The Indiana State Board of Animal Health announced Wednesday it has ceased all bird movements to events in the state that allow commingling of birds from different locations, affecting everything from the county’s 4-H fair to flea markets.
The Dubois County 4-H fair will have to make adjustments for the second straight year.
Last year, a virus caused officials to eliminate all swine from the event. This year, it’s the avian flu.
The Indiana State Board of Animal Health announced Wednesday it has ceased all bird movements to events in the state that allow commingling of birds from different locations, affecting everything from the county’s 4-H fair to flea markets. That means no poultry — turkeys, chickens, ducks and pigeons — will be allowed at this year’s fair Tuesday, July 14, through Saturday, July 18.
“Every year, there’s a virus,” said Dubois County 4-H Council President Bret Collignon. “We have to be conscious of what’s out there in the United States.”
While the decision to cancel poultry events at this year’s fair is basically a state mandate, Collignon noted that the 4-H “totally agreed” with state board’s decision.
“The cancellation of local shows had already been under discussion due to concerns by the local poultry industry — especially turkey and laying hen producers — as well as fears about having so many backyard flocks from around the county being all in one location,” the Purdue University Extension Office said in a press release. “It was a case of literally having ‘all our eggs one basket’ should avain influenza somehow be brought to the fairgrounds, and it was simply not something Dubois County in particular could afford to risk for either the birds themselves or the larger poultry industry.”
Sixteen states, mostly in the Midwest, have been affected by a highly pathogenic avian influenza, resulting in the deaths of more than 40 million birds. Indiana’s fowl had dodged the disease until a single backyard flock in Whitley County was diagnosed with the flu earlier this month.
Collignon said that after that flock was found, the council knew it was only a matter of time before poultry events were canceled. While Collignon couldn’t give a number of how many 4-H fair poultry events are affected by the decision, he did mention that bird showings are a very popular event. Many 4-H members in Dubois County work in poultry farms and Dubois County ranks first in Indiana and sixth nationally for turkey production, as well as third in the production of chickens, with total poultry sales of more than $2.5 million in sales annually.
“This affects everything where poultry gets in a group,” Collignon said. “We need to make sure that we protect our farmer neighbors.”
The state action does not apply to private sales between individuals, but the prohibition for events is likely to last through the year and will stand until further notice, according to a BOAH press release.
“This was not a decision made lightly,” Indiana State Veterinarian Bret D. Marsh said in a press release. “The spread of the H5 viruses has been unprecedented, and our goal is to protect the health of small, backyard poultry flocks as much as our commercial industry from this disease.”
HPAI, while deadly to domestic poultry, does not affect food safety and the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention claims the virus poses little risk to human health.
The decision to cancel all Dubois County poultry fair shows comes because of a fear of assembling birds from backyard flocks, which could later infect other flock or larger poultry industry flocks if the disease appeared at the fair. Collignon mentioned that the canceled poultry showings are only a part of the 4-H youth program. He said that members will still be educated about birds, with lessons covering nutrition and various breeds.
While there won’t be any poultry showings this year, Collignon said that 4-H members will still get a chance to present posters and demonstrations on what they’ve learned about the birds. As for other alternative events to replace the canceled showings, Collignon said there haven’t yet been any discussions, but the council will develop alternatives. The council will gather input from committees — each bird involved in the fair has a committee — before a new plan can be formulated and implemented.
“It’s sad that they can’t show,” Collignon said. “But they will still get the education. That’s what we focus on more than anything. The fair is just the prize at the end.”
Poultry owners who notice illness in their birds consistent with avian influenza are encouraged to call the Healthy Birds Hotline at 866-536-7593 to speak with a state or federal veterinarian.
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