Lincoln University Poultry

04/06/2026

Join us at the Clinton County Ag Entrepreneur Day in Plattsburg, MO on April 11, 2026

Countdown to Ag Fun Begins! ⏰🎊
Don’t miss Clinton County Ag Entrepreneur Day on April 11, 2026, filled with sessions on marketing, farm finances, production skills, and starting ag businesses. Youth and adults—everyone is welcome!
Sign up: https://muext.us/CCAED

11/23/2025

Is your turkey thawing in the refrigerator? If you've procrastinated and still have a fully frozen turkey, keep reading to see how you can safely thaw and cook that bird for your Thanksgiving dinner.

While the safest way to thaw a frozen turkey is in the refrigerator, this method takes time. The USDA recommends allowing one day in the refrigerator for every 4-5 pounds of frozen turkey. That means your 16-20 lb turkey should in the refrigerator four or five days before Thanksgiving. However, if you miss that window, that's ok - you can thaw your turkey in cold water or in the microwave. DO NOT thaw your turkey on the counter or outside - these methods do not allow for even thawing and are not safe.

COOK AFTER THAWING THAW IN REFRIGERATOR
The safest way to thaw a frozen turkey is in the refrigerator. The USDA recommends allowing one day in the refrigerator for every 4-5 pounds of frozen turkey. That means your 16-20 lb turkey should in the refrigerator four or five days before you want to cook it.

COOK AFTER THAWING IN COLD WATER
Locate a container that can hold enough water to fully submerge your frozen turkey. Your sink, bathtub, or a large plastic tote can work. Leave the turkey in its original wrapping and submerge it in cold water. Empty the water and replace it with fresh cold water every 30 minutes. To fully thaw, you will need about 30 minutes per pound of turkey. So, a 16 lb turkey will take about 8 hours to thaw and a 20 lb turkey will need about 10 hours to thaw.

COOK AFTER THAWING IN MICROWAVE
First, check your microwave's manual to see what size turkey will fit and what the manufacturer's recommendations are. If the microwave is large enough and has the appropriate settings, unwrap the turkey and place it in a microwave safe dish to catch any leaking juices. Use the defrost function by weight. Typically, it will take 6 minutes per pound to thaw a turkey in the microwave. If the turkey starts to cook, let it rest for 5-10 minutes and resume thawing.

Note: If you use thaw in the microwave or in cold water, you'll need to start cooking the turkey as soon as it thaws so you need to plan accordingly. Remember that it takes about 15 minutes of cook time for every pound, so you'll want your fully thawed turkey ready to go in the oven with enough time to cook it.

Approximate Cook Times for Thawed, Unstuffed Turkey roasted at 325°F:
8- to 12-pound turkey: 2 ¾ to 3 hours
12- to 14-pound turkey: 3 to 3 ¾ hours
14- to 18-pound turkey: 3 ¾ to 4 ¼ hours
18- to 20-pound turkey: 4 ¼ to 4 ½ hours
20- to 24-pound turkey: 4 ½ to 5 hours

COOK FROM FROZEN
If your turkey isn't fully thawed, it's ok. You can safely cook a frozen turkey in the oven without thawing it first, but it will take more time. Allow for at least 50 percent more cook time - instead of 15 minutes/pound, you need about 23 minutes/pound. For example, a 16-lb turkey will require 6-6.5 hours instead of 4. Do not put a frozen turkey in a deep fryer.

Approximate Cook Times for Frozen Turkey roasted at 325°F:
8- to 12-pound turkey: 3 to 4.5 hours
12- to 14-pound turkey: 4.5 to 5 ¼ hours
14- to 18-pound turkey: 5 ¼ to 6 ¾ hours
18- to 20-pound turkey: 6 ¾ to 7 ½ hours
20- to 24-pound turkey: 7 ½ to 9 hours

FOOD SAFETY TIP
Whether cooking a frozen or thawed turkey, always check the temperature of your turkey to ensure the meat reaches a safe temperature. Cook the turkey until the thickest parts reach 165°F. Test in multiple places on the breast and thigh to be certain all parts of the bird are cook through.

11/21/2025

The clock’s ticking to turkey time!

Thanksgiving is just a week away, and if you haven’t made your turkey game plan yet… now’s the perfect moment!

Buying & Preparing Your Turkey:
The best time to buy your turkey depends on whether you’re going frozen or fresh.

If you are buying a frozen turkey...
• Buy it anytime and keep it in the freezer until you're ready to thaw.
• Remember, the safest method for thawing is in the refrigerator
• Allow 1 day for every 4 - 5 lbs. of bird. For example: a 16 - 20 lb turkey needs 4 - 5 days in the fridge. That means you'd start thawing it this weekend!

If you are buying a fresh turkey...
• Buy it 1 - 3 days before Thanksgiving.
• Store it in the coldest part of your fridge until cooking.

Cooking Your Turkey:
• Plan to have your turkey ready 3 - 5 hours before serving.
• A 16 - 20 lb turkey generally takes 4 - 4.5 hours at 325°F.
• Always check that the thickest parts of the breast and thigh reach 165°F to ensure it’s safely cooked.

Here’s to a perfectly timed turkey and a Thanksgiving full of flavor and fun!

Photo of a live turkey courtesy of Mary Keeter.

11/20/2025

Thurdsay, November 20, 2025 - Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Update

It has been a few months since we last provided an update on the HPAI situation.

