Thursday, May 12, 2016

Check Watering and Feeding Equipment as Your Birds Age



How you make a presentation counts


photo:
www.avianaquamiser.com
The birds we commonly use for meat and eggs do not have valves in their throats as we do.  Because of this, chickens, ducks and turkeys (to name a few) have to swallow food and water upright or throw the food to the back of the throat in a jerking motion like a woodpecker at a log.  To aid in feed conversion and water spillage, positon trough waterers and feeders lip height at the base of the bird’s neck or slightly higher so that the bird doesn’t waste feed and water standing up.



Nipple drinkers are a special case.  They should be set at the eye of the bird so that the birds jaw is below the level of the pin of the nipple drinker.  This will aid in controlling water spillage from this type of watering system.  Bell type watering systems should be adequately weighted to keep from swinging too much.

Feeders should no more that 1/3 full, and placed with the lip of the feeder even with the base of the neck of the bird.  If using a trough raise the feeder on blocks or similar structure to bring the food up to make it easier for the birds to eat.  Pasture should be long enough for the birds to easily pull on young blades of forage. 

Monday, December 28, 2015

Looking to the future by looking at our past...

'Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.' 
George Santayana 
source: USDA




It has been quite a year.  I am reminded of the fact that many of our current trends of systems for producing eggs are directly tied to production systems developed prior to the First World War.  Many of the problems that we saw in those times are being experienced now by producers.  In order to feed nine billion people by the middle of the century, we will need to develop improvements in all poultry production systems to become more efficient.  Nutrition, genetics, housing, healthcare and flock management should all be reviewed and improved upon where needed in order to make the production of food as efficient as possible.  This will need to take some investment and some support by producers and consumers alike if we are to be successful.  Time will tell.

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Making the Margin



Knowing where you are at will help you know where you are going....
 Many folks question me regarding commercial poultry production and its true sustainability.  Many of the farms I work with are family owned yet have grown over the course of 60-100 years of operation.  At the same time I work with folks with smaller flocks, who sell directly to their customers.  In each case for me to be economically sustainable is where a farm pushes past break-even for a sustained period of time.  Enough so to reach the goals of the farm.  So, each farm can make it if they: 1) understand their cost structures 2) prices their products properly for the market they are trying for, and 3) never invests more than what they are getting out of the system unless they wish to.  This point of diminishing return (MR=MC) at times hurts many farms regardless of size.  So, by buying inputs in bulk, trucking only with full loads, and moving high volumes of product works for some.  Keeping costs to a minimum, producing a product that will sell in certain markets works with others.  Each system fulfills the needs of the market, and brings a return to the farm.  Whichever system employed, it takes keeping great production & financial records to know where you are at all times.  And in a highly diversified market each system is needed to fulfill the demand of their customers.

Monday, June 22, 2015

Keeping it Clean

The C is more important than the D

When we speak of biosecurity, many folks immediately jump to disinfectants, application methods, and types of surfaces you have to C&D (clean and disinfect).  But if a surface is not clean first, there is no hope of disinfecting well, especially if the surface is really dirty.  To make your disinfectant work better, be sure to clean the item you are trying to disinfect. 
source: columbia.edu
Dry clean and then wash in soap and water if possible.  The soap and scrubbing action will remove many of the germs that you wish to kill.  With a clean surface any remaining germs will be killed with the proper disinfectant.  So if I have to choose, I would pick hot water and soap over just a disinfectant on a very dirty boot.  Contact time and scrubbing will help with removing dirt from most surfaces.  I carry liquid soap, water and a shallow pan in order to wash my rubber boots from my car every time a make a visit to a poultry farm.  I always follow up with a spray of disinfectant to finish the job.  When washing hands, scrub with soap and water then use a gel to sanitize.