Charles Miller Jr. Poultry Research Center

Alabama’s poultry industry is a sight to behold. It is one of our state’s most valuable industries, producing more than $15 billion in revenue every year.

There seems to be a poultry farm or company around every bend, and that’s no accident. Alabama is home to some of the world’s most sophisticated poultry research programs. Most of these in Auburn are housed at the Miller Poultry Center.

The Miller Poultry Center was completed and opened in 2021. It houses research facilities covering virtually every aspect of poultry production.

“We really wanted to cover all the stops from hatcheries to meat packaging,” said Dr. William Dozier, Poultry Science Department Head and Executive Director of the Miller Center. “Poultry is everywhere, from Chick-fil-a to airlines, and we want to help it stay that way.”

The facility gets its name from Charles C. Miller, an Alabama poultry pioneer who helped lead the state to its status as a poultry powerhouse.

The Miller Center is a multifaceted facility. The Education and Administration Building houses classroom space, as well as a visitor center with information on the founding members of the poultry industry.

The Poultry & Animal Nutrition Center and feed mill give students a hands-on opportunity to work with animal nutrition, while providing practical research potential for the industry.

The National Poultry Technology Center houses research on improving equipment, whether it be housing, ventilation, or energy efficiency.

The Miller Center also includes five enclosed floor pen facilities that allow nutrition, management, and biosecurity research to be done in a controlled environment.

There is also a hatchery, battery house with 11 research rooms, four storage buildings, and a poultry disease biocontainment facility.

Covering all the stops, as Dozier said, is an important aspect of the Miller Center. The Poultry Science Department, and the College of Agriculture as a whole, are focused on creating the next generation of leaders in the industry. To do this, the Poultry Science department is committed to offering the highest level of research opportunities for its students.

“Recruitment is a large part of the Miller Center. This facility has allowed us to attract students who are enthusiastic about research,” Dozier said.

Poultry technology, animal health and nutrition, meat quality and management research are paramount to maintaining a steady supply chain.

Whether a student wishes to become familiar with the whole production process, or wishes to specialize in one area, the Miller Center has it all.

The Miller Center’s impact is felt, and appreciated industry-wide. Several companies and organizations have all donated to the construction and maintenance of the facility.

“This project would not have been possible without the unwavering support of the poultry industry,” Dozier said.

The Miller Center has increased Auburn’s research efficiency by centralizing poultry’s research area, benefitting the university, the industry, and the state.