopes to add a barn a year until the facility reaches six million chickens.
There would aslo be a feed mill, manufacturing facility and two sheds to store dry manure – which would then be sold as fertilizer.
Sonstegard Foods, the parent egg company of Sunrise Farms, originated in 1972, and now operates in five states under several names, selling dry, liquid and shelled eggs to grocery stores, schools, prisons, and manufacturing companies.


News of new layer farm gets mixed reviews in Parker area
Several area residents attended a public meeting in Parker on February 16, with some speaking in favor of the farm.
Parker Mayor Ron Nelson said the city has not taken an official position on the proposed farm, but he did say he likes the idea of 155 new jobs and the impact those jobs will have on the local and regional economy, the Sioux City Journal reported.
At the same meeting, some residents expressed concerns about potential odors, but area farmer Shane Merrill said he toured one of Sonstegard’s facilities in Iowa, and he was impressed with its efforts to reduce odors and flies.

Verbeek and Novogen cooperate in European layer market

Groupe Grimaud, the main shareholder of layer breeding company Novogen, and AgruniekRijnvallei, main shareholder of Verbeek Hatchery, one of Europe’s leading commercial layer hatcheries, are strengthening their positions through a joint cooperation agreement in the European layer market.
On December 24, Groupe Grimaud has taken an important interest in Verbeek and have become shareholder in Verbeek together with AgruniekRijnvallei. This alliance strengthens the existing close business relationship between Novogen and Verbeek by positioning Verbeek as the spearhead of Novogen products in Europe, alongside the other European distributors such as Tom Barron in the U.K., NovoPonte in France and those coming soon in other countries.
Frédéric Grimaud, president of Groupe Grimaud, stated: “I am extremely pleased and proud of this agreement. Since Verbeek started the distribution of Novogen products we shared the same point of view. We have been working closely together in full confidence and this agreement is a perfect proof of that. It is also a good example of a transnational European project between a private and a cooperative operator. No doubt that this alliance will boost both companies businesses.”
Martin Grift, general manager of AgruniekRijnvallei, said: “The current market conditions require cooperation. We are very happy with this strategic development in the layer market. Through closer cooperation and short lines between breeding and market enables us to meet the requirements of the sector much better. The way of working of Groupe Grimaud fits the core values of AgruniekRijnvallei. The current market approach of Verbeek remains unchanged.”

Latest available knowledge on layer business shared during H&N International technical school

H&N School attendees gather with Agromix and H&N staff at Agromix Hatchery, Netherlands.
H&N International welcomed 31 participants from more than 20 countries to take advantage of a very interesting and updated technical training program conducted by qualified H&N personnel, and also by one outside guest speaker, Thomas Calil, PasReform. The event, held December 9-13 in Bremen, Germany, offered the latest available knowledge on the layer business.
During the weeklong event, important subjects such as biosecurity, the latest management techniques for improving flock performance results, nutrition, ventilation, world egg market situation and hatchery best practice among others were discussed.  In summary, all the latest information on the layer business was shared so those attending could upgrade their knowledge.  They were able  to their companies in a position to put into practice what they learned during the H&N School, thus delivering  a very good return on the investment to attend the school.
 The group also had an opportunity to visit the new  state of the art hatchery of Agromix Broederij en Opfokintegratie in the Netherlands.   While in the Netherlands, the group also had the opportunity to visit  Kwetters, one of the largest egg grading and packing companies in the European Union.
"We have had very nice and pleasant moments with our customers during our technical school, and it was good to see the knowledge and cultural exchanges they could have, while talking to each other all during the week. They went back with a huge amount of valuable information, which make us, H&N International, proud of the results achieved during the week with them", stated Eduardo de Souza Pinto, managing director of H&N International.
H&N International has been working worldwide since 1945 to produce layers with excellent genetic potential in order to deliver to the market the most profitable layer available. This effort is supplemented by marketing activities and world class technical support, which is both timely and meaningful to H&N customers.

