Poultry Extension
Poultry is a term for domestic fowl raised for:
- Meat: Chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, pigeons, ostrich, emu, partridge, pheasant, etc.
- Eggs: Chickens, ducks, ostriches, emus
- Feathers: Chickens, guinea fowl, ostriches, or Hide: Ostriches, emus, rheas
- Work: Homing and racing pigeons, guard animals
Publications
4AJ-09PO: Kentucky 4-H Poultry Culinary Demonstration Contest: The Egg Chef Challenge
4AJ-08PA: Kentucky 4-H Poultry Judging Contest: Past Production Hens: Giving Oral Reasons
4AJ-05PA: Kentucky 4-H Poultry Judging Contest: Grading Table Eggs
4AJ-07PA: Kentucky 4-H Poultry Judging Contest: Evaluating Past Production Hens
4AJ-11PO: Kentucky 4-H Poultry Judging Contest: Market Poultry: Ready-to-Cook Poultry Parts Identification
4AJ-04PA: Kentucky 4-H Poultry Judging Contest (An Overview of the Project): Overview
4AJ-12PO: Kentucky 4-H Poultry Judging Contest: Market Poultry: Grading to Ready to Cook Parts
4AJ-06PA: Kentucky 4-H Poultry Judging Contest: Grading Ready-to-Cook Poultry Carcasses
4AJ-10PO: Kentucky 4-H Poultry Judging Contest: Market Poultry: Evaluating Further Processed Poultry Products
4AJ-03PA: Kentucky 4-H Poultry Barbecue Contests
A4J-02PO: Kentucky 4-H Chicken/Turkey Barbecue Project
ASC-195: Development of the Chick
ASC-189: Making a Hoop Pen
ASC-217: So You Want to Produce your own Eggs?
ASC-190: Selecting the Right Chicken Breed
ASC-198: Selecting the Right Duck Breed
ASC-196: Selecting the Right Goose Breed
ASC-197: Selecting the Right Turkey Variety
ASC-230: Factors to Consider before Starting a Small-Scale Egg Production Enterprise in Kentucky
ASC-231: Breed Selection for a Small-Scale Egg Production Enterprise
ASC-233: Feeds and Feeding for Small-Scale Egg Production Enterprises
ASC-216: Reading a Feed Tag
ASC-232: Raising Replacement Pullets for Small-Scale Egg-Production Enterprises
ASC-191: How Much will my Chickens Eat?
ASC-192: Why have my Hens Stopped Laying?
ASC-247: Broodiness in Chickens
ASC-236: Molting Small-Scale Egg-Laying Flocks in Kentucky
4AJ-07PA: Kentucky 4-H Poultry Judging Contest: Evaluating Past Production Hens
ASC-194: Troubleshooting Problems with a Small Flock
ASC-241: Urban Poultry
ASC-246: Properly Maintaining a Backyard Poultry Facility
ASC-242: Composting Poultry Litter in your Backyard
ASC-209: Raising Guinea Fowl
ASC-201: Processing Chickens
ID-245: Predator Management
ID-247: Pastured Poultry
ASC-250: Reemergence of Bedbugs as Poultry Pests
ASC-206: Common External Parasites of Poultry
ASC-234: Use of Biosecurity and Natural Remedies for the Prevention of Poultry Diseases in Natural and Organic Flocks
EF-516: External Mite and Insect Parasites of Backyard Chickens
EF-506: How Far can House Flies Fly?
