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Take 10: Get to Know Kory Duerst, a Leading Dairy Expert for U.S. Dairies 

Amlan welcomes Kory Duerst, as a leading expert representing Amlan products in the U.S. dairy market.   

In a one-on-one with Kory, and an introduction to our customers, we asked him to share his background, his view of the dairy industry, and why he decided to work with Amlan.   

Q: How Did You End Up Working in Dairy?

A: “I have grown up immersed in the dairy industry. Our family has a century farm in Wisconsin, and I graduated from the University of Wisconsin River Falls with a degree in dairy science. It was the values that I, like every farm kid, learned about – the value of a hard day’s work and being able to ‘see’ your successes. Agriculture, specifically the dairy market, is an industry that I am blessed to work in and enjoy being able to give back to.”  

Q: What Keeps Your Love for the Industry Alive? 

A: “As to why I continue to be inspired to work in dairy daily, it is the people. You won’t find a better group of people who care other than the producers who produce the beef and milk we enjoy daily.” 

Q: How have you seen the Dairy Industry Evolve?

A: “Over the last 20 years that I have been in the dairy industry, it has changed a lot. A big change is the size of farms; going from 100 cow stall barns to farms of 100,000 milking cows. And from the days of 2 row pull type choppers to 900 horsepower self-propelled custom harvesters. The dairy industry is growing and expanding in size and speed, but the values it is rooted in have not changed. I see more attention focused on healthier cows and reduced dependence on hormones and antibiotics. Today, I see farms producing 110+ pounds per cow daily. Data and technology are driving the majority of progress and change. The ability to measure and adapt quickly is speeding these changes too. I am not sure how, but I am certain AI will play an integral part in the next decade.”    

Q: With Amlan being new to the U.S. Market, tell us how you came to know about Amlan and represent them.

A: “Amlan was highly recommended to me by a university professor who had experience with Sorbiam XL. Dairy is a difficult industry to truly know if products work as advertised. I am always impressed when the data used to present product performance is 3rd party tested and validated. With Amlan’s Sorbiam XL product, feed mills will experience a very nice granulated and flowable product. It reduces dust and bridging in micro machines at a very cost-competitive price and provides overall better health and reproduction, drivers for an improved dairyman’s bottom line.”   

To learn more about Sorbiam XL and how it helps support economic performance in dairy cattle, contact Kory Duerst at info@amlan.com or visit amlan.com.  

Kory Duerst is the principal of Core Functional Ingredients, an independent, non-exclusive sales agent promoting Amlan products in North America.

The Big Impact of a Small Change in Poultry Production

What does 1% do? If I can improve something by 1%, what does it mean?

In May 2022, we spoke with Mike Donohue, Vice President for Agristats, about how small improvements in the health and performance of broilers can make a significant impact on the economics of poultry production. Mike is a 42-year veteran of the chicken industry and recently celebrated his 25th anniversary with Agristats.

An Industry Responsive to Consumer Demands

To start our conversation, we asked Mike to describe the evolution of the chicken industry, both in the U.S. and globally. “The growth of the chicken industry over the last 35 to 40 years, not just in the United States, but around the world, has been almost explosive,” he said. “China didn’t have anything really until 1980 or so when they started commercial chicken production, and they’ve grown to, I believe, the third largest producer in the world. Brazil is a similar situation; they’ve grown in both domestic demand and international demand. And the U.S. production has probably doubled in the last 15 to 20 years.”

The U.S. industry has also seen shifts in the products they produce, to better cater to consumers who are looking for easy-to-prepare, nutritious protein — at a good price. “We’ve been leaders, the chicken industry, in bringing affordable protein to people, not just in the U.S. but in pretty much every other corner of the world. You can see that by any statistic from the government or others on per capita chicken consumption.”

The Impact of 1%

Healthy birds are needed to supply the millions of tons of chicken meat to consumers, so we asked Mike about the importance of maintaining bird health and the impact bird health has on production. He stressed that all chicken producers are concerned about being good caretakers of their birds, by providing good husbandry and trying to mitigate disease and environmental challenges.

