Bird flu detected in cattle in eight states; Arkansas Ag Department restricts transport into state

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — As highly pathogenic avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu, is detected in cattle in a growing number of states, the Arkansas Department of Agriculture has issued an order restricting livestock exhibiting symptoms or testing positive for the virus from entering the state.

CURRENT SITUATION — As of April 15, USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service reported confirmed cases of HPAI in cattle in eight states, including Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, South Dakota, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio and North Carolina. All of the reported cases have been in dairy milking cattle. (Image courtesy USDA.)

Dustan Clark, extension poultry health veterinarian for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said Arkansas has seen no reports of cattle infected with the virus within its borders. Additionally, there have been no reports of bird flu in Arkansas commercial poultry production facilities or backyard “hobby flocks” since December 2023.

“So far, we’re doing quite well,” Clark said. “I won’t say we’re safe. We need everyone to maintain good biosecurity practices.”

Clark is also the associate director of the Division of Agriculture’s Poultry Center.

Per an April 5 letter from Arkansas State Veterinarian John Nilz:

• No dairy cattle exhibiting symptoms of or testing positive for HPAI shall be allowed to move into Arkansas.

• No dairy cattle from states with impacted herds shall be allowed to move into Arkansas.

• Livestock moving into Arkansas found to be in non-compliance with this order shall be quarantined to the nearest facility until all requirements are met on said animals to meet specifications.

“This is still an unfolding issue,” Clark said. As of April 15, USDA’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service reported confirmed cases of HPAI in cattle in eight states, including Idaho, New Mexico, Texas, South Dakota, Kansas, Michigan, Ohio and North Carolina. All of the reported cases have been in dairy milking cattle.

Clark said that since February 2022, more than 90 million birds in the United States have been affected by the H5N1 strain of bird flu.

“It’s been detected in about 480 commercial flocks and 645 hobby flocks,” Clark said.

According to an April 16 U.S. Department of Agriculture report, more than 8.5 million birds had been affected within the previous 30 days. While HPAI has been detected in 48 states over the last two years, it has only been reported in eight states — Michigan, Florida, New Mexico, Minnesota, Kansas, Texas, North Carolina and Maine — during that 30-day period.

“Two of the largest of those were table egg flocks in Michigan,” Clark said. “One with more than 2 million birds, the other slightly less than 2 million birds. Then there was a commercial table egg flock in Texas that was more than 1.8 million birds. Those were the biggest in the last 30 days.”

Clark said that while USDA and the state veterinarian outlined clear biosecurity guidelines for the transportation of poultry for both commercial producers and backyard hobbyists, one factor that can’t be controlled is the presence of wild birds.

“Don’t expose your hobby flock birds to wild waterfowl,” Clark said. “Keep them penned up at this point in time, while the migration is still going on. Don’t let them range and keep them away from water sources that may have had wild waterfowl on them, such as a pond.

“If you go somewhere such as a park and there’s a pond there, stay away from it,” he said. “When you go home, clean and disinfect your shoes and change clothes before you visit your own poultry.”

Many public resources are available to help individuals establish good biosecurity measures and assess the possibility of an infected herd or flock, including the USDA’s HPAI biosecurity factsheet, the Division of Agriculture’s biosecurity resources page and the Arkansas Department of Health’s HPAI page. Individuals who think they may have an infected bird should consult their veterinarian or call the Arkansas Department of Agriculture at  501-823-1746.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

CDC confirms bird flu in one person; poultry, ruminant experts warn of avian influenza outbreak

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed on Monday a human case in Texas of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, commonly known as H5N1 bird flu.

MAMMALS BEWARE — On March 20, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health reported HPAI in a juvenile goat, marking the first case of the virus in a domestic ruminant in the United States. As of March 29, USDA has confirmed HPAI in dairy cattle herds in Texas, Kansas and Michigan. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

According to a release from the CDC, the “person had exposure to dairy cattle in Texas presumed to be infected with HPAI A(H5N1) viruses. The patient reported eye redness (consistent with conjunctivitis), as their only symptom, and is recovering.”

The confirmation does not change the CDC’s overall human health risk assessment for HPAI, which is currently considered low, according to the report.

