Generators of Knowledge

From its earliest beginnings, the Prestage Department of Poultry Science has helped the state’s poultry industry grow and thrive.

With the department’s help, North Carolina went from being a place where poultry was a small part of most farms to being the nation’s leading poultry exporter, ranking first in turkeys and in all cash receipts from poultry and eggs, fourth in broilers and eighth in eggs.

Prestage Poultry Science’s efforts evolved out of research, teaching and Extension work that predates the department. In 1895, the North Carolina Agricultural Experiment Station added a poultry division, the forerunner to the department’s now world-class research program.

Propelled by a $10 million gift in 2012 from Bill and Martha Prestage, co-founders of Prestage Farms, the program brings knowledge of genetics, genomics, immunology, physiology, welfare and more to bear on ensuring the industry can grow in ways that are good for the state’s economy and environment. 

Poultry teaching at NC State University got its start in 1900, when what was then known as the North Carolina College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts established its first poultry courses, designed mainly for those who would go on to raise poultry on their family farms.

Now, artificial intelligence and data analytics are becoming part of the curriculum. Today’s undergraduate and graduate students are deepening their knowledge and understanding of the science behind poultry production and preparing to lead the industry into the future.

Extension, too, is shaping the industry’s future. In the 1920s, Extension worked with farm women interested in producing poultry and eggs. Now, it helps not only backyard growers keep their chickens healthy, but also some of the world’s biggest companies address such issues as waste management, and flock health and disease management.

The department is also looking at ways to improve animal welfare and collaborate with the College of Veterinary Medicine and the state department of agriculture and consumer services to help stop the spread of menacing poultry diseases. Frank Siewerdt, the head of Prestage Poultry Science, says that NC State’s Food Animal Initiative, led by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, will put NC State on the map as the world’s top institution in poultry and animal production. The initiative suggests a bright future for poultry.

“This department is and will be here to do two things,” he says. “One is to support our industry, which is the largest industry in the state — not just in agriculture, but in general. The other is to be the leading generators of knowledge in poultry science and related disciplines.

“We will grow our reputation of being the place poultry companies can turn to for knowledge. Our strong collaborative ties with industry, such as the support from the Prestages, are proof that the department’s valuable role is recognized by our stakeholders.”

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