Extension launches new poultry podcast

By Tracy Courage
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture has a new monthly podcast that will be of interest to commercial poultry producers and industry professionals in Arkansas.

UNPLUCKED: The first episode of The Fowl Frontier: Poultry Science Unplucked focuses on biosecurity in light of a recent case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) confirmed in Arkansas. (Division of Agriculture art.) 

“The Fowl Frontier: Poultry Science Unplucked” launched Nov. 8 and is available to listeners free of charge on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or the the Division of Agriculture website at  uaex.uada.edu/fowl-frontier.

Podcast host Zac Williams, poultry science extension specialist for the Division of Agriculture, said the podcast will address issues relevant to poultry producers and professionals who work in allied industries.

The first episode — “Biosecurity and Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza” — features guest Dustan Clark, extension poultry veterinarian for the Division of Agriculture and associate director of the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science at the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas. With the recent confirmation of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Arkansas, these episodes will provide timely information for poultry producers looking to keep their flocks protected.

“While this episode is mainly aimed at small and backyard flock owners, much of the information will be relevant to commercial producers too,” Williams said. 

Poultry is big business

More than 6,500 farms in Arkansas produce some type of poultry. Northwest Arkansas, particularly Washington and Benton counties, produces the most poultry in the state.

Poultry is the leading agricultural industry in Arkansas, which ranks third nationally for broiler production and fourth for turkey production. The poultry industry provides 157,639 jobs and $5.1 billion (50%) of the total agriculture cash receipts in 2021, according to The Poultry Federation.

Easy Listening

Williams joined the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and Poultry Science Department as an assistant professor in June. In his role, he provides poultry education and outreach through the Cooperative Extension Service, with a focus on connecting with the commercial poultry industry.

Williams, who hosted a similar podcast at the University of Michigan, said podcasts offer a convenient format for farmers and commercial producers to get information relevant to their operations.

“It’s a direct way for us to deliver research-based information to our producers,” William said. “A lot of farmers will listen while they’re on the tractor or driving. They can subscribe and get notifications when there are new episodes.”

Williams also likes the interview-style format and plans to feature guests from the Division of Agriculture and from the poultry and allied industries.

“With this format, I can bring in guests from all over the U.S. or the world to provide knowledge,” he said.

Listeners can also request topics they want to hear about by contacting Williams.

Future outreach

The new podcast is one way Williams hopes to connect with the state’s poultry producers. Workshops and a three-day Broiler Academy are also planned.

Specialized workshops for commercial growers, integrators and employees in allied industries will be offered at the Savoy Farm in Fayetteville. Williams said the workshops will be customized to fit attendees’ needs. To schedule a workshop, contact Williams at 601-527-2871 or zwilliams@uada.edu.

The Broiler Academy is planned for June 3-5, 2024, at the Don Tyson Center for Agricultural Sciences in Fayetteville.

“This will be a Broiler Production 101 type workshop where we’ll provide an overview of broiler production management for anyone who wants to learn more about broiler management,” Williams said. “It will be good for new employees or people who have experience in one area but want to learn more about the industry,” he said.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: aaes.uada.edu. Follow us on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit uada.edu. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

‘Keep the air moving, keep the water cool’ to help poultry flocks survive summer heat

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — With the extreme heat felt across much of the United States this summer, agricultural producers need to take measures not just to protect themselves and their laborers, but also their crops and livestock as well.

IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY — Keeping chickens alive through the summer heat comes down to a few basics. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

Zac Williams, extension poultry husbandry and management specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said that for both commercial producers and backyard hobbyists, keeping chickens alive through the summer heat comes down to a few basics.

“Keep the air moving and keep the water cool,” Williams said. “For commercial producers, that means making sure your ventilation system, including exhaust fans and evaporative cooling pads, are working properly. For backyard chicken keepers, that means making sure there’s shade available.

“In either instance, chickens need cool water, and plenty of it,” he said. “It’s not enough to just put out adequate amounts of water in the morning. It’s going to get warm, and that’s just not as effective. In commercial houses, managers need to flush those water lines multiple times a day for the same reason.”

Williams said that if backyard chicken keepers want to put out fans for their flocks, that’s fine. They should not, however, bring live poultry into their homes to avail them of the air conditioning.

“You can bring all kinds of diseases into your house doing that,” Williams said. “I’d never recommend anyone bring chickens into their house.”

Ounce of prevention
Williams warned that if chickens do begin suffering from heat stress, producers will begin seeing production losses. It can be very difficult to bring poultry back from a heat-related illness, so it’s best to be proactive.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” he said. “Chickens are actually kind of hardy. But if it gets up to 100, all you can do is give them the tools they need to survive.”

He also noted that some producers may add electrolytes to their flocks’ water supply, which can help the animals endure the heat of summer.

Commercial chicken houses in Arkansas produced more than 7.3 billion pounds of chicken meat in 2022, and produced $693 million in eggs.

The Division of Agriculture has several free publications available that producers may find useful, including research-proven techniques for Getting Broiler Houses Ready for the Summer and sprinkler systems that help keep flocks cool.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

New poultry extension specialist brings love of teaching to Arkansas

By Jessica Wesson
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Poultry science extension specialist Zac Williams is passionate about education, both in the poultry house and in the classroom.

POULTRY SCIENCE — Zac Williams, poultry science extension specialist and assistant professor, is a new faculty member with the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo)

“I enjoy teaching, whether that be through extension programming or in the classroom,” Williams said. “Being able to relay knowledge from the scientific community to producers and students makes me feel like I’m making a difference.”

Williams joined the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and poultry science department as an assistant professor in June. In his new role, Williams provides poultry education and outreach through the Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, with a focus on connecting with the commercial poultry industry in Arkansas.

“We are very excited to have Dr. Zac Williams join the faculty in the Department of Poultry Science and Center of Excellence for Poultry Science,” said David Caldwell, poultry science department head and director of the Center for Excellence for Poultry Science. “Thus far in Zac’s career, he has worked closely with the commercial industry in Tennessee and Michigan. We fully expect that he will develop strong relationships with our industry stakeholders here in Arkansas.”

Williams also conducts research for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station and will teach through the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences. The extension service and experiment station are the outreach and research arms of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The Division of Agriculture, with the Bumpers College, provides the traditional land grant triad of teaching, outreach and research.

“We look forward to working with Zac as he develops strong, industry-focused research, teaching and outreach programs here,” Caldwell said.

Focus on producers

Williams’ research program will focus on how producers respond to animal diseases coming from outside the United States. He wants to find ways to improve depopulation and composting in affected flocks. His research also includes investigating litter management practices for improved microbial community development and developing on-farm tools that can quickly identify bacterial species.

“I’m really excited about working with the team of faculty, staff and students in the poultry science department and the university and seeing where I can fit in and contribute,” Williams said. “I’m also excited about being so close to a large percentage of poultry production and the challenges and opportunities that will arise.”

Williams received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in poultry science from Mississippi State University. He earned a Ph.D. in poultry science from Auburn University.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.