The news comes on the heels of recent reports from the U.S. Department of Agriculture detailing the spread of HPAI not only in poultry flocks, but also in cattle and small ruminants as well. Between March 7 and March 20, the virus was confirmed in flocks in six states, including a commercial facility in South Dakota affecting more than 31,000 birds. The rest of the flocks affected, however, numbered between 10 and 280 birds.

On March 20, the Minnesota Board of Animal Health reported HPAI in a juvenile goat, marking the first case of the virus in a domestic ruminant in the United States. As of March 29, USDA has confirmed HPAI in dairy cattle herds in Texas, Kansas and Michigan.

Dan Quadros, small ruminant specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said the USDA had detected more than 200 cases of HPAI in wild mammals.

“Now, with these cases of livestock infected in multiple states, producers are very concerned because this is a rapidly evolving situation,” he said.

“Although apparently wild migratory birds are believed to be the source of infection, the possibility of HPAI transmission between cattle cannot be discarded,” Quadros said. “We need to raise awareness about HPAI to prevent it from happening in Arkansas. We are encouraging producers to minimize the movement of cattle, sheep and goats.”

Quadros shared the following guidance from the University of Minnesota Extension:

• Do not allow poultry and livestock species access to ponds, wetlands and other stagnant water sources frequented by wild waterfowl, such as ducks, geese or swans.

• Watch poultry and livestock for signs of illness, including reduced appetite, fever, inability to stand, depression, nasal discharge, diarrhea, coughing and change in behavior. 

• Consider housing poultry separately from other livestock species and minimize poultry access to pasture areas that are grazed by other livestock species.

• Do not allow poultry, waterfowl and wildlife to share water sources and feedstuffs with other livestock species.

• Unfortunately, current influenza vaccines used in horses are not effective against HPAI; always consult your veterinarian before administering vaccinations.

• Many cattle are vaccinated against Parainfluenza-3, a virus that can cause respiratory issues. Parainfluenza viruses are in a different family from influenza viruses and the PI-3 vaccine does not provide protection against influenza.

“We recommend that producers and consumers only drink pasteurized milk, consume dairy products made with pasteurized milk and cook meat to a safe internal temperature to kill bacteria and viruses, like influenza,” Quadros said. Safe temperatures include 145 °F for steaks, chops and roast; 160 °F for ground meat and 165 °F for poultry.

Producers experiencing any unexplained deaths in animals should consult a veterinarian or contact the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.

The Division of Agriculture has biosecurity resources for flock owners.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

Highly pathogenic avian influenza found in Madison County

By Mary Hightower
U of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.  — Arkansas’s first 2023 case of highly pathogenic avian flu has been reported in a commercial broiler-breeder flock in Madison County, federal officials said on Tuesday.

AFFECTED STATES — States with confirmed cases of avian influenza, according to the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. (Image courtesy USDA APHIS.)

This is Arkansas’ second confirmed finding of the H5N1 avian influenza. The previous finding, in October 2022, was also in Madison County, affecting a commercial broiler flock.

APHIS, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said the Arkansas case was one of several on Oct.31, which included backyard flocks in Tennessee and Oklahoma, as well as commercial turkey flocks in Minnesota and South Dakota.

“Discovery of this highly pathogenic avian influenza in our state should be a cue for Arkansas poultry flock owners to work quickly to protect their birds,” said Dustan Clark, extension poultry veterinarian for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “There are some simple and inexpensive ways to keep birds from coming into contact with potential wild bird carriers of the disease. Flock owners need to enact those methods now.”

Poultry flock owners wishing to review methods to keep their birds safe can visit the Cooperative Extension Service biosecurity resources. Clark is offering four biosecurity webinars for small flock owners at 6 p.m. each evening of Nov. 2, 7, 9 and 16. There is no charge to attend. Registration is available online.

The 2022-23 outbreak of the deadly virus has affected 347 commercial flocks, 532 backyard flocks and more than 60 million birds, according to USDA. In the last 30 days, avian influenza has been confirmed in Alabama, Alaska, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota and Utah, according to USDA.

The World Organisation for Animal Health, or WOAH, said that since January 2022, more than 17,000 animal outbreaks of H5N1 viruses have been reported by its 80 member countries.

Last week, Clark warned that the incursion of a cold front would likely bolster the number of southward migrating wildfowl through the Mississippi Flyway — which includes Arkansas —  increasing the likelihood that AI might spread to the state.

