HARRISON -- A week after officials confirmed that avian flu had been found in Arkansas, a group of backyard poultry growers gathered Thursday within a few miles of the infected farm to discuss its impact.
Amanda Slape, who has about 50 birds, 30 head of cattle and other animals, sat in the front row with her daughter. Backyard poultry growers cannot buy, sell or trade poultry or poultry products, including eggs, in Boone County until the state certifies that the area is free of the bird flu.
"I've raised poultry for a long time. I buy and sell and trade -- that's all I do for a living. With the ban, I have no income," she said. "I'm trying to get the truth behind the rumors because some people say there is a ban, some say there is not a ban, and I'm just trying to get the facts."
Dustan Clark, extension poultry veterinarian and associate director of the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science for the University of Arkansas System's Agriculture Division, led the meeting at North Arkansas College.
There is a ban, he said, and he cautioned the group to practice good biosecurity to ensure normal operations resume as quickly as possible.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture said March 11 that a case of highly contagious avian flu was found in a turkey farm in Boone County. The affected flock contained more than 40,000 turkeys. Surviving birds were euthanized.
The discovery caused dozen of countries to stop importing poultry from Arkansas, though some countries have now eased restrictions.
Though a commercial poultry house -- which might house 20,000 birds -- could face far more devastating results if the deadly disease entered the premises, the disease often shows up first in home operations, where birds roam outside.
Clark said growers should think about setting aside separate clothes for farming, keeping trucks clean, disinfecting boots and ensuring backyard poultry stay away from wildlife and other birds.
"There's not a magic bullet to prevent everything, but we need to get as close as we can," he said. "This virus is not all that tough. Simple things kill it."
Though backyard birds are unlikely to be put on a truck to Mexico or Canada, an infection can still trigger trade bans by some of the United States' largest trading partners.
Slape said the point was made clear when men in biosecurity suits and booties showed up to test her animals. She remembers the pair disinfecting their car before they left.
Bruce Holland, executive director of the Arkansas Livestock and Poultry Commission, said six teams of two checked about 1,900 addresses within 6.2 miles of the infected turkey farm for backyard poultry. Another four or five people set up a mobile operations station in a trailer.
Holland said the operation in Arkansas has been speedier than in other states because of preparation and past experience with the bird flu.
"When we first learned there was the potential for an outbreak, these guys started planning immediately," he said. "For instance, we take a command post, a portable trailer, up there to set up, and these guys were making sure everything was ready to go down to ... printer toner."
No infections have been found outside of the Butterball operation, Clark said.
And Holland said teams will be back again to conduct a second round of tests to ensure no other flocks contracted avian flu. So long as tests continue to come back negative, backyard egg and poultry trade can resume.
The commission is still working on a plan to communicate the information to backyard growers in Boone County. At the meeting, some complained that they didn't know where to turn for official information.
Some also complained that neighboring Marion County wasn't under the same restrictions as Boone County. The 6.2-mile radius extending from the farm enters that county. Holland said all growers within the circle were under restrictions and many countries were blocking poultry from both counties.
He noted restrictions work somewhat differently for commercial growers than backyard growers. Commercial operations can ship birds out of the county as long as the birds are tested immediately before being moved and especially strict biosecurity practices are followed.
Slape said she understands there's a lot to balance, but she hopes the restrictions can be lifted on her birds as soon as possible.
She said she felt terrible for the producer who had the infected flock.
"They're good people, and this isn't their fault," she said. "That's the sad thing, whether you're a big commercial farmer or a small backyard farmer, you don't have control over it."
Business on 03/21/2015