EF-514: Fly Control around Horse Barns and Stables
EF-502: Biological Control of Flies
EF-507: Lesser Mealworms or Litter Beetles
AEN-87: Measuring Relative Humidity in Agricultural Environments
- ID-175: Riparian Buffers - A Livestock Best Management Practice for Protecting Water Quality
- ID-185: Planting a Riparian Buffer
- AEN-135: Rainwater Harvesting for Livestock Production Systems
- HENV-201: Building a Rain Barrel
- AEN-113: Nutrient Management Concepts for Livestock Producers
- IP-71: Nutrient Management in Kentucky
- ID-211: Kentucky Nutrient Management Planning Guidelines (KyNMP)
- ENRI-110: Managing Nutrients on the Farm to Protect Water Quality
- ID-189: Vegetative Filter Strips for Livestock Facilities
Food & Nutrition
ID-148: Sampling Animal Manure
IP-57: The Potential for Livestock and Poultry Manure to Provide Nutrients Removed by Crops and Forages in Kentucky
AGR-146: Using Animal Manures as Nutrient Sources
AGR-57: Soil Testing: What it Is and What it Does
AGR-16: Taking Soil Test Samples
AGR-189: Managing Seasonal Fluctuations of Soil Tests
AGR-165: The Agronomics of Manure Use for Crop Production
AGR-168: Broiler Litter Production in Kentucky and Potential Use as a Nutrient Source
ENRI-101: Agricultural Water Quality Act: Your Responsibility as a Landowner
ENRI-202: What You Need to Know about Testing your Well Water
ENRI-222: Disinfecting your Well Water
IP-5: Drinking Water Standards
IP-68: Management of Wells for Drinking Water
IP-7: Hard Water - to Soften or not to Soften
IP-3: Testing Private Water Sources
IP-1: Understanding the Water System
FN-SSB.011: A Guide to Microorganisms
FCS3-619: Talking Turkey: Prep and Safety
FCS3-620: Talking Turkey: Dinner is Served
FCS3-538: Understanding the Food Label
FCS3-585: Home Canning Meat, Poultry, Wild Game and Fish
FN-SSB.902e: Apple Bird Garnish
Resources
- Safe Handling of Chicks
- Wally Cat Poster for Kids on the Safe Handling of Chicks
- Growing a Nation: A History of American Agriculture
- A History of Agriculture
- Feathers: What Can They Be Used For?
Media
- UK Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment's YouTube channel
- eXtension's small flock YouTube channel
- Backyard poultry magazine
- WattAgNet.com newsletter
- World Poultry magazine
- Chickens magazine by Hobbyfarms.com
- Watt Poultry YouTube channel
- The Chicken Whisperer radio show
National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP - USDA)
Kentucky Representative: Dr. Steve Velasco, State Veterinarian, Kentucky Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal Health
100 Fair Oaks Lane, Suite 252, Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone: (502) 782-5920
Email: steve.velasco@ky.gov
Additional contact: Dr Kerry Barling, Deputy State Veterinarian - kerry.barling@ky.gov
Additional contact: Megan Zinner, Poultry Programs - megan.zinner@ky.gov
University of Kentucky's Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory
Shipping address: 1490 Bull Lea Rd., Lexington, KY 40511
Mailing address: P.O. Box 14125, Lexington, KY 40512-4125
Phone: (859) 257-8283
Fax: (859) 255-1624
Office Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Receiving Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; Saturday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sunday 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Diagnostic Services Coordinator: Dr. Deborah Maples, (859) 257-7112, deborah.maples@uky.edu
After-hours emergency: Dr. Alan Lynachan, Interim Director, (859) 257-6570, alan.loynachan@uky.edu
Federal
- Poultry Products Inspection Act (FDA)
- Understanding Poultry Exemptions (eXtension)
- A guide to federal food labeling requirements for meat and poultry (FSIS)
- The FSIS Small Plant Help Desk Staff are available to answer phone and email inquiries from 8 am to 4 pm EST at 1-877-FSIS HELP (1-877-374-7435) or InfoSource@fsis.usda.gov. Phone messages or email inquiries can be submitted outside these hours and a staff specialist will follow up with you within one business day.
