QUARRYVILLE The ninth
annual Solanco Young Fanners
banquet was held Thursday,
March 24, at the Memorial United
Methodist Church.
Axel Linde, Oxford, was recog-
mere annual banquet are, left to right, Marty Greenleaf,
Dwayne Pelfer, Larry Aaron, Grant Troop, and Ed Zug.
BY OWEN D. KEENE
Associate Professor of
Poultry Science
Penn State University
Biosecurity
Emergency and common poul
try diseases are caused by microor
ganisms (microbes). They are
invisible except when viewed
under a microscope. In less than a
day a single microbe can repro
duce to a number greater than the
number of people on earth. When
these microbes cause disease they
threaten the health of your flock
and the success of your business.
Keeping the disease-producing
microbes away from your flock by
using a defense plan is called
biosecurity.
Biosecurity or effective disease
prevention is the only way to deal
with emergency diseases such as
avian influenza, exotic Newcastle
disease and duck plague enteritis.
These are emergency diseases
because they must be reported to
state and federal authorities when
diagnosed. There are no known
effective cures for these diseases.
They cause epidemics, long
expensive quarantines and flock
depopulation resulting in severe
personal and financial loss.
Biosecurity also helps to pre
vent the spread of other common
poultry diseases such as fowl chol
era, laryngotracheitis, mycoplas
ma and paratyphoid infections.
These diseases are very contagious
and result in poor growth rate and
egg production, reduced product
quality and chronic economic loss
in poultry flocks.
Microbes travel from place to
place by chicken crates, egg filler
flats, trucks, other equipment and
people. They can be found on your
hands, hair, shoes and Clothing.
They are found on the skin and hi
Solanco Young
nized as the Outstanding Young
Farmer under 30, and Karl Herr,
Christiana, was selected as the
winner in the over 30 category.
A. Dale Herr, Kirkwood,
received the active member award
Lowdown
on Layers
by
Owen Keene
Associate Professor of Poultry Science
Penn State University
the digestive and respiratory
organs of dogs, cats, rats, mice,
and wild, free-flying birds. Flies,
beetles and other insects are also
notorious spreaders of disease
causing organisms.
To avoid bringing disease to
poultry, change to fresh, clean
coveralls, hats and boots when vis
iting a farm. Equipment such as
chicken hauling crates, egg filler
flats, delivery trucks, toolboxes,
vaccine sprayers and debeakers
need careful attention when you
are using them on different farms.
Be alert to all ways that disease can
spread to your farm.
These are just a few of the ways
that disease can be prevented.
Biosecurity, in simple terms, is
informed common sense. Informa
tion on biosecurity has been recen
tly published in a brochure on
Biosecurity for Poultry by MACE
(Mid-Atlantic Cooperative Exten
sion) Poultry Health and Manage
ment Unit The publication covers,
in greater detail, many of the
points I have discussed. It outlines
biosecurity insurance programs for
home poultry flocks, commercial
flocks, live markets, auctions,
farm visitors, catching crews and
truckers.
MACE is a cooperative effort
between extension specialists in
poultry science and veterinarians
of the land grant universities in
Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey,
New York, Pennsylvania and Vir
ginia. Penn State is part of this
effort of MACE to promote biose
curity management practices. If
you would like to have a copy of
the brochure on Biosecurity for
Poultry, contact your county agent
or write to Owen D. Keene, 224
Henning, University Park, PA
16802. We should have ample
quantities by April 15.
Farmers Honored At Ba
for his enthusiasm and involve
ments in local chapter activities.
This year’s appreciation award f
was presented to James Huber,
Triple H Equipment, Peach Bot
tom, for his contributions and sup
port of the young farmer program.
Mr. Huber received an engraved
plaque in appreciation for his
support.
The following com awards were
presented to winners in the annual
com production contest Dwayne
Peifer, Kirkwood, produced 179
bushels of shelled com per acre to
win the grain division. H. Grant
Troop, Quarryville, was second
with 171 bushels, and C. Martin
Greenleaf, Jr., was third with 164
bushels per acre. Dwayne Peifer,
Kirkwood, received the award for
the highest grain average for the
past three years with 161 bushels.
In the com silage division
Edward Zug, Peach Bottom,
placed first with 25.2 tons per acre
of 65% moisture com silage.
