Culver Duck Farms Inc: Pride in Poultry

Culver Duck raises and processes approximately 3.5 million ducks annually. Products include duck breasts and cooked duck halves in five flavors, as well as a variety of duck sausages.
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Food & Drink Magazine
Fall 2008

Culver Duck Farms Inc.: Pride in Poultry
By ALAM DORICH

Culver Duck Farms Inc. is a family owned business that takes pride in its work, Secretary and Treasurer Burt Culver says. Based in Middlebury, Ind., the company raises and processes approximately 3.5 million ducks annually.

Early on, Culver Duck recognized the value of the Asian marketplace and set on a path to grow ducklings that could meet the high standards required for Peking duck and other oriental dishes. That commitment later positioned Culver Duck for the natural food market, which also holds to a higher standard and recognizes the value of the breed and quality of Culver's product line.

Culver's great-great-great-grandfather, Warren W. Hallock, started the family business in 1858, when he began raising ducks in Speonk, N.Y. Since then, the company has relocated to its current location in Middlebury, which is "in the heart of Amish country," Culver adds.

Culver's father, Herb Culver, and mother, Marilyn, moved the family to the Midwest in 1959. With more than 70 years' experience in duck farming, Herb Culver is still actively involved in the business at age 83, while Marilyn retired just last year.

"The farming is good here, [and] with the Amish being here, we find good people to raise ducklings for us," Burt Culver says. Many locals have raised ducks for several generations.

Today, Culver Duck's products include duck breasts and cooked duck halves in five flavors, as well as duck sausages in a variety of flavors - and even lotions, soaps, BBQ sauces and rubs, and chicken products. It supplies its products to restaurants and specialty stores around the world.

In addition, the company has earned numerous awards for its products. In 2008, of the 2,100-plus entries in 31 categories at the Summer NASFT Fancy Food Show in New York City, Culver Duck won a Sofi Silver Award for Outstanding Product Line, while its Roasted Duck Half took home a Sofi Silver Award in the Outstanding Diet and Lifestyle category.

Defying Perceptions
Culver says he was "born and raised" in his family's business. "I started working at the age of 12 on the farm," he recalls, adding that he has spent the majority of his life at the company. "Many of us here have between 20 and 40 years' experience in the business," Culver added.

Although his family believes duck is an excellent meat product, the company encounters resistance from some consumers, Culver says.

For instance, at food shows, Culver Duck's products often surprise attendees, he says. When people visit Culver Duck's booth and try the product, "They love it," Culver says. "But if you tell them this is duck they are eating, they go, 'Duck?' It's foreign to them."

Often, consumers perceive duck meat as being unhealthy, Culver explains. "They don't understand that the duck today has been carefully bred and carefully fed a scientifically monitored, all-natural feed formulation containing no by-products and no animal fat, while producing 70 percent meat on the yield," he says.

Once known as a fatty meat, Culver's painstaking breeding selection processes have developed a white pekin duckling that is 42 percent less fatty with a 45 percent higher meat yield, according to Drew Frey, director of farm operations - the company's resident statistician.

In addition, "It has the nutrition of poultry and the quality of steak," Culver asserts. "Duck breast meat has about half the fat of chicken breast meat."

Moving Up
Culver Duck recently introduced fully cooked duck halves that come in six flavors: Andouille, BBQ Rub, Bistro, Cranberry Chipotle, Roasted and Sesame-Ginger. The company is now working on other items, including duck confit. "It's a classic duck dish," Culver explains, adding that the company is developing the product with a chef at the Le Petit Paris restaurant in Chicago.

Culver Duck also has started supplying its duck breast product in four flavors - Honey-Orange, Cajun, Teriyaki and Original - as well as its All Natural Whole Duckling to Bell & Evans, a poultry company based in Fredericksburg, Pa. "That moves [us] to an upscale market," he says.

price of duck eggs in banyuwangi

egg is a healthful food, so also in indonesia, breeders in indonesia is the most traditional duck breeder, they put out a living from livestock duck,
price of duck eggs in indonesia especially in Banyuwangi april months is
==> 0:15 dollar per particle,





==> The price day Old duck (DOD) 0.5 U.S. dollar
==> Productive duck price is 3.5 dollars per head

Lending Model Information System for Small-Scale Enterprises

SALTED EGG INDUSTRY

PRODUCTION ASPECT

PRODUCTION PROCESS

The process of producing salted eggs practiced in this study of financing pattern was that of wrapping with the mixture of salt and clay. The flow diagram of the process is the following:

Figure 4.1. Flow Diagram Of Salted Egg Making Process

The production process by wrapping eggs with a dough/mixture used in salted egg industry is the following:

a. Selection of Duck Eggs

The selection of ducks eggs is done when they are bought from duck breeders, where duck eggs of bad quality will be rejected. The selection of eggs in the location of the industry is done while the eggs is about to be mixed with the dough. There is hardly any failure in this process, in which among 1000 eggs, there will only be one egg having a defect (one per mil).

The process of selecting duck eggs before mixing it with the dough consist of two tests: checking the strength of the egg shell (by hitting two eggs with each other) and checking the condition of the shell (observed visually in case there is a crack) (Photo 4.1).

Photo. 4.1.Process of Selecting Duck Eggs

b. Dough Making

The dough used in the process of wrapping duck egg is a mixture betweensalt, clay, or ground red brick. Salt is the main supporting materialas it creates the salty taste and function as a preserving material. Italso minimizes oxygen loss (oxygen is needed by bacteria), stopping theactivity of proteolitic enzyme (enzyme destroying protein) absorbingwater from inside the eggs. The ratio of salt and clay to make dough is1:3 (Table 4.1), which are then mixed thoroughly and form very thickporridge.