The good news is that Missouri hasn't had a positive HPAI case in a poultry flock since March 2025. However, there have been recent detections of HPAI in wild birds in Missouri.

Additionally, HPAI remains active in poultry flocks across the United States.

Recent detections:

Poultry - In the last 30 days, the USDA has detected 86 confirmed cases of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in poultry flocks across 21 states. This impacts over 1.84 million birds across 38 commercial flocks and 48 backyard flocks. Impacted states include California, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming.

Livestock - There have been no detections in livestock in the last 30 days.

Wild Birds - In the last 30 days, there have been detections of HPAI in wild birds in 31 states across the United States.

Mammals - In the last 30 days, there have been detections reported in two states: Wyoming (skunks) and Washington (mice).

Note: Detections listed are what has been reported by USDA APHIS at this time. Sometimes the list is not updated for a few days.

Data source: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/h5n1-hpai -hpai

06/17/2025

Wednesday, June 17, 2025 - Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Update

It has been about six weeks since we last provided an update on the HPAI situation. Missour's last positive HPAI case was almost 90 days ago (March 21st). Additionally, the overall HPAI detection across the United States seems to have decreased. In the last 30 days, HPAI has been detected in 8 poultry flocks and on 8 livestock premises.

Poultry - The 8 confirmed cases of HPAI in poultry flocks have impacted 5 million birds across four commercial flocks and four backyard flocks. These cases involve 4 different states: Idaho (1), Arizona (5), New Jersey (1), and Pennsylvania (1). The majority of impacted birds are from four large egg production facilities in Arizona.

Livestock - The 8 new cases of HPAI in livestock have been found in dairy milking operations across three states: Idaho (7), and California (1).

While it is good to see that these numbers seem to be decreasing, it is important to remain vigilent and practice good biosecurity regardless of whether HPAI has recently been detected in your area.

Note: Detections listed are what has been reported by USDA APHIS at this time. Sometimes the list is not updated for a few days.

Data source: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/commercial-backyard-flocks

06/11/2025

It's been warm, but beautiful for today's field day and farm tours.

Thank you to everyone who came out!

05/21/2025

Join us TONIGHT for session #6 of the 2025 Chicken Info Series with Lincoln University at Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture!

Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025
Time: 6:00 – 7:30pm
Topic: Grading and Candling Eggs
Description: Learn about factors that determine egg quality, and master the art of grading and candling eggs to ensure top quality for your customers. We’ll teach you the methods for identifying freshness, quality, and any potential issues before selling or using your eggs.
**YOU'LL GET HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE**
Location: CCUA, 1769 W Ash St., Columbia, MO 65203

All sessions of the 2025 Chicken Info Series are free and open to the public, but space is limited. Please RSVP to let us know you are coming.

To RSVP, go here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080945A8A628ABFE3-54620535-eggspert #/
2025 Chicken Info Series with Lincoln University at Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture

05/07/2025

Chickens are ready to teach!

05/02/2025

Friday, May 2, 2025 - Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) Update

It's been a few weeks since we provided an update on HPAI in Missouri. No news is good news in this case. The last new HPAI case in Missouri was six weeks ago on March 21st.

However, it's important to note that HPAI is still present in the United States. Over the last 30 days, HPAI has been detected in 18 poultry flocks and on 48 livestock premises in multiple other states.

Poultry - The 18 confirmed cases of HPAI in poultry flocks have impacted 1 million birds across three commercial flocks and fifteen backyard flocks. These cases involve 9 different states across the country: New York ( 8 ), Ohio (1), Wisconsin (1), Minnesota (1), Iowa (1), North Dakota (1), South Dakota (2), Colorado (1), and New Mexico (2).

Livestock - The 48 new cases of HPAI in livestock have been found in dairy milking operations across three states: Idaho (39), California (7), and Arizona (2).

As always, it is important to remain vigilent and practice good biosecurity regardless of whether HPAI has recently been detected in your area.

Note: Detections listed are what has been reported by USDA APHIS at this time. Sometimes the list is not updated for a few days.

Data source: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/livestock-poultry-disease/avian/avian-influenza/hpai-detections/commercial-backyard-flocks

04/30/2025

RSVP today for Session #5 of the 2025 Chicken Info Series with Lincoln University at Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture!

Date: Wednesday, May 7, 2025
Time: 6:00 – 7:30pm
Topic: Determining Flock Productivity
Description: In this session, we’ll dive into key flock and individual measurements to assess productivity. Learn how to track flock-level measurements like hen-day egg production and evaluate individual measurements like abdominal capacity and intensity of lay.

Location: CCUA, 1769 W Ash St., Columbia, MO 65203

All sessions of the 2025 Chicken Info Series are free and open to the public, but space is limited. Please RSVP to let us know you are coming.

To RSVP, go here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080945A8A628ABFE3-54620535-eggspert
2025 Chicken Info Series with Lincoln University at Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture

04/23/2025

📢 Workshop Series Postponed Due to Weather

Due to the forecasted storms in Jackson, MO on Friday, we have made the decision to postpone our upcoming chicken workshop series. As the events are planned for an outdoor setting, we believe this is the most responsible choice to ensure the safety and comfort of all attendees.

At this time, new dates have not yet been determined, but we will share updates as soon as they are available. We appreciate your understanding and patience, and we look forward to welcoming you at a future date under better conditions.

Thank you for your continued support.