Dwayne Peifer, Kirkwood, was
second with 24.9 tons per acre and
Lany Aaron, Quarryville, placed
third with 24.7 tons. Larry Aaron
also received the trophy for the
highest silage average for the past
three years with 24.5 tons per acre.
The following dairy production
awards were presented. Robert
Kauffman, Jr., Peach Bottom,
received all the Holstein awards.
His herd average was 21,121
pounds of milk and 796 pounds of
fat He also had the high cow for
milk with 30,434 pounds and the
high cow for butterfat with 1,080
pounds!
J. Marvin Herr’s Holtwood herd
of Jerseys took top honors with
13,767 pounds of milk and 659
Annual Old-Fashioned Days
CALEDONIA. NY On Sun
day, April 24, the public is cordial
ly invited to the hillsides south of
Scottsville, as the Western New
York Draft Horse and Pony Club
presents its 12th Annual Old Fash
ioned Days at Honey Locust
Farms. More than 100 draft ani
mals in teams of two, three, four
and five, will pull plows and plant
the fields with oats and potatoes, in
a fashion reminiscent of a by-gone
era. Demonstrations begin at 9:00
a.m. and continue throughout the
day.
Free horse-drawn wagon rides
will take visitors into the fields to
watch at close range the work
being done. There is no charge for
admission and there will be plenty
of free parking.
Refreshments and a chicken
barbeque will be available. Also
on Sunday, there will be sheep
shearing demonstrations and a
craft sale.
Members of the Draft Horse and
Pony Club travel from all parts of
Western New York to participate
in this event Honey Locust Farm
is located off of Maxwell Station
Road south of Scottsville. Take
West River Road north off of
Route S west of Avon. Turn left on
. Herr,.
and the Appreciation Award was presented to James
Huber.
pounds of fat. His cow, with 908 of milk and 729 pounds of fat. Lin
pounds of fat, also took the top denhof also had the high cow for
award for butterfat production, milk with 17,920 pounds and-the
The cow owned by George and high cow for fat with 887 pound.
Doris Hough, Peach Bottom The most improved herd for
topped the milk production of the milk and fat was the Holstein herd
Jersey’s with 18,894 pounds. of Willis and Jim Krantz, Quarry-
ville. Their milk production was
Lindenhof Farm, Oxford, U p 2219 pounds and butterfat up
received the award for the high 110 pounds over last year’s
Guernsey herd with 15,807 pounds production.
orse Club To Hold
NY
Cameron Road and then right onto then left onto Maxwell Station
Maxwell Station. Or, take West Road. For more information call
River Road South out of Scottsvil- either (716) 538-6288 or (716)
1c; turn right onto South Road and 889-3164.
LIVESTOCK
LATEST
Lower Returns For Hog Producers
ers are likely to experience the
The profitability of. U.S. hog largest year-to-year declines in
operations diminished in fourth- profitability, with higher feed
quarter 1987 and will probably costs and lower pig prices squeez
continue lower through most of h,g ma rging. Finishing operations
this year. Net returns ut 1988 will should fare somewhat better, as
be down substantially and may reduced feeder pig prices help
average only slightly above offset a decline in hog prices,
breakeven, unlike the relatively Fixed costs per head may be
good years of 1986 and 1987. slightly lower as a greater share of
Lower hog prices will account for slaughter animals comes from
the bulk of the decline, although large production facilities. If so,
higher feed costs will contribute. the breakeven point may be lower
Increased pork supplies will than last year,
limit seasonal price retails. Of all Reprinted from the March
hog operators, feeder pig produc- issue of “Agricultural Outlook.”
Broiler Production
May Be 7% Higher
Broiler production during 1987 chick placements suggest that
was estimated more than 9 percent first-quarter 1988 production may
above 1986. The quarterly broiler be 7 percent larger than a year ago.
hatchery supply flock estimates/ Production during all of 1988 is
which correlate with first-, second- projected only 5 percent above last
, and third-quarter 1988 slaughter, year, mainly because of narrowing
were 15,13, and 8 percent greater profit margins,
than in 1986, respectively. Reprinted from the March issue
Monthly hatch and weekly of “Agricultural Outlook.”
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