High wire: Balancing act needed to raise turkeys free of intestinal disease

Raising healthy commercial turkeys free from intestinal disease in the face of rising production costs will be as tricky as a high-wire act, especially if the price for turkeys drops, says a veterinarian for a leading turkey company.

“Feed, fuel and litter costs are up at the same time producers are trying to raise 40- to 44-pound turkeys, but if you skimp on any of these necessities, you end up with more intestinal disease,” says Dr. Eric Gonder, of Goldsboro Milling, the North Carolina-based company that produces about 9 million turkeys annually.

The key to success in this environment may be adapting to the times, he says. Policies and procedures need to be reviewed on a regular basis. “National companies will find that having a national program may not be effective because of regional variation,” Gonder predicts. “One size isn’t going to fit all.”

Feed costs in southern states may be higher than in other areas, but fuel costs are less, while the situation in colder mid-western states might be exactly the opposite.

Containing costs will require different solutions in different geographic areas, says Gonder, a diplomate of the American College of Poultry Veterinarians.

If the cost of litter is becoming burdensome, alternatives like recycled paper or using sand as litter might have to be considered, he says, but cautions that abrupt changes in litter can upset birds and may lead to health problems. Litter additives to reduce ammonia and keep the pH in check might be another solution.

Some producers may opt for using litter longer, but keep in mind that they could end up with more intestinal disease unless they initiate sound management such as monitoring moisture, removing wet spots as needed and allowing time in between flocks for the litter to dry out, Gonder says.

ALTERNATIVE HEATING SOURCES

In areas where the cost of fuel becomes prohibitive, alternate heating sources could be considered. Many producers currently use liquefied propane (LP) inside turkey houses, but many don’t realize that burning propane produces moisture.

“A stove in the house puts out quite a bit of water, a little carbon dioxide and a minute amount of carbon monoxide,” he says. By switching to external furnaces with warm air piped into the house, the moisture and gases go up the chimney and hot, dry air goes into the house.

“The costs of converting to an outside furnace and air-handling system may be higher initially, but might be cheaper in the long run, plus you have the added benefit of a dryer house,” Gonder says.

WHAT ABOUT ESCALATING FEED COSTS?

“That’s going to be interesting and will depend on what happens with the ethanol market,” he predicts. If crop acreage is used to produce corn for ethanol, then there might not be enough acreage to grow corn or alternative crops for poultry feed.

Importing grains from abroad is an option, but that raises concerns about mycotoxins and other potential hazards despite turkey producer specifications, Gonder says.

“Say you order 45,000 tons of corn from another country and the mycotoxin assay conducted in that country is fine, but once the ship with the corn gets into port here, it doesn’t meet your specifications. The ship is sitting there costing thousands of dollars a day and you need the corn. What do you do?” he asks.

NICHE MARKETING

Although conventional turkey producers may struggle to stay ahead, Gonder predicts growth in the niche market such as “organic” and “free range,” but notes that “you can have free-range turkeys that are not organic.” It’s a small but a fairly successful market to date, he says, because there is demand on the retail side for product differentiation.

He calls the antibiotic-free (ABF) segment of the turkey industry the “ABF quagmire” because of the nebulous definitions of ABF. “ABF is not a national label, which means it is negotiated between the producer and retail customer or grocery store chain. What it means depends on whom you talk to. It may mean no growth-promoting antibiotics, even though the same antibiotic is used for treating diseases like necrotic enteritis,” he says.

“It will be real interesting to see how the niche market plays out if food costs go up,” Gonder adds.

MAIN ‘GLITCH’ IS LOW CONSUMPTION

Besides tweaking feed, fuel and litter management to save on costs and developing niche markets to get ahead, there are other tactics the turkey industry might want to consider, Gonder says.

One is an increase in the cost of the finished product. Producers go to extremes to save one-half cent per pound, “but if we increased the finished product price by 5 to 10 cents per pound, that would be a lot more money,” he says.

The turkey industry could take a few lessons from the broiler industry on packaging and presentation. Some specially packaged turkey products have been developed but, overall, the broiler industry has a greater variety of products and they are also available on a more consistent basis than turkey products. “There’s more brand loyalty, too,” he says.

What is most needed, however, is an increase in the per capita consumption of turkey, Gonder says. Some progress has been made thanks to the efforts of national turkey industry organizations, but “we’ve been stalled between 16 and 18 pounds per capita for years,” he says, noting that spending more on marketing and advertising may be needed.

“Low consumption has been our main glitch. If we could increase the demand for turkey, we could make up for a lot on the supply side,” he says.

Gonder: 'If you skimp...you end up with intestinal disease.'

Feed costs in southern states may be higher than in other areas, but fuel costs will be less.

If crop acreage is used to produce corn for ethanol, there might not be enough corn for poultry feed.

ABF turkeys are a small but fairly successful market.