Post on 06-Sep-2020
Judy Tholen JRS Country Acres
Lake Mills, WI
January 17, 2013
Brown Eggs
Everything you want to know about the production of our
cage free brown eggs.
History
Current Operations ◦ Obstacles
Future
2004
Hobby
~ 10 laying hens
5 turkeys
Original Chicken Coop – 10’ x 10’
What to do with all these eggs?
First Egg Customers in 2005: ◦ On Farm Sales
◦ 2 Restaurants
◦ Beauty Salon in Fort Atkinson
◦ Lake Mills Farmers Market – Saturday morning
Great! We’re in Business.
What else can we do on our farm?
Current Barn – 37’ x 140’ Farm Property – 175 acres
Meanwhile:
Egg Sales and Demand
◦ 2007 – Quit Produce ◦ 2008 - Quit Feeder Calves ◦ 2009 - Quit Pigs ◦ 2010 – Quit Meat Chickens ◦ 2011 – Quit Turkeys**
But each year we continued to
add laying hens.
2010-2011 ◦ Mixture of
Breeds
◦ 3,000 birds
◦ Open barn
◦ Hanging Feeders
◦ Manual Drinkers
◦ Nesting Boxes
◦ Ranged
2012 ◦ New Barn System
Installed
◦ 4000 birds
◦ Auto Feeder
◦ Auto Waterer
◦ Auto Nest System
◦ Scratch Area
◦ Raised Slatted Floor
◦ Power Ventilation
◦ Lights on Timer
◦Auto Waterer 50 units
Plastic
Low pressure
4 – 6 PSI
Well water
◦Auto Feeder Continuous loop
Metal chain
Safety grill
Runs by timer
5 min every hr
Auto Nest System 12 holes/unit
23 units
Length of Barn
Sloped Floor towards back
Nest pad
Center Conveyor Belt
◦ Raised Slat Flooring Plastic Interlocking Self cleaning Raised 20 inches Manure “storage”
◦Scratch Area Socializing
Scratching
Sunbathing
Power Ventilation Exhaust Fans
10 Units
Summer – All running
Wind speed 2- 3 mph
Winter – 1 – 2 running on timer
Circulation Fans 2 units Continuous run
Fall 2012 ◦ 2,500 birds
◦ Remodel Hay loft
◦ Hanging Feeders
◦ Auto Drinkers
◦ Nesting Boxes
◦ Lights on Timer
JRS Country Acres - Current
Covers Four Areas: 1. Feed and Water 2. Environment 3. Personnel Management 4. Bird Health **3rd Party Verification/Scorecard
Chicken Breeds ◦ Rhode Island Reds
◦ Silver Wyandottes
◦ Barred Rocks
◦ Dominiques
Good Layers ◦ 200 - 250 eggs/year
Dual Purpose Birds Large sized eggs Lay well in winter Grandpa’s birds
(<1950)
Rhode Island Red genes
Highly productive ◦ 280 Eggs/yr
Breed for cage free environments
Numerous Hybrids ◦ 15 years to develop
“Ready to Lay” Pullets ◦ Order 7 – 8 months
in advance.
◦ Grower raises them from 0 – 17 weeks
◦ Grower responsible for all vaccinations
◦ Grower raises them for farm type.
