On this week’s episode of the Maine FARMcast, I am joined by Ashley Wright, an area assistant livestock agent with the University of Arizona. We recorded this podcast in my hog barn in Garland, Maine, so you may hear some barnyard noises in the background.

Ashley joined us in Maine for a week to help deliver a series of in-person seminars on getting started with poultry.

As a Livestock Area Agent with the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, I provide leadership in extension programs focusing on livestock production and management across both large and small-scale operations in Cochise, Pima, and Santa Cruz Counties. My programs cover a diverse array of topics crucial to the livestock industry, including herd health and management, nutrition, reproduction, genetics, and marketing. While much of my program focuses on cow-calf operations, I also work extensively with Arizona's growing population of backyard chicken enthusiasts, especially those in areas who have recently relaxed zoning regulations to allow for urban chicken keeping. The educational content I produce covers an array of topics such as raising health chicks, poultry diseases, coop design, heat stress, nutrition, egg production, and egg safety. I live in Vail, AZ, just outside of Tucson and maintain a small backyard flock of laying hens.

Ashley Wright ‘s Information - https://extension.arizona.edu/person/ashley-wright

If you would like to know more about raising poultry in Maine, please visit the University of Maine Cooperative Extensions Livestock Website - https://extension.umaine.edu/livestock/poultry/