According to APHIS, the last infected wild birds in Arkansas were confirmed in May among bald eagles found in Clark, Perry, Poinsett, Randolph and Clark counties.

Poultry flock owners are urged to learn to recognize symptoms of avian influenza in poultry and report unusual signs to your local veterinarian, local county extension agent, extension poultry veterinarian, state veterinarian, USDA hotline at 1-866-536-7593 or Arkansas AI hotline at 501-823-1746.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

‘Keep the air moving, keep the water cool’ to help poultry flocks survive summer heat

By Ryan McGeeney
U of A System Division of Agriculture 

LITTLE ROCK — With the extreme heat felt across much of the United States this summer, agricultural producers need to take measures not just to protect themselves and their laborers, but also their crops and livestock as well.

IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY — Keeping chickens alive through the summer heat comes down to a few basics. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

Zac Williams, extension poultry husbandry and management specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said that for both commercial producers and backyard hobbyists, keeping chickens alive through the summer heat comes down to a few basics.

“Keep the air moving and keep the water cool,” Williams said. “For commercial producers, that means making sure your ventilation system, including exhaust fans and evaporative cooling pads, are working properly. For backyard chicken keepers, that means making sure there’s shade available.

“In either instance, chickens need cool water, and plenty of it,” he said. “It’s not enough to just put out adequate amounts of water in the morning. It’s going to get warm, and that’s just not as effective. In commercial houses, managers need to flush those water lines multiple times a day for the same reason.”

Williams said that if backyard chicken keepers want to put out fans for their flocks, that’s fine. They should not, however, bring live poultry into their homes to avail them of the air conditioning.

“You can bring all kinds of diseases into your house doing that,” Williams said. “I’d never recommend anyone bring chickens into their house.”

Ounce of prevention
Williams warned that if chickens do begin suffering from heat stress, producers will begin seeing production losses. It can be very difficult to bring poultry back from a heat-related illness, so it’s best to be proactive.

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” he said. “Chickens are actually kind of hardy. But if it gets up to 100, all you can do is give them the tools they need to survive.”

He also noted that some producers may add electrolytes to their flocks’ water supply, which can help the animals endure the heat of summer.

Commercial chicken houses in Arkansas produced more than 7.3 billion pounds of chicken meat in 2022, and produced $693 million in eggs.

The Division of Agriculture has several free publications available that producers may find useful, including research-proven techniques for Getting Broiler Houses Ready for the Summer and sprinkler systems that help keep flocks cool.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

YEAREND: Avian influenza, inflation drive up poultry prices; faculty additions allow for more specialized research

By Jessica Wesson
Center of Excellence for Poultry Science
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE Ark. — The worst outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in the United States disrupted production and led to increased poultry prices in 2022.

AVIAN INFLUENZA — Arkansas' poultry industry dodged a bullet this spring when highly pathogenic avian influenza ravaged other states and Canadian provinces. This file photo of a commercial poultry house at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station's Savoy Research Complex shows 21-day-old broiler chickens. (U of A System Division of Agriculture photo by Fred Miller)

While the disease ravaged other states and Canadian provinces starting in spring, Arkansas dodged a bullet. However, the state’s luck ran out in October, with detection of its first 2022 case in Madison County. As of Dec. 7, three flocks were found to have the highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza, or HPAI.

The disease has been found in commercial and backyard flocks in 46 states and in wild birds in 47 states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. As of Dec. 7, 52.87 million birds have been affected, making this the most significant outbreak in U.S. history in terms of number of birds affected.

“Arguably, it wasn’t the best year for poultry production in general in the U.S.,” said Jada Thompson, assistant professor of agricultural economics and agribusiness for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Thompson said Avian influenza caused serious logistical and marketing challenges for Arkansas producers.

“Farms that were in control areas had limited movements on and off farm, which leads to disruptions in normal business, causes stress and may lead to financial losses related to productivity or timing of processing,” Thompson said.

Thompson said the increased demand for replacement birds resulting from HPAI also contributed to supply chain challenges.

“HPAI was a lot more concentrated in turkey layer farms, because they are more susceptible to it than broilers,” she said. HPAI spreads more easily in turkeys and older birds like turkeys and layers who spend more time on the farm than broilers.

While HPAI was a challenge for both broiler and turkey producers alike, there was an increase in hatchings, she said.

