Ralph A. Ernst, UC Cooperative Extension poultry specialist emeritus at UC Davis, passed away at his home in Davis on March 4, 2026. 

Ernst, who served UCCE for 38 years, grew up in Milan, Michigan, on a dairy with chickens, which inspired his career in poultry. As a youth, he was an active member of FFA and received both the Michigan Future Farmers’ Award and FFA’s American Farmer Degree.

In 1959, he received his bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University. After teaching vocational agriculture in Michigan schools, he returned to Michigan State to earn a master’s degree in poultry management in 1963 and a Ph.D. in poultry physiology in 1966. 

In 1966, he joined UC Davis as a UC Cooperative Extension specialist in the Department of Animal Science. His research ranged from the effects of forced-air cooling on shell eggs to table egg sweating and Salmonella enteritidis contamination to the effects of carbon dioxide levels during incubation on hatchability. 

“His farm background helped Ralph relate well to farmers and ranchers: he knows the hardships they face and the sacrifices they make,” wrote Gary B. Anderson, then UC Davis Department of Animal Science chair, when Ernst retired in 2005. “When his clients had problems, he was always there to help them, even on weekends, evenings or holidays.”

Ernst organized statewide meetings, workshops and symposia for producers and published more than 35 papers in peer-reviewed journals, more than 150 articles in trade journals and numerous extension leaflets and bulletins. He started a newsletter for the California poultry industry and was the general editor from 1977-2004. In 1995 he developed the UCCE poultry website.

“Ralph Ernst has been the glue that has held the Poultry Workgroup and Poultry CE together,” said fellow UCCE poultry specialist emeritus Francine Bradley when Ernst retired.

With colleagues Bradley and John Emo, Ernst created Avian Bowl, a science-based competition that became a national 4-H contest.

He was active in several professional organizations. He joined the Poultry Science Association in 1961 and served on its board of directors, edited the PSA Newsletter (1985-1991), and was associate editor for both Poultry Science and Applied Poultry Research journals. From 1966 to 1980, he was secretary of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Pacific Egg and Poultry Association (PEPA) and chaired the committee from 1980 to 2003. He developed curriculum for PEPA’s California Egg Quality Assurance Program, as well as for the California Meat Quality Assurance Program, which were viewed as model programs.

He also was very active in the U.S. Branch of the World's Poultry Science Association and served on its board of directors.

Ernst's many accolades include Poultry Science Extension Award (1978), National Association of County Agricultural Agents Manuscript Award (1991), PEPA Scientist of the Year (1995), California Poultry Federation Service Award (1998) and PSA Fellow (2003). In 2003, he received a Hammer Award from then-Vice President Al Gore, for “establishing innovative and unique programs to make government work better and achieve results Americans care about.”

He is survived by his daughter Carol Ernst of Davis; stepson John and his wife Paula of Lake Stevens, Washington; stepdaughter Marian; stepson Sherief Farid and his wife Lixang Zhang of Gold River; grandchildren Sean Cohen, Joshua Ernst, Isabella Bigelow, Mohamed and Nour Farid; sister Cathy Rogers and brother-in-law Bill of Battle Creek, Michigan; and former wife Sharon Harrison. 

In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations be made to the Western Scholarship Foundation c/o PePa, 1521 I St., Sacramento, CA 95814 (please note it’s for the Dr. Ralph Ernst Scholarship); or Friends of the Davis Library, P.O. Box 91, Davis, CA 95618 (please include in “Memory of Dr. Ralph Ernst”).

Read more about Ernst’s career in the 2005 UC Davis Department of Animal Science newsletter and Davis Enterprise obituary.