UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Beginners, Professionals And Others Interested In Pennsylvania's Game Breeding And Hunting Preserves Industry Are Invited To Attend The 2005 Pennsylvania Game Breeders And Hunting Preserves Annual Meeting, Feb. 27 - March 1 At The Days Inn In State College.

Conference coordinator Michael Hulet, associate professor of poultry science in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, explains that this year's conference will address Pennsylvania’s industry from a local and regional perspective.

"Last year we attracted producers from 11 states and Canada,"says Hulet. "Twenty-five percent of our attendees are first-time growers, or maybe attended last year, have raised a few birds, and are looking to expand and make raising gamebirds a more permanent business. The other groups are professional breeders that have raised birds for several years; some are third generation gamebird breeders."

"We have a diverse audience of gamebird producers as well as shooting preserve owners, and we plan the topics of the conference to meet the needs of that audience.”

A reception and registration will begin at 7 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 27. Educational sessions and workshops on Monday, Feb. 28 will cover brooding large and small flocks, hunting dog health, management of breeder flocks, basics of shooting preserve holding pen management and encouraging women to participate in outdoor hunting activities. A banquet will be held at 7 p.m. with a keynote address by Vernon Ross, executive director of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.

Tuesday’s sessions begin at 8 a.m. and will feature gamebird pricing, diagnosis of gamebird disease, basics of medical treatment and dosage calculation, symptoms of field feed problems, and a hands-on disease diagnostic session.

Registrations will be accepted until Sunday, Feb. 27 at the door. For more information about conference content, contact Michael Hulet by phone at 814-863-8934, or by e-mail at http://conferences.cas.psu.edu.

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Jill Hoover Office 814-865-3636

Gary Abdullah Office 814-863-2708 FAX 814-863-9877