Chicks ◦ NPIP Registered
Flocks
Vaccinations ◦ Chicken Diseases
Coccidiosis
Mareks
Newcastle
Fowl Pox
Avian Encephalitis
◦ Human Disease
Salmonella
E Coli
Abendroth Hatchery – Waterloo, WI
Hartwig’s Farm – Fort Atkinson, WI
Sutcliffe Farms – Mason City, IA
Arrive at about 18 weeks of age: Start on new layer diet
Start on Lighting Schedule Acclimate to new home
Re-establish pecking order
Specialized Feed ◦ Point of Lay – 32 wks ◦ 33-44 wks ◦ 45-58wks ◦ 59+ wks
All Vegetarian ◦ Corn
Soybean Meal Dried Distillers Grain’ Wheat Probiotics Vitamins/Minerals
Big Gain, Lodi WI ◦ Ridley Feed, IL
Specialized Feed ◦ Egg Sizes
Controlled by:
Protein Levels
Methionine
◦ Young birds
◦ >Protein, >Methionine
◦ Older Birds
<Protein
<Methionine
Lighting
14 hours
Increase by ½ hour every 4 days
16 hours max
◦ Light Intensity – 2 to 3 foot-candles
◦ Never decrease light hours
◦ Fluorescent light fixtures – highest lumens
Training to lay in nests
Walk barn several times per day
Pick up floor eggs several times per day
Nest box area slightly dimmer
What Happens to the Birds? Keep for about 14 months Options:
Molt – good for another
year
On Farm Euthanasia & Composting √Buyer purchases birds to
sell to ethnic groups.
SE Prevention Program - FDA All farms over 3,000 birds Written Plan for these items:
Pullet Procurement Bio-Security Rodent / Fly Control Refrigeration Recall Procedures Environmental Testing Documentation!!!
Egg Collection ◦ Center
Conveyor
◦ 3 times/day
◦ Baskets
Original Milk House Egg Washing Room
10 feet by 8 feet Egg Machine Grader 2 Tables Double Sink
No Heat No A/C No Windows Avg. Day = 6 hours
Egg Washing Room Fully Licensed
WI DATCP ◦ Shell Egg
◦ Inspections 4 x year
Room
Eggs
USDA ◦ Shell Egg Grades
◦ AA
◦ A
◦ B
Egg Machine ◦ Hand Loaded
◦ Candler
◦ Hot Water Spray
◦ Double Roller Brushes
◦ Air Dryer
Egg Grader – Jumbo, ExtraLarge/Large, Medium/Small
Packaging ◦ Hand Packaged
30 count flats
Cartons
15 dozen/case
Cooler kept @ 40˚F
Eggs ready to go
Delivered by: •JRS Country Acres •Food Distributors:
•Neesvigs Meat Purveyors (Restaurants) •Soderholm Wholesale Foods (Grocery Stores)
JRS Truck
Where do they go?
15 grocery stores
13 restaurants
1 senior home
Home Milk delivery company
JRS Country Acres - Current
Who works here?
#1 - Finding Equipment ◦ Small Mom & Pop Operations or Huge Farms
Many EU companies, few USA companies
Southwest Poultry – MO, Used equipment dealer
Nest System – 1/4 of it, drinkers. Feed system
Sutcliffe Farms – IA, Used Egg handling dealer
Egg Washer
EBay – PA
Egg Grader
Craigslist
Refrigerated Truck
Local Farm Auctions
Refrigerated Truck Cooler, Many misc items
#2 - Finding Packaging Supplies ◦ Small Mom & Pop Operations or Huge Farms
2 Companies that make recycled pulp products
1 US, 1 Canada
Buy Direct from Manufacturer – Semi-loads!!
10.5 cents each
Storage
Buy from Distribution Company:
Expensive (Large = 19.5 cents Jumbo 35 cents)
Label – add another 11 cents per carton
Not always in stock
Shipping from warehouse
#3 – Getting the Eggs to the Customer ◦ Store Shelves
Stores familiar with wholesale distributors
We already have a brown egg
Other national and regional brands – price point
Increasing demand for local products
Restaurants/Institutions
Familiar with wholesale distributors
We already use a brown egg OR so what, egg is an egg
Other national and regional egg suppliers – price point
Increasing demand for local ingredients
#3 – Getting the Eggs to the Customer ◦ Attractive Packaging and Branding:
Egg Sales and
Demand
Future
Increasing demand = Business growth and job creation!
◦ More birds = another farm building ($0.5M)
Bank Loans – slow economy, slow to lend
Private Investors – hard to find, Time, business structure
√ Work with other producers
Amish family farms
Platteville area – Wisconsin Farmers!
Purchase, then transport, grade and package at JRS
New Egg Processing Building < New Chicken Barn
First Employees!!
Any Questions??