Highly pathogenic avian influenza detected in Southwestern Ontario

Feb 06, 2024

On February 1, 2024, the Feather Board Command Centre (FBCC) which was working closely with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), shared that it has detected Avian Flu in a commercial flock in Amherstburg, Ontario.

If you have small flocks within 10 KM of this area, remain vigilant and ensure you have excellent biosecurity measures in place. Biosecurity measures are the best way to protect your flock from the outbreak.

Read Small Farm Canada's previous article about biosecurity measure here.

Small flock resources can also be found here.

Also watch for signs of the flu in your flock, look for the following signs:

Lethargy
Coughing, sneezing, or wheezing
diarrhea
A decrease in egg production
Head, neck, or eyes swelling
Lack of coordination

If you detect these symptoms, take immediate action. Contact a veterinarian.

According to the Small Flock Ontario website, “Bird owners are legally responsible to report to a veterinarian, the Canada Food Inspection Agency or the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural if they suspect their flock is infected with a reportable disease such as HPAI.”

Also, if you observe sick or dead wild birds, please report these to the Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative at 866-673-4781.

Source : Small Farm Canada

Video: Swine Industry Advances: Biodigesters Lower Emissions and Increase Profits

Analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG emissions) in the Canadian swine sector found that CH4 emissions from manure were the largest contributor to the overall emissions, followed by emissions from energy use and crop production.

This innovative project, "Improving Swine Manure-Digestate Management Practices Towards Carbon Neutrality With Net Zero Emission Concepts," from Dr. Rajinikanth Rajagopal, under Swine Cluster 4, seeks to develop strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

While the management of manure can be very demanding and expensive for swine operations, it can also be viewed as an opportunity for GHG mitigation, as manure storage is an emission source built and managed by swine producers. Moreover, the majority of CH4 emissions from manure occur during a short period of time in the summer, which can potentially be mitigated with targeted intervention.

In tandem with understanding baseline emissions, Dr. Rajagopal's work focuses on evaluating emission mitigation options. Manure additives have the potential of reducing manure methane emissions. Additives can be deployed relatively quickly, enabling near-term emission reductions while biodigesters are being built. Furthermore, additives can be a long-term solution at farms where biogas is not feasible (e.g., when it’s too far from a central digester). Similarly, after biodigestion, additives can also be used to further reduce emissions from storage to minimize the carbon intensity of the bioenergy.