JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture Program is excited to announce the start of their “Raising Poultry for Egg Production” workshop series set to run throughout March as part of their L.E.A.F. (Learn. Empower. Achieve. Farm.) Program. The series features workshops on three different poultry raising topics that will each be offered twice, once on a weeknight and once on a Saturday morning. The cost to attend each workshop is $10/family, and there is a discount for participants who wish to attend all three workshops at $25/family. Each workshop will be held at the Frank Bratt Agricultural Center in Jamestown (3542 Turner Road).

This will be an interactive series that will also feature hands-on demonstrations and active discussion. Participants can choose to attend one or all of the topics featured based on their interests. Backyard Chickens are a popular way to get started with homesteading and farming! In this workshop series, participants will take a closer look at some of the nuts and bolts of raising poultry for egg production (backyard and beyond). Each class participant will receive a resource guide with informational handouts and reference materials, opportunity for hands-on demonstrations, and the option for follow up consultations.

If you’re just getting started, or just thinking about raising poultry, the workshops will be covering (almost) everything you need to know! This workshop series is instructed by Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management Educator and “chicken lady” with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County, who has had many years of experience raising poultry for egg production and is a graduate of Cornell University’s Animal Science Program.

Class #1: Housing and Equipment; March 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. or March 3 from 10 a.m. to noon; will cover site analysis, equipment ‘checklist’, housing options, predator control, supplies, and cleaning. Demonstration on making a dust bath and cleaning equipment.

Class #2: Chick Care, Adult Nutrition, and Health; March 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. or March 10 from 10 a.m. to noon; will cover breed selection, baby basics, sourcing, feed selection, disease prevention, adult care. Demonstration on growing fodder and handling chicks upon receipt.

Class #3: Egg Production, Marketing, and Regulations: March 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. or March 17 from 10 a.m. to noon; will cover egg production, egg handling and care, selling and marketing your eggs, regulations to follow. Demonstration on egg candling and carton labeling.

The L.E.A.F. Workshop Series is open to the general public, including homesteaders, beginning farmers, established farmers looking to diversify and grow, agriculture enthusiasts, and everyone in between! The 2017-2018 Workshop Series features 39 workshops held October 2017 through April 2018. Each workshop will be 2 hours long, led by an experienced instructor, and light refreshments will be offered. The L.E.A.F. workshops are designed to be interactive, so participants are encouraged to bring their questions and ideas to this collaborative environment!

Pre-registration is required prior to the workshop to allow for adequate time to prepare printed resources and materials. Interested participants can register online by visiting www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua/leaf1718, by emailing kaw249@cornell.edu, or by calling 716-664-9502.

The L.E.A.F. Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua) in line with the County’s 20/20 Comprehensive Plan. CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

— Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management Educator
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County