North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service Union County Center 500 N. Main Street, Room 506 Monroe, NC 28112-4796 Phone: 704-283-3743 Fax: 704-283-3734 Email: jody_smith@ncsu.edu Issue Editor and Layout: North Carolina Poultry Industry Newsletter Jody Smith, Area Specialized Agent, Poultry November, 2004 REASONS WHY HORMONES ARE NOT USED IN THE POULTRY INDUSTRY K. E. Anderson and A. G. Gernat Department of Poultry Science Every parent is concerned for the welfare and health of their child. However, with the proliferation of misinformation everywhere the following situations are becoming more prevalent. Wouldn't you know my little boy received a free coupon to KFC from a coloring contest? We have planned to use it tonight but our son had questions concerning the safety of the food we were going to get at the restaurant. He had heard in school that hormones are being fed to animals to supply meat and this made the chicken unsafe and unhealthy to eat. How should we respond to these types of questions? As a parent, I really don't think that I will change my plans since we seldom go out to eat, but there are people who go every day. Should we really be concerned? As a parent I have faced this situation with my own children and I deal with it using truth and knowledge from reliable sources. I know it is hard to actually know what the truth is in these situations, and not all of the information on the Internet is truthful, so the source has to be a trusted one. Sources of information that are most reliable are typically associated with the federal government. The Food and Drug Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture have both developed reports and sponsored research looking at the issues of hormones in the poultry industry in depth. However, these reports tend to be highly technical and difficult to understand even for those trained in the sciences. The second source is the Extension Service located in every state. These scientists in the Extension Service take these complicated reports and boil them down to the basic facts and realities that the public can understand. The Poultry Industry does not use hormones: Let’s start with the question about hormones that Extension specialists and agents hear from the public. “Why do you add hormones into chicken feed?” The simple truth is hormones are not added to poultry feeds. This fallacy is fueled by inaccurate statements made by The World Health Organization that apparently has issued a plea to stop giving growth hormones to chickens grown for human consumption. Supposedly the American Medical Association, the American Public Health Association, and other medical groups are in agreement even; however, the poultry industry does not feed hormones to their birds. The basic assumption by the public has become a common practice is to ask “Why” rather than “If”. Currently some poultry companies are even stating on their advertising and labeling that they do not use hormones. This statement does not resolve the question in the mind of the public. In fact, it may be creating a bigger cloud! Since some companies actively claim that they do not use hormones in poultry, and other do not disclaim the use of them, the public is distrustful of these companies that do not state their stance. The way the poultry industry is addressing this issue raises some doubt in the minds of the public. They hear how rapidly broilers and turkeys grow and how many eggs a layer will produce thus; making the assumption that the poultry industry has a “magic bullet” which the public presumes is the use of hormones. This perception of a "magic bullet" is totally inaccurate, and detracts from the fact that the poultry industry has developed in to a very efficient animal production industry with birds that have been selected for rapid growth, high production, and excellent feed efficiency. This Issue Includes Reasons why hormones are not used in the poultry industry…………………………………………………………1 Fall rodent management practices…………………………3 Infectious Laryngotracheitis Virus (ILT)……… ……… 3 Being a good neighbor…………………………………… 5 North Carolina Poultry Industry Newsletter Page 2 November, 2004 North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. Why hormones are not used: There are a number of reasons why hormones are not used in the poultry industry. In the United States, European Economic Community, and most other developed countries there are extremely strict controls concerning the use of hormones and hormone-like substances against their use in animal feeds. In other words it is illegal. Allegations have been made that illegal use of hormones has occurred, however, there is no logical reason to use them in poultry production. Broiler growth would not be increased with the use of hormone additives. The genetic selection that developed today’s broiler has resulted in an animal that multiplies its hatch weight by 65 times within a seven-week period. In many cases this is hard for the public to believe. The genetic selection has resulted in an animal which grows to its physiological limit. Like in children who experience a growth spurt during puberty, and have resultant joint inflammation and pain, the