Farms.com Home   News

State Veterinarian Issues Order for Dairy Cattle Movement

In response to the USDA confirmation of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy cattle in four states, the State Veterinarian has ordered a movement restriction on dairy cattle coming to Tennessee from the affected premises.

As of April 1, 2024, Texas, Kansas, Michigan, and New Mexico had confirmed cases of HPAI in dairy cattle and results for a presumptive positive test for a herd in Idaho are pending at the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL). NVSL confirmed that the strain is H5N1, which has been circulating in wild birds for the last several years and appears to have been introduced to these herds by wild birds.

Although there have been no detections of HPAI in cattle in Tennessee, producers are reminded to practice strong biosecurity. Cattle owners should minimize animal movements and isolate sick cattle. New animals should be quarantined for a minimum of two weeks before introducing them to an established herd.

Cattle impacted by HPAI may exhibit low appetite, flu-like symptoms, and thick and discolored milk accompanied by a sharp reduction in milk production. No cattle have died from infection. Older cows may be more likely to be severely impacted than younger cows. If Tennessee dairy producers believe cattle within their herd are showing clinical signs of HPAI, they should report these signs immediately to their local veterinarian, to the State Veterinarian’s Office at 615-837-5120, or the USDA APHIS at 1-866-536-7593.

The CDC confirmed on April 1, 2024 that a person in Texas tested positive for HPAI following exposure to affected cattle. The individual’s illness is mild, and they are recovering.

Federal, state, and industry partners are working in coordination to monitor cattle illnesses and minimize the impact to farmers, consumers, and other animals.

Click here to see more...

Trending Video

Navigating Challenges On A Sheep Farm!

Video: Navigating Challenges On A Sheep Farm!

In today's episode of our daily sheep farming vlog at Ewetopia Farms, we find ourselves faced with a multitude of tasks and limited time to complete them all. However, we are determined to make progress! Our main focus today was to train the Dorset triplets to drink from bottles without the need for us to hold them. Arnie even took on the challenge of feeding bottles to the Suffolk lambs, giving him a taste of what it's like to be mobbed by hungry little ones!

This year, our lambs are growing at an impressive rate, which brings both joy and unexpected challenges. Some of the lambs have been getting stuck under the feeders, while others struggle to enter or exit the creep pen. To address the feeder issue, we diligently cleaned out the bedding pack surrounding the feeders, providing the lambs with more space. As for the lambs' difficulty in accessing the creep pen, we plan to separate the larger lambs and relocate them to another pen soon.

With a large number of sheep on the farm, ensuring everyone is fed each day leaves us with limited extra time to tackle additional tasks. Nevertheless, we believe in taking small steps towards our goals. Join us in this episode as we navigate through the challenges and work towards the well-being of our flock