ess Day Helps
»A Better Job _
The more water birds drink,
the more it helps to lower inter
nal temperature.
“A two-degree drop may
make the difference between life
and death,” Pantano said. How
ever, it is important to keep
water temperatures between 50-
60-degrees. Birds drink less
water if the water temperature
rises above these levels and, at
110-degrees, will refuse to drink
any water.
It also seems to help reduce
bird fatalities if the broilers are
walked. They have a tendency to
sit still, and this traps more heat
beneath them, causing internal
temperatures to rise. A producer
walking through the house will
encourage the birds to move
around.
It is important to be prepared
for hot weather before it hap-
Lebanon
Landis Bro., Inc,
Martinsburg
Wmeland Equipment, Inc,
Mercersburg
Smith’sJmplements, Inc.
Mill Hall
Dunkle and Greib, Inc,
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pens rather than waiting until
temperatures escalate.
“Tunnel ventilation is defi
nitely the way to go,” Patano
said. But that in itself is not
enough. He stressed the impor
tance of having kick-in ther
mometers and alarm and
generator backups. Shutters and
fogging systems need to kept
clean to allow the best possible
air flow. Grass, weeds, and
bushes can block airflow from
entering the house. Be aware
that electrical boxes can
overheat and shut down.
Maintaining brooder tem
peratures reflects on feed con
version and yolk formation.
Bradford said that yolk sac ab
sorption is the main source for
maternal antibodies to pass on
an immune system to offspring.
Bradford cautioned producers
to make sure that heat sources
illuminate consistent heat. Al
though temperatures may be ac-
New Alexandria
Lone Maple Sales & Serv.,
Inc.
Oakland Mills
Lost Creek Implement, Inc
Oley
Pikeville Equipment, Inc.
Oxford
Deer Creek Implement,
Inc.
GREAT C
111
Red Lion
Waltemyer’s Sales & Serv.,
Inc.
Somerset
Scheffel Equipment Co.
Stoneboro
Elder Sales & Service, Inc.
Towanda
S.P.E., Inc,
ceptable beneath pancake and
radiant space heaters, chicks
who leave to partake of food and
water may walk away from the
heat source and not return.
“Chicks are known not to be
the smartest things in the
world,” Bradford said.
“Look and listen to brids for
signs of uncomfortableness,”
Bradford said. Deafening chirps
signal trouble. The chirps should
sound soothening to the ear.
“If environmental require
ments are not met in the first
week, the potential the bird
possesses will be lost, never to be
recaptured,” Bradford said.
Gains in genetics involved in
rate gains have been so pheno
mental that Bradford jokingly
told producers, “Soon we will be
hatching a five-pound bird and
we won’t need you.”
It wasn’t that many years ago
that it took 15 weeks to grow a
seven-pound rooster. Today it
takes only six weeks to produce
a five-pound bird. This demands
more attention to create a healt
ful environment for the rapidly
growing birds, which are more
susceptible to temperature
stresses.
“Bird genetics cause more
Tunkhannock
Barton Supply, Inc
Watsontown
Deerfield Ag & Turf Center,
Inc.
West Chester
M.S. Yearsley & Sons, Inc.
Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, March 11, 2000-A27
Pat Wood speaks with Jim Shirk about the importance of
good public relationships. In her presentation, Wood said,
“The future of agriculture is at stake because of public
misunderstanding.”
water to pass through a bird,
which demands more managing
of wet litter.
“You can do wonderful things
in the house, but if you’re not
taking moisture out of the
“Push it off, and it will cost you,” Barnes said of repairs.
In particular is to relize how much “cake” forms from an
occassional drip on a faulty pipe. If it isn’t managed imme
diately, it become more expensive and time-consuming later
on.
Houses, Barnes said, can be dried out under the coldest
conditions when one gets an understanding of basic ventila
tion. Winter ventilation is just as important as summer.
“Get moisture out, not just moving around,” Barnes said.
Every 20-degrees rise in air temperature doubles the
water capacity holding of air.
“Too many producers don’t want to run fans in order to
save fuel. That’s wrong. You got to get moisture out or
you’ll just hurt yourself.
“Wet litter management is more than aesthetics. It im
pacts bird health, bird performance, and bird stress,”
Barnes said.
The importance of good public relations between produc
ers and consumers continues to grow. Pat Wood, a public
consultant for PennAg, detailed consequences to the “do
nothing approach” to public’s wrong perceptions.
Bad headlines, community problems, additional expense
and hassles, additional laws and regulations, and moratori
ums are some of the results.
“To communicate better, you need to know how others
think,” Wood said. People are distrustful of big business,
they want environmental problems solved, and economical
balances. They are fearful of any health risk associated with
food. Consumers are fickle and quesy they don’t want to
know where meat comes from.
Wood recommends a two-prong approach when dealing
with the public. Communication should be based on sub
stance, not hype, and a broad-based overall stradegy to lay
the foundation.
“The primary message should be ‘we feed your family, we
feed the nation, and we feed the world,”’ she said
Appeal to the truth: the ag industry is tightly regulated,
especially in Pennsylvania. Advanced farms rely on tradi
tional family farms as part of modern models, and are not
putting small farms out of business.
The truth includes the following:
• Modern farms enable food to be produced safer and
cheaper.
• Land stewardship is a priority.
• Industry uses the best practices.
• Industry is interested in public concerns.
• Farming is a vital contributor to the economy, and the
trend toward the modern farm is inevitable.
To reduce problems when attempting to expand the farm,
Wood recommends planning before applying for a permit
and establishing good rapport with neighbors and local au
thorities.
Because the media influences public opinion, farmers
should get good at media relationships.
“You’re doing things right share what you’re doing,”
Wood said.
The future of agriculture is at stake because of public mis
understanding. Farming techniques should not be required
to stand still when other businesses are allowed to grow.
Other topics addressed at the event sponsored by Penn
State Cooperative Extension and the Lancaster County
Poultry Association included an infectious bronchities
update by Dr. Andre Ziegler, University of Pennsylvania,
and an explanation on how the egg is formed by Patterson.
house, you are going to have
problems,” Barnes said.
Of the ideas given for manag
ing wet litter, Barnes said some
sound so, but often are not fol
lowed.
Public Relations