Internationally-known egg
producers host seminar
BY DEBBIE KOONTZ
LANCASTER It only
seems appropriate to hold a
seminar for egg producers in
Lancaster. After all, it is the
number one agricultural
industry in the county.
But what may seem out of
the ordinary is that one of
the sponsors, Shaver Poultry
Breeding Farms, is a
worldwide organization
which serves the in
ternational poultry industry
from its main location in
Canada as well as from its
subsidiaries in 92 countries
around the world.
The day-long seminar,
held Tuesday, October 14 at
[ the Host Corral, was at
;. -<>nded by approximately 350
ijsople.
Greider Farms, Inc. and
Shaver Farms hosted the
seminar which included
slide presentations of both
facilities.
Immediately following
lunch, Stan Savage,
Nutritionist and Poultry
Specialist from the
University of Georgia spoke
about managing laying hens
for best performance.
He urged producers to
carefully and consistently
watch their chickens; for
negligence of up to only half
a day could be harmful for
them.
For instance,Jack of food
for half a day would cause a
chicken’s bones to start
deteriorating due to a
deficiency in calcium 'and
phosporous. Savage adivsed
age, 0... ,ity >rgia,.... guest
speaker at the seminar. Savage spoke on managing
laying hens for best performance.
feeling the chicken’s keel
and ribs for any changes.
He also told producers to
be consistent in feeding and
watering, with too little or
too much of both being
harmful for the chicken.
Fat chickens are a definite
Mil
no according to Savage. A
goal for body weight for a
chicken would be 2.55 pounds
at 18 weeks of age and 2.80
pounds at 20 weeks. If this
body weight can be reached
and maintained then the
pattern has been set for
This was not a guest speaker at the seminar, but
rather the main topic. This chicken is the famed
symbol of the Shaver Breeding Farms.
future feeding.
Savage, who received his
Bachelor’s in animal
nutrition and his Master’s in
poultry nutrition, obtained
his Ph.D. from the
University of Arizona. He
Lancaster Faradag,
then worked for Campbell
Soup Company.
Jay Greider, of Greider
Hatchery, gave a short in
troduction to the day along
with slides of the Greider
Farms Hatchery. He ex
plained that their farms
were one of the first in this
country to get a franchise
from Shaver Farms; thus
the connection.
After Greider, Shaver
National Sales Manager
Doug Bundle gave a slide
tour of the Shaver Breeding
facilities.
Following the slide tour,
the founder of Shaver
Farms, Ddh Shaver, spoke
about the history of his
business and his hopes for
future expansion.
Shaver Poultry Breeding
Farms was founded more
than 40 years ago. Shaver
says it began as a boyhood
project when he sold eggs
from his aunt’s chicken farm
in Canada.
The Shaver headquarters
is in Cambridge, Ontario, the
sight of six breeding farms
and three hatcheries.
Shaver pointed out that all
the Shaver locations around
the world perform the double
task of production and
service.
He prides himself in that
he has interviewed all
representatives in the world
associated with his farms.
He is, in fact, going to Peru
next month to talk to another
potential representative.
Japan, according to
Shaver, was their top
market for last year, ex
ceeding even the homeland
of Canada.
At the close of the day,
producers were given op
portunity to ask questions on
managing hens and on the
Shaver facilities.
Thein^^^Jlbleega.
Saturday.