Keeping birds healthy allows for better production performance and livability. Mike explained that livability is an important factor for producers and provided the example below on what 1% improvement in livability can do for revenue.

  • The average chicken operation grows about 30 million live pounds a month.
  • A 1% increase in livability means:
    • 300,000 more live pounds
    • 240,000 more finished product pounds (at 80% yield)
    • At $1.20/pound, an extra $288,000 in revenue

But increased revenue is just half the story — costs are also affected by a 1% improvement in livability. “Whatever we can do from a management standpoint, from a husbandry standpoint, from a nutrition standpoint, from a veterinary standpoint, to bring more birds to the plant, to bring healthy birds to the plant, the better the performance is going to be and the better the cost of production is going to be for the company,” Mike said. And when input costs are as high as they are now, a healthy bird is even more important.

“How do we get a balanced diet, at the most accessible cost, that helps birds grow quickly and efficiently and live well, all the way through the life of that flock? That’s part of what I work on; that’s part of what the industry works on day after day.”

Investing in the 1% Improvement

If birds aren’t healthy, they don’t convert feed as well, and that’s an added cost to producers. Mike explained that if you can change something in your production setting (e.g., an alternative feed ingredient) that improves bird health — even if it’s an added cost — it typically means a better feed conversion ratio (FCR), which can make a big difference to revenue. But you need to make sure your return on investment makes sense. In the video below, Mike outlines an example of how adding an extra cost that improves FCR by 1% could definitely be worthwhile.

Improving the Bottom Line

A large part of Mike’s job is helping his customers find the 1% they can change — the poultry industry works with some big numbers, so small changes can add up quickly. In this way, Mike and Amlan have similar goals — we want to help our customers make changes to their operation that improve their bottom line. Our range of natural mineral-based feed additives help support optimal bird intestinal health and productivity, while adding value for producers. Thank you, Mike, for showing us the big impact a small change can make.

Article Showcases Phylox® in Watt Poultry International

WATT Poultry® International has published an article on Amlan’s newly launched product, Phylox®, available in select international countries. Phylox is a natural alternative to anticoccidial drugs that works well alone, as part of a rotation program, or as part of a bio-shuttle program to control coccidiosis. The natural ingredients of Phylox targets multiple Eimeria species with several modes of action, while also promoting a healthy intestinal barrier and optimizing intestinal immunity for improved production economics. Follow the link to learn more.

Sustainability, Health and Antibiotic Reduction

Revista Poultry World Gráfico de texto Jaffee

Source: Fabian Brockötter, Poultry World, March 29, 2022

During the 2022 IPPE, Fabian Brockötter, Editor in Chief at Poultry World, spoke with three industry decision-makers about what dynamics are influencing decisions in the U.S. Dan Jaffee, President and CEO of Oil-Dri® Corporation of America and President and General Manager of Amlan International, spoke with Fabian about the increasing trend of antibiotic-free production and the need for natural non-antibiotic solutions.

Read the full article

Amlan Brings Value-Added Mineral Alternatives to Livestock Industry

Amlan team with Rural Radio Network logo graphic.

Source: Susan Littlefield, Rural Radio Network/KRVN, January 27, 2022

Oil-Dri® Corporation of America launched their first mineral-based product in 1941, and since then the range of unique minerals mined and processed by Oil-Dri have been used for many applications across diverse industries, including animal health. In an interview with Susan Littlefield from Rural Radio Network/KRVN, Amlan teammates Reagan Culbertson, Director of Strategic Branding and Communications, and Dr. Wade Robey, VP of Marketing and Product Development, discuss the history of the mineral technology that is the core of Amlan products. They also describe how Amlan’s mineral-based feed additives optimize gut health in poultry and livestock and improve production economics.

Listen to the interview here.

Consumer Demand Driving Natural Feed Solutions

Poultry barn with Amlan Logo text graphic.

