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Nebraska drops ban on poultry events

Nebraska drops ban on poultry events

One human and more than 37 million birds—comprised mostly of poultry across 172 commercial flocks and 119 backyard flocks in 34 states—have been been affected in the current avian influenza outbreak.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in April 2022 that a Colorado man was the first reported U.S. citizen to have contracted the H5N1 virus during the current outbreak. The patient was an inmate at a state correctional facility whose pre-release employment program involved the depopulation, or killing, of poultry at a commercial farm in Montrose County. His only symptom was fatigue, and he has since made a complete recovery.

Stacker compiled statistics on the avian influenza in Nebraska using data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The data is current as of May 9. According to the USDA, the affected count captures the total number of birds on the premises where the H5N1 virus was detected. Although it is possible that not every bird was carrying the virus, all birds within an affected population are culled to prevent further spread.

Impact from state to state varies based largely on the number of commercial operations within each state. In Ohio, just one backyard flock and 20 birds were affected. In neighboring Pennsylvania, close to 4 million birds have been destroyed. Worse still, Iowa, which had the highest number of chickens of any U.S. state in 2021 with 60 million heads, has been the most severely impacted in terms of quantity, losing a little more than 13 million birds since the virus was first reported in a commercial turkey flock in Indiana in February 2022.

The impact of the outbreak is being felt by many Americans at the grocery store. According to the USDA’s Food Price Outlook for April 2022, poultry prices are predicted to increase between 7.5% and 8.5%, and egg prices are predicted to increase between 6% and 7% due, in part, to decreased production at some of the country’s biggest commercial flocks.

Read on to learn more about how the current avian influenza outbreak is affecting wild and commercial birds in your state.

– Number of birds affected in Nebraska: 4.9 million

— #2 most birds affected among all states

— 12.9% of all birds affected nationwide

Counties with the most birds affected in Nebraska

#1. Knox: 2.1 million birds affected (43.7% of all cases in Nebraska)

#2. Dixon: 1.7 million (36.0%)

#3. Butler: 987,000 (20.3%)

#4. Merrick: 90 (0.0%)

#5. Holt: 50 (0.0%)

#6. Washington: 50 (0.0%)

#7. Scotts Bluff: 30 (0.0%)

States with the most birds affected

#1. Iowa: 13.4 million

#2. Nebraska: 4.9 million

#3. Pennsylvania: 3.9 million

#4. Wisconsin: 3.0 million

#5. Minnesota: 2.9 million

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Nebraska: Safety courses & hands-on events scheduled

Nebraska: Safety courses & hands-on events scheduled

May 24 – Lincoln County Extension Office, 348 West State Farm Rd, North Platte

Contacts: Randy Saner randy.saner@unl.edu and Vicki Neidhardt 308.532.2683, vicki.neidhardt@unl.edu

May 26 – Raising Nebraska, 501 East Fonner Park Rd, Grand Island

Contact: Sarah Polak, 308.385.3967, spolak2@unl.edu

Tractor Driving Days

May 25 – Lincoln County Extension Office, 348 West State Farm Rd, North Platte

Contacts: Randy Saner randy.saner@unl.edu and Vicki Neidhardt 308.532.2683, vicki.neidhardt@unl.edu

June 6 – Akrs Equipment, 49110 US Hwy 20 in O’Neill

Contact: Debra Walnofer, 402.336.2760, dwalnofer2@unl.edu

June 7 – Legacy of the Plains Museum, 2930 Old Oregon Trail #8500 in Gering

Contact: Stacy Brown, 308.632.1480, sbrown7@unl.edu

June 8 – AKRS Equipment, 44098 Hwy 2, Broken Bow (Todd Sutherland)

Contact: Denise Daake, 308.872.6831, denise.daake@unl.edu

June 9 – Adams County Extension, 2975 South Baltimore Ave, Hastings

Contact: Ron Seymour ron.seymour@unl.edu and Twila Bankson 402-461-7209, twila.bankson@unl.edu

June 10 – Cass County Fairgrounds, 8400 144th St, Weeping Water

Contact: Sandy Prall, 402.267.2205, sprall2@unl.edu

If you have questions please contact the administrator listed above at your driving site, or contact Ellen Duysen ellen.duysen@unmc.edu.

To register visit https://cvent.me/44ExVl

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Huskers Win Three Throws Events at ASU Invitational – University of Nebraska

Huskers Win Three Throws Events at ASU Invitational - University of Nebraska

The Nebraska track and field team picked up three throws titles on Saturday at the ASU Invitational in Tempe, Ariz., to wrap up the first weekend of the outdoor season.

The Huskers swept the javelin titles with Maddie Harris winning the women’s title and Trey Patterson claiming the men’s title. Maxwell Otterdahl won the men’s shot put title with a top-10 throw in school history.