broiler lives on this same physiological edge. In fact, it is occasionally recommended that we restrict growth of the broilers in order to enhance their health and well-being. It would be counter productive to try and stimulate a broiler, layer or turkey to exceed their physiological growth limit. If this was done it would most certainly result in a doubling, tripling, and possibly quadrupling of the mortality rate. This would be highly counter productive. Contacts for the North Carolina Poultry Industry Newsletter On-Campus Contact Brian W. Sheldon, Ph.D., Dept Extension Leader Dept of Poultry Science, NCSU www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/poulsci/ email: brian_sheldon@ncsu.edu telephone: 919-515-5407 Field Faculty Contacts Kathy Bunton, Area Specialized Agent, Poultry *Iredell, Wilkes and Alexander Counties www.ces.ncsu.edu/iredell/ email: kathy_bunton@ncsu.edu telephone: 704-878-3154 Dan Campeau, Area Specialized Agent, Poultry Chatham*, Harnett, Lee, Moore and Randolph Counties www.ces.ncsu.edu/chatham/ email: dan_campeau@ncsu.edu telephone: 919-542-8202 James Cochran, Area Specialized Agent, Poultry Bladen, Columbus, Cumberland, Hoke and *Robeson Counties www.ces.ncsu.edu/robeson/ email : james_cochran@ncsu.edu telephone: 910-671-3276 James Parsons, Area Specialized Agent, Poultry *Duplin, Sampson and Wayne Counties www.ces.ncsu.edu/duplin/ email : james_parsons@ncsu.edu telephone: 910-296-2143 Jody Smith, Area Specialized Agent, Poultry Anson, Cabarrus, Montgomery, Richmond, Scotland, Stanly and *Union Counties www.ces.ncsu.edu/union/ email: jody_smith@ncsu.edu telephone: 704-283-3743 (*Administratively housed in this county.) The hormones which may enhance growth are actually proteins. Therefore, if they were consumed in the feed they would be digested in the same way as the corn or soybean meal that they eat. The only way for a growth hormone to be effective would be to inject it everyday in the same manner as Insulin is to treat diabetes. Logically speaking it is physically impossible to inject the 5 billion broilers grown annually in the US each and every day. Chicken growth hormone is produced for use in scientific research, which means it is not produced on a commercial basis and is extremely expensive and as such makes no commercial sense to use. It is prevalent in the press about the abuse of anabolic steroids in sports athletes. There is no doubt that their use leads to increased muscle mass. However, they only work in athletes when they are taken in combination with rigorous physical training. Chickens are galliforms, which means they are a heavily bodied, ground-feeding animal that have had restricted flight for thousands of years. In other words they do not readily fly and as such the breast muscle gets limited exercise. This means that anabolic steroids would not have any growth effect on broilers since they do not fly or work their breast muscle. The bottom line: Hormone use in animal production is illegal. Hormones are not needed to enhance the growth or production of poultry today. The performance of the broilers, turkeys and laying hens which are used in the industry today can be easily explained as a result of genetic selection and nutrition. Hormones are not even needed: Three components have contributed to the ability of the birds to grow and develop which has contributed to the high performance birds used in today’s poultry industry: First, is the effectiveness of the genetic selection by the primary breeders for growth and production of their birds. The breeders have selected the birds for a particular use such as meat or egg North Carolina Poultry Industry Newsletter Page 3 November, 2004 North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. production. Second, is the research which has been done related to the nutritional needs of the animal. We know exactly what the levels of protein, energy, vitamins and minerals are to achieve optimal growth and performance. Third, is the understanding of the environmental needs of the birds. The healthier the environment with adequate feeder, water, and floor space the better the performance and growth. Enhanced bird welfare results in improved growth and egg production. Generally I respond to my kid's questions stating the above facts in "kid terms". Telling him the Poultry Industry absolutely does not use growth hormones, then reminding him of how good KFC chicken tastes, usually gets him ready to eat without worries. FALL RODENT MANAGEMENT REMINDERS Mike Stringham, Extension IPM Specialist Fall is rodent time. This means it’s also time to step up your rodent monitoring and control efforts. Food resources in the fields and woods are beginning to get scarce for rats and mice this time of the year, forcing them to move into poultry houses where food and water are plentiful. Be ready by tightening up your poultry houses and having plenty of rodenticide on hand. Start with a walk around the poultry houses. Be alert for signs of new rodent activity (gnawing, bits of fallen insulation, droppings, tail marks and tracks). Note the location(s) of these signs and plan to place baits or traps there. Look for and close holes and gaps along ridge vents, building