Tom Tabler

George Thomas Tabler, Ph.D.

Extension Professor
Mississippi State University Extension Service/Poultry Science Department
Mississippi State University
Phone: 662-325-3472 (o); 662-769-9858 (c)
E-mail: t.tabler@msstate.edu

Education
December 2004, Ph.D., Animal Science, University of Arkansas
Dissertation: Study of selected physical environmental factors on feed intake of performance-tested beef bulls.
Co-Advisors: Drs. Hayden Brown and Wayne Kellogg
May 1993, M.S., General Agriculture, University of Arkansas
December 1978, B.S., Poultry Science, University of Arkansas

Experience
August 2012- present. Extension Professor, Mississippi State University Extension Service and Poultry Science Department, Mississippi State, MS.
• Provide support and technical assistance to the Mississippi poultry industry.
• Interests include poultry housing and environmental management, water quality, litter management, ventilation, mortality composting and management, and energy efficient lighting options.

August 2011-August 2012. Secondary School Teacher, Northwest Arctic Borough School District, Shungnak. Alaska.
• 7th -12th grade math and science teacher at the remote Alaskan village of Shungnak; 20 miles north of the Arctic Circle. Taught Field Biology, Physical Science, Earth Science, Basic Math I and II (high school students), middle school math, middle school science, Workplace Basics, Physical Education, and Desktop Publishing. Also Youth Leader and student council sponsor for the school of ~70 students pre-K-12th grade.

August 1990 – August 2011. Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service and Poultry Science Department, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR.
• Responsibilities included daily data collection, operation and management of 4-house commercial broiler farm and research facility (85,000-100,000 head capacity; 6 flocks per year) contracted to a local poultry integrator.
• Also responsible for university-leased 2-house broiler-breeder farm from 1995-2001.
• Oversee and maintain farm accounting, budgetary, and cost control aspects.
• Supervise full- and part-time employees and university students necessary to maintain normal day-to-day operations.
• Organize and conduct educational programs for farm bureau, Extension, agri-business and other agricultural clientele concerning applied research facility production and management pertinent to private producers.
• Arrange and conduct tours for local, state, national, and international business, industry, and agricultural groups. Utilize farm as a community service opportunity and teaching tool for area school systems (K-12), 4-H clubs, FFA groups, Extension service, and farm bureau programs. Maintain relationships with local media personnel requiring assistance with agricultural reporting.
• Author poultry (broiler and turkey) management and production articles for Avian Advice, an Extension Service newsletter focusing on current poultry production issues and recently completed applied field research.
• Serve as a faculty instructor for the Modern Poultry Production Short Course taught each year on the University of Arkansas campus.
• Oversee equipment purchases and farm construction projects.
• Maintain facility records and yearly farm registration related to university’s CAFO status including adherence to comprehensive nutrient management plan and overseeing waste management practices.
• Work with faculty from Agronomy, Ag Engineering, Animal Science, Entomology, and USDA Poultry Research Group on a variety of multidisciplinary research activities. This includes broiler litter nutrient analysis, management concerns, disease monitoring and recognition, air and water quality issues, and antibiotic, probiotic, and coccidiostat use in feeds.
• Lend support to local county fair board, county cattlemen’s organization, and county 4-H youth activities during local county fair. Assist broiler show committee during Arkansas State Fair.
• Work with stakeholders and various state agencies to make sure allocated funds and products are used in best interest of the state and its taxpayers.
July 1983 - August 1990. Ranch Manager, Cragar Farms, DeQueen, AR. The ranch was a diversified cattle, swine, and poultry operation consisting of 4 Pilgrim-contract broiler houses (75,000 head total capacity; 5 flocks per year), 2 Cargill-contract swine farrowing farms (240 sows each), and a 200 head cow/calf and stocker operation.
• Responsibilities included employee supervision (5-7 employees) and all aspects of management for the 3 operations.
• For the cattle operation, this included breeding stock purchases, herd health program (vaccination, worming, weaning schedules, etc), replacement heifers, stocker program, haying schedules, stockpiling, winter supplement program, marketing decisions and waste management based on soil sampling, forage nutrient analysis and pasture expectations.
• This also included normal day-to-day building and fixing fence, brush hogging, baling hay, planting fall pastures (wheat, rye, ryegrass), soil sampling, and moving, counting, culling, sorting, and checking cattle.

January 1979 - July 1983. Broiler Service Technician, Pilgrim’s Pride Corp., Nashville and DeQueen, AR.
• Liaison between 60+ poultry growers and Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.
• Visited each producer’s farm weekly and provided advice, technical assistance, medication, flock health services and production and waste management instruction on raising commercial broilers to contract producers.
• Scheduled weekly chick placements for 2 broiler hatcheries (as needed).
• Developed harvest schedules for 230,000 head/day poultry processing plant (as needed).