Photo by Sally Y. Hart

Avian influenza has been confirmed in Tennessee and Wisconsin recently and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey says farmers in Iowa are continuing biosecurity efforts. He stated, following the “devastating impact of avian influenza in 2015 and in response our poultry farmers have made significant investments and an ongoing commitment to increase biosecurity efforts to keep their birds healthy. We have also worked to learn from the 2015 outbreak to improve the response from both the state and federal governments.”

After a hiatus in 2015, poultry was welcomed back at county fairs in Iowa last summer. Vice President of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Cathann Kress visited the Washingotn County Fair said having the ban was a learning experience for students in regards to biohazards and biosecurity.

To qualify for USDA indeminifcation, all poultry farms need to have a biosecurity plan. Also, it’s recommended that livestock premises with one or more animals have an official premises identification number. The number can be obtained for free by contacting the Iowa Department of Agriculture Land and Stewardship, for more information