Upcoming Events
Stay Tuned for Announcements
About Poultry
Currently, the poultry sector of the United States is booming, with an inventory of over 518 million chickens and over 229 million turkeys. There are several different options to immerse into the poultry business, ranging from hatchery, breeding, egg production, meat production, and showing. The chicken industry has well over fifty breeds that are recognized by the American Poultry Association. These breeds are broken down by classifications and use. The use of these animals is layers, meat, and dual-use.
Poultry Industry Insights
There is currently nearly 7.2 million total poultry being farmed on over 9,000 farms in New York State.
$195 million in sales.
NY is ranked 29th in the United States in Poultry Production.
In 2020, the total amount of broiler production, eggs, turkeys, and chicken sales was $35.5 billion. Broilers accounted for 61% of the total, eggs for 24%, turkeys for 15%, and chickens accounted for less than 1%.
Cornell Cooperative Extension offers numerous resources and educational opportunities for all skill levels whether you are just getting started or have been farming for some time.
News
Every summer, I get calls from folks wondering why there are nearly microscopic bugs covering the walls and floors of their feed storage areas and their feed buckets. Looking for a cause, many easily trace it back to their bags of grain. The dust on the exterior of the affected bags appears as if it's moving in a gentle breeze, and there may be a thick layer of dust coating the inside of the feed bags. On closer inspection, it's apparent that the dust is actually hundreds of thousands of nearly microscopic grey-brown looking mites. These are grain mites.
Finally, spring is in the air! It's the time of year where everything is waking up, including predators. Foxes are having their kits, coyotes are having their pups, and birds of prey are migrating to their northern breeding grounds. The lean winter season coupled with the fact that most prey species have not yet had their young means that predatory species are hungry… and poultry are the prefect meal.
Marek's Disease is one of the most common flock illnesses. It is economically devastating for unvaccinated commercial flocks, and emotionally tough for small flock owners with unvaccinated flocks. However, with attention to flock health and vaccination of new arrivals, it can be easily managed.
Avian Influenza is a highly contagious poultry virus that has the potential to cause large financial losses to the U.S. poultry industry. A highly pathogenic strain (HPAI), H5N1, last hit the U.S. in 2014-2015, and was considered the nation's largest animal health emergency. Over 200 cases of the disease were found in commercial flocks, backyard flocks, and wild birds. More than 50 million birds were affected and subsequently died or were euthanized on more than 200 farms in 15 states.
Developed by University of Vermont (UVM) Extension, this sample budget was created through interviews with four Vermont Producers in 2012.
Regulations and labeling requirements.
This self-paced online course contains details videos on proper food-safe techniques for processing broilers (and turkeys) on-farm under the 1,000-bird exemption.
Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) is still circulating in the US, with the number of cases in both commercial and backyard flocks increasing as we head into fall. To date, we have seen 468 cases in the country, affecting over 46 million poultry across 40 states. Wild bird positives are nearing 2,500 nationwide. Now, we are seeing cases increase with the weather cooling and the fall migration beginning.
Join us for an eight-part virtual series for those new or interested in livestock production.
Join us for an eight-part virtual series for those new or interested in livestock production.
Join us for an eight-part virtual series for those new or interested in livestock production.
Join us for an eight-part virtual series for those new or interested in livestock production.
Join us for an eight-part virtual series for those new or interested in livestock production.
Join us for an eight-part virtual series for those new or interested in livestock production.
Join us for an eight-part virtual series for those new or interested in livestock production.
Keeping chickens, ducks, quail, and other poultry for egg production is a common practice on many small farms. As we move into longer days, egg production will be ramping up, providing ample opportunities to sell eggs.
The leaves are rapidly falling, and the first frosts have bitten many areas across the state. While we may not have yet received our first flakes of snow, winter is going to be here before we know it, and we want to make sure our poultry are prepared. Join Michelle Proscia, Agricultural Educator of CCE-Sullivan, and Amy Barkley, Livestock and Beginning Farm Specialist with the SWNY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Program, as they share advice for getting chickens, turkeys, guineas, and waterfowl ready for the long months ahead.
Join Dr. Jarra Jagne, poultry veterinarian and head of the Avian Health Program at Cornell's Animal Health Diagnostic Center in Ithaca, to learn about common internal and external parasites of poultry. Dr. Jagne speaks to the biology of these parasites and how to manage them for a healthy, successful flock.
Temperatures and the potential for high production and growth rates make summer a great time for poultry and their caretakers. However, it's not the time to let your management relax. Predator pressure along with the unique challenges of warm, humid weather can result in production losses and bird stress. Join CCE educators as they help navigate the potential pitfalls of summer to keep your flocks happy, healthy, and productive.
Learning to properly manage carcasses and slaughter waste is a critical skill for livestock producers and meat processors alike. In this webinar, CCE Educator Lynn Bliven covers the essentials to avoid environmental contamination and human safety hazards.
Want to turn your poultry producing hobby into a business? Looking to see how it may fit with other ventures you have on the farm? Join Michelle Proscia, Agriculture Educator from CCE Sullivan, as she shares how to get started in enterprise budgeting and business planning for your poultry enterprise.
Are you thinking of raising chickens for meat? Whether for your family's consumption or a new farming enterprise, Cornell Cooperative Extension has you covered. In this webinar we will discuss breeds, housing, and care for meat birds. The class presenter is Lynn Bliven, CCE Allegany Livestock Educator. Lynn has many years of poultry raising and processing experience.