Chick fever is in the air: Raising backyard poultry

There are numerous reasons why we choose to keep small poultry flocks in our backyards with the joy of farm animals and a steady source of protein, eggs, and garden fertilizer just to name a few, but keeping our birds and ourselves healthy requires us to be proactive by creating a clean and healthy environment.

Whether you’re ordering your first chicks this spring, have an established laying flock, are considering selling eggs locally, or perhaps you’re even venturing into the world of raising chickens for meat, we have a number of very helpful University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service publications to help you get started.

Find “Selecting, Brooding, and Rearing Small Numbers of Chicks,” “Home Laying Flock,” “Safe Egg Handling for Small Egg-Laying Flocks and Operations,” and “Broiler Production” at http://www.uaf.edu/ces/districts/kenai/. We also have hard copies in our office located at 43961K-Beach Rd., Suite A, Soldotna, AK 99669. Call us at 262-5824. We are “Learning for Life.”

Submitted by Janice Chumley, UAF Cooperative Extension Service, IPM Technician Kenai Peninsula District.