LAURINBURG — The future of Scotland County industry lies in the explosive growth of poultry houses, according to Bill Carmichael, who owns 18 chicken houses in the county.
“This is what’s coming to Scotland County,” he told members of the Laurinburg Rotary Club on Tuesday. “People talk about industry — this is the future, and it includes processors, feed mills, growers, etc.”
Carmichael, a native of Laurinburg, said he has been growing for Mountaire Farms since 2003. Chicks are hatched at the Mountaire facility in Siler City and, within hours, are shipped to chicken houses.
“They take the first drink of water and bite of food at my houses,” he said.
Carmichael said the goal for his chicken houses is to get each chicken to 9 pounds within nine weeks. He said not every bird weighs 9 pounds when sold — some get as much as 12 or 13 pounds, others fall short of the 9 pounds.
He also said there is a 2- to 3-percent mortality rate with each flock, and chicken houses usually grow four flocks per year.
Carmichael said 9-pound birds may seem large, but they are not usually sold whole.
“Process, process, process — into chicken nuggets, chicken patties, etc.” he said.
As a comparison, it was stated that KFC usually purchases 2.75-pound chickens.
Odor from the chicken houses has been in the news of late, sparked by the lawsuits against hog house operators, and Carmichael said there is an odor associated with the chicken houses, but … “the odor is in the eye, or nose, of the beholder.” He added that chicken houses employ large exhaust fans to help cut down on the odors.
One of the biggest changes Carmichael has seen over 15 years centers around the growth of the chicken industry. He said the size of chicken houses has doubled since he first started and now a single house, measuring 60 feet by 600 feet, will house 40,000 birds. Those houses cost approximately $400,000 each to construct.
Carmichael shared statistics that show North Carolina ranks No. 1 in the country on all poultry and egg cash receipts, representing 11.7 percent of the total nationwide. The state is also No. 1 in tobacco and flue-tobacco receipts, and No. 1 in sweet potatoes. It is No. 2 in pigs and hogs, trout sold and turkey receipts; as well as No. 3 in strawberries.
W. Curt Vincent can be reached at 910-506-3023 or cvincent@laurinburgexch.wpenginepowered.com.