- Food labeling - meat and poultry terms (FSIS)
- Approved animal drug products (Green Book) (FDA)
State - General
State Meat and Poultry Inspection Programs: Twenty-seven states (which does not include Kentucky) have established meat and poultry inspection programs for products produced and sold within their jurisdictions. They must enforce requirements at least equal to those of FSIS' Federal inspection program and are reimbursed up to 50% of the cost. Related Information:
- Requirements for State Inspection Programs
- Reviews of State Programs
- States With and Without Inspection Programs
State - Kentucky
- Kentucky commercial feed law (University of Kentucky)
- Regulatory Services Newsletter (University of Kentucky)
Custom Processing Facilities in Kentucky
Mobile Processing Unit (eXtension.org)
Central Kentucky Custom Meats - reduced processing capacity
6256 KY 1859, Liberty, KY 42539
606-787-4851
Marksbury Farm - no longer processing poultry
Misty Lee Farm Poultry Processing
1565 Jeff Adams Rd, Pembrooke, KY 42266
270-886-5690
Sugarloaf Mountain Meats - state-inspected poultry processor
2345 Sugarloaf Mtn Rd., Morehead, KY 40351
Contact: Tim Leuenberger - 606 776-5766, Tim@sugarloafmtnmeats.com
Facebook
General/Multi-Breed
- American Bantam Association (ABA)
- American Federation of Aviculture
- American Game Bantam Club
- Livestock Conservancy
- American Pasture Poultry Producers Association (APPPA)
- American Poultry Association (APA)
- Heritage Poultry Conservancy
- North American Game Bird Association (NAGA)
Chickens
REGIONAL
United States
- Northeast Aviculture Society
- Central Coast Feather Fanciers
- Gold Coast Poultry Fanciers Association
- Pacific Coast Bantam Club
- New England Bantam Club
- California - Greater California Society of Poultry Fanciers
- Maine - Central Maine Bird Fanciers - Facebook
- Pennsylvania - Pennsylvania Avicultural Society
- Rhode Island - Little Rhody Poultry Fanciers
Europe
- United Kingdom - The Poultry Club of Great Britain
Specific Breed Associations/Clubs
CHICKENS
- Ameraucana - Ameraucana Alliance
- Araucana - Araucana Club of America
- Australorp - Australorp Club of Australia
- Belgium bantams - Belgium d'Uccle and Booted Bantams club
- Belgium bantams - Bearded Belgian d'Anvers club of North America
- Brahma - American Brahma Club
- Cochin - Cochins International (Bantam and Large Fowl)
- Dominique - Dominique Club of America
- Dutch bantam - American Dutch Bantam Society
- Frizzle - National Frizzle Club of America
- Jersey Giant - National Jersey Giant Club
- Leghorn - American Brown Leghorn Club
- Marans - Marans of America Club
- Modern Game - Modern Game Bantam Club of America
- Orpington - United Orpington Club
- Plymouth Rock - Canadian Plymouth Rock Club
- Rhode Island Red - Rhode Island Red Club of America
- Rosecomb bantam - Rosecomb Bantam Federation
- Serama (The world's smallest chicken) - Serama Council of North America
- Silkie - American Silkie Bantam Club
WATERFOWL
- National Call Breeders of America
- Indian Runner Duck Association (UK)
- British Waterfowl Association (UK)
MISCELLANEOUS SPECIES
Broilers
- Aviagen (Includes Arbor Acres, Ross, and L.I.R./Lohmann meat)
- Cobb-Vantress
- Hubbard
Layers
- ISA Poultry - Includes: white and brown egg layers (ISA, Babcock, Shaver, Hi-sex, Bovan, and Dekalb)
- Hy-line
Turkeys
- Avigen (Nicholas, BUT, Premium, and Valley of the Moon Turkeys)
Others
Poultry meat and eggs are excellent sources of protein and other nutrients, but production of food products from any animal always carries the risk of food-borne pathogens. While all poultry producers make every effort to produce as 'clean' a product as possible it is important that consumers follow proper food handling guidelines.
