Small Flock Management
Poultry producers take pride in owning a well-managed, productive flock. However, most flocks suffer from management problems that prevent the birds from ever reaching their productive potential. The vast majority of problems encountered in the poultry house are not related to nutrition or disease, but from mismanagement by the poultryman.
The information contained in this section is designed to assist the poultry producer in avoiding management problems and preventing potentially serious problems in the flock. The emphasis in poultry production must always be placed upon the prevention of problems, rather than correcting them after they occur.
The discussions and publications that follow can be useful to both novice and experienced poultry producers for expanding their knowledge of poultry.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the best breed of chickens to raise?
- How can I sex day-old chicks?
- How can I stop my hens from eating their eggs?
- Why did my laying hens stop laying eggs this winter?
- How do I properly care for my laying hens to get maximum egg production?
- How can I identify poor egg producing hens in my flock?
- My laying hens seem to lose their feathers in the late autumn months and often stop laying. What is wrong?
- How do I stop my chickens from pecking on each other?
- Why do my birds have an absence of feathers on parts of their bodies?
- What is best brooding temperatures?
- How do I treat chickens to rid them of mites, lice and ticks?
- When should hens be culled?
Other Information
- Breeds and Varieties of Chickens lists the breeds and varieties of all chicken, turkey, and waterfowl recognized by the American Poultry Association.
- Solutions for Poultry lists many solutions and remedies to treat problems in the poultry flock.
Publications
News
Poultry is big business in Mississippi, and poultry producers are having to manage disease and high feed costs to produce the meat and eggs that Americans consume in great quantities. Poultry is the most consumed meat in the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, followed by beef and then pork. Eggs are also popular, with Americans eating close to 250 eggs per person each year.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi Board of Animal Health reported Feb. 23 that a backyard poultry flock in Copiah County tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, often referred to as HPAI or H5N1.
This is the second backyard flock to test positive for HPAI. The first confirmation was in Lowndes County in November 2022. There have also been two detections in commercial broiler flocks, one in Lawrence County in November 2022 and the other in Leake County in February. All affected facilities were quarantined, and the birds were depopulated to prevent spreading.
Shoppers facing sticker shock at the grocery store know that eggs are part of the cost increase, but they may not know why.
Josh Maples, an agricultural economist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said egg prices over the Christmas holiday were more than double what they were at the same time in 2021.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Poultry was already Mississippi’s top agricultural commodity before its overall value increased even more in 2022.
The estimated value of production for the state’s poultry in 2022 was $3.8 billion. This 48% increase over 2021’s record production value of $2.6 billion will rewrite the record books if these totals hold when the final numbers are released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture next April.
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- The Mississippi Board of Animal Health is asking backyard bird owners to be vigilant in their biosecurity procedures after a commercial breeder chicken flock in Lawrence County tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza, or HPAI.
