USDA Identifies New Bird Flu Cases In Pennsylvania, Utah

Apr 19, 2022

New cases of bird flu have been detected in a commercial chicken flock in Pennsylvania and a backyard flock in Utah, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Saturday, in what is one of the worst outbreaks in the country's history.

Avian influenza has affected more than 24 million wild, commercial and backyard birds since mid-January and the virus is pushing the price of eggs and poultry higher. The price of processed eggs, used in liquid or powered form in everything from cake batter to chips, has soared to record highs and is adding to production costs for a wide-range of food brands on top of existing inflationary pressure.

Farmers in the Midwest, where much of the nation's egg and poultry supply is located, have been hit particularly hard. The latest cases were found in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and in Utah County, Utah, the USDA said.

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Video: WARNING! Rough Start To Breeding Season!!

WARNING! Sheep Breeding Season Begins With A Bang! Breeding season is officially underway at Ewetopia Farms, but it didn’t exactly start the way we planned!

This vlog begins with us sorting through our rams to find the perfect match for a customer’s breeding program. What should have been routine quickly turned dangerous when one of our more nervous rams panicked. In seconds, Arnie’s knee was injured, and then I was slammed hard onto the concrete floor — both of us taken down by one ram!

Thankfully, it was just bruises, but it’s a reminder of how unpredictable and powerful mature rams can be. Once we recovered, it was time to get back to the real work — the start of breeding season.

We sorted the ewes into four breeding groups (two Suffolk and two Dorset), checking parentage as they ran through the chute, deworming those that needed it, and setting aside thinner ewes for session two of breeding season in a month’s time.This staggered approach keeps lambing organized and prevents overcrowding in the barns.

From rogue rams to the excitement of new breeding groups, this episode is full of action. Stay tuned for the next vlog, where we’ll share how we chose the rams for each group!