Managing for Profit

Preparing for possible return of avian flu

Avian flu is responsible for the loss of more than 48 million chickens and turkeys since it first appeared last December. Minnesota, the nation’s number one turkey-producer, had more cases than another other state. The executive director of their Turkey Growers Association, Steve Olson, says growers have worked tirelessly to protect or rebuild flocks.

“When we were going through the outbreak, there was a lot of sleepless nights for growers and their employees.  Then as we moved through the cleaning process, there’s still a lot of focus on getting everything.  Now as they move into repopulating, there’s an apprehension as to ‘are they doing enough?  And even if they are doing enough, this is wild birds (we’re talking about).  So they can’t control what happens there with the focus on keeping what’s out of the barn, out.”

Close to 90 of the 108 Minnesota turkey farms affected by the virus have been cleared to repopulate.

Olson tells Brownfield there is mounting concern that the virus may return this fall with cooler weather and the return of migratory waterfowl.

“We do have birds that reside in Minnesota over the winter time, because we have some open areas; heating plants and things like that.  But for the most part, I think (producers) will be watching the weather and the migration itself.”

USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service recently announced its fall plan for avian flu. Olson says the agency has taken into account what was learned as the virus spread earlier this year.

“It’s a combination of discussions that they’ve had with industry and state, as well as internally on what worked well?  What didn’t work well?  What do we need to do to change?  So there are a number of changes they are making for not only this fall, but going forward.  Ultimately, the key is to depopulate the birds quickly.”

By doing that, Olson says it keeps the virus from multiplying which reduces the likelihood of it spreading to other barns.

A tool producers will have this fall that wasn’t available this spring is a vaccine.

“USDA has put out a request for proposals from vaccine companies to take the master seed-stock and manufacture a vaccine.  And then USDA will enter into agreements to purchase vaccine doses to create a stockpile, in the event that we do need this in the future.”

Despite threats from other countries of continuing bans on U.S. poultry exports if a vaccine is used, Olson says the health of the birds is more important than trade ramifications.