Overview of Backyard Poultry

Most poultry production occurs in intensive production systems. However, in rural, resource-limited areas where there is food insecurity, backyard poultry still represent the majority of poultry flocks, often consisting of indigenous unselected breeds of various ages, with multiple species mixed in the same flock. Backyard poultry can help meet household food demands and are a source of income.

Raising backyard poultry in urban environments is a growing trend in the US. Modern-day backyard poultry owners in the US often view their birds as companion animals, in contrast to poultry raised for commercial production.

The American Pet Products Association’s 2021-2022 National Pet Owners Survey, based on 9,206 respondents across the US, reported that ownership of backyard chickens in the US increased from 8% in 2018 to 13% in 2020. In that survey, chicken ownership was most popular among millennials (22% of chicken owners), followed by Generation Z (19%).

As backyard poultry ownership becomes increasingly popular, owners must be properly educated about how to keep their flocks healthy. Therefore, more veterinarians must be capable of providing both client education and veterinary care.

All commercial and domestic chickens (Gallus domesticus) originate from the red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus), which was domesticated in Southeast Asia approximately 8,000 years ago (1).

Hundreds of chicken breeds are bred for different purposes. Chicken breeds can be characterized into three types:

• Meat-type chickens are characterized by rapid growth rate and good meat yield.

• Egg-laying chickens are selected for high-yield egg production.

• Dual-purpose chickens, such as Plymouth Rock, New Hampshire Red, Rhode Island Red, Wyandotte, and Orpington breeds, are reasonably good for both egg and meat production, making them a suitable choice for backyard chickens for most owners.

Other popular backyard poultry species include turkeys; game birds such as quail (Colinus spp [bobwhites] and Coturnix spp) and guinea fowl; waterfowl such as domestic ducks and geese; and other exotic species, such as peafowl and ratites, including rheas, ostriches, and emus. Although these are all birds, they are different species that differ greatly in size and habitat and thus have different housing requirements and husbandry practices, as well as nutritional and health requirements.

Purchasing chicks and other poultry from a reputable hatchery or breeder is recommended as a good start to raising backyard poultry and preventing future problems. In the US, purchasing from hatcheries or breeders that participate in the National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP) is recommended because these flocks are routinely tested for infection with Salmonella enterica serotypes Pullorum and Gallinarum (salmonelloses).

A list of certified hatcheries and breeders can be obtained from NPIP official state agents. In addition, prospective owners are encouraged to contact the breeder or hatchery of purchase to ensure that they are bringing only healthy birds into their backyard flocks.

Practicing good biosecurity is key for maintaining flock health. For example, many backyard poultry owners have multiple ages or species of birds. Mixing birds of different species and from different sources increases the risk of introducing disease; therefore, it is preferable to keep only birds of similar ages and species together (all-in all-out management).

In addition, if multiple ages or species of birds are kept on a given property, contact between groups should be minimized by keeping them in separate locations. Birds that are either economically or emotionally most important should be cared for first each day to decrease the likelihood of spreading any potential infection between groups. Separating new or returning birds (eg, coming back from local fairs) for at least 4–6 weeks is necessary to monitor them for clinical signs of illness.