Avian Influenza Management for Pastured Poultry Producers
The Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) and the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association (APPPA) are working to together to host a free workshop on best practices for preventing and managing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) on pastured poultry farms.
As the fall wild bird migration picks up, poultry farmers in Pennsylvania and across the east coast are very concerned that we could experience a highly destructive outbreak of HPAI. Farmers that raise chickens, turkeys, and other poultry outdoors and on pasture often maintain very healthy animals, but their flocks are not immune to infection from HPAI. Pastured poultry farmers must take steps to protect the health of their animals and prevent spread of this disease.
This workshop will offer a comprehensive overview of HPAI issues for the pasture environment. Attendees will learn best practices to prevent infection, as well as their rights and responsibilities should an outbreak occur on their farm. Scheduled speakers include Mike Badger, executive director of APPPA and successful poultry farmer; Susan Beal, holistic livestock health expert and DVM; Patty Dunn, avian pathologist at Penn State University; and Craig Shultz, Director of the Bureau of Animal Health and Diagnostic Services at the PA Department of Agriculture. In addition to these speakers, staff from the PDA and PASA will be on hand to help answer questions and facilitate discussion.