Harris, who was the Big Ten javelin champion in 2021 as a freshman, claimed gold at her first competition of the season with a throw of 172-3 (52.50m). Mirta Kulisic brought home runner-up honors at 169-2 (51.57m). 

For the men, redshirt freshman Trey Patterson registered a throw of 204-2 (62.23m) to win the javelin, while sophomore Tyler Brown finished second with a throw of 202-10 (61.84m). 

Otterdahl was the top athlete in the shot put at 62-0 1/2 (18.91m), the 10th-best throw in Nebraska outdoor history. Kevin Shubert finished third with a mark of 58-5 3/4 (17.82m). In the women’s shot put, Kalynn Meyer placed third and Nya Diew placed fifth for the Big Red.

Elsewhere, three Husker decathletes competed at the Emporia State Relays and Combined Events on Saturday in Emporia, Kan. Kolby Heinerikson led the trio with PRs in the javelin (176-0, 53.64m) and 110-meter hurdles (15.13).

 

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State cancels poultry events in response to fourth bird flu case

State cancels poultry events in response to fourth bird flu case

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture announced Saturday that all poultry events will be canceled statewide because of the bird flu.

The order, which comes after a fourth farm was reported infected with the virus, states that birds of any type are not permitted at events such as fairs, expositions and live bird auctions until at least May 1, when the order will be reevaluated. 

Bird flu had previously been found in several wild geese and a mixed backyard flock in Merrick County, but its discovery in commercial poultry operations has upped the stakes in Nebraska.

In the last week, the state Agriculture Department quarantined a farm in Butler County and all 570,000 birds were humanely destroyed. The disease was later found to have infected a flock of 400,000 broiler chickens within the quarantine area.

In the latest case reported, a small flock of mixed chickens and waterfowl was infected in Holt County.

The ag department encourages bird owners to prevent contact between their birds and wildlife and to report any signs of bird flu in their flocks. Symptoms include a decrease in water consumption, soft-shelled eggs, nasal discharge, and lack of energy and appetite. 

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Nebraska Department of Agriculture cancels all poultry events due to bird flu

Nebraska Department of Agriculture cancels all poultry events due to bird flu

OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – The Nebraska Department of Agriculture is canceling all poultry-related events across the State due to the increase of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

The order is effective immediately and will stay in effect until May 1, when it will be re-evaluated. It prohibits birds of any kind to be at events including fairs, expositions, swap meets, exotic sales, and live bird auctions.

Nebraska Department of Agriculture Director Steve Wellman says it’s an important step to protect poultry production.

“The decision to cancel poultry events was not taken lightly but is a necessary step to assure we are doing everything possible to protect our poultry producers, both small and large,” Wellman said. “Poultry producers should continue to take biosecurity measures on their farms to help prevent the spread of the disease into their flock.”

The selling of chicks, ducklings, and goslings at farm stores is still allowed, as these birds are hatched in National Poultry Improvement Plan flocks.

Bird owners are encouraged to prevent contact between their animals and wildlife. Producers that suspect avian flu in their flock should report it to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture.

Officials state the symptoms in poultry vary from a decrease in water consumption, lack of energy and appetite, decreased egg production or soft-shelled, misshapen eggs, nasal discharge, coughing, sneezing, incoordination, diarrhea, and even sudden death in birds.

Copyright 2022 WOWT. All rights reserved.

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Huskers to Play in 2022 ESPN Events Invitational – University of Nebraska

Huskers to Play in 2022 ESPN Events Invitational - University of Nebraska

Lincoln – The Nebraska men’s basketball team will return to Orlando, Fla., this fall to participate in the 2022 ESPN Events Invitational, as the 2022 field was announced today.  This year’s edition take place from Nov. 24-27 at HP Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Fla.

The eight-team field also includes Florida State, Memphis, Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Seton Hall, Siena and Stanford. This will mark the second time the Huskers have participated in the event, and the first since the 2017-18 season.

Seven of the eight teams have previously participated in the event, including Florida State (2009, 2018), Memphis (2013, 2018), Oklahoma (2012), Seton Hall (2016) Siena (2008, 2013) and Stanford (2016). Ole Miss is the only team making its tournament debut.

The tournament could feature the first matchup between Nebraska and Oklahoma on the hardwood since the Huskers joined the Big Ten after the 2010-11 season. Besides the Sooners, who NU has played 197 times over the years, the rest of the field has played the Huskers just 16 times.  NU faced Stanford nine times, but the last meeting was during the 1965-66 season.

Information on tickets, travel packages and more is available on the ESPN Events Invitational web site (espnevents.com).

Nebraska vs. the 2022 ESPN Events Field











Opponent Series Record Last Meeting
Florida State 1-1 2014-15
Memphis 0-1 1954-55
Oklahoma 83-104 2010-11
Ole Miss 1-2 2007-08 (NIT)
Seton Hall 1-0 2018-19
Siena Never Played  
Stanford 3-6 1965-56