Poultry News & Events

By Gary Wyatt, Extension Educator - Agroforestry | wyatt@umn.edu    Quick facts Windbreaks are plantings of single or multiple rows of trees or shrubs that are planted for: Wind protection Controlling blowing and drifting snow Wildlife habitat Energy saving Living screens Reducing livestock odor The effectiveness of a windbreak depends on choosing the right trees and shrubs and planting them at the right density and spacing. Considerations Choosing the best trees and shrubs for your situation is extremely important to ensure an effective, long lasting windbreak. Plants need to be winter hardy and should have a good history of being suitable for the site and soils. Select multiple species of trees and shrubs so, if there is a failure in a row, the windbreak is still effective. A mix of deciduous and coniferous plants is best and should be selected based on the purpose of the planting. Use native plants whenever possible. Density How dense the planting a

Situation update Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus has been detected in a flock of commercial turkeys in South Carolina . This is a reminder that wild birds can carry both HPAI and low pathogenicity avian influenza viruses (LPAI) viruses that can become HPAI. To prevent infections: Find infections early Neurological signs in a young pheasant. Look at your birds every day for signs of HPAI. Upland gamebirds (pheasants, bobwhite quail and chukar partridges) can be infected with highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). When they are infected they may show neurological signs like having twisted necks or difficulty walking. They may also have watery diarrhea, decreased egg production or suddenly die with no signs of illness. Make sure that the people who look at your birds daily (workers, yourself) are reminded of what this disease looks like and know to report to you what they see. If you find 1-2 dead birds in a pen or enclosure two days in a row that you cannot e

Compiled by the UMN Extension Poultry Team The detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in commercial turkeys in South Carolina is a good reminder that poultry in Minnesota are at risk. The memories of 2015 begin to fade, thankfully, but the new habits adopted because of our own HPAI experiences need to stay. The keys to preventing HPAI in MN are: Early detection Any unexplained increase in mortality, decreased egg production, respiratory or neurologic (twisted necks or quiet) signs of disease should be followed with a submission of swabs or birds to the Minnesota Poultry Testing Laboratory (MPTL) or Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory (VDL) . Make sure that the people who look at your birds everyday (either you, your workers), know what to look for. Prevent exposure 1. Line of separation . Follow safe entry and exit procedures into the barn carefully. Spring weather can make Danish entry systems difficult because of mud, rain, wind and other shifting conditions.