Apr 23, 2024 —
If you’ve been perusing the hatchery catalog to purchase child chicks in your yard hen coop, it’s possible you’ll discover some breeds are unavailable if you go to organize them.
That’s probably as a result of some breeders most likely misplaced their flock to avian flu, in keeping with Kitty O’Neil, agricultural local weather resiliency specialist with the Cornell Cooperative Extension.
She talked with Northern Light co-host, Monica Sandreczki, concerning the impression of avian flu on North Country poultry farms, what to do when you discover sick birds in your yard flock, and developments for an animal vaccine.
KITTY O’NEIL: We always see an uptick in avian influenza outbreaks or reports in the spring because there are a number of migrating species, chiefly, waterfowl – diving and dabbling ducks, geese and swans – who can carry the virus without getting sick, so they can spread it everywhere they go. They often bring it with them from the South. We see an uptick of outbreaks on farms in the spring, beginning in February. We’re part way through it now. New outbreaks may taper off in May and June, as there’s fewer migrating species.
MONICA SANDRECZKI: Have you heard about outbreaks on North Country poultry farms?
O’NEIL: I haven’t. It’s never out of the realm of possibility. There have been several outbreaks in poultry, chickens, turkeys, or commercial or backyard flocks in New York. There may have been one or two in the last couple of years in a couple of our North Country counties. I haven’t seen anything this spring.
SANDRECZKI: When those outbreaks happen, there’s usually a lot of government support for those farms, too.
O’NEIL: Unfortunately, we have a lot of people working for the USDA and its subparts who have become really good at helping farms deal with this over the last 10 or 15 years. They can help farms deal with big outbreaks. Unfortunately, there’s birds to dispose of because it can wipe out a whole house of layers or broilers very quickly. And, of course, you want to do that well to limit the spread to [other animals] and be as hygienic as possible about all of it. There’s government agencies that can help deal with that kind of thing.
With smaller outbreaks, like a backyard flock, for example, I think it’s a good idea to report it and get some guidance on how to deal with it yourself or with a little bit of help. That also informs some of those same agencies about where these outbreaks are happening, what species was it, and they may have some follow up to do. In fact, I’m sure they will.
RESOURCES:
> Resources for Backyard Flocks, from the Cornell cooperative Extension of Erie County
> USDA’s Defend the Flock! program, including Biosecurity 101
> CDC guidance on avian flu outbreaks, types of viruses and impacts on people and pets
> Report sick birds, unexplained excessive variety of deaths, or sudden drop in egg manufacturing, by contacting the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets’s Division of Animal Industry at (518) 457-3502 or the USDA at (866) 536-7593. Unusual sickness and deaths of untamed birds may be reported to the New York Department of Environmental Conservation, (631) 444-0310.
SANDRECZKI: Who all does avian flu have an effect on?
O’NEIL: It’s primarily carried by these geese and geese and swans, however I’ve been studying that it is showing in another chook species, too, as they encounter the virus within the atmosphere or maybe scavenge on a sick or dying chook. It confirmed up in hawks, eagles, owls and even crows, grackles and pigeons. It’s not not possible for these birds to be sick, however it’s rather a lot much less probably. There’s rather a lot much less stories of these birds, however that contributes to the unfold, for certain.
SANDRECZKI: Including the latest information within the final month: dairy cattle.
O’NEIL: That’s why it is actually within the information, as a result of that is a brand new growth. I do not suppose we have had that earlier than this spring. It began in Texas and Kansas had a few dairy herd outbreaks. One of the farms even had a few employees check optimistic [with] tremendous minor signs in people, however that causes even the CDC to concentrate, along with all these USDA businesses.
We understand how these viruses can shift and alter just a little bit from our personal experiences [with COVID-19], however this one seems to have finished that the place we have not seen it in dairy cattle earlier than. We have had one herd in New York State turn into just a little bit sick. Fortunately, the signs are much less extreme in dairy cattle, however it does depress milk manufacturing for some time, however it’s not fairly as devastating as it’s for a poultry farm.
SANDRECZKI: How does it unfold?
O’NEIL: These migrating birds can go away behind feces or saliva. It may be encountered by different animals or automobile tires that then observe it on to a farm, so it may possibly transfer from farm to farm if we transfer animals from one farm to a different. In reality, the USDA has put some import restrictions on cattle from affected states into unaffected states.
It may be tracked by individuals or automobiles, which is why it’s possible you’ll encounter extra indicators in your neighbor farms: “the general public just isn’t welcome to go to” or “no guests.” Or, you’ll be able to go to, however you need to placed on coveralls and walk by means of this foot bathtub first.
Biosecurity is all the time a precedence on farms, particularly poultry farms. They have some extra dangers in comparison with dairy farms in that method. It’s necessary to honor these requests as a result of we wish our North Country farms to stay free from this downside.
SANDRECZKI: Does it have an effect on eggs that individuals eat?
O’NEIL: That’s the cool factor. They’re completely maintaining a tally of the meals system because of all this. So far, there may be completely no danger to meals merchandise produced. So far, it has not been detected.
SANDRECZKI: You’ve stated [avian flu] is a shortly creating subject for [prevention and treatment] methods.
O’NEIL: It is. I did not know till just a few days in the past concerning the vaccines which can be being developed.
There’s already a duck vaccine available in France that is been working very well.
Here within the US, we’ve got a poultry vaccine in growth that appears good and so they count on it to perhaps be rolled out in 18 months or so. And there’s very early discussions on a cattle vaccine for avian flu, as properly. The USDA retains observe of outbreaks, so there’s information about outbreaks each week. The CDC, USDA and even native well being departments are being attentive to it and so they have some surveillance and reporting mechanisms in place. It’s a organic system. It’s very dynamic. We’ll proceed to be taught new issues going ahead.
Kitty O’Neil is an agricultural local weather resiliency specialist with the Cornell Cooperative Extension. She joins NCPR’s Northern Light each month to debate what’s occurring on North Country farms.
