Small-scale poultry

The University of Minnesota Extension poultry team brings university research to the commercial poultry industry and small-scale producers that translates into increased profits and healthier poultry care. Our goal is to maintain high-quality, safe poultry production in Minnesota.

Standards for organic livestock and poultry — The United States Department of Agriculture published new organic livestock and poultry production standards. The goal of clearer standards is to increase consistency in animal welfare practices.

Public health and safety

Backyard chickens: implications for public health and safety (PDF)

Common concerns with backyard or urban poultry keeping

Basics for organic and pastured poultry flocks

Basics for urban and backyard flocks

Keeping birds healthy

Preventing and recognizing disease

Urban and backyard flock owners can reduce the spread of diseases like avian influenza, salmonella or E. coli by implementing a simple biosecurity plan.

Biosecurity for your pigeon loft

Diseases of small poultry flocks

Poultry biosecurity for urban and backyard bird owners (Video, 2016: 00:03:43)

Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Minnesota (Video, 2016: 00:02:37) Birds can die for many reasons, and some loss is expected. But if the frequency or number of deaths increases, you may want to have the birds tested to discover the source of the problem.

Avian influenza

Avian influenza basics

Avian influenza is harmful to poultry flocks especially if it’s highly pathogenic. Always report any signs of disease to your state agency or veterinarian. Preventing disease is the best way to keep your flock healthy.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza videos

Introduction to MN Board of Animal Health (00:09:33)

Commercial and noncommercial poultry (00:03:06)

What is highly pathogenic influenza (HPAI)? (00:13:03)

Signs of HPAI (00:06:18)

Responding to HPAI (00:08:48)

Why it is important to test for HPAI (00:02:40)

Small flock biosecurity: protecting your birds from avian influenza (00:13:01)

FAQs about HPAI response in Minnesota (00:05:16)

Planning for emergencies

Contingency Plan for Urban Poultry Keepers

Download the fillable PDF to outline essential care of your birds if you or your family members experience illness, injury, or another emergency when you may need outside people to provide care.
Contingency plans cover essential care only. They are not comprehensive care plans.
Use the form to complete your Contingency Poultry Care Plan.

Poultry at-home health kit

This list includes items to consider having on hand for regular poultry health care and for emergencies. Get instructions from your veterinarian if you do not know how to use the items below.

Identify a veterinary clinic that will work with poultry and keep the phone number handy.
Always keep children away from sick chickens and make sure to wash hands before and after handling poultry.

Basics

Veterinarian’s phone number.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Disposable gloves and booties for interacting with dirty or diseased birds.
- Cover-alls or barn/coop-specific clothing and footwear for daily use.
Clean towels and rags for handling, cleaning, or restraining birds.
Plastic container for soaking birds with pasty butt or egg-bound hens. Consider using this container to store your poultry-related first-aid items.
Epsom salt for soaking egg-bound hens.
Electrolytes and water-soluble vitamins to support hydration during heat or transportation stress or disease.
Scale to monitor body weight.
Thermometer. The average body temperature of a chicken is 106° F.
A designated area to separate a sick or injured bird from healthy birds.

Wound care

Antimicrobial wound care spray.
Antibiotic ointment.
Saline solution and clean syringe for irrigation and flushing wounds.
Antiseptic scrub (ie betadine, iodine or chlorhexidine) for disinfecting wounds and infections. Follow product directions.
Vet wrap and gauze for bandaging wounds and injuries.

Cold weather care

Petroleum jelly for combs and wattles to protect against frostbite damage.

Explore these pages to learn more about caring for chickens with mites or lice.

Raising poultry for meat or eggs

Chickens

For eggs

Raising chickens for eggs — How to best care for backyard chickens for egg production.

Reducing salmonella risk in table egg production — Purchase chicks from hatcheries in the United States Sanitation Monitored program and pullets from sources with salmonella prevention and control programs.

Raising layer chicks and pullets — Learn about space needs, cleaning, brooders, feed and health.

For meat

Raising chickens for meat — You can raise chickens for meat on a small scale, even in your backyard.

Home processing poultry

Backyard poultry

Common concerns with backyard or urban poultry keeping — Common concerns for backyard or urban poultry can include disease, noise, odor, pests and waste management.

Caring for chickens in cold weather

Chicken anatomy (Video, 2019: 00:09:58)

Identifying common backyard chicken predators (Video, 2018: 00:02:25)

Raising chickens videos

#1: setting up the sp ace (00:01:43)

#2: moving chicks into the sp ace (00:02:03)

#3: supplemental h eat (00:01:17)

Ducks, geese and game birds

Raising game birds

You can raise game birds for show, meat production or release.
Unless you make a large initial investment, the market will be mostly local in nature.
Special considerations are necessary to raise these wild birds in a commercial situation.