Cluck, cluck, cluck. Hear that? It's the sound of money, says a Texas AgriLife Extension Service poultry specialist.
It also could be the sound of fresh eggs for your morning breakfast, or a great project for your kids, says Craig Coufal, AgriLife Extension poultry specialist in the Texas A&M University poultry science department in College Station.
For those interested, the Texas AgriLife Extension Service will be holding a small-scale poultry production workshop from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. on July 27 at the Embassy Suites San Marcos Hotel, Spa and Conference Center, 1001 E. McCarty Lane in San Marcos.
CLUCK BUCKS. A program focused on small-scale poultry production is July 27 in San Marcos, Texas.
"With the increased interest in backyard and small-scale poultry production in Texas, we developed this program to provide useful information needed to successfully raise poultry for production of meat and eggs," Coufal says. "We held the first workshop of this type last year in College Station, so this year we revised the program based on feedback from year's attendees to make it even better."
Workshop topics will include basic poultry management; breed selection; nutrition; disease and pest prevention and treatment; and state marketing rules and regulations, Coufal says.
"We selected topics we knew would be of general practical use and interest to small-scale producers, but also which would be of benefit to larger producers as well," he adds.
Morning topics will include poultry breeds and production characteristics; fertilize egg management and incubation; feeds and feeding of poultry; egg production and quality; and turkey and game-bird production.
Afternoon topics will include insect and external pest identification and control; identification, treatment and prevention of poultry diseases and internal parasites; state regulations for the sale of poultry; Texas egg laws; organic production and certification; and processing and meat sales regulations.
Cost for the workshop is $75 through July 22 or $100 afterward. To register, go to the Extension Conference Services website at http://agriliferegister.tamu.edu. For more, call Coufal at 979-845-4318.