There has been a continued concern over what is know as HPAI, also known as bird flu that has been affecting large and small poultry populations in several states including Pennsylvania. Recently there was an outbreak in Lancaster County.

“HPAI is a devastating disease for chickens. And in fact, it's something that you can imagine the worst case cold that you've ever had and just amplified. That is just terrible, terrible, terrible for these birds. So, our main thing that farmers do in our area, in Pennsylvania and across the country is we try and keep our birds safe. We try to keep them healthy. And the best way to do that is to keep our farms bio secure, to keep the outside diseases that can be out there from coming inside of our barns, “said Jim Shark, owner of Silver Valley Farm.

Dr. Greg Martin is an expert in poultry management at the Penn State Agricultural Extension Service. Penn State works with many farmers throughout the commonwealth teaching about biosecurity.

“ Well, we have been working throughout the commonwealth and in fact, with neighboring states surrounding Pennsylvania on teaching folks about biosecurity, helping them write plans for biosecurity on their farms and helping farmers, actually during an outbreak with expertise in composting and other things, cleaning and disinfection and other logistical things that we have been working in partnership with the Department of Agriculture in the state of Pennsylvania, as well as with USDA. So it's been a multifaceted approach. There is a number of our poultry team members that were deployed during the last outbreak that we had. And so it's a supportive role that we take very seriously, “said Martin.

Biosecurity includes keeping animals separated from one another and helps to prevent the spread of bird flu.

“So we keep them in housing, for example. And if they're going to visit the birds, then they're going to don, they're going to put on clothing and special shoes that they can wash before they go into the house where the birds are. And then the same thing as they're coming out, they're going to wash. They're going to change their clothes and move on to other things. And so they don't co-mingle birds. Meaning that they don't. But while birds and domestic birds mix together, “said Martin.

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