** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE HIGH PREVALENCE OF SALMONELLA SPP. IN POULTRY MEAT IMPOSES A MAJOR BURDEN ON THE INDUSTRY. EVEN THOUGH DATA PROVIDED BY THE USDA (2022) SHOWS THAT MORE THAN 92% OF PROCESSING ESTABLISHMENTS MEET OR EXCEED USDA-FSIS PERFORMANCE STANDARDS, THE NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH TARGET FOR THE NUMBER OF SALMONELLA ILLNESSES LINKED TO POULTRY HAS NOT BEEN MET (USDA, 2022; USDA-FSIS, 2020). ALTHOUGH RESEARCH HAS EVALUATED VARIOUS PRE-HARVEST AND PROCESSING INTERVENTION STRATEGIES, THE STRATEGIES HAVE DEMONSTRATED LIMITED EFFECTIVENESS IN REDUCING SALMONELLA ILLNESSES ASSOCIATED WITH POULTRY PRODUCTS IN PEOPLE. IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE EFFECT OF COMBINING MULTIPLE APPROACHES TO LIMIT SALMONELLA COLONIZATION IN CHICKENS DURING PRODUCTION, AS THIS WILL HELP TO FILL CURRENT KNOWLEDGE GAPS ABOUT SALMONELLA CONTROL THAT EXISTS IN THE POULTRY INDUSTRY. THESE OBJECTIVES WILL HELP IMPROVE POULTRY SAFETY BY DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE MITIGATION STRATEGIES AT THE PRODUCTION LEVEL, WHICH WILL KEEP THE FLOCK PREVALENCE AND NUMBERS OF SALMONELLA SPP. IN COLONIZED CHICKENS AT SUCH LOW LEVELS THAT CONTAMINATION OF MEAT BECOMES HIGHLY UNLIKELY. AS A RESULT, THE TRANSMISSION OF SALMONELLA SPP. TO HUMANS IS ALSO REDUCED OR ELIMINATED. THE EXTENSION COMPONENT WILL SERVE AS A CATALYST FOR TRANSFORMING CURRENT MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR FARMERS SO THAT SALMONELLA SPP. CAN BE REALISTICALLY ELIMINATED FROM POULTRY LITTER, LIVE BIRDS, AND POULTRY MEAT.