Events: Howie Award: 2001 Recipient

Riverside County Farm Bureau is Proud to Announce
The Howie Award Recipient of 2001

Doug Kuney

Native Californian: Born 1948 and raised in Tulare, CA

Education/Career:

                College of the Sequoias 1966-67

                USAF 1967-71

                College of Santa Fe 1971-72

                Colorado State Univ. B.S., Microbiology 1975

                Colorado State Univ. M.S., Poultry Science 1979

                Research Associate U.C. Cooperative Extension, Poultry Science 1977-85

                Farm Advisor U.C. Cooperative Extension, Poultry Science 1985-2011

Professional Memberships and Affiliations:

                World’s Poultry Assoc.

                Poultry Science Assoc.

                American Assoc. of Avian Pathology

                Society for Epidemiologic Research

                Society for Vector Ecology

                California Assoc. of Farm Advisors and Specialists

                Western Poultry Disease Conference

                California Animal Nutrition Conference

                Livestock Insect Worker’s Conference

Industry Organization Memberships:

                Pacific Egg and Poultry Assoc., Advisor

                California Egg Quality Assurance Program, Advisor

                Southland Nutritionists, Member

                Inland Empire Poultrymen, Inc., Executive Secretary

Geographic regions of responsibility:

                Statewide: 1977-85

                Riverside/Orange counties:  1985-86

                Riverside, Orange and Ventura counties: 1986-1988

                Southern California: 1988-2005

                Statewide: 2005-2011

Career Objective:

Conduct an applied research and educational program for poultry and egg producers that will encourage the use of new scientifically sound technologies and information, to assure the sustainability of a wholesome and affordable food supply.

Career Emphasis:

Chicken Table Egg Production

                Pullet and hen nutrition

                Pullet and hen housing environment

                Egg quality

                Disease management and prevention

Public Health

                Fly dust and odor control

                Food product safety

                Worker health and safety

Environmental Health

                Waste management

                Air quality

                Surface and ground water protection

Public Policy

                Land use zoning

                Uban-Agricultural interface

                Public nuisance

Significant Contributions:

The Riverside County “Planned Lay-out Program” was developed and later adopted by the county to allow an additional 7 year period for poultrymen operating farms in zones other than AP, to conform (acquire the AP designation) or phase out their operations.  This allowed an orderly transition with minimal business disruption to the poultry industry while conforming to the county’s General Plan.

The gross size and structure of the bursa of Fabricius (a significant organ to the immune system of the chicken) was characterized at different ages in male and female single-comb white Leghorn chickens.  This led to teaching flock managers how to monitor bursal size in order to detect possible immune impairment caused by infectious bursal disease virus infections in their flocks.

Systematic mapping of light intensity and temperatures in various types of poultry houses was conducted over several years.  These studies led to wide spread use of fluorescent lighting systems and the use of house ventilation and design systems that offer greater uniformity of temperature and air quality.

Was instrumental in the development of the California Egg Quality Assurance Program (CEQAP); one of the first of it’s type in animal agriculture in the United States.  This program is thought to have significantly contributed to the decline in egg associated human outbreaks of Salmonella enteritidis in California.  The rapid containment of the last outbreak of Avian Influenza and exotic Newcastle disease in California has been attributed to the biosecurity measures adopted by the egg industry as a result of the CEQAP.

Prior to and during the recent outbreaks of Avian Influenza and exotic Newcastle disease, biosecurity programs were developed for farms and egg processing plants to minimize the likelihood of disease spread between farms.  Teams of veterinarians, managers and I walked through farms and processing plants to evaluate and improve biosecurity practices in use by the industry.  Training workshops in biosecurity were also provided to all agency personnel visiting poultry farms and plants throughout the state.

Over a period of 10 years several experiments and field studies were conducted to study control strategies, chemical resistance and damage done to egg laying flocks of chickens infested with northern fowl mites.  New methods of field monitoring, control strategies were developed.  We demonstrated and measured the economic damage of infestations and showed that beak trimming of laying hens increased the dependence on chemicals as a control strategy.

Several studies of on-farm co-composting of chicken carcasses with manure produced on the farm were conducted.  Required composting time and temperature relationships were determined for pathogen reduction and elimination.  Methods for safe and rapid burial of contaminated carcasses at landfills were developed in the case of catastrophic die-off’s during emergencies.

What is the Howie Award?