In the United States, in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, poultry production was only a side operation for many farmers; however, by the 1930s a commercial poultry industry began to flourish. Certainly, today’s poultry industry would never have developed without the many advances that have taken place in nutrition, genetics, housing, and veterinary care that were contributed by university and industry scientists. The objective of this chapter is to provide a brief description of the history and development of the commercial poultry industry, and the impact of changes in production practices that are having impacts on poultry gut health. Beginning with an introduction to the origins of the broiler chicken, there then follows sections on nutrition, genetic selection, and poultry housing. The chapter concludes with discussions on veterinary care of poultry and challenges to the industry regarding health of both the poultry produced and of the humans that consume poultry products.