Avian flu meetings being held in North Carolina

Jun 10, 2015

Meetings will be held on June 15th, 16th, and 17th

In an effort to prepare themselves should a positive case of highly pathogenic avian flu hits North Carolina, a series of information meetings are being held.

Anyone involved in commercial poultry operations – employees, veterinarians and farm managers are invited to attend the meetings.

The information sessions are scheduled as follows:

Monday, June 15^th at Iredell County Cooperative Extension
Tuesday, June 16^th at Randolph County Cooperative Extension
Wednesday, June 17^th at Duplin County Cooperative Extension

The meetings are scheduled to take place from 10am -2pm. Meetings for small-flock owners will be announced at a later date. The meetings are free to attend and anyone wishing to attend must register.

Currently, North Carolina’s Department of Agriculture reports that the state is free of avian flu and that all poultry farms should be practicing strict biosecurity protocols.

Jennifer Kendrick, the Department of Agriculture’s public information officer told The Charlotte Observer that the state is taking precautions and assuming that avian flu could hit North Carolina at some point.

Avian flu was discovered back in February 2015 on a farm in Minnesota, affecting more than 45 million birds since. Iowa, the largest egg supplier in the United States, has lost more than 27 million birds alone.

Chickens

Some stats about North Carolina’s poultry industry according to the North Carolina Poultry Federation:

The poultry industry is worth about $12.8 billion to the state’s economy
Poultry is the #1 agricultural industry in North Carolina
North Carolina ranks in the top five in both total turkey production and total poultry production in the United States
More than 5,000 farm families produce eggs and poultry in North Carolina

Tell us your thoughts about these avian flu information meetings. Will you attend one? What measures do you take on your farm to keep your birds as healthy as possible?

Video: Dr. David Rosero: Fat Quality in Swine Diets

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Dr. David Rosero from Iowa State University explores the critical aspects of fat quality and oxidation in swine diets. He discusses how different types of lipids affect pig performance and provides actionable insights on managing lipid oxidation in feed mills. Don’t miss this episode—available on all major platforms.

Highlight quote: "Increasing levels of oxidized fats in swine diets reduced the efficiency of feed utilization, increased mortality, and led to more pigs being classified as culls, reducing the number of full-value pigs entering the finishing barns."

Meet the guest: Dr. David Rosero / davidrosero is an assistant professor of animal science at Iowa State University. His research program focuses on conducting applied research on swine nutrition and the practical application of smart farming. He previously served as the technical officer for The Hanor Company, overseeing nutrition, research, and innovation efforts.