A22-Unc«stef Farming, Satufday.Ttoywntef 29, IW7
Despite Season’s Heat, Drought, Turkey Producers Fortunate
(Continued from Pago A 1)
scaping on the side for about 10
years while helping his father run
the dairy.
One day in 1987, he tan across
an advertisement announcing a
meeting for Round Hill turkey
growers at the New Oxford Fire
Hall. He spoke with Round Hill
representatives and, that same
year, the first house was con
structed. (Wampler Foods, Hinton,
Va., purchased the Round Hill bus
iness in 1993.)
That house, measuring SO by
632 feet, includes a brooder house
and a growout area separated by
bird age, one from 6-7 weeks and
the other takes the birds up to 19
weeks.
That same year, Keller con
structed a truck tire disinfection
station, cleaning the wheels, wheel
wells, and tires of all trucks before
they arc allowed to enter the farm.
Those first steps at biosecurity
proved useful in warding off many
poultry diseases which can infect
birds.
David farms with wife Karen
and daughter Janet, 14, and Jason,
16, who help with fieldwork and
feeding the small birds.
In 1992, the second house was
built, measuring 50 by 625 feet
The houses include power venti
lated fans. In all, both facilities
house 26,000 toms, grown in
19-19V2 weeks to about 34-36
pounds under the Wampler con
tract. The Kellers finish four
cycles of birds a year, although
sometimes they finish only three
cycles.
The poults ate delivered at a day
to a day and a half old, weighing
about 55 grams, from Cuddy
Farms hatchery in North Carolina.
Most are the British United Turkey
(BUT) poults, or hybrids. Some
are Nicholas.
About 13,000 poults arrive on
Bionic Daughter Wins Gold Futurity
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio
On Nov. 10, the 1997 National
Guernsey Gold Futurity entries
were being announced as they par
aded into Freedom Hall in Louis
ville, Kentucky. The stakes were
high as the total pot of the 1997
Guernsey Golf Futurity was
$2,400.
The winning entry was bred and
owned by Clark and Joy Vilter of
Hartland, Wisconsin. Four Winds
ADM B Silk-ET was selected by
Judge Brian Garrison of Plain
City, Ohio, to receive the first
place Futurity banner sponsored
by E.R. Berousek of Yukon, Okla
homa.
This Exccllcnt-90 Lacschland
Choice ADM Bionic daughter has
production records to 17,206 M
3.8% 663 F 3.3% 567 P at 2-03 in
365 days.
In addition to the banner, ’‘Silk”
received the Shirley Wright Mem
orial Award, a silver champagne
cooler sponsored by Leroy and
Nita Lindley and Ralph and Mar
tha Turley of Ohio.
“Silk" won $745 and was pre
sented with the best udder award
sponsored by Good-As-Gold
Guernseys of Hi knar, California,
and the Russell Wenger Memorial
Award for the best bred and own
ed animal sponsored by Carlton
Wenger of Goshen, Indiana.
Going home with die second
place silver tiered tray sponsored
by Dr. John O. Mozier and Family
of Stanley, Kansas, was CR-Dix
one trailer, many from 2-3 diffe
rent farms. About 100 each ate
housed in individual crates, which
ate dumped into tings at the farm.
The poults have been beak
trimmed and toe-trimmed. They
are fed “crumbles" or pebbles of
feed by hand the first week. The
nutritionist determines the feed
makeup of the crumbles, which
includes com, soybean meal, and
vitamins.
In four weeks the poults are
switched to a pelletized feed until
they finish in about 19 weeks at
34-36 pounds.
After they are shipped, the
houses are cleaned and disinfected
and made ready for another flock.
Two houses cate for 6,500 birds
per house.
Keller noted that, despite the
change in corporate names,
Wampler involves dealing with the
same people as Round Hill.
Wampler sells turkeys to 41 diffe
rent countries.
Birds are moved off the farm 72
cages on a side, six cages high.
There are 144 cages on the trailer.
About a week before Thanks
giving, a trailer arrived and trans
ported the birds to Wampler in
time for the holiday.
For the Kellers, the biggest chal
lenge, according to David, was
keeping the birds cool when things
got “teal hot out.” Humidity levels
sour and the health of the birds is
challenged.
What proves particularly irritat
ing is humidity, which is nearly
impossible to control. In the sum
mer, birds use about 3,000 gallons
of water per day so the chal
lenge involves keeping the birds
sated and, for the smaller birds at
least, with higher demands for
food.
Also, disease “is a vety big con
cern in the poultry business,” Kell
er noted. “So far we’ve been
lucky.”
The first years in business, Kell-
Lee Smokey Whiskey. This
85-point Wampanoag Fayette
Smokey daughter is bred and
owned by Katie Dixon of Chester
town, Maryland, and has produc
tion records to 18,590 M 3.0%
557 F 3.3% 610 P at 2-04 in 305
days. “Whiskey” won $4lO for her
second place share of the pot and
received the silver picture frame
sponsored by Brans tetter Dairy of
Edmonton, Kentucky, for being
the first place junior exhibitor.
