If the extension poultry specialist for the University of Connecticut has any advice to anyone wanting to raise backyard chickens, it’s to know what they’re getting themselves into.

At a workshop he gave at Ledyard High School April 6, Dr. Michael Darre walked prospective backyard chicken owners through a two-hour version of his poultry science class at UConn, discussing topics from breed choice to biosecurity.

The workshop was made possible by a $2,500 Food for All grant given to the Ledyard Regional FFA by the National FFA Organization. Ledyard was the only Connecticut chapter to receive a grant this year.

Ledyard high School animal science teacher Devon O’Keefe said the Food for All grant goes toward projects that combat hunger in the community, and raising chickens for eggs or meat is feasible for many people in the area, depending on how much space they have.

The grant will also allow students in the Agri-Science program at the high school to raise their own laying hens as well as turkeys and pigs to donate meat and eggs to the Ledyard Food Pantry, she said.

Darre said he has been doing similar workshops since he became the extension poultry specialist 35 years ago, but backyard flocks have become so popular within recent years that he does 10 to 12 workshops every spring, sometimes more than one in a day. Each one attracts 30 to 45 people, and he said he has had to turn people away in order to avoid breaking fire code.

He opened the Ledyard presentation by asking who had chickens already and why they are raising them. A handful of people raised their hands, saying they keep them for eggs, and one said she also enjoys watching them walk around. But when he asked who in the room was a poultry physiology specialist or a genetics expert, no one raised their hands.

“We’re going to be here a lot longer than three hours,” he joked, looking back at the long list of disciplines involved in raising a backyard flock. “Anyone here a mother or a father to children? Maybe you didn’t know it but you did learn some of these things.”

Attendees munched on chicken-shaped cookies and flipped through a “wish list” catalog of upscale chicken coops as Darre discussed which breeds were most popular for eggs, meat and show. He said New England was one of the original markets for brown eggs, and as interest in brown and “Easter eggs” has increased in recent years, people have been willing to pay up to $24 for a dozen Marans eggs, which are a dark chocolate brown.

Darre also stressed the need for strict biosecurity measures, from making sure chicks are vaccinated and purchased from reputable farms to building coops and runs that are easy to clean. One way to prevent cross-contamination is an “all-in, all-out” philosophy, he said.

“You start with a flock of birds, you grow them, you take care of them, and then you say goodbye to them, then you totally clean out and sanitize, and then you start another flock,” he said. A new hen could bring in a new disease, and it would also likely be attacked by the existing flock, he said.

Chickens can also develop health problems from bacteria and parasites in the soil and interactions with wild birds, but Darre said gradual exposure to the yard can help build their immunity.

He told the audience to make sure they get their information from reliable sources such as the UConn “Poultry Pages” and other university websites as opposed to sites with names like “The Chicken Whisperer” or “The Chicken Lady.”

“[Universities] try to keep the information up to date, as relevant and as real as possible, and if you go to those other sites, there’s no guarantee where the information came from,” he said.

The Ledyard Regional FFA will also host a workshop on proper meat handling in October through the Food for All grant.

a.hutchinson@theday.com