Beware of cold temperatures affecting feed intake and layer performance

With cold weather conditions threatening to inhibit the ability of free range hens to self-regulate their body temperature, nutritional experts at ABN warn that feed programs may need to be revised to take into consideration the hen's additional energy requirement in winter.
Within the hen's thermoneutral zone - approximately 20C to 25C, which can vary depending on several factors such as bodyweight - hens are able to maintain a constant body temperature with the help of physical heat regulation, comments Lucy Gallant, ABNs' poultry technical specialist.
"The energy required by the hen for maintenance is provided in the feed and in colder temperatures, the hen will need to find extra energy to stay warm by dipping into the energy from their feed that's needed for production, which can cause feed intake to rise," said Gallant.
Gallant warns that in colder weather feed intake per hen can go up by as much as 1.0 to 1.1 grams per degree Celsius change in temperature, which has associated cost implications. "And this comes with no added returns or improvements in performance; just a bigger feed bill," Gallant said.
The energy within the hens' diet is used across a variety of activities, encompassing maintenance and the hens' ability to regulate their temperature, and other key factors, such as growth and egg production.
Gallant notes that when something challenges this status quo such as a drop in temperature, the birds' natural reaction is to prioritise for maintenance and reduce the amount of energy going into growth and egg production.
"This is why it is so important farmers work with their advisors to ensure birds are fed the correct specification ration," she said. "By feeding the right spec ration to suit the hens' energy requirements, any drop in performance can be avoided.
"It's important to consider the time of year and at what stage in the flocks' production cycle they are at when selecting a ration."
John Round, ABN's poultry nutritionist notes that a comprehensive range of layer rations are supplied by ABN with this in mind to be able to suit birds at all stages of lay.
"There are six different specifications varying from the top spec ration, down to the base ration. As the specification of the rations increases so too do the protein and energy levels," he said
The rations are designed to have optimum levels of digestible amino acids, such as digestible methionine, which is a key amino acid in layer feed. High levels of metabolizable energy are also included, with the aim of supporting a high level of egg production with low feed intake and high feed efficiency.
"Across the range of layer rations these vital components are the variables that determine the nutrient specifications of the diets," he concluded.
Gallant goes on to add why it is also essential to consider the life of the flock. "In early lay, high feed energy levels are vital to ensure peak productivity is reached as the flock is coming into production whilst also continuing to grow.
"This is a demanding time and if colder temperatures are also causing a drain on energy levels, it is more important than ever to ensure the birds are being fed the correct ration to meet their requirements," she said.
Monitoring the hens' performance and the bigger production picture is central to successful management, she advised. "Farmers should be regularly recording and monitoring performance indicators such as egg production, egg weight, liveability, bird uniformity, body weight and feed intake.
"A weekly analysis of these indicators will enable benchmarking, and thus help farmers and their technical advisors determine the correct ration specification needed to meet their requirements at any particular time in the production cycle," she added. "We have access to a range of tools and services to enable us to help our customers monitor and analyze hen performance and financial returns."
Gallant concluded that if the basics are done well, it will go a long way towards managing free range layers performance, even during periods of cold weather when there is an increased strain on the energy provided through the feed. "High energy diets should be considered to counteract this effect."

Bangladesh breeds new layer chicken

The Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute has developed a variety of layer chicken, named Shubhra, bred to reduce dependence on layer imports.
The new breed can lay eggs within 19 weeks and has an annual laying capacity of 280-295 eggs. The chicken was bred for disease resistance in the local environment, according to BLRI officials.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged scientists to continue their development efforts in the poultry and dairy industries to address the country's shortage of meat and protein.

Proposed federal egg layer legislation gains support

U.S. animal welfare and egg supply groups have stepped forward to comment on the recent federal layer legislation agreement between the United Egg Producers and the Humane Society of the United States.
The potential legislation, which would set national animal welfare standards for hens involved in U.S. egg production, would bring the U.S. in line with the European Union position on laying hens, according to international farm animal welfare charity Compassion in World Farming. "We welcome the news of an agreement that could see an end to barren battery cages in the U.S.," said Philip Lymbery, the organization's chief executive. "This new development...is a step in the right direction." 
According to the Coalition for Sustainable Egg Supply, the agreement between the UEP and the HSUS reinforces the need for research, which will provide evidence on the best housing systems for laying hens to create a sustainable egg supply. The American Humane Association has also announced its support for the direction of the agreement. "Overall, we are pleased with the intentions of the egg-producing industry," said Dr. Robin Ganzert, association president and CEO. "We haven't seen their proposal, but if they adopt enriched colonies, Americans will have a safe and affordable egg supply that improves the welfare of laying hens. The American public has been demanding better treatment of farm animals, and we support any significant move in that direction."

Ghana poultry layer numbers up, broiler numbers down

Ghana's current poultry layer count stands at 21 million, an 11% increase over 2010's 18 million, according to Kwabena Asante, chairman of the Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers. Broilers, however, have been experiencing a downward trend for the last 10 years due to frozen chicken imports and high animal feed costs, said Asante.
Nevertheless, the poultry industry is contributing to Ghana's growth, said Asante. The rise in layers could contribute to an additional 1,500 jobs in the industry, including those in the maize sector. Roughly 529,300 metric tons of maize will be needed to feed the layers each year.

Bangladesh invents new layer poultry breed

A new layer poultry breed has been invented by the Bangladesh Livestock Research Institute, according to reports.
The BLRI-1 breed is the result of research on Japanese breeds Pure Line and Selective Breeding. "The new breed is more productive than imported ones," said BLRI Director General Khan Shahidul Haque. "It will be able to reduce foreign dependence in the poultry industry." BLRI-1 is expected to lay roughly 292 eggs per year and should be less prone to disease, as it was bred to be suited to Bangladesh's climate, said researchers.