“We did see an increase in hatching for broilers and a slight increase for turkeys,” Thompson said. “Producers started putting eggs in incubators to try to adjust for HPAI.”

2022 vs 2015

This industry’s response in 2022 differed from 2015, which had been the worst avian influenza year until 2022.

“When we first had HPAI in 2015, we were a little behind trying to figure out what was happening,” Thompson said. “This year had a lot of proactive measures that were taken to try to address supply shortages and to mitigate them as much as possible.”

Other challenges, along with HPAI, caused the price of poultry products to increase for consumers.

“We also saw a hike with inflation, which added to the supply chain disruptions,” Thompson said. “Fertilizer has gotten expensive, which makes producing corn more expensive. That makes feeding birds more expensive.”

Broiler prices have gone up 47 percent over the last year, according to Thompson. Turkey prices went up approximately 27 percent in 2022.

As HPAI lingers in late 2022, Thompson said that surveillance and monitoring for HPAI will likely continue into 2023.

“I think there will likely be some adjustment in the number of birds to try to offset the potential losses in 2023,” she said. “There are still a lot of unknowns which both help or hurt the poultry markets.

“I would like to be hopeful that the industry’s preemptive measures will help reduce the spread of HPAI and can adjust to the market conditions quickly to maintain their business continuity for producers and help ease some of the pressures on consumers,” Thompson said.

Protecting flocks

The Division of Agriculture’s Cooperative Extension Service performed outreach with commercial and backyard poultry growers to strengthen biosecurity in an effort to protect flocks. The disease surveillance effort got a boost in November when the Division of Agriculture’s Tollett Veterinary Diagnostic Lab was added to the National Animal Health Laboratory Network, or NAHLN, as a branch to the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Veterinary Diagnostic Lab.

Bolstering research

The Division of Agriculture conducts research and outreach to aid the poultry industry and the Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences produces graduates prepared to enter the industry.

There were several new additions to the poultry science department and Center of Excellence for Poultry Science in 2022. Shawna Weimer was hired in January of this year to serve as the director for the Center for Food Animal Wellbeing, part of the Division of Agriculture.

In her role, Weimer is responsible for applying research to educate the public about animal welfare. She hosted the first Center for Food Animal Wellbeing symposium since 2017, and it focused on poultry welfare challenges.

“In one way or another all presenters spoke to the need for advanced poultry welfare research, the importance of team-oriented approaches and how humans are the most influential piece of the puzzle to improve the lives of poultry,” Weimer said.

Another addition to the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science is focusing her research on avian intestinal health. Danielle Graham, assistant professor, joined the center in July.

Graham said her long-term research goal is to utilize the existing knowledge base on parasitic diseases to investigate commercially applicable tools to enhance immunological protection in poultry.

Tomi Obe, assistant professor, joined the center in September to research foodborne pathogen control. She plans to improve control methods to benefit the poultry industry.

“Our goal is to use the information from our research to develop techniques to quickly identify virulent foodborne pathogens and establish targeted control strategies,” Obe said.

Obe also has a research appointment with the department of food science, making her the second faculty member having appointments in both poultry science and food science. Kristen Gibson, professor of food safety and microbiology with the food science department, was named director of the Center for Food Safety this year. In this role, Gibson has a partial appointment with the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science.

Smart farming research facility

The Poultry Science Smart Farming Research Facility, under construction at the Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville, is expected to be completed in 2023.

“The facility will be equipped with the most technologically advanced, commercially relevant environmental control and rearing equipment available in the commercial industry today,” said David Caldwell, director of the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and head of the department of poultry science.

The facility will also be used to teach students about poultry production.

To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Avian influenza confirmed at Madison County poultry farm

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture confirmed Friday (Oct. 7) a case of avian influenza on an Arkansas poultry farm in Madison County.

Also known as H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI), avian influenza is an airborne respiratory virus that spreads easily among chickens through nasal and eye secretions, as well as manure. The virus can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers.

There is no public health concern, experts say, and avian influenza does not affect poultry meat or egg products, which remain safe to eat. The disease is highly pathogenic and can spread quickly among poultry flocks resulting in high mortality rates among birds.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/10/avian-influenza-confirmed-at-madison-county-poultry-farm/

New Smart Farming Research Facility will enable cutting-edge poultry science

By Jessica Wesson
Center of Excellence for Poultry Science
U of A System Division of Agriculture

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Construction is nearly complete on a state-of-the-art poultry science facility that will open new avenues of research for the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.

