Poultry Farming and Neighbours: The Little Things Are Important
Open communication and good will are important keys to avoiding conflicts, explain Dr Tom Tabler (Extension Professor), Jessica Wells (Extension Instructor) and Dr Wei Zhai (Assistant Extension/Research Professor) at Mississippi State University's Poultry Science Department.Poultry is the largest agricultural commodity in
Mississippi and has ranked number one in farm-gate
value for the past 13 years. More than 10 per cent of the
poultry supply in the nation is the result of Mississippi
production. The state has approximately 2,000 poultry
growers. However, not all these growers have understanding
neighbours.
Poultry production can create several potential
nuisances, including noise, dust, flies and odours.
Today, the demographics of rural areas are changing
rapidly and becoming more urbanised. Public awareness
of the environment and pollution has heightened
as the geographic consolidation of agricultural industries
creates a concentration of agricultural wastes, and
urban growth continues to spill over into the nation's
farmland (Ritz, 2010). In addition, few people outside
the agricultural community understand the commercial
farming practices employed by the poultry industry.
* "Education is key for both farm and non-farm populations." |
Many people that leave the city hoping to enjoy
their idea of the 'country lifestyle' are unaware of
common farming practices today and have little patience
for them. As a result, conflicts may arise between
poultry growers and neighbours. neighbours may think
the farm next door is destroying the 'pastoral' lifestyle
they moved to the country for. Farmers may conclude
that their new neighbours have a serious lack of knowledge
as to where their food comes from and what it
takes to put supper on the table.
Left unchecked, these differences may eventually
lead to legal action where, in most cases, only the lawyers
come out winners. Time and money are wasted,
stress takes a mental and physical toll on all the parties
involved, and relationships are destroyed. In some
situations, farmers may find it difficult to expand or
even continue in operation (Cunningham, 2012).
There are a few simple ways to prevent the situation
from getting out of hand. Open communication
and good will are important keys to avoiding conflicts.
If you are a poultry grower, it is important to know
who your neighbours are and make it a point to visit
with them on occasion; keeping in mind adequate biosecurity practices, of course. By visiting your neighbours
and keeping communication lines open, it is more
likely they will come to you if an issue arises instead of
turning you in over a complaint.
Recognise the fact that operating a poultry farm
comes with a number of challenges in addition to day-to-day farm management requirements. Often, people
'smell' with their eyes instead of their noses. Running
a clean, neat, well-managed farm is one of the best
ways to lessen complaints about animal production
facilities. In most cases, people will be more tolerant
of dust and odour from a well-managed operation than
from an untidy one. Of course, extra effort is required
to keep the grass mowed on a regular basis and maintain
a well-groomed operation, but it will likely be
worth it from a public relations standpoint.
Visit with neighbours when you have something
upcoming that may affect them, such as spreading
litter or a night-time catch with live-haul trucks coming
and going all night. They need to personally hear
from you accurate information about what is going on
instead of getting second-hand information that may
or may not be correct or, worse yet, being surprised by
your actions with no warning at all.
Neighbours may also be your customers because
they likely go to the store and buy the very product
you are producing. Farming is a business and every
business needs happy customers. A few common
sense practices may help keep your customers happy.
If neighbours are also gardeners, a little free chicken
litter for their garden is often a welcome gesture. It
may seem like a small token but it goes a long way in
terms of promoting good will and friendship. Smoothing
a neighbour's driveway with your tractor and blade
or front-end loader takes little time but will be much
appreciated.
If a neighbour does have a complaint, address it
quickly and tactfully. Be sympathetic and realise that
sometimes, for the sake of the farm, it may be best just
to take your medicine, apologise and offer to try to do
better in the future. Hopefully, this will defuse the situation
and perhaps prevent possible legal action.
In some situations, out of sight is out of mind. It
may be worth considering screening an operation from
public view. Vegetative environmental buffers or windbreaks
are an old technology that may hold benefits for
today's tunnel-ventilated poultry houses (Tabler and
Liang, 2008). Solid-wall poultry house construction
now makes it feasible to have trees alongside poultry
houses without worrying about disrupting airflow patterns.
Minimising visibility will draw attention away
from the farm as a potential source of dust, flies, odours
or other possible nuisances.
Spreading litter is always a delicate issue because
it generates both dust and odour for a while. Plan carefully
when and where you will spread litter. Check the
wind direction and speed. Is there rain in the forecast
for the immediate future? Spread during the hot part of
the day (when most people are not at home) so that the
sun can help further dry the material and reduce odour.
Do not spread very early in the morning or late evening
when humidity is high and the air is heavy. These
conditions hold odour near the ground and increase the
likelihood that someone will be affected and complain.
Give yourself enough distance when spreading that
you do not sling chunks of caked litter across roads or
highways or onto neighbours' yards.
Mortality disposal is another area with high
potential to generate numerous complaints. Properly
dispose of dead birds immediately after removing
them from the chicken house. Do not throw dead birds
outside the chicken house door for the neighbours' dogs
to drag away. If you have an incinerator, use a fast,
hot burn to dispose of carcasses quickly. A slow burn
allows the carcass to smolder, which will generate an
odour likely to draw complaints. Use the after-burner
(which re-burns the smoke) if your incinerator has one.
This will remove many of the particles in the smoke
that actually generate the odour.
Burn the carcasses during the day if possible; not
early morning or evening when the air is heavy and
odour stays close to the ground. If you have a composter,
cover carcasses with sufficient litter to prevent
vectors (opossums, raccoons, skunks, dogs, etc.) from
uncovering and dragging them away. Also, use a
probe thermometer to check the compost temperature
on a regular basis. Temperature should be in the 120°F range as the bin is filling and may reach 130 to
150°F after the bin is filled. Once the temperature has
peaked and fallen back to the 120°F range again (this
usually takes two to three weeks), the material is ready to
turn for further decomposition.
Education is key for both farm and non-farm populations.
Farmers are busy with their work and often
fail to realise that most people are so far removed from
agriculture today that they do not understand what
it takes to put food on the table. Because they do not
understand the demands of farming, people often are
intolerant and unwilling to accept the occasional noise,
odour, dust and so forth that farming practices generate.
The agricultural community can take steps to better
educate the public about farming and the needs of
farmers. Local agricultural organisations can become
involved with educational efforts and outreach programmes
for non-farmers.
Farmers can also help tell their own story. Many
communities have agricultural committees associated
with the local Chamber of Commerce. Volunteer
for these or other agricultural promotion events at the
local level. Many banks in rural areas have agricultural
advisory boards that offer another opportunity to
improve farm/non-farm relationships.
While these commitments take time away from
the farm, the payback can be a public that is better
informed, more understanding, and, therefore, perhaps
more willing to accept the occasional nuisances associated
with agricultural production.
References
Cunningham, D.L. 2012. Nuisance myths and poultry farming. Univ. of Georgia Cooperative Extension.
Bulletin 1299. Athens, Ga.
Ritz, C.W. 2010. Coexisting with neighbours: A poultry farmer’s guide. Univ. of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Bulletin 1263. Athens, Ga.
Tabler, G.T. and Y. Liang. 2008. Poultry litter: Issues and opportunities. Avian Advice 10(3):1-3. Univ. of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service. Fayetteville, AR
January 2013