A3B-Lancaster Farming, Saturday, March 7,1992
Poultry Association
(Contlnutd from Pag* A 1)
to Coatesville Producer’s Co-op.
From the late 1950 s to about 1965,
the number of hens declined. From
1965 until 1980, Menno L. con
centrated on dairy milk produc
tion, but when his son Dennis L.
took over the farm, he built a
60,000 layer house. Dennis, his
wife and three sons continue to
care for the layers.
Dennis Pony’s great grand
father, John M. Forty, purchased
the the Manheim farm in 1911. He
started with a flock of 300 Leghorn
layers. Benjamin H., Dennis’s
grandfather, built a chicken house
during the 1930 s for 1,100 layers.
B. Musser Rory expanded in in
1966 when he converted the laying
house to accomodate broilers and
J. W. Irwin, county Extension director emeritus, hands a
Poultry Family Spirit Award to Donald and Luann Brubaker
who are the second generation to operate the family poultry
farm in Strasburg.
Dennis Eby, Gap, and Dennis Flory, Manhelm, receive
Poultry Family Spirit Awards from Jay W. Irwin, county
Extension director emeritus.
John Hoffman questions one of the speakers at the day
long poultry seminar, Cathleen Marquardt, about her theor
ies on how to put people’s rights ahead of animal Interests.
he built a new chicken house to
raise a combined total of 60,000
birds.
In 1978, Dennis L. came into the
operation. He bought another farm
and built a 60,000-bird house. In
1986, he added a second house for
a combined total of 80,000 layers,
which he continues to operate.
Three generations
Victor Wheelock, Chambers
burg; John O. Stoltzfus, Lancaster;
and Robert Brubaker, Manheim;
operate farms that have been in the
family for three generations.
Although the Wheelocks do not
live in Lancaster County, they are
members of the Lancaster County
Poultry Association and well
known in the state. Ellis Wheelock
started in 1930 with approximately
SO chickens in Warren. His wife
dressed the chickens and sold eggs
to businesses and from house to
house.
His son, Walter, helped with the
chickens and later started raising
turkeys, which he dressed and sold
for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
In 1953, Walter started a poultry
business with 500 chickens in
Chambersburg. He continued to
increase the flock and started a
small hatchery with six Jamesway
incubators. The business expanded
until he was able to hatch 100,000
pullet chicks per week.
When Walter died, his son Vic
tor took over the business and
increased the size of the hatchery
that now has capacity for 8 million
pullet chicks a year.
John O. Stoltzfus’s grandfather,
John D., started with 3,000 layers
at 148 Marticville Road, Lancas
ter, in 1950. The layers were gra
dually increased to 70,000 in 1972
by Samuel Z. Presently, John O.
has 44,000 birds. He said, “We are
growing a larger bird so the houses
are full in eight weeks.”
Three generations of Robert
Brubakers have raised poultry at
Valley View Farm in Manheim.
Paul and Martha Brubaker started
with two broiler houses in 1963.
He raised more than six million
birds for Victor Weaver Inc.,
before his retirement in 1980.
His son Bob built two 24,000
square feet broiler houses in 1969
and expanded to four houses in
1977. In 1990, Bob and Lois
formed a partnership with their son
Bob Jr., who will marry this year.
The Brubakers have purchased a
farm with a 85,000-pullet house
for Bob Jr. and his wife to manage.
The two Manheim poultry oper
ations are located at 1908 Valley
Road, and at 2871 N. Colebrook
Rd.
Bob Sr. said, “We have seen
many different ideas and feeding
programs over the years, some
experimental, some with limited
success, and some with vast
improvements. Despite the
changes in the past two decades,
we feel our chicken houses and
equipment are still comparable and
competitive with new broiler
houses and should last for many
more years. We now contract with
Tyson Foods.”
Second generation awards
Three families received second
generation awards for keeping the
poultry business in the family.
Last year, Donald and Luann
Brubaker took over the family
poultry business located in Stras
burg. Beaver Creek Farms was
started by Harold and Miriam Bru
baker in 1952 with 3,600 layers in
an old three-story bank barn
In recognition for keeping the poultry farm in' operation for four generations, Jay
Irwin, right, awarded, from left. Robert L. Sr., Paul H., and Robert L. Brukaker Sr., Man
helm, and Victor Wheelock, Chambereburg.
located between Beaver Creek and
Little Beaver Road.
In 1959, the Brubakers built a
house for 8,000 pullets, which they
raised for Dekalb. In 1961, they
built another house to raise a total
of 16,000 pullets.
The Brubakers switched to
broilers in 1967 and raised 22,000
broilers for Miller and Bushong
and later Pennfield. Another house
built in 1974 increased the opera
tion to 56,000. Harold died in
1989. Donald and his mother
worked together until Miriam
retired. When Donald took over
last year, he built another house,
increasing the operation to 90,500.
Esh Egg Farm was started in
1964 by Samuel B. Esh in Gordon
ville. He started with 5,040 birds in
stair step cages. When he first
graded eggs, the grader did six
cases each hour. These eggs were
transported by pony cart to com
munity customers and sold at far
mer’s markets. In 1974, cages
were changed to three-tier to house
12,000 birds.
Now son David expanded and
processes eggs from 100,000
birds. They pack 50 cases per hour
and eggs are delivered to five sur
rounding states.
Penns Peaceful Meadow Farm
was begun in 1978 by J. Harold
and Jean Musser. The Mt. Joy
A rat perched on Larry Kendall’s shoulder Illustrates the
necessity for rodent control on poultry farms. With Infared
photography film, Kendall of Purina Mills, Inc., showed the
destruction rodents pose In chicken houses.
operation began with a 60.000 lay
er house. A partnership was
formed in 1979 and another 60,000
layer house built. In 1983, A.I.
Fluenza wiped out both houses. In
1984, one house was destroyed by
(Turn to Pago A 39)
Kathy Matuskik