08/20/2025
With poultry, Dr. Crespo stressed the importance of ensuring that birds have easy access to key resources like feeders, drinkers, perches, and roosts.
During her presentation, she recommended some practical tips to improve small flock poultry welfare:
Easy access to quality feed that is not contaminated by mold, pests, or f***s
Feeder height level with the shoulder of the shortest bird
Ready access to clean water at an appropriate height—either under the chin for troughs or above the comb for ni**le waterers
Appropriate level of privacy across nesting arrangements for breeding hens
Protected shelter from the elements with good ventilation
Nest sizes should change as chicks grow, she said, giving the analogy of bed sizes from childhood to adulthood: from a crib to a twin to a double then a queen or king bed.
At AVMA Convention 2025, Dr. Rocio Crespo, a professor of poultry health management at North Carolina State University, spoke about improving poultry welfare in small flocks. She said veterinarians should act as auditors to help backyard flock owners with nutrition and housing.
