Small flock expo attracts 400-plus

By CARYL VELISEK
Staff Writer

WESTMINSTER, Md. — There are a number of folks eager to learn about raising small flocks of poultry for egg and meat production, judging by the number of people attending the seminars at the Mid-Atlantic Small Flock Poultry Expo held on Feb. 4 at the Carroll County Ag Center.
The event lasted six hours and attracted more than 400 participants and was packed to overflowing most of the day.
Exotic birds were on display as well as the better known breeds of birds. There were experts available to answer questions, vendors with everything from feeds and equipment to the birds themselves, and educational videos to be watched while eating lunch.
Seminars included production basics for egg and meat production, how to choose a breed, caring for the birds from baby chicks to mature birds, feeds and feeding, disease prevention and control, and marketing and economics.
In one of the earliest of the morning set of seminars, Chuck Schuster, Extension agent from Montgomery County, spoke about production basics for the small flock.
“Overcrowding leads to all sorts of problems,” he said. “You don’t necessarily need structures, but the amount of space you have for each bird is important.”
The amount of space depends on the breed and size of the bird as they develop.
They need sunlight, fresh air, shade and protection from weather conditions and predators, Schuster told his audience.
He urged his audience to be selective in their choices of structures.
“Some structures may not be what you want on a residential lot,” he said. “The birds need plenty of access to open air. As air quality deteriorates, the risk for respiratory problems increases.”
In the long term, they also need adequate space to develop muscle.
He showed grass based structures and flying predator control.
“We need to protect them from hawks and other flying predators, but we also need to have housing that protects them from dogs, raccoons, foxes, rats, and the worst one, weasels,” Schuster said. “Rats spread disease, so it’s important to keep rodents controlled.”
Other recommendations included not leaving feed out to attract rodents and snakes, having sufficient nesting spots to keep them from fighting over them, providing good quality feed and waterers, and replenishing bedding regularly.
“Buy good birds to begin with and keep eggs clean as possible, collecting them frequently. And the mother hen can help a lot in care of the chicks.”
Schuster also recommended keeping vaccinations up to date by putting vaccines as directed into the waterers. He made recommendations of light and air temperature based on the age of the birds from the time of purchase until the end of their production.
Other seminars included disease prevention and control, organic production, marketing and economics, regulations entailed in the operation of a poultry enterprise — combining poultry and egg production in a diversified livestock operation, waterfowl, exotics, turkey, and urban poultry production.