The avian flu outbreak continues to devastate poultry farms across the country, forcing farmers to make difficult decisions while complying with federal disease control measures. The virus spreads rapidly, leaving little time for intervention once symptoms appear.
Amy Barkley, a livestock specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension and an expert on highly pathogenic avian influenza, explains how the process begins when the virus is detected.
"Most birds that contract the disease will die within 24 to 48 hours anyway."Amy Barkley Livestock specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension and an expert on highly pathogenic avian influenza
"If a premise, if a farm has birds that are sick, they will be euthanized to help stop the spread of the disease. While some folks think that this may be inhumane, it actually is helpful to keep the disease contained on that property, and most birds that contract the disease will die within 24 to 48 hours anyway," Barkley said.
Farm Lockdown and Testing Procedures
Once a farm is locked down, Barkley clarified that movement is prohibited to and from the property – including the human residents. State and federal officials conduct testing within 24 hours, and if confirmed positive (by the National Veterinary Lab), the entire flock must be euthanized.
"So, there's multiple ways of euthanasia. If it's a small farm, they'll usually euthanize with carbon dioxide containers. They'll put the animals in, gas them, they'll go to sleep and they'll eventually push them past sleep to euthanasia," Barkley clarified.
Firefighting foam is used to quickly suffocate turkeys and broiler chickens raised for meat. Barkley says, large scale enclosed facilities reduce airflow to increase CO2 and heat levels.
"If they're caged facility, you might have like 10 or 20 cages deep inside that laying house, and they will typically use what's called ventilation shutdown. So, they'll shut down the ventilation, CO2 levels rise, heat rises, and that's what euthanizes the birds," Barkley explained.
Disposing of euthanized birds presents another challenge. Transporting carcasses risks spreading the virus, so most disposal happens on-site.
"The goal is to keep all of that biomaterial on the farm."Any Barkley Livestock Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension
"The goal is to keep all of that biomaterial on the farm. Composting is the ultimate method, and in the houses like the firefighting foam for instance, you go through, you foam the birds, they're dead. Then you compost them in their manure inside the house to get the critical temperature up to kill the virus," Barkley explained.
Financial and Emotional Toll on Farmers
In addition to the emotional and financial strain, farmers must undergo a lengthy process to clean, disinfect, and eventually restock their flocks. Farmers with biosecurity plans receive government assistance, though the payments are generally fair market value and do not fully cover specialty poultry like show birds or breeders.
"There are indemnities paid, so there is some government assistance for those ... who had their flocks euthanized, who will be able to receive some government money to help offset the loss of those birds... It's going to be less than what you expect, but it's something and it can help," Barkley relays.
For the farmer, it can take months to recover and rebuild their flocks. With avian flu still circulating, experts warn more farms are at risk. According to the USDA, the agency continues to monitor outbreaks and evaluate long-term prevention strategies, including potential vaccines.
For more on avian flu, visit:
Avian flu still hammering egg prices - when will relief come?
Egg prices in Central New York fluctuate amid avian flu outbreak
USDA's Defend the Flock Resource Center
CDC H5 Bird Flu: Current Situation
New York's Department of Agriculture and Markets.
