The Boomerang Effect

 

Staying Ahead of the Curve

After a spring of dealing with HPAI in the US, many states are returning to normal operations.  While this may seem logical, a new sense of  wonder is starting to be discussed.  What is it going to be like in the fall when waterfowl will be returning on their migration south?

 The answer is "it all depends"...  Farms that have prepared for high levels of biosecurity in the fall should weather the storm ahead.  Take the time to look at the farm and tighten up those loose ends that could help reduce HPAI exposure.  This would include setting exclusion lines over rain retention ponds and wastewater lagoons to prevent waterfowl from landing.  Continue to check and repair netting in rafters and inlets to reduce any access by wild birds into the house.  Mow grass near the housing to prevent rodents from getting too close.  And, fix leaky feed bin boots that spill feed drawing wild birds to a house.

Review your Farm Biosecurity plans for people and vehicle movement onto the farm.  This could include building a package drop hut at the farm lane or a danish entry point in the entrance to a poultry house.  Adding on now while it is warm is better than building in the middle of winter.  By keeping ahead of migration you may be able to bypass any major disease from coming onto your farm.

Keeping your eye on the ball

 
It is important to stay ahead of the curve

2022 Looks to be a challenging year for poultry producers worldwide.  High Path avian flu has hit North America and has challenged producers and backyard enthusiasts alike.  Millions of birds were lost and hundreds if not thousands of lives of those working with poultry have been affected.  As with COVID in humans, a quick response to hold outbreaks of HPAI in the US at bay will depend on both sheer luck and everyone's attention to detail as it pertains to biosecurity.

 Biosecurity is more an attitude than a practice.  The principles have been explained by many, but it takes all doing their part to make it happen.  Make each poultry farm a compartmentalized entity while the migration is still being undertaken and hopefully we will come out of this year with more birds alive than dead.  Small efforts have big results.  Be sure to have a biosecurity plan made for your farm.  Be ahead of the curve.  (photo:collegian.psu.edu)

 

Drinker alignment as a part of leak proof strategy

 Keeping things in alignment counts to a dry floor

click to see larger drawing

 

 

I was recently in a house when I noticed wet spots under the nipple lines.  The lines were twisted in one section causing them to drip.  As birds hit and roosted on the lines the nipples were more prone to dripping.  This can lead to foot problems as well as provide moisture for fly breeding.  The ball seal in a nipple drinker depends on gravity.  Without proper alignment the seal can be broken, and the drinker could leak.  Keeping the nipple drinkers properly adjusted to the height of the bird, at proper pressure and in vertical position will help keep nipple drinkers from dripping.

A Brave New World in a Pandemic

Coping with covid

Photo: CDC

For those in agriculture, nothing has stopped during the pandemic.  Food is life and for most, this means that Agriculture continues to operate daily to feed the masses.  In normal operations on poultry farms large and small, biosecurity has been and will be a normal practice.  What the pandemic has taught everyone else is what we need to do in order to protect ourselves from disease.  Operational biosecurity now needs to be practiced by everyone if everyone is to be protected.  Isolation (distancing), physical barriers (PPE), and sanitation routines (hand washing, surface cleaning) that were just germane to farms is now being practiced by all.  Until we have a working vaccine in place, all of us should strongly consider using sound biosecurity to keep themselves and those they love safe.  How well we practice these steps will show in the number of positive cases seen.

Drying out as part of good IPM

Pay now or pay later

                                                                     

photo: chore time

One of the key cultural methods of controlling flies on the farm is the use of ventilation to help dry manure and bedding.  Manure that is in the 55-65% moisture range can become a harborage for several species of flies seen on the farm.  These in turn then may prove an issue with your animals.  Spots around drinkers / troughs and alleyways need to be kept as dry as possible and fans positioned to help dry manure in these key spots may be in order.  The amount of money spent on electricity is usually lower than what we see spent on insecticides.  So, by managing the water on a farm you can help control flies on the farm.