Colorado's Bulk-Tank Testing IDs More Avian Flu in Dairy Herds

Aug 07, 2024

By Lisa Schnirring

The Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA) today reported its first avian flu outbreaks in dairy herds that are based on mandatory weekly bulk-tank milk testing, which went into effect on July 22.

The testing turned up nine more outbreaks in dairy herds, according to the CDA's line list, which now reflects 63 herds affected since late April.

More than half of Colorado's licensed dairy herds have been hit with outbreaks, many of them in Weld County, where the virus spread to a large commercial poultry farms and infected 10 livestock workers and poultry cullers.

So far, Colorado is the only one of 13 affected states to order regular bulk tank testing.

Officials haven't said if the cows at the farms identified through bulk tank testing had clinical signs.

As of today, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed 179 H5N1 outbreaks in dairy herds from 13 states. Among the total are 52 from Colorado, which has the most of any state.

Governor extends emergency declaration

In a related development, Colorado Governor Jared Polis on August 2 extended an emergency declaration an extra 30 days — through September 1 — to free up resources for the avian flu response in Weld County.

Polis first announced the emergency declaration on July 5.

Source : umn.edu

Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.