Progress report for ENC23-223
Project Information
This project aims to improve the capacity of veterinary and extension professionals to serve small poultry producers and increase the sustainability of small-scale poultry production by improving poultry health and productivity through increased access to veterinary care and educational opportunities. Target participants include extension educators, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary students that can provide education and support to small poultry producers. During this three-year program, twelve webinars and ten workshops will be conducted to provide participants with technical information and hands-on experience with poultry. Webinar topics will include poultry husbandry, poultry nutrition, common diseases in small-flock poultry, diagnostic techniques, and treatment considerations. Workshops will provide opportunities for participants to gain hands-on experience handling poultry. Participants will gain insights, skills, technical information, and professional relationships that will prepare and motivate them to better serve small poultry producers. Short-term desired outcomes include increased interest in, knowledge about, and comfort with poultry among veterinary and extension professionals. Intermediate desired outcomes include implementation of veterinary services and extension programs by participants to benefit small poultry producers. Long-term desired outcomes include enhanced sustainability of small-scale agriculture through improved access to veterinary and extension resources for poultry on small farms. End-of-session and follow-up evaluations will provide information about changes in knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of participants, as well as about further interests and needs. Overall, the outcomes of this program will directly support small poultry producers by developing a network of trained experts that can help prevent and address health and production issues in their flocks.
Outputs of this project will include participation in educational activities and creation of educational materials related to small-flock poultry health.
- A series of 12 online webinars will be conducted to reach a wide audience of veterinary and extension professionals. Key topics will include small-flock poultry management, common poultry diseases in Missouri, veterinary diagnostic services for poultry, small farm biosecurity, and other topics relevant to producing poultry on small farms. These webinar presentations will be recorded and made available on Lincoln University’s website to serve as reference material for veterinary and extension professionals.
- A total of 10 regional in-person workshops across Missouri will provide hands-on poultry training, research-based best practices, and networking opportunities to veterinary and extension professionals. The target audience will be 20 veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and extension educators for each course (200 total). The workshops will cover basic information about poultry health and management on small farms, with an emphasis on hands-on training in animal handling.
- The project is expected to produce a network of 200 veterinary and extension professionals who are more comfortable handling poultry, have a better understanding of poultry health on small farms, and are better able to serve the needs of small poultry producers.
- At least 20 veterinarians and extension professionals will offer veterinary services or conduct extension programs for small poultry producers
- The project will produce at least four guide sheets related to poultry health on small farms. Guide sheet topics may include small-farm biosecurity, external parasite control in poultry, internal parasite control in poultry, common poultry diseases in Missouri, and other topics relevant to small producers.
- This project will develop stronger relationships between Lincoln University, the University of Missouri, veterinarians, and extension educators in Missouri. These relationships and partnerships are critical to building a strong foundation and to leverage more support and funds for small-scale sustainable poultry production.
- This project will produce a list of veterinarians and veterinary clinics in Missouri that will help small poultry producers with their poultry.
2023-2024 Update:
Year 1 of the project experienced a slower-than-anticipated start due to unforeseen administrative challenges within our accounting department, the rise of and the departure of a key project member. Despite these obstacles, the team was able to adjust and continue progress toward the project’s objectives.
Accomplishments:
- Began compiling a comprehensive list of veterinarians and extension professionals across Missouri
- Provided one-on-one consultations to veterinarians, extension educators, and community partners, addressing specific questions and challenges in poultry health and management.
- Conducted small-flock poultry production trainings for extension and community leaders focused on how to conduct workshops and support small poultry producers
- Conducted “Small-flock Poultry Health and Biosecurity” webinars
- Integrated poultry health and biosecurity topics into broader producer workshops and outreach events
- Established connections with non-traditional extension outlets, including libraries and community nonprofits, expanding the reach of educational efforts beyond conventional agricultural channels.
- Drafted content for poultry health guide sheets covering Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and biosecurity best practices
2024-2025 Update:
Year 2 of the project built upon the accomplishments of Year 1, but faced additional challenges. Avian influenza in Missouri led to statewide restrictions on poultry activities from January through March. Additionally, the project director was on maternity leave from July through October.
Accomplishments:
- Continued to provide one-on-one consultations to veterinarians, extension educators, and community partners
- Continued to integrate poultry health and biosecurity topics into broader producer workshops and outreach events
- Updated guide sheet on protecting poultry from Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza and continued to draft content for poultry guide sheets (internal parasite, external parasite control, common poultry diseases)
- Dr. Fisher was interviewed by 4 newspaper, TV, and radio stations in Missouri regarding protecting small flocks from avian influenza (January - March 2025)
- Contributed to press release about biosecurity in poultry flocks (published February 2025)
- Conducted in-person “Chicken Info” series with Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture (March through May 2025)
- Conducted a hands-on Train-the-Trainer workshop on building inexpensive poultry housing (Hoop Coops) suitable for small-scale poultry farms (March 28, 2025). One extension professional has already applied the housing workshop knowledge to conduct a training for small poultry producers in their area.
- Identified new collaborators, including a veterinarian, to support the expansion of in-person project activities.
Plans for 2026:
- Conduct additional webinars on poultry health topics with topics to include internal parasites, external parasites, the veterinary feed directive,
- Finalize and publish poultry health fact and guide sheets
- Conduct hands-on poultry workshops for veterinarians and extension professionals
- Continue incorporating poultry health topics into existing programming
- Continue providing one-on-one consultations to veterinarians, extension educators, and community partners
Cooperators
- - Technical Advisor
- - Technical Advisor
Education
The project's educational approach is two-fold. The first phase focused on distance learning through webinars on poultry health topics for veterinarians, extension professionals, and small producers. This phase has also includeded individualized professional support with one-on-one meetings to understand the existing capacity and expected needs of veterinary and extension professionals seeking to support small poultry producers. The second phase is focused on face-to-face hands-on training to increase the capacity of these professionals to directly serve small producers.