OCS Dairy Dias Perfect Opal-
ET, an 86-point lily Lane Penny
Perfecto-ET daughter, made a
clean sweep of all the production
awards.
Bred and owned by Oscar Clay
Smith of Jefferson, Maryland,
“Opal" has records to 25.340 M
4.7% 1,188F*3.4% 861P*at2-07
in 305 days.
“Opal” received a silver milk
pitcher for the high milk award
sponsored by American Breeders
Service in DeForest, Wisconsin;
the high butterfat production sil
ver tray sponsored by Marfrcd
Farms of Saluda, South Carolina;
and the high protein cheese tray
sponsored by Tri-State Milk Co
operative of West Salem, Wiscon
sin. “Opal" also won the Betty
Kessler Memorial Award spon
sored by Bay Meadow Farms of
Galt, California, for the high CPI
cow award.
Show sponsors included the
Bayer Company, Lavon Farms of
Plano, Texas, sponsor of rosettes.
The Kellers farm 20 acres (about 10 acres are tilled) on their turkey form near Gettys
burg. The farm was parceled out from David’s father, Joseph’s, dairy farm across the
road. They stand next to house built in 1987. At right is the house built in 1992.
er faced a teal threat from MG,
which prompted him to install the
disinfection station to get rid of the
disease before it came to his farm.
The station was installed in 1988.
Of course other challenges the
Kellers face are cholera, avian
influenza (A. 1.), Newcastle, and
others. A big concern this past year
was with A. 1., which hit flocks in
the previously quarantined section
of northern Lancaster County.
Another challenge is dealing
with the amount of poultry manure
generated at the farm. Fortunately,
the Kellers rely on Richard Flick
inger, located nearby, to handle the
manure.
The decision to go into the turk
ey business has proven fruitful for
Keller, since he reached one of his
objectives: more time with his
family.
“At the time, I was tired of
working away and I wanted to be
home more,” he said. This way, he
noted, he can take care of things
around the house while keeping a
close eye on the day-to-day opera
tions of the farm.
and John Marchczak of Bcntlcy
ville, Pennsylvania, who spon
sored wooden neckties.
Guernsey
Youth
Participate
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio
Fifty-four Guernsey youth ven
tured into the showring on Nov. 8,
in Louisville, Kentucky, to com
pete before Judge Lynn Lee in the
1997 National Guernsey show
manship contest
Sara Herges of Livingston,
Wisconsin, was the first champion
of the day, competing with 19
other youth to receive the top
award in the junior showmanship
class for exhibitors 9 to 12 years
of age. San was presented with a
plaque and a $lOO savings bond
for her efforts. Dan and Loretta
Mithoefer of Silver Lake, Indiana,
sponsors of all first place awards,
made the presentation.
Theresa Kanable of Spring
Green, Wisconsin, took the sec
ond place spot, receiving a $5O
savings bond and certificate do
nated fay Fowler Branstetter and
Family of Edmonton, Kentucky.
Rounding out the top three in
the junior contest was Aaron
Grosser of Marysville, Ohio, re
ceiving a show halter also donated
by Fowler Branstetter and Family.
David, right, farms with wife Karen, left, at their farm near
Gettysburg. David, who grew up on the dairy farm, worked
in a machine shop for a few years. After work with'the
machine shop, Keller did landscaping on the side for about
10 years while helping his father run the dairy.
Judge Lee then moved to the in
termediate showmanship class
where he had 16 well-polished ex
hibitors to choose from. The inter
mediate showmanship class is
open to youth between the ages of
13 to 15 years old. Jessie Deckard
of Spencer, Indiana, was chosen
as the first place winner of the
class. Jessie received a plaque and
a $ 100 savings bond from Dan and
Loretta Mithoefer.
Jessica Eilets of Scotch Grove,
lowa, received a $5O savings bond
and a certificate for her second
{dace efforts. Third place honors
went to Amanda Derr of Carey,
Ohio, who received a show halter
for her achievements. The second
224 Entries
REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio -
There were 224 entries in the
National Guernsey Show held
Nov. 9-10, in Louisville, Ky.
Brian Garrison of Plain City,
Ohio was judge.
In the end, grand champion
•The American
Guernsey
Association
and third place awards were d<
nated by Clark and Joy Vilter i
Hartland Wisconsin.
Sixteen to 21-year-old junior
exhibitors competed in the senior
showmanship contest with Scott
Weiseosel of Marshall, Wiscon
sin, in Gist place. Scott received a
plaque and a $lOO savings bond
donated by Dan and Loretta Mit
hoefer.
Carrie Dillon of Jerome, Michi
gan, placed second, receiving *
$5O savings bond and certificate
sponsored by Steve and Johnn*
Mills of Saluda, South Carolina.
Winning die third place show
halter, also sponsored by Steve
and Joimna Mills, was Beth Mer
ges of Livingston, Wisconsin.
In National
honors were bestowed on
Peytons HF Andy Sky, the first
place aged cow owned by James
Berryman of Nicholasville,
Kentucky. “Shy* is Very Good-89
and is sired by Homback Farm
(Turn to Pag* A 24)
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