Weekly livestock news: August 5, 2022

Indiana declared free of bird flu, but risk remains

Indiana has been deemed free of bird flu by the World Organisation for Animal Health, allowing the state to reenter the international poultry trade market, WRTV reports. The status indicates poultry producers haven’t reported new bird flu cases in the past 28 days. Still, state officials warned producers should work to prevent the virus from returning. “Poultry owners should note that a HPAI-free status is not an ‘all clear’ or an indication that the risk of the disease is over in Indiana or the United States,” according to the Indiana State Board of Animal Health. “Owners of all flocks, large and small, need to remain vigilant in biosecurity and preventing introduction of the virus.” Indiana has had nine commercial poultry flock outbreaks and four small hobby flock outbreaks since February, according to the animal health board.

Seminar will focus on biosecurity and other important topics in the poultry industry

The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association’s Live Production, Welfare and Biosecurity Seminar will take place September 21-22 in Nashville, Tennessee. Co-sponsored by the National Chicken Council, the National Turkey Federation and United Egg Producers, the event will include legislative updates and discussion on biosecurity best practices, antibiotic use and cage-free housing, among other things. CE credit is available.

Colorado confirms first anthrax case in beef cattle herd since 2012

Colorado officials are warning cattle producers in the northeast region of the state to be alert after anthrax was detected in a beef cattle herd in Sedgwick County, KMGH reports. The disease was confirmed after seven cows died. The Colorado Department of Agriculture detected a second positive case in a nearby beef herd. Both herds were quarantined and were being monitored, and cattle were being treated with antibiotics and vaccinated against anthrax. “Producers and veterinarians should refrain from performing field necropsies on suspected anthrax cases, due to the high risk of exposure to anthrax spores and possibility for human infection,” said Colorado state veterinarian Maggie Baldwin. This is the first confirmed case of anthrax in the state since 2012, when more than 75 head of cattle died in a multi-premise outbreak across northeast Colorado, the department of agriculture said.

University of Missouri student loan forgiveness program helps address rural veterinary care shortage, supporters say

Large-animal veterinarians in Missouri say a state program that awards partial student loan forgiveness to rural veterinarians plays a crucial role in mitigating the shortage of care in the state. Through the Large Animal Veterinary Student Loan Program, students who attend the University of Missouri to study veterinary medicine can receive $20,000 per year in loans during their time in school. The loans are forgiven by the state each year after the student graduates that they practice large animal veterinary medicine in a defined geographic area of need in Missouri. Six students per year receive the loan. “You’re not going to make as much money (in rural practice),” said Leah Cohn, interim associate dean at the University of Missouri. “Helping to pay down some of the debt may be the difference in being able to go to a rural community and being forced to go to a more lucrative practice in an urban area.” The Columbia Missourian reports.

Project will examine robotic dairy cow milking to mitigate industry workforce shortage

A group of researchers at North Carolina State and other universities has been awarded a grant to study the effectiveness of automatic milking systems as a potential solution to the dairy industry workforce shortage. The study will assess whether robotic milking leads to long-term improvements in farm profitability, sustainable practices and financial resilience, according to the announcement. Automatic milking systems use robotic boxes that can milk many cows a day. “Our project will investigate whether technology adoption allows the reallocation of workers towards more productive tasks, which could lead to efficiency gains thanks to a better use of resources,” said NC State assistant professor Alejandro Gutierrez-Li, who’s collaborating on the study.

House bill aims to help small-scale cattle producers with subsidies and grants

A new bill in the U.S. House aims to boost small-scale cattle producers through enhanced insurance premiums and an indemnity program that supporters say would lower costs and provide security in volatile market conditions. The bill would also establish a grant program to help small producers, cooperatives of small producers and other organizations sell products direct-to-consumer, Feedstuffs reports. The cattle industry loses an average of 17,000 ranchers per year, and while legislation has aimed to address issues like consolidation, “I have not seen enough emphasis on direct help for our small farmers and ranchers,” said House Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott, who introduced the bill. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association said it wasn’t consulted in drafting the bill, adding that “we look forward to working with our partners in the livestock community to address the blind spots in this proposal.”