SMART FARMING — The Poultry Science Smart Farming Research Facility was built by the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science with donations from six regional stakeholders. (U of A System Division of Ag photo)

The Poultry Science Smart Farming Research Facility is located at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s Milo J. Shult Agricultural Research and Extension Center in Fayetteville. The $1 million project will be the most advanced facility for conducting broiler research at the farm once complete, according to David Caldwell, director of the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science and head of the department of poultry science.

“This facility will be equipped with the most technologically advanced, commercially relevant environmental control and rearing equipment available in the commercial industry today,” he said.

Jean-François Meullenet, senior associate vice president for agriculture-research and director of the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, said this sophisticated facility was made possible through a generous donation from Aviagen, equipment gifts from Reliable Poultry, Diversified Ag, MTech Systems, and D&F Equipment, and matching funding from Tyson Foods, along with infrastructure funds from the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station.  

“I am very thankful for the amazing private support we have received for the construction of this facility and have no doubt that it will propel our research forward and make our scientists more competitive for extramural funding,” Meullenet said.

“Aviagen is honored and excited to help financially support construction of this unique project and to participate in creating the house design concepts,” said Bryan Fancher, group vice president of Global Technical Operations for Aviagen. “This cutting-edge facility will help generate new research findings and better prepare students for the future of poultry farming.”

David Bray, group president of poultry for Tyson Foods, said, “The spirit of innovation and discovering better ways to work have been fundamental to the success of Tyson Foods for more than 85 years. We’re proud to continue our legacy of supporting agriculture in Arkansas while ensuring students and faculty have the right tools to help lead our industry into the future.”

“We are honored the Department of Poultry Science at the University of Arkansas System asked us to partner with them in equipping this one-of-a-kind research house to allow poultry science students to learn,” said Lisa Kaplan, co-owner of Reliable Poultry. “Donations like these are very important to us because they assist in developing future leaders in the poultry industry, as well as advance new technology in the fast growing, ever-developing industry.”

Caldwell said the new facility will enhance capacity in a number of research focus areas, including broiler nutrition, management, welfare and environmental quality.

“The total dimensions will be 45 feet wide by 350 feet in length,” he said. “The west end will be where large floor pens are equipped with commercially relevant rearing equipment. This side will also be equipped with cutting-edge sensor and data acquisition technology to allow for research projects to be conducted with a real-time, big data approach.”

The other side will be utilized for broiler nutrition research, Caldwell said. “The east end of the facility will be a more standard ‘mini-pen’ research facility that will be very well suited for broiler nutrition and management research applications.” Caldwell added that the facility will allow for more capacity for broiler welfare and environmental quality.

Michael Kidd, professor of poultry nutrition for the Experiment Station, the research arm of the Division of Agriculture, said the Smart Farming Research Facility’s planned smart technology will allow researchers to conduct studies that address emerging industry needs.

“Computer vision and machine learning technologies are becoming realized tools in the poultry industry as well as our research programs, and this facility will help us execute smart-based research strategies that improve broiler breeder and broiler nutrition and welfare,” said Kidd, who also holds the Adisseo Endowed Professorship in Global Sustainable Poultry Nutrition.

Other companies provided pens, electronics and other equipment.

“D&F Equipment Sales, Inc. is extremely proud to be part of the Poultry Science Smart Farming Research Facilities team along with Stewart Stainless in supplying stainless steel pens and structures. Our mission is always to support and grow our industry and to help bring knowledge and a new generation of practitioners into our industry,” said Greg Cagle, president of D&F Equipment Sales, Inc.

“With the poultry industry moving towards more advanced data collection systems, Rotem controllers are the ultimate option to gather valuable data while also controlling all aspects of a house. This allows producers to develop a higher quality product in a more efficient manner,” said Brad Bowen, regional sales manager for Diversified Ag. “Diversified Ag is excited for the opportunity to be part of this project, and we are honored that Aviagen, Tyson, and the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture have put their trust in Diversified Ag and our Rotem controllers.”

NUTRITION — The new Poultry Science Smart Farming Research Facility will also be used to teach students arbout poultry produciton. (U of A System Division of Ag photo)

Caldwell said that the facility will also be used to teach students about poultry production.

