Coffman, David, interviewed by Dan Kerr and members of the class

Scope and content:

Records an interview with David Coffman of Coffman Breeder Farm, who discusses his work as a poultry farmer and chicken grower for Perdue in Rockingham County, Virginia. Coffman discusses the history of poultry breeding in Rockingham County; the economic impact, costs, equipment of being a contract grower vs. an independent grower; breeding and the various breeds grown by different companies; light, heat, fuel and energy systems; coops and confinement houses; automation and the impact of automation on labor; the Chesapeake Bay and runoff concerns; poultry litter disposal and waste management; mice and rodent prevention; poultry nutrition; egg care, including vaccinating eggs and the differences between eggs for breeding and consumption; various poultry companies, including Rocco, Cargill, Tyson, Georgia, and others; PETA and regulations.

Access and use

Location of collection:
James Madison University
Second Floor Room 203, MSC 1704
Carrier Library
James Madison University
880 Madison Drive
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Contact for questions and access:
POC: Tiffany Cole
Phone: (540) 568-3444
Phone: (540) 568-3612
Fax: (540) 568-3405
Restrictions:

Open for research

Terms of access:

Public Domain

Parent restrictions:

Access to oral history interviews is governed by a deed of gift signed by the interviewer and narrator(s). Most interviews are open for research without restriction. In instances in which the narrator did not grant permission for full online access to recordings and transcripts, those restrictions are noted in a Conditions Governing Access note for each interview. In some instances, access to audio and transcripts is permissible only within the Special Collections reading room.

Pseudonyms are used when requested by the narrator.

Parent terms of access:
Public Domain

Contents