Education & Outreach Initiatives
To provide individualized technical guidance that helps veterinary and extension professionals and small poultry producers address flock-specific health, management, and productivity issues.
One-on-one consultations were offered to veterinarians and extension educators seeking to support small-flock poultry producers. Consultations included information about poultry husbandry, nutrition, disease concerns, and biosecurity. Consultations occurred via email, phone, or in-person, depending on participant needs. These interactions allowed for deeper engagement than could be achieved in group trainings and helped identify emerging producer needs and common knowledge gaps.
One-on-one consultations with veterinarians and extension professionals allowed for more in-depth discussion of individual needs and concerns about building capacity to support small producers.
During one-on-one meetings, several veterinarians expressed continued reluctance to add poultry services to their practices. Many reported concern that poultry clients often cannot support the fees necessary to make these services economically viable. Concerns about biosecurity risks, regulatory requirements, and the lack of appropriate clinic facilities also contributed to their hesitation. Overall, these factors continue to limit the number of veterinarians willing to expand their services to poultry producers even with training.
However, extension professionals responded more positively. While most lacked personal experience with poultry, they have producers in their area that they want to support. They welcomed access to practical training, resources, and technical guidance for their producers.
To increase technical knowledge and foundational understanding of poultry health, husbandry, and diagnostic approaches among veterinary and extension professionals.
Several webinars were delivered to reach participants across Missouri and beyond. Topics included poultry husbandry, common diseases in small-flock operations, and biosecurity practices.
Participants reported greater knowledge and awareness of small-flock health issues. Additionally, some reported greater confidence among professionals to engage with poultry producers and provide meaningful guidance.
To equip extension educators with the knowledge, tools, and confidence needed to deliver effective laying-hen workshops for small-flock poultry producers across Missouri.
During this reporting period, “How-To” workshop presentations were developed and delivered specifically for extension educators who regularly work with small-scale poultry producers. Rather than focusing on veterinary clinical skills, these sessions emphasized practical instruction on how to conduct producer-oriented workshops. Training covered the core components of small-flock education, including basic poultry husbandry, essential flock health principles, and techniques for egg candling. Educators received step-by-step guidance, demonstration materials, and recommended teaching approaches to support consistent, research-based programming in their own counties.
Extension educators reported greater confidence and preparedness to deliver poultry-related programs to small-flock owners, supported by a clear framework for organizing producer workshops with effective demonstrations and key teaching points. The training also strengthened their understanding of laying-hen management, empowering them to answer common producer questions about bird care, health indicators, and egg quality. Together, these gains enhance overall extension capacity and advance the long-term goal of improving access to reliable poultry knowledge across the state.
To offer practical, skills-based training opportunities that build the capacity of veterinary and extension professionals to support small poultry producers, while adapting workshop content to meet participant needs and current disease-prevention constraints.
The long-term plan for this project includes conducting hands-on poultry-health workshops tailored primarily for veterinarians, with an emphasis on clinical skills, flock examinations, and diagnostic techniques. However, due to avian influenza concerns and staff limitations during this reporting period, live-bird health workshops could not be conducted. To continue providing meaningful training and to address immediate requests from extension educators, the team offered a hands-on workshop focused on poultry housing design and construction. Extension professionals expressed a strong interest in this topic because poultry housing is a frequent area of inquiry from small producers. The workshop provided practical instruction on constructing appropriate housing, considering ventilation, predator control, durability, sanitation, and features that support on-farm biosecurity.
Extension professionals gained practical skills and knowledge that they can directly apply when advising small poultry producers on housing decisions. The workshop addressed a key need among extension staff while allowing the project to continue despite restrictions on working with live poultry. Participants developed a deeper understanding of how proper housing design supports flock health, welfare, and disease prevention. This adapted training format helped maintain progress toward project goals and sustained engagement with stakeholder groups. Additionally, the workshop provides a foundation for future veterinary-focused poultry health workshops once conditions allow for live-bird handling and clinical demonstrations.
To expand the reach of poultry education by embedding poultry health and management information into ongoing extension and producer-focused programs.
Poultry health content (e.g. biosecurity practices, disease recognition, and management tips) was integrated into existing workshops. This approach broadened the project’s audience and facilitated multidisciplinary learning environments for producers already engaged in agricultural education.
While these iniatives did not directly target extension and veterinary professionals, they increased small-flock producers' exposure to practical, research-based poultry health information and encouraged producers to adopt improved management and biosecurity practices.
To create easily accessible, research-based printed and digital resources that support professionals and producers in managing poultry health issues.
Several guide sheets have been drafted and are now in the production and review phase. Topics include small-farm biosecurity, external and internal parasite control, and common poultry diseases. Drafts are being refined for accuracy, clarity, and usability, with input from faculty experts and extension personnel. Finalized versions will be formatted for both print and digital publication and will be distributed through workshops, extension offices, and online platforms.
The drafted guide sheets represent an important step toward creating durable, widely accessible resources for poultry professionals and producers. Once finalized, they will provide consistent, research-backed information that professionals can rely on when advising small poultry producers. These materials will support long-term outreach efforts by offering standardized recommendations that can be incorporated into trainings, workshops, and one-on-one consultations.