corners, and at end doors. Do the same along building eaves. Nail down loose siding and corrugated roofing. Cover gaps around feed lines and conduits where the go through building walls. Think about two things while doing this chore. First, rats and mice are excellent climbers, so don’t think a hole is too high off the ground to need closing. Second, even a small hole can be a door for rodents. Young rats only need a ½ inch diameter hole to get in; mice, a hole only ¼ inch in diameter. And, yes, it’s true that you can’t close up a poultry house like you can your own home, but limiting the number of entry points improves the odds that rodents will find the bait you put out before they ever get into the poultry house. Once the poultry houses are secure and all signs of new rodent activity are pinpointed, it’s time to initiate control. Baits containing bromethalin, bromodialone, brodifacoum, difethialone, zinc phosphide or cholecalciferol are often the most effective. These single-dose rodenticides will kill rodents after 1 to 3 feedings. Older generation rodenticides containing warfarin, difacinone and chlorophacinone may also be used, but require rodents to feed continuously for 7 to 10 days. Place rodenticides in secure bait stations along exterior walls every 40 feet (maximum interval). Shorter, 20-foot intervals are recommended where house mice are the primary rodent problem, but the greater interval is also effective if fresh bait is maintained in the stations year around. Be sure to place extra stations as close as possible to those areas where fresh rodent activity has been noted. Norway rats can also be controlled by placing baits directly in their burrows. Inspect all bait placements every 2 weeks and replace old bait with fresh as needed. Finally, if between-flock scheduling permits, be sure that houses are thoroughly baited after birds and feed are removed. When poultry houses are empty and feed is scarce, resident rodents are more inclined to eat the bait you set out for them. INFECTIOUS LARYNGOTRACHEITIS VIRUS (ILT) Donna K. Carver, DVM, PhD, ACPV What is ILT? Infectious Laryngotracheitis virus is a herpes virus that causes respiratory disease in chickens. ILT is a reportable disease in North Carolina and some other states. Flocks suspected of having ILT must be reported to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ (NCDA&CS) Veterinary Division. Where does ILT come from? Though ILT can be found in chickens throughout the world, it does not survive for extended periods outside the bird in the environment. ILT is susceptible to sunlight and most commonly-used disinfectants. Once infected, chickens become life-long carriers of ILT and can shed the virus during times of stress. Chickens are considered to be the source of infection for other chickens. Virus can be transmitted over short periods of time on equipment, boots and coveralls. What clinical signs are present in ILT-infected birds? Birds infected with ILT initially exhibit signs similar to other respiratory diseases, including: wet irritated eyes (Fig.1), sneezing, nasal discharge, failure to thrive, decreased growth, and decreased egg production. As ILT progresses the clinical North Carolina Poultry Industry Newsletter Page 4 November, 2004 North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. signs may become much worse including: difficulty breathing, bloody discharge from the nose and mouth, gasping (Fig.2), coughing, and expectoration of bloody mucus. Birds will shake their heads to clear the mucus from their nose and mouth, which results in blood stained mucus on the feathers of many birds in the flock. Figure 1. Wet irritated eyes How long does ILT last? The course of the disease varies with the severity of the lesions, but most birds recover in 10-14 days. Will my birds die from ILT? Again, the severity of the lesions is related to the mortality seen in flocks with ILT. Mild forms of the disease result in very low morality (0.1-2%). Severe forms of the disease result in variable mortality (5-70%) with average being 10-20%. How is ILT diagnosed? In ILT infections, clinical signs alone should make you highly suspicious that you are dealing with ILT. Even so, as with any disease, you should submit birds to the diagnostic laboratory in your area for confirmation of the diagnosis. A post-mortem examination of affected birds will generally reveal blood in the bird’s airway. The trachea or windpipe is often very bloody and may be partially clogged with mucus and blood (Fig. 3). Figure 2. Open-mouth breathing or gasping Swabs of the trachea will be used to attempt to grow the virus. Other diagnostic tests may be performed to confirm that your flock has ILT. What happens if my flock has ILT? If you live in North Carolina, where ILT is a reportable disease, your farm will be quarantined by the NCDA&CS. A quarantine means that you must have a permit to move birds onto or off your farm until the quarantine is lifted. Your birds will be sent to market as quickly as possible with travel to market via routes determined by the Department of Agriculture. Lifting of the quarantine is accomplished when your farm tests negative for ILT two times in a row with the tests being