October 2023
To Vaccinate or Not? The Potential for Using Bird-flu Vaccines in U.S. Poultry Production
Madhusudan Timilsina DVM, MS, and Mostafa Ghanem DVM, MS, Ph.D., Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Maryland
What is the threat posed by Bird-flu to poultry and human health?
Bird-flu or the highly pathogenic form of avian influenza infection (HPAI) was responsible for death and depopulation of more than 58 million birds in United States during the 2022/2023 outbreak. Also, there have been numerous reports of Bird-flu infection in humans causing severe disease and deaths across the world but these infections as of now are isolated cases with no human-to-human transmission. The current outbreak is the most impactful in terms of the number of birds affected and economic loss has raised the fear that Bird-flu could persist and become an endemic disease in poultry population. Read more>>
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Ten Flock Supervisors Honored at Chicken Community Conference in Ocean City
DCA - News Release, September 27, 2023
Ten flock supervisors from Delmarva’s chicken companies received Outstanding Flock Supervisor Awards at Delmarva Chicken Association’s 58th National Meeting on Poultry Health, Processing, and Live Production. As flock supervisors, these chicken company employees work face-to-face with independent chicken growers as liaisons between the farmer and the chicken company. Flock supervisors are among the more than 18,300 people employed by Delmarva’s chicken processing companies, and make important contributions to the Delmarva chicken community’s $5 billion economic impact.
The flock supervisors honored were:
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Mike McCready of Allen Harim, a Five-time Award Recipient
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Blair Boyce of Amick Farms, a Two-time Award Recipient
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Juan Santiago of Amick Farms
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Brian Hill of Mountaire Farms
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Michael Evans of Mountaire Farms, a Seven-time Award Recipient
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Christen Boyer of Perdue Farms
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Dylan Brumbley of Perdue Farms
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Aaron Chandler of Perdue Farms
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John Pfleger of Coleman, a Four-time Award Recipient
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Trevor Cooper of Tyson
“Your job is not easy, but it can be very rewarding when you see a grower’s settlement improve based on your recommendations,” said Amy Syester, DCA’s vice president. “Each of you are vital to the grower and the company. Thank you to all of Delmarva’s flock supervisors for your hard work.”
“An outstanding flock supervisor understands the needs of the contract growers he or she works with, and offers assurance to a chicken company that standards and practices are being followed,” said Holly Porter, DCA’s executive director. “These award recipients work hard day in and day out to meet those goals.”
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Court Ruling Affirms Maryland Chicken Farm Permits Are Legal and Effective
James Fisher, Communications Manager, DCA
The Maryland Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld a livestock farm water quality permit written by the Maryland Department of the Environment that had been challenged in court by environmental activists. The appellate court's ruling also found that MDE's best management practices-based regulatory framework for the state's permit was "reasonable" and "consistent with federal and state law." Read more>>
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Innovation Needs to be with Right Questions
by Sean Clougherty, Delmarva Farmer
OCEAN CITY, Md. — Working in the arena of poultry production technology, Dr. Jess Campbell said about every six months on average, someone comes along with a “magic box” — a new product that promises to improve feed conversion, faster bird growth or some other improvement.
“I do see a lot of things that look neat,” he said at the Delmarva Chicken Association’s recent National Meeting on Poultry Health, Processing and Live Production. “It sounds great and a lot of them are good ideas” but none live up to the hype of being a silver bullet. Read more>>
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2023 Grower Lunch Breaks and More Events
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October 7: Delmarva Chicken Festival @ Arthur W. Perdue Stadium, Salisbury Make sure you stop by and see us!
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December 13 (Standard) Controller Workshop: Frankford Fire Hall, Frankford, DE
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December 14 (Precision) Controller Workshop - Denton, MD
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December 15 (Standard) Controller Workshop - Denton, MD
For more information on past talks, like the following, go to extension.umd.edu/poultry and ‘Take a Look’!
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September 6: 'Taxes' @ Caroline Co. 4-H Park, Denton
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September 26: 'Common Mistakes Made in a Water Program' - May Foy of Proxy-Clean Products and 'What's New in Tunnel-Ventilated Broiler Houses' - Mike Czarick of University of Georgia Extn.