Andrew Coburn, sonar project manager for MTech Systems, said “facilities like the Poultry Science Smart Farming Research Facility will produce industry-ready graduates through hands-on educational experiences. MTech Systems is excited to provide real-time data and IOT sensors to help solve emerging and relevant industry problems, with the goal of aiding in research and preparing students for a career in the poultry industry.”

To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch.

To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Influenza could threaten state’s poultry industry

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Disease, especially avian influenza, could impact Arkansas poultry producers in 2022.

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture is urging poultry owners to increase biosecurity measures on their operations in response to several reports of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in other states to include some in the Mississippi Flyway.

HPAI is caused by an influenza type A virus which can infect poultry and wild birds. HPAI virus strains are extremely infectious, often fatal to chickens, and can spread rapidly from flock to flock. Symptoms can include sudden increase in bird deaths with no clinical signs, lack of energy and appetite, decrease in egg production, soft- or thin-shelled or misshapen eggs, and more.

https://talkbusiness.net/2022/02/influenza-could-threaten-states-poultry-industry/

Researchers find ways to better cool chickens and conserve water

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Researchers at the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station continued decades of research in 2021 to fine tune a method of direct-cooling chickens with low-pressure sprinklers in tandem with traditional cool-cell pad systems and ventilation fans. The system creates a drier environment and conserves water.

“The 2021 trial aimed to determine the effect of sprinkler technology in combination with cool cell systems on achieving broiler performance during hot weather,” said Yi Liang, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering and faculty with the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science within the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Chickens are big business in the Natural State. Arkansas ranks second in broiler production with 7.42 billion pounds produced with a value of $3.6 billion in 2019, according to the USDA. The broiler industry generated $28.3 billion in the U.S. during 2019.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/12/researchers-find-ways-to-better-cool-chickens-and-conserve-water/

Solar a Viable Option to Power Arkansas Poultry Farms

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Springdale native Millard Berry had an idea that would transform the agriculture industry in the Natural State. In 1893, he bought an incubator to raise chicks. Four years later, he was a founding member of the Arkansas Poultry Association and started the poultry industry in Arkansas, one that pumps billions of dollars into the state’s economy and produces thousands of jobs each year, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas.

To support this expensive industry, scientists are constantly finding ways to reduce costs. Solar energy, net metering and grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have benefited a Cleveland County poultry grower, said Yi Liang, associate professor-biological and agricultural engineering.

“Poultry farming is an energy-intensive business, with gas and electricity as major expenses,” said Liang, who works as part of the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science.

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/07/solar-a-viable-option-to-power-arkansas-poultry-farms/

PANELS — Banks of solar panels set up as part of the Boyd farm installation in Cleveland County, Arkansas. (Image courtesy Stephen Boyd)

Pandemic Assistance Promised for Arkansas Poultry Growers, Other Farmers

The U.S. Department of Agriculture said Tuesday (June 15) it plans to provide roughly $6 billion in additional aid to farmers, ranchers and others who make their living in the agriculture industry.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said there is $6 billion in available funds through the Pandemic Assistance Program to support a number of new initiatives or to modify existing efforts. He said the funds will be doled out over the next 60 days in an effort to fill the gaps in the previous round of assistance aimed at helping small and medium-size farmers who need the most support. The  Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) payments will provide aid to producers and businesses left behind.

The release did allocate some of the funds toward the following agri sectors.
• $200 million: Small, family-owned timber harvesting and hauling businesses
• $700 million: Biofuels producers
• Support for dairy farmers and processors to include $400 million for a new Dairy Donation Program to address food insecurity and mitigate food waste and loss, additional pandemic payments targeted to dairy farmers who have demonstrated losses that have not been covered by previous pandemic assistance, and approximately $580 million for supplemental Dairy Margin Coverage for small and medium farms.
• Assistance for poultry and livestock producers left out of previous rounds of pandemic assistance to include contract growers of poultry and livestock and poultry producers forced to euthanize animals during the pandemic (March 1, 2020 through Dec. 26, 2020).
• $700 million: Pandemic Response and Safety Grants for PPE and other protective measures to help specialty crop growers, meat packers and processors, seafood industry workers, among others
• Up to $20 million: Additional organic cost share assistance, including for producers who are transitioning to organic

https://talkbusiness.net/2021/06/pandemic-assistance-promised-for-arkansas-poultry-growers-other-farmers/