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Ban lifted for taking poultry to live events

Ban lifted for taking poultry to live events

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV) – Poultry owners can once again bring their birds to live events in Wisconsin.

The state’s Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection lifted the ban Monday that barred moving poultry to live events. The ban, which was put in place in May, went into effect to prevent the spread of the highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Lifting the prohibition does not mean that the state is out of the woods, however. The agency still recommends poultry owners to:

  • Clean and disinfect;
  • Restrict access by visitors and wild birds, and;
  • Wear separate shoes and clothes to wear around flocks

According to DATCP statistics, agency officials have counted 22 domestic flocks across 14 counties where HPAI has been found. The virus has led to the deaths of millions of birds across the state.

Poultry owners should still monitor their flocks and notify the agency about any illness or an increased number of deaths by calling 608-224-4872 during business hours or 800-943-0003 at other times. Additionally, they are required by state law to register their premises with DATCP, which helps officials track such disease outbreaks.

Copyright 2022 WMTV. All rights reserved.

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ND Department of Agriculture extends ban on poultry events

ND Department of Agriculture extends ban on poultry events

FARGO, N.D. (Valley News Live) – While national bird flu cases are decreases, state officials in North Dakota have decided all poultry and bird events will continued to be banned until further notice.

“The trend of decreasing cases of avian influenza nationally is encouraging, but we continue to have wild bird infections detected across the state and domestic poultry cases continue to pop up,” State Veterinarian Dr. Ethan Andress said. “The board is continuing to monitor and assess the risk, which will be reviewed again at their Sept. 7 meeting.”

To reduce the risk of spreading avian influenza across North Dakota, the State Board of Animal Health canceled all shows, public sales, and exhibitions of poultry and other birds in March 2022.

“Nationally, the outbreak has affected more than 37 million commercial and backyard birds in 36 states. North Dakota has had 167,000 birds in 10 counties affected,” Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring said. “This order will help limit the spread of the disease in the state and protect our North Dakota producers and backyard bird owners.”

More information about avian influenza and biosecurity is available here.

Copyright 2022 KVLY. All rights reserved.

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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

You may also like: Most valuable crops grown in Nebraska

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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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570,000 broiler chickens to be destroyed as bird flu hits Nebraska poultry farm

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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.