Auburn breaks ground on animal nutrition facility

07-04-2011 | Feed additives | News

Auburn University in Alabama has broken ground for a already in 2009 announced $6.3 million facility designed to help animal industries ensure production of high-quality feed, university officials said.

Animal scientists say high-quality, nutritious feed is key to the success of any poultry, livestock or fish farming operation, but that few US universities have focused their attention on the subject.

Pictured, from left, are John Pittard, president of the Alabama Poultry and Egg Association; William Batchelor, dean of the College of Agriculture; Jay Gogue, president of Auburn University; John Blackwell, president pro tempore of the Auburn University Board of Trustees; Don Conner, head of the Department of Poultry Science; and Johnny Adams, executive director of the Alabama Poultry and Egg Association.

The new Auburn University Poultry and Animal Nutrition Centre, to be built north of Auburn off Auburn Lakes Road, "significantly advances Auburn’s teaching, research and extension efforts in the critical areas of feed science, technology and manufacturing,” said Don Conner, head of Auburn’s Poultry Science Department.

A committee of poultry nutritionists and feed milling personnel provided input on technical specifications for the new facility in an effort to make sure it meets the industry’s needs now and into the future, Auburn officials said in a news release.

The feed mill employs a modular design and will be the first poultry science facility at Auburn’s north campus, with a targeted completion date of December 2011.

In June 2010, the Auburn University Board of Trustees passed a resolution naming the main building of the centre the Alabama Poultry and Egg Association Feed Mill and Animal Nutrition Building.

The centre is funded by Auburn University, private donations and in-kind equipment donations and officials said fund-raising efforts continue.

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