performed thirty days apart. Before the first of these tests, your farm must be cleaned and disinfected. Can people get ILT? No, human health is not affected by ILT. Is it safe to eat meat and eggs from birds with ILT? Yes, because humans are not affected by ILT, and because the virus is destroyed by cooking, it is safe to eat poultry products from infected birds. How can I prevent ILT from infecting my flock? Preventing the introduction of ILT and other viruses onto your farm should be the goal of all producers. Preventing the introduction of ILT into your flock is not difficult to do if you follow some “common sense” guidelines. • Avoid moving any birds onto or off your farm during an ILT outbreak. North Carolina Poultry Industry Newsletter Page 5 November, 2004 North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University commit themselves to positive action to secure equal opportunity regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability. In addition, the two Universities welcome all persons without regard to sexual orientation. North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T State University, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and local governments cooperating. Figure 3. Trachea filled with blood and mucus • Do not visit other poultry producers during an ILT outbreak. Dr. Bob Hillman, Executive Director of the Texas Animal Health Commission recommends simple biosecurity measures that can be taken to help protect flocks: 1. “Keep a spare pair.” Buy a pair of inexpensive rubber boots, and wear them only on your own premises, to avoid ‘tracking in’ disease. 2. “Give germs the brush off!” Use a long-handled brush to scrape off manure, mud or debris from tires, equipment or boots, then disinfect. 3. “Disinfection prevents infection!” Mix a solution of three parts bleach to two parts water, and use it liberally to clean rubber boots and equipment brought onto your farm. If visitors don’t want their vehicle tires sprayed with disinfectant, ask them to park outside your gate. 4. “Make visitors take cover.” Don’t be shy about asking visitors to disinfect their footwear or better yet, provide guests with disposable shoe covers, or footwear worn only on your place. If you live in North Carolina and think your flock has ILT, call NCDA&CS at (919) 733-7601. Being a Good Neighbor Dan Campeau, Area Specialized Agent, Poultry Most poultry producers think of themselves as good neighbors and for the most part it is true. However, I get about one major complaint a week dealing with odor issues from spreading litter and burning mortality. I explain to them that we are not a regulatory agency but I think the main thing they want is someone who will listen to them and not ignore their complaints. The interesting thing is when you talk to the person it is more of a "timing" issue than an "odor" issue. Most times the "real" complaint is that the producer spread his litter during a major holiday or during the time when their neighbors were having a big family get-together. In the cases of burning mortality it is more of an issue of burning during daylight hours when neighbors like to sit out on their porches and enjoy the fresh country air or conduct out of the home businesses in their communities. So realistically what can a producer do to alleviate most of the problems that lead to complaints? Maybe some of the following ideas are worth considering. 1. Do not spread litter within 2 weeks prior to a major holiday. 2. Make sure incinerator has an afterburner so that it will cut down on major odors. 3. Consider incinerating mortality at night, after dark. 4. If spreading litter on crop land, disc the litter in within 48 hours of spreading. 5. Planting a pine/cedar tree curtain around the perimeter of the property so neighbors and the general public can not see the poultry houses. Out of sight,, out of mind. I think the above is a good list to start with but I think also it is also imperative that producers do not ignore complaints from their neighbors and try to be accommodating when a neighbor lets them know about upcoming family gatherings. Most of the laws and regulations that the allied livestock industry face today was put in place by politics and all of us will be judged and regulated in the future by what the poorest manager is doing with their litter or mortality waste. Right now the future is in our hands. If we continue to be good neighbors our friends and neighbors in the surrounding communities will not go to their commissioners and lawmakers to crack down on poultry producers like they have in the swine industry. So the next time you see a fellow poultry producer not being a good neighbor, it may be a good idea to at least talk with them and let them know that if they continue to do as they have done in the past,,, all of the poultry producers will wind up being legislated against because of a few bad apples. . governments cooperating. Why hormones are not used: There are a number of reasons why hormones are not used in the poultry industry. In the United States,. Carolina Poultry Industry Newsletter Jody Smith, Area Specialized Agent, Poultry November, 2004 REASONS WHY HORMONES ARE NOT USED IN THE POULTRY