Poultry

Backyard Poultry Certificate Course

Backyard Poultry Certificate Course $25

Backyard Poultry Marketing Flyer

For a variety of reasons, there is an increase in interest in keeping backyard poultry. Backyard flocks provide the opportunity for people in rural and urban areas alike to produce tasty eggs and meat for personal and family food security. You might want egg layers. You might want to raise meat birds for a harvest in your freezer. You might even have a youth interested in raising chickens for their 4-H or FFA project, as these lower maintenance livestock can be kept in a fraction of the space for a fraction of the cost when compared to other species.

Whatever your reason for raising poultry, this course is designed to provide you with the knowledge and resources you will need to get your backyard flock off to a great start.

This self-paced course is expected to take 2-3 hours to complete and includes the following 6 modules:

  • Getting Started
  • Brooding, Basic Husbandry & Nutrition
  • Housing
  • Egg Production
  • Maximizing Health
  • Biosecurity

Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Webinar – Dec 19

The recent HPAI outbreak in multiple counties in Ohio has resulted in over 4 million birds being affected and prompted a lot of questions. You are invited to attend a Zoom webinar discussing the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
When: Dec 19, 2023 6:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Topic: Ohio Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Update
Also a response page is available at: https://u.osu.edu/poultry/hpai-information/

Here is the list of topics to be discussed on the zoom:

  • Biosecurity basics
  • Symptoms and signs of HPAI in poultry
  • Control Area – what is it and what does it mean for backyard farms?
  • Surveillance Zone – what is it and what does it mean for backyard farms?
  • How long does a quarantine last?
  • What is the status of the incident?
  • What can you do if you have questions?
  • Q&A
Please click the link below to join the webinar:

Backyard Poultry Certification Course

Interest in keeping backyard poultry has been increasing steadily with a huge jump in growth around the COVID pandemic and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza outbreak due to egg price increases and egg shortages.  We have also see a big jump in the number of 4-H kiddos who want to keep chickens and turkeys for 4-H livestock projects.  Many cities and municipalities require a certification before they allow you to keep backyard poultry.  Lots of people just want to learn more about this for their own family and personal food security.  Maybe this is the perfect holiday gift for that hard to buy family member.  Whatever your reason, we have you covered.

The course costs $25 dollars. (Super cheep!)  Click on the QR code or head to go.osu.edu/chicken

This self-paced course is expected to take 2-3 hours to complete and includes the following 6 modules:

  • Getting Started
  • Brooding, Basic Husbandry & Nutrition
  • Housing
  • Egg Production
  • Maximizing Health
  • Biosecurity

After completing this course, learners will be able to:

  • Identify rules and regulations relevant to raising backyard poultry in their state, city, or municipality
  • Source healthy birds to raise in their backyard
  • Apply concepts of basic husbandry, nutrition, and housing to successfully raise backyard poultry.
  • Explain how eggs are produced
  • Practice safe handling of birds and eggs
  • Recognize health-related abnormalities of poultry through physical examination
  • Describe the roles of of veterinary care and biosecurity in maximizing poultry health

There are NO refunds issued for this course.
If you have questions about the course, contact Tim McDermott at mcdermott.15@osu.edu for assistance.

Market Turkey Pickup – May 10

The market turkeys are scheduled to ship from the hatchery next week. We are expecting them to arrive on Wednesday, May 10 in the afternoon. If the turkeys arrive as scheduled we will hold pick up at Heritage Cooperative at 219 S. Third Street in Marietta from 3 to 5 pm. You might want to call the Extension Office to make sure they have arrived before traveling.

If you have additional questions please call the Extension Office at 740-376-7431 or email hartline.24@osu.edu

Poultry Webinars – April & May

Geared towards youth participants taking poultry projects but anyone is welcome!
Webinar links and details below:

Wednesday, April 26th: Poultry Health
https://osu.zoom.us/j/98164067948?pwd=OWdqQ2dhTk95MDdwNzBZOW51Mzhjdz09

(Password: 682120)
Protecting animal health at home and at the fair, common disease ID, and more!

Thursday, May 4th: Poultry Nutrition
https://osu.zoom.us/j/92999680333?pwd=b2dyK0h3S1ljK2RkQlFHWmlaM1FzZz09

(Password: 870670)
Nutrition best practices, how nutrition impacts meat quality

Monday, May 15th:Poultry Handling and Welfare
https://osu.zoom.us/j/97491993463?pwd=bWVLNTZ5MVRDaUZDTCtZN1lzdzJUUT09

(Password: 231076)
Animal handling and welfare at home and at the fair, impact of handling and stress on meat quality

Flier: Youth Poultry Project Webinar 2023

In-person Pullorium School

OPA and ODA are partnering together to present an in person Pullorum school on Tuesday, May 2nd at the Ohio Department of Agriculture ADDL Animal Health Building. The registration form: 2023 pullorum school registration- fillable

We are still offering a virtual option for certification so anyone interested in that option may be certified at any time. The link to register and pay for the online class is here: https://checkout.square.site/merchant/D77QYV9A8TY6Q/checkout/ZENKUBKJJRQURNTTNCI22CTX

Since it has been several years since we hosted an in-person class and questions we’ve received around HPAI, we are also hosting a Live Pullorum Q&A webinar on Wednesday, May 10th for all current testers. The link to register is below.

Register in advance for the May 10th Pullorum Q&A webinar:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Obtd44uSQ524H-ZIYStrsQ

Jenna Gregorich 

Ohio Poultry Association

Bird Health Programs Manager

Cell: (330) 465-4407

www.ohiopoultry.org

Ohio Youth Poultry Clinic – March 18

The Youth Poultry Clinic is open to all youth (and adults) interested in learning more about poultry.

WHEN: March 18

WHERE: OSU ATI, Wooster, OH

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: April 1

COST: $20.00 per youth and $25.00 per adult.

Everyone MUST register to eat refreshments and/or lunch, whether or not attending sessions.

Topics include: Poultry Nutrition, Broiler Evaluation, Poultry Necropsy – Comparative Anatomy, Mortality Disposal, Biosecurity/HPAI, Poultry Carcass Cut-up, Q & A Corner.

Poultry Quality Assurance will be offered after lunch for Ohio youth needing Youth Quality Assurance certification for 2023.

The registration form and information are available at: https://ohio4h.org/events/2023-ohio-youth-poultry-clinic

Clinic Flyer: 2023 Ohio Youth Poultry Clinic – REGISTRATION