Backyard poultry medicine for cattle veterinarians

With the continuing rise in backyard flocks comes the need for more veterinarians to treat them. This includes the (1) pro­tection of their health and welfare, (2) prevention and relief of their suffering, as well as (3) regulations they are subject to and how these promote public health. Understanding poultry health requires knowledge of their behavior, nutrition and av­enues for disease transmission. Diagnosing disease in poultry, as in any other species, requires understanding what happens when their care and management is not ideal and/or biosecuri­ty standards are not met. Similar to other farm and food animal species, poultry are subject to a number of regulations aimed at preventing the spread of reportable and zoonotic diseases. These laws and regulations may extend from homeowner as­sociations to federal regulatory agencies. If you are currently seeing backyard poultry or hoping to start, this seminar will be a starting point, with a plethora of resources to continue your journey.