Table 4.1.
Composition Of Materials For Salting Dough/Mixture Per Month (Capacity of 150,000 eggs)

Composition Of Dough	Unit	Total
1. Salt	kg	1,500
2. Clay	kg	4,500

Source : Primary Data

c. Ripening

The process of keeping eggs in the salting dough is a determining factor for the saltiness of the eggs produced (Photo 4.2). The process is produced by putting selected duck eggs into a container/bucket containing the dough. After all the surface of the eggs is covered with the dough, the eggs are packed in a wooden box already prepared for the ripening process (Photo 4.3). The best ripening is (within) ten days. However, the time needed for the ripening is adjusted to the taste preferred by consumers of the eggs, as the longer the ripening the more salt penetrates into the egg and the saltier.

Photo 4.2. Process of Applying Salting Dough On Eggs


Photo 4.3. Ripening Process

d. Washing

The washing of eggs is one to get rid of the remain of salting dough stuck on the eggs. This is done by scrubbing the shells of the eggs with a brush wetted with detergent liquid (Photo 4.4).

Photo 4.4. Process of Washing Salted Eggs

After being washed, the eggs are soaked to make them free from remains of the dough and soap stuck in the egg shells (Photo 4.5)

Photo 4.5. Process of Soaking Salted Eggs

e. Boiling

Boiling is done to make the raw salted eggs well done. This process is done in saucepans of various sizes with the capacity ranging from 500 – 1500 eggs at a time of boiling (Photo 4.6). It takes more or less 3-5 hours. After boiling, salted eggs can last 21 days for consumption.

Photo. 4.6. Process of Boiling Salted Eggs

f. Straining And Stamping

After being boiled, salted eggs are taken out of the saucepan and then strained. The process is done on a place on which the eggs are let to dry land cool. The next is stamping of the brand and production code.

Photo 4.7. Straining of Salted Eggs


Photo 4.8. Stamping of The Brand And Production Code

g. Storage

The last stage of the production process is packing the stamped eggs in various forms of packaging such as plastic (Photo 4.9). Before being transported, the eggs are packed and kept in wooden boxes (Photo 4.10).

Bird Flu is Top Disease Concern in Asia

Interviews with some of the leading exhibitors in the special show sector, Eggs!, at VIV Asia in Bangkok in March revealed that avian influenza remains top of the list of disease concerns in Asia, reports Jackie Linden, editor of ThePoultrySite.

"Of course, for an animal health company such as Intervet/Schering Plough Animal Health, controlling poultry diseases is our foremost concern. For Asia, the main disease that will continue to have an impact on the industry in several Asian countries will be avian influenza, despite the fact that major accomplishments have been made in the control of the disease," answered Ruud Aerdts when he was asked about the leading disease concerns of the egg industry in Asia.

Mr Aerdt's opinion was echoed by all the other interviewees who represented different sectors of the egg industry.

Mr McCawley of Big Dutchman highlighted the potentially drastic effects of the disease throughout the industry and across the world. "[Avian influenza] affects the industry as it causes reduced consumer demand, which has a direct impact on prices. Everyone in the supply chain – from manufacturers to farm managers – is, of course, forced to react to the persisting danger of avian influenza. And it is not only an issue of local concern but can easily affect the entire industry on a worldwide scale."

P. Degraeve of Petersime also identified avian influenza as the disease most harmful to his company's customers. "The potential negative impact of AI on hatchery operations and poultry integrators is devastating since it threatens all segments of the poultry production pyramid: breeding stock, commercial layers and commercial broilers alike," he said. He also raised the impact on consumer confidence and demand, saying, "A sustained drop in poultry consumption would no doubt slow down or even halt all capital expenditure in the hatchery industry."

"Avian influenza still remains a major threat since it not only causes damage to flocks impacting productivity and high morbidity and mortality but also causes wide concern and panic in human population and has a negative impact on egg consumption," said Dr D. Joardar of Novus International.

Dr R. Preisinger from Lohmann Tierzucht agreed. He said, "Our major concern still is, without a doubt, avian influenza."

He emphasised how the disease has changed the industry. "The industry is trying to cope with this problem by eradication and vaccination. Therefore, it is imperative that all producers improve their biosecurity. After all, prevention is definitely better than cure," he explained.

Paul Buisman of Moba agreed with the other interviewees, whilst also mentioning foodborne bacteria as a significant concern to the egg processing industry. "Producers of egg handling, packing and processing equipment fear those diseases most that will influence consumers' behaviour. Compared to Salmonella problems that have proven to be a negative perception of poultry and eggs, avian influenza is certainly the most feared disease," he said.

Two of those interviewed mentioned other disease concerns. "Newcastle disease is frequently encountered; mostly, subclinical manifestations are observed. Chicken anaemia is another emerging disease, which, in spite of vaccination, is seen frequently," commented Dr Joardar.

Mr Aerdts explained, "Other diseases that are playing a role are respiratory diseases such as Newcastle disease, infectious bronchitis, mycoplasma and infectious laryngotracheitis. Fortunately, innovative disease control tools are becoming available, enabling the industry to control these diseases in a safe and effective way.

"Consumers will increasingly demand meat and eggs that are free from contamination with food-borne pathogens such as Salmonella. The animal health industry is able to offer the poultry industry support by developing vaccines that can help poultry producers to improve the food safety aspects of their products. Preventative measures also reduce the need for treatment," said Mr Aerdts of Intervet/Schering Plough Animal Health.

March 2009