Source: Amie Simpson, Brownfield Ag News, January 28, 2022

“Increasing regulation and strong consumer demand are creating a growing market for natural animal protein production solutions,” commented Dr. Wade Robey, our VP of Marketing and Product Development, in a recent interview with Amie Simpson from Brownfield Ag News. Wade also discussed Amlan’s introduction of natural mineral-based feed additives into the US market and the growth opportunities this presents for Amlan in 2022. Read more here.

Managing Gut Health for Antibiotic-Free Chicken

Fred Kao photo with chicken barn background graphic.

Source: Red River Farm Network, January 28, 2022

An increasing market sector around the world. That’s the prediction for the no-antibiotic-ever market provided by Fred Kao, Vice President of Global Sales for Amlan, during his recent interview with Red River Farm Network. Fred also discussed the competitiveness of Amlan’s mineral as a stand-alone product. Read the full story here.

A Q&A with Dr. Wade Robey

A text graphic with a profile picture of Dr. Wade Robey.

Meet Dr. Wade Robey, VP Marketing and Product Development, as he answers questions about Amlan, the industry and the science behind our products. In this short video, Wade discusses how Amlan’s mineral technology meets the needs of global poultry and livestock producers and their consumers while stressing the importance of a natural approach to this demand.

WATCH VIDEO

The Amlan Team Is Expanding, but the Dedication to Our Values Is Stronger Than Ever

Oil-Dri and Amlan logos with team members graphic.

As the animal health business of Oil-Dri® Corporation of America, Amlan International shares more than Oil-Dri’s millions of tons of mineral reserves — we also share Oil-Dri’s values and ethics. As the Amlan business continues to rapidly grow, so does our team of talented professionals focused on providing mineral-based solutions for our customers — while maintaining their strong ethical values.

The Family Values of Oil-Dri

Nick Jaffee, the grandfather of the current Oil-Dri President and CEO Dan Jaffee, founded Oil-Dri in 1941 with the very same values we live by today. Oil-Dri’s tight-knit inclusive culture means teammates are more like family than colleagues, which can be credited to Oil-Dri’s focus on integrity, approach and vision.

  • Integrity: We emphasize honesty, ethics, diversity and compassion, and support healthy lifestyles with a strong work-life balance.
  • Approach: Centered on collaboration, communication and transparency, our open and accessible corporate structure and culture start at the top, which is why we have a thriving, close-knit global community.
  • Vision: As a family-owned and family-operated company, each decision is made with future generations in mind.

Respect and Trust Are Key

Amlan employees strive to be positive, honest and open-minded to maintain trust in each other and, more importantly, earn the trust and respect of their customers. As our business continues to expand throughout the world and we welcome more team members to Amlan, we continue to uphold these values.

Our Growing Amlan Family

An example of our growing Oil-Dri and Amlan family is our expanding team in China. We recognize that the animal protein market there is growing rapidly, so we’re meeting this demand with the addition of several team members and an expansion of our logistics operations. Our new teammates and investment in our infrastructure in China will help support our mission of providing excellence in technical and customer service that keeps pace with the increasing animal protein demand in this region.

We have also invested in a secure product supply chain for our customers in China by operating multiple logistics centers. The warehouses are located in Tianjin, which supplies the northeast; Shenzhen in the southeast; and Chongqing, which supplies central and southwest China. The supply hubs allow us to quickly adjust to any shifting product demands within the country.

Continued Growth Around the World

Our team continues to grow in other regions and countries around the world, including Indonesia where a patent was recently issued that protects the novel, mineral-based formulation used in Amlan’s existing natural feed additives, Varium® for poultry and NeoPrime® for swine (not available for sale in the U.S.). With the world’s fourth-largest population, the expansion of Indonesia’s sales and technical service team, together with the patent issuance, allows us to better support Indonesian producers, helping them to achieve their production goals and meet the demand for high-quality animal protein.

We have established a strong North American team, as well. Stay tuned for some exciting North American news!

 

Oil-Dri’s core values were passed down to Dan Jaffee from his grandfather and father, and Dan strives to instill these values in all Oil-Dri employees, including the Amlan team. As we continue to grow, we know that our relationships with our customers will prosper too, due to our strong belief in these core values.

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