Online Extension Poultry Webinars Begin Jan. 15

In the 1980s and 1990s small-scale poultry and egg production made a comeback in the United States when more Americans decided they wanted a direct connection to their food. In recent years, raising chickens in the back yard became popular and in the case of Springfield residents, legal.

The Small and Backyard Flock resource on eXtension.org has information on getting started as well as poultry anatomy, behavior, biology and management. The site includes more than 250 frequently asked questions and more than 350 terms in a glossary.

This same national resource is using local Extension professionals to provide educational seminars this winter on poultry.

Three Webinars for the Public

·         January 15 from 7 to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, Winter care of small and backyard flocks

·         February 14 from 7 to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, So you want to raise turkeys

·         March 28 from 7 to 8 p.m. Eastern Time, Producing poultry meat on pastures

The class on Jan. 15 will focus on keeping poultry productive during cold winter weather. Most poultry can handle cold weather very well as long as they are sheltered from wind and kept dry. To keep hens laying, however, requires light supplementation.

To connect to the webinar go to https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/poultry just before 7 p.m. (Eastern) on Jan. 15, 2013.

The poultry resource area on eXtension is led by Jacquie Jacob, Poultry Extension Associate at the University of Kentucky; Anne Fanatico, Assistant Professor at Appalachian State University in North Carolina; Jesse Lyons, Poultry Extension Associate at the University of Missouri; and Brigid McCrea, Assistant Professor at Delaware State University. University researchers and educators from 18 states contributed and reviewed information for http://www.extension.org/poultry.