Poultry
USDA Defend the Flock Program
Poultry for the Consumer
The poultry industry has developed into the premier meat food product consumed in the United States. The reasons for this ascention to the top of popular food products (meat and eggs) list are many. They are nutritional, economical, versatile in preparation, and are available in many different food products suitable for the modern American lifestyle.
The same factors that make poultry products popular also increase the need for food quality and safety information to the consumer. This site contains materials that answers many of the major questions posed by the information-seeking consumer of poultry products.
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Publications
- Safe Food in a Hurry addresses the concerns and procedures to follow to produce safe food products.
- Feeding a Crowd? Do It Safely presents simple rules you can use to avoid trouble and insure food safety when feeding large groups of people.
- A Quick Consumer Guide to Safe Food Handling tells you what to do at each step in food handling.
Publications
News
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.
Mississippi State University is the lead partner on a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conduct climate-smart projects. Beth Baker, an Extension specialist in natural resource conservation in agroecosystems, is the lead investigator on the grant project announced Sept. 14
STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Increasing buffalo gnat populations are more than a nuisance to central and south Mississippians; they cause measurable, sometimes fatal harm to chickens and livestock.
Swarms of these insects, also known as black flies, are killing backyard chickens and causing headaches for small-scale poultry producers in central and south Mississippi. At about 3 millimeters long, buffalo gnats breed in flowing water, so outbreaks tend to be in areas near rivers or streams.
Farm supply stores are full of cute chicks in the spring, and the sight of the fluffy baby birds, combined with future dreams of fresh eggs, prompts many people to impulsively start a backyard flock.
