Page 10 - National Poultry Newspaper

New parthenium infestations on Tamworth and Kiama chicken farms
Poultry shed wash down
LARGE scale poultry production requires shed decontamination be- tween production runs of meat birds.
The petrol engine- miningindustries.
The ability to wash down sheds quickly ready for the next batch of birds means a reduc- tion in downtime when the shed is unproductive.
The heart of the ma- chine is a heavy duty Udor diaphragm pump.
The machine comes with an integrated pres- sure-relief valve and gauge that enables the operator to select the re- quired pressure for the job.
Aussie Pumps has de- veloped a high-flow, high-pressure portable engine-drive machine designed for literally flushing away debris fast.
Aussie Pumps opera- tions manager Hamish Lorenz said, “We chose the Udor 5-piston dia- phragm pump because of its unique high-flow high-pressure specifica- tion.”
The unit is supplied with 20m of high-pres- sure hose and a ‘tommy gun’ system.
Called the Aussie Muck Off 125, the big machine produces 125L per min- ute flow and 40-bar pres- sure – which translates to 568psi.
“That whack of the combination of high- flow and high-pressure gets the job done quick- ly.”
“The Muck Off 125 can accommodate two opera- tors with each operator getting around 70L per minute through the gun.
The machine is engine driven with either a Hon- da petrol or Kohler diesel engine.
Aussie Pumps engi- neers chose the com- bination flow and pressure after a lot of research with agricul- tural, construction and
“That’s a good way to clean big sheds,” Mr Lor- enz said.
powered version comes with a Honda GX390 13hp GX series indus- trial engine.
The pressure washes mud and dust off fast, cutting overall cleaning times dramatically.
The only downside to the machine’s unique performance is the need for a ready supply of wa- ter.
Plant operators can re- solve this by having a water carrier standing by during the cleaning process.
The heart of the ma- chine, the diaphragm pump has advantages over high-pressure piston pumps in that it will ac- commodate many impu- rities in the liquid being used to clean.
Another advantage is its ability to self-prime from between 2-3m.
The Aussie Muck Off comes with a heavy duty filtration system and is also available in hydro- static test configuration.
Further information on the Aussie Muck Off is available from aussie pumps.com.au
POULTRY owners and producers who fed birds with purchased organic grain or mash are urged to check yards and pad- docks for parthenium weed following the discovery of the weed on chicken farms near Tamworth and Kiama, the first time the weed has been found in south- eastern NSW.
linked to contaminated organic whole grain chicken feed and mash, and one is linked to con- taminated conventional chicken feed,” Mr Black- more said.
the vigilant operators re- mained on the lookout for parthenium.
the lookout for parthe- nium and call the NSW DPI Biosecurity Helpline 1800 680 244 or local council with any suspect- ed sightings of the weed.
NSW Department of Primary Industries state priority weeds coordina- tor Phil Blackmore said the Kiama detection is the 26th parthenium weed infestation to have been identified and man- aged in NSW since April 1, 2020.
“Local councils across the state are working to eradicate all infestations as the united efforts of Local Land Services and the community continue to keep the devastating weed in check.”
Check areas where hay, grain or seed has been fed to pets, livestock or chickens.
“Six infestations are
“No parthenium plants were found during an initial inspection of the Kiama chicken farm, and
Parthenium weed spreads rapidly, is dan- gerous to grazing ani- mals and reduces crop and land values.
“The contaminated feed infestations were traced to Queensland manufacturers who have worked with NSW DPI to eliminate parthenium seed from feed products.
“The Illawarra District Weeds Authority was contacted by the owners when they found suspect plants, which germinat- ed in summer prior to Christmas under favour- able conditions.
Professional staff will help identify the plant and eradicate parthenium weed.
“We have contacted suppliers, alerted buyers of potentially contami- nated feed and conducted inspections of their prop- erties.
NSW DPI urges eve- ryone, particularly those who have fed poultry with purchased organic grain and mash to be on
NSW has benefitted from the program to keep the state partheni- um-free since 1982, with the greatest number of parthenium infestations found and managed dur- ing the past 12 months.
Local councils across the state are working to eradicate all infestations as the united efforts of Local Land Services and the community continue to keep the devastating weed in check.
More information about parthenium weed and how to identify the plant at different growth stages is available from the NSW DPI website dpi. nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/ weeds/seen-this-plant- parthenium-weed
Contact with the plant or pollen can cause seri- ous allergic reactions in people.
NSW DPI continues to coordinate statewide sur- veillance of known high- risk areas in collabora- tion with local councils, weed control authorities and LLS regional weed coordinators.
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Page 10 – National Poultry Newspaper, March 2021
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