Aviary Facility for Pullet And Layer Research and Extension
Organization:
North Carolina State University
Amount:
500000
Program Area:
Open Grants Program
County of Applicant:
Wake
Year:
10/05/2023
Description:
This award provides funding to the Poultry Science Department of North Carolina State University (NCSU) to develop an aviary facility at Piedmont Research Station located in Rowan County. The aviary will address industry and market demand for cage-free egg production. The aviary will be used to train more than 300 commercial to back-yard producers annually in how to shift production practices from cage to cage-free egg production, enabling larger producers to meet the industry demand by major grocery store chains transitioning to sale of cage-free eggs, and smaller producers to meet local demand in a safe and cost-effective manner. The new aviary will fill an important gap in the NC Layer Performance and Management Program’s outreach and extension training and enable expansion of the layer and egg management training programs through NCSU’s collaboration with NCDA&CS and NC A&T. NCSU plans to offer field days, tours, hands-on training, and FFA and 4-H workshops, and develop publications about layer management and cage-free egg production. Golden LEAF funds will be used for construction, equipment, and related items.