Bee Medicine and Poultry Track

Learning objectives

Describe the honey bee life cycle; differentiate the different types of bees in a colony; understand the beekeeping calendar

Learning objectives

Identify symptoms of common honey bee pests and diseases; understand which bee medication(s) require a veterinary feed directive

Learning objectives: 

1. Describe the characteristics, motivations, and management practices of modern backyard poultry owners and explain how these differ from traditional commercial poultry producers.
2. Discuss the influence of social media, online communities, and the human-animal bond on backyard poultry owner decision-making, health-seeking behaviors, and expectations for veterinary care.
3. Identify the educational, clinical, and One Health implications of backyard poultry ownership for veterinary medicine, including zoonotic disease awareness, biosecurity, and public health considerations.
4. Recognize opportunities for veterinary colleges and teaching hospitals to prepare students to effectively serve backyard poultry clients through clinical training, communication, and interdisciplinary partnerships.
5. Apply lessons from backyard poultry case studies to enhance veterinary student competencies in client communication, flock-level problem solving, and evidence-based decision-making.

The presentation will provide a practical overview of the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of common diseases affecting backyard chicken flocks. It will cover selection of appropriate samples and tests, available treatments and prevention by vaccination and flock management.

This will be a case-based look at factors that result in mistakes by medical practitioners.  The lecture will evaluate evidence-based strategies for organizations and medical teams to limit those mistakes.  Finally, it will discuss peer-reviewed recovery trajectories those practitioners experience and how to optimize a healthy recovery.