Vision Eggs and Beyond Eggs as a Commodity

Vision Eggs and Beyond

Eggs as a Commodity -Future trends? • • • “Social” Pressure for “cage free” production – conversions from conventional cages to: – Aviary housing (cage free) – Enriched colony housing (intermediate - phasing out) – Free-range housing – Male chick disposal/utilization? Emergence of Diseases – Avian Influenza – perennial problem Regulatory burden – Food and Drug Administration Salmonella Prevention Program (2009) – Biosecurity, rodent suppression, monitoring of flocks, and handling of eggs from the time of lay through the entire distribution chain. – Training needs continue

PDPS – Where are we now? • Faculty – – • Ken Anderson Facilities – NCDA Piedmont Research Station – • – – – • NORTH CAROLINA LAYER PERFORMANCE AND MANAGEMENT TEST House 8 CEU – ~900 bird facility for layers House 10 CEU – 9 floor pens Egg Quality Laboratory? (Anderson) Scott Hall Animal Wing? – Battery Cages for pullets/layers Dearstyne Animal and Poultry Teaching Unit (32 floor pens) Curriculum – (Courses on the Books) – – PO 322: Muscle Foods and Eggs (eggs never addressed) PO 340: Live Poultry and Poultry Product Evaluation, Grading, and Inspection PO 421: Commercial Egg Production? (odd years) PO 433: Poultry Processing and Products (meat only? )

PDPS – One to Five Years • Faculty – Assistant Professor Animal Welfare – Endowed Layer Professorship • • Interface of Housing systems/Nutrition/Reproduction Piedmont Research Station – underutilized – conventional cages (3, 600 birds) – cage-free (2, 160 birds) – enriched colony systems (7, 700 birds) – free-range facility (960 birds). – 60, 000 egg hatchery (six 10, 000 egg setters, 5 hatchers) – Pullet cage rearing facility (14, 600 birds) – Cage-free/free range rearing (~3, 500 birds)

Piedmont Research Station • • • 60, 000 egg hatchery (six 10, 000 egg setters, 5 hatchers) – Add a new hatcher for 1 -to-1 transfer of eggs – Expands incubation research – Cross purpose for egg and broiler breeder hatchery management Multiple housing systems – Aviary housing needed (US and EEC production models) – Sustainability – economic and environmental – Animal welfare Become a Registered USDA egg processing facility – Allows for egg processing research – Allows eggs to be sold at market price

PDPS – One to Five Years • Improve small scale layer research facilities – House 8 – designed as a pedigree facility – Historically used for transgenics – Currently used for small scale-layer projects • Not ideal, not designed for replicate research • – Proposed – “Flex” House Remodel Improve small-scale hatching, brooding and growing facilities – Scott Hall – small scale hatching, brooding, and cage growing • Revamp Scott Hall • Remodel a house at CEU (House 18? , House 231? ) • More fully utilize facilities at Piedmont

“Flex” House Remodel 18 8

Curriculum – 1 -5 years • • Egg Production, Safety, and Quality Certificate Program (12 credits) – PO 520 Shell Egg Grading and Quality – 3 Cr Hr – PO 522 Egg Products Facilities, processes, and functional properties egg - 3 Cr Hr – PO 524 Developing an Egg Safety Plan – 3 Cr Hr – PO 526 Advanced Lay Complex Management – 3 Cr Hr Revisit: – PO 322: Muscle Foods and Eggs – PO 340: Live Poultry and Poultry Product Evaluation, Grading, and Inspection – PO 421: Commercial Egg Production – PO 433: Poultry Processing and Production

The Beyond…. • • Food Animal Systems Initiative Growing talent, solutions, opportunities and economies First in Food Animal Integration Consumer connections – NC Ag Education Trail at Lake Wheeler Food Animal Pilot Plant – first totally integrated food animal system for ALL major food animal species World-Class Teaching and Research Facilities – Remodel swine, poultry and intensive animal research facilities – Upgrade technology to support higher-level research and disease challenges (BSL 2/3) – New Facilities for meat and muscle science, aquaculture. – New CVM Food Animal Services Building

Summary • • Faculty – Two positions on the books Facilities – Dearstyne • Needs to stay on the radar – Piedmont • • • Hatcher would complete current facility Aviary System USDA Approved Egg Processing – CEU • • “Flex” House Remodel Curriculum – Egg Certificate – underway – Re-examination of current courses