About the Charles Lee
Morgan Poultry
Center
The poultry farm is located about 1.5 miles from campus
and has a shop building with office, feed mill, 11 experimental houses,
hatchery, and feed storage. The farm houses various numbers of chickens,
turkeys, and Guinea fowl. The farm has trucks, tractors, and machinery to
support both teaching and research. These activities at the farm include
poultry husbandry, nutrition, physiology, and genetics.
The poultry farm maintains a variety of species of
birds, either reared at the farm, or purchased from commercial vendors, and
those occasionally donated to the farm. The various species are used
primarily for the purpose of research which includes studies in nutrition,
egg quality, physiology, anatomy, reproductive physiology, endocrinology,
environmental housing, litter studies, integrated pest management, and
other related research areas.
The farm is also used for teaching activities, extension
programs and as an area for the public to view the various species of
birds. Local and regional public and private schools frequently tour the
facility.
The farm adheres to good husbandry practices and follows
institutional guidelines as well as those recommended in the 'Guide for the
Care and Use of Agricultural Animals in Agricultural Research and
Training.' Daily activities include, but are not limited to: Observing
health of all birds, feeding, watering, egg collecting, managing floor
litter, insuring proper lighting, adequate ventilation and managing clean
housing. Each house contains a daily check sheet to (1) insure that the
birds, as well as the facility, have been observed and cared for. (2)
Vermin control (bait stations) are adequate and (3) record comments that
may be relevant to bird health, facility failures (water problems,
lighting, ventilation etc) etc.