Commercial Poultry Newsletter cover picture
Updated: June 25, 2024

Download PDF Version                   Join Our Mailing List

July 2024

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Risk of Avian Influenza Transmission in Broiler Supply Chain

Caroline Dwivedi and Mostafa Ghanem, DVM, MS, Ph.D., University of Maryland, Dept. of Veterinary Medicine

Does this assessment apply to my facility?

Only applies to facilities with:

  • Intensively raised commercial poultry OR
  • Contract grow-out broiler premises with no other poultry on the premises
  • Must practice all-in, all-out single-age growing system

Facilities MUST:

  • Participate in USDA-APHIS National Poultry Improvement Plan (NPIP)
  • Follow the Secure Broiler Supply (SBS) Plan in the event of a Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI outbreak Read more>>

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Summer Heat Stress Management for Delmarva Broiler Chicken Growers

Dr. Sunoh Che, DVM, MSc., Ph.D., Diplomat ACVPM, University of Maryland Extension Poultry Specialist

Heat Stress on Chicken

 

Get ready for a sizzling summer! The Delmarva Peninsula is expected to experience higher than usual temperatures and rainfall this summer (https://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/long_range/seasonal.php?lead=2). Read more>>

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

New MSU Research to Explore H5N1 in Dairy Cattle

Sent to us by Jeff Semler, Extension Agent, University of Maryland, Washington County

New research from Michigan State University will study the effects of a recent highly pathogenic avian influenza A virus (H5N1) outbreak on dairy cattle reproduction and milk production, as well as transmission of the disease and ways to mitigate it.

Support for the new project has been provided through two sources, each covering half of the $168,000 total:

• Annual capacity funding through MSU AgBioResearch from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA)

• Capacity funding through the Michigan Alliance for Animal Agriculture, a partnership among MSU, Michigan animal agriculture industries and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD). Read more>>>

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

 Outstanding Chicken Growers Honored at the 2024 DCA Booster BBQ   

Outstanding Growers Honorees

 

Distinguished Award winners

The J. Frank Gordy Delmarva Distinguished Citizen Award - Mary Lou Brown     

The Edward H. Ralph Medal of Achievement - Calvin Keeler

DCA Medal of Achievement - Delaware Governor John Carney     

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 

State Appellate Court Overturns Circuit Court’s Right-to-Farm Decision

Paul Goeringer, Sr. Faculty Specialist and Extension Specialist, Department of Agricultural and Natural Resources 

As we move into late spring and early summer, the state’s Appellate Court has clarified the state’s right-to-farm law application.  In this decision, the court found that the state’s right-to-farm law protected a Maryland operation's expanded use of soil conditioners and biosolids and did not trigger a resetting of the one-year provision in the law.  At the same time,   storing and applying nutrients was a generally accepted  agricultural practice.  The appeal was In the Matter of Cheryl Lewis. It should be noted that the neighbors can still appeal the decision to the state’s supreme court.

Background

The farmland was purchased in March of 2020, and it's unclear from the court’s opinion what the land was being used before the current owners purchased it. The neighbors began to complain in September 2021 about the odors and other    concerns from the soil conditioners being utilized by the owners.  The Talbot County Agricultural Resolution Board held two hearings on the complaints in late February 2022 and mid-November 2022.  The Board found that the soil conditioners had been applied and stored on the farmland since the fall of 2021.  The Board found the storage and application of the solid conditioners to be a generally accepted agricultural practice and that the farmland had been used continuously for more than one year. The Circuit Court of Talbot County reversed the board’s decision, finding the right-to-farm law did not apply.  This appeal followed. Read more>>

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Celebrating Dr. Nathaniel Tablante with

Gratitude and Best Wishes on His Retirement in June, 2024! 

On a Friday in May, at an Extension Poultry Team Meeting, we took a break for lunch to thank and celebrate  Dr. Nathaniel ‘Nat’ Tablante for his 27 years of service to the poultry community both here and internationally for the University of Maryland’s AGNR - Veterinary Medicine Program. 

Along with all the letters referring to his degrees listed after his name, DVM, MPVM, MS, DACPV, Nat was a  Professor and Extension Poultry Veterinarian, Associate Director for the Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, and was located in College Park, Maryland. He has been a great source of knowledge and help to the industry all over Delmarva.

Dr. Tablante was instrumental in getting the grant from the USDA for biosecurity videos ’Preventing Outbreaks of Avian Influenza Through Science-based Education: Commercial Poultry Farmers, Technical Service Personnel, and Backyard Poultry useful before, during, and after the pandemic, to poultry growers, big and small. He even participated in the Small Flock videos! They are still SO very important and can be found at:

extension.umd.edu/poultry or https://extension.umd.edu/programs/agriculture-food-systems/program-areas/animal-science/maryland-poultry/videos/ 

Same

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

IPM Poultry Event - Postponed

June 26: Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Poultry Class - Due to unforeseen circumstances, this IPM Workshop has been postponed.

 

Grower Lunch Breaks

September 4, 2024 - Litter Amendment - Amy Syester  - More info to come. Sign up for emails at: extension.umd.edu/poultry

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Stay on top of the HPAI information, resources, and latest news at our website:   Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI)

Labeled chicken w classic signs of HPAI

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From all of us, your University of Maryland Extension Poultry Team -      

              Have a wonderful summer!!

same

Jon Moyle, Poultry Specialist, jmoyle@umd.edu
Jenny Rhodes, Principal Agent, jrhodes@umd.edu
Maegan Perdue, Agent Associate, mperdue@umd.edu
Jennifer Timmons, Associate Professor, jtimmons1@umes.edu
Nathaniel Tablante, DVM, MPVM, MS, DACPV, nlt@umd.edu
Mostafa Ghanem, Asst. Professor, AGNR-Veterinary Medicine, mghanem@umd.edu
Sunoh Che, DVM, MSc., Asst. Professor, AGNR-Animal & Avian Sciences, sche@umd.edu
Sheila Oscar, Administrative Assistant, soscar@umd.edu

Visit us on Facebook  and  extension.umd.edu/poultry for our Maryland Poultry websites!

Back to Maryland Poultry landing page