While the migratory season for birds has slowed down, the risk of highly pathogenic avian influenza is far from over. Missouri Director of Agriculture Chris Chinn says it’s going to be here until the end of May, possibly early June. “That’s why we encourage our producers to pay close attention their flocks, increase their biosecurity, and have a close relationship with their veterinarian.”
She tells Brownfield producers need to implement more stringent biosecurity practices. “We’re encouraging all producers, if they can, to keep their flocks indoors right now,” she says. “We want to make sure they don’t have access to water sources that waterfowl have the same access to, we want to protect their feed and we want to protect their water.”
Chinn says an outbreak is costly to farmers and causes ripples throughout the production chain.
