Kansas Farmer Logo

Backyard flocks gain in popularity; potential growers can learn more on June 29.

April 15, 2019

2 Min Read
Girl in chicken coop filling up pail with water hose
GROWING POPULARITY: Raising chickens has become a popular hobby for urbanites as well as a staple of rural life.

The popularity of backyard chickens and ducks has been growing rapidly over the past several years as consumers have discovered that poultry is a friendly and fun backyard project; fresh, free eggs are a good thing to have in your life; and many municipalities, including Wichita, permit raising backyard chickens.

Now comes a new sign that poultry has indeed arrived. The first Kansas State University Poultry Day will be June 29 at the Stanley Stout Center in Manhattan. The event will include the KSU Pullet Sale, several informational presentations, a free lunch and assistance from KSU Extension poultry specialist Scott Beyer in relation to small flock management.

The KSU Pullet Sale will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Raised by K-State students for spring class projects, the egg-type pullets will be ready-to-lay (16-17 weeks old) and fully vaccinated.

The sale will include several different types of birds. The brown birds are a hybrid-type, similar to a New Hampshire Red, that lay brown-shelled eggs. They are tame, friendly and make great yardbirds. The sale will also feature white-feathered, white-eggshell-type hybrids that are smaller and can produce more eggs on less feed.

Pullets must be reserved and will be available on a first-come, first-sold basis. A reservation form is available at bit.ly/ksupullets. Order forms or questions about the pullet sale can be emailed to [email protected]. Questions can also be answered by calling the KSU Poultry and Gamebird Research Farm at 785-539-5041.

The informative sessions will start at 11:30 a.m. with “How to Manage Your New Pullets,” followed by a noon omelet lunch. At 1:30 p.m., there will be a presentation on “Health Care for Small Flocks.”

Registration deadline for KSU Poultry Day is June 15. No purchase of pullets is required to attend the workshop, and there are no charges for the Poultry Day presentations or lunch.

Reservations are required and can be made using the online form, or by contacting Kevin Snell at 785-532-1281.

All pullets will be released June 29.

“It is very important that all transport cages and trailers be completely clean to be biosecure,” Beyer says. “The birds must be transported in pens that provide for the welfare of the birds.”

For more information about transporting your new pullets, refer to “Safe Transport of Poultry and Gamebirds in Kansas.”

For more information about KSU Poultry Day or the Pullet Sale, visit asi.ksu.edu/pulletsale.

Source: Kansas State University News Service, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset.

Subscribe to receive top agriculture news
Be informed daily with these free e-newsletters

You May Also Like