Interview with William Insko, Jr., December 7, 1978

Interview Summary

William Insko, Jr., a former UK professor, was a leading authority on poultry incubation, and president of the Poultry Science Association. Insko was born in 1901 in Carlisle, Kentucky, and started working at UK in 1928 where he was an Assistant in Poultry Husbandry. Insko later served as Associate Professor of Poultry Husbandry, Professor in Charge of Poultry Husbandry, Chairman of the Poultry Department, and Chairman of the Animal Science Department. He describes the radical changes that were occurring in the poultry industry when he started working at UK including improvement in nutrition, the growth of chicks, the use of vitamins, and the development battery brooders for breeding. Insko talks about the Smith Incubator Company in Lexington, Kentucky who supplied UK with incubators. He describes the National Poultry Improvement Plan which was instrumental in improving egg production and in combating disease.

Insko discusses research efforts at UK and the involvement of UK in improvement in the poultry industry. He describes how UK professors and extension agents held meetings and visited with individuals to discuss marketing, housing, feeding, and general care.
He describes outstanding men in Kentucky's poultry industry including D.D. Slade of UK extension who started the Kentucky Hatchery in Lexington and served as president of the National Hatchery Association for many years. Insko discusses UK's research on efficiency in hatchery operations and those involved including Dr. George Byers and Dr. [McLaury].

Insko explains that he was asked to serve on a committee of Avian Standards of the Institute of Laboratory Resources, and talks about his work on this committee. He describes the poultry industry of the future as he envisions it. Insko sees a more commercialized industry with larger farms and larger hatchery operations. Insko also talks about his wife and family.

Interview Keyword

Kentucky's Cooperative Extension Service University of Kentucky

Interview LC Subject

Agriculture. Insko, William, Jr., 1901- Insko, William, Jr., 1901- --Interviews University of Kentucky University of Kentucky--History University of Kentucky. Cooperative Extension Service

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Interview Usage

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