Weekly livestock news: October 24, 2022

Bird flu has killed a near-record number of U.S. poultry this year

More than 47 million U.S. chickens and turkeys have died in this year’s bird flu outbreak, a near-record number, Reuters reports. In 2015, 50.5 million birds died in the deadliest U.S. outbreak, the country’s worst animal health event to date. Farmers are fighting a subtype of the H5N1 strain of the virus that survived over the summer, when rising temperatures typically reduce avian flu, said Rosemary Sifford, USDA chief veterinary officer. The same subtype is spreading in Europe, which is experiencing its worst avian flu crisis, with nearly 50 million poultry culled. Retail prices for turkey have risen as the virus cuts into production. Turkey meat production this year is set to drop 6% from 2021 to 5.2 billion pounds, according to the USDA.

Scientists around the world race to develop African swine fever vaccine

African swine fever has led to the deaths of more than 100 million pigs since it turned up in China in 2018, and with the virus having been reported in 45 countries, scientists say a vaccine is the best way to eradicate it. A European Union-funded global consortium of scientists has found three potential vaccine candidates since launching in 2019, with potential to use the vaccines in domestic pigs and wild boars. Researchers in Spain want to have their vaccine ready to roll out by late 2024, although it’s unclear whether it would be useful in other regions. While several vaccine candidates have been identified around the world and tested for safety, large-scale trials can still reveal problems, as was the case in Vietnam over the summer, when hundreds of pigs died after being vaccinated. The Guardian reports.

Boehringer Ingelheim launches swine respiratory disease monitoring tool

Boehringer Ingelheim has launched SoundTalks, a barn monitoring tool meant to help swine producers detect respiratory disease early. According to the company, early detection using SoundTalks has been shown to lead to earlier treatment and recovery, resulting in improved productivity and reduced costs. With the technology, sensors measure barn sound, temperature and humidity, then transfer the information to a web portal for producers to view to get respiratory health data.

Signups open for USDA dairy risk coverage program

USDA has opened the signup for its Dairy Margin Coverage program, which pays producers for margin losses. As the industry faces rising costs despite high milk prices, the National Milk Producers Federation says farmers should sign up for maximum coverage for 2023. Producers can enroll until December 9. Feedstuffs has more information.

Clostridium disease spreads in Texas livestock during drought

An East Texas veterinarian said he’s seeing new cases of Clostridium disease daily in cattle, sheep and goats as the state faces drought. “This year I’ve seen probably the most Clostridium cases in my 16 years of practice,” said Dr. Jake David. He said cases have quadrupled this year due to the weather. After droughts, a short period of rain causes the bacteria to spread. Clostridium disease is usually fatal, said Dr. Derek Grant, and ranchers usually don’t notice it until it’s too late. Penicillin can treat it if it’s detected early enough, but a vaccine is the safest bet, Grant and David told KTRE.

How livestock producers can adapt to climate change

Climate change will bring unpredictable weather and volatility in commodity markets, but producers can still think proactively and adapt, said Jerry Hatfield, an expert on the effects of climate change on crops and livestock production. Speaking with Feed Strategy, Hatfield named several ways livestock and feed production are likely to change in the coming years due to climate change: 1) Soybeans will likely be able to withstand unpredictable weather patterns more than corn (though soybeans aren’t invulnerable to climate change). 2) Northern states will likely see a longer growing season—not necessarily all days conducive to crop production, but perhaps with some benefits. At the same time, southern states could see a shorter growing season. 3) Higher temperatures, particularly higher nightly minimum temperatures, could stress livestock. 4) And finally, Hatfield said, climate change and its effects (such as political unrest or war) could bring even more market volatility. He suggests strategies for producers to adapt.