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Bird Flu Costs Pile up as Outbreak Enters Second Year

The ongoing bird flu outbreak has cost the government roughly $661 million and added to consumers’ pain at the grocery store after more than 58 million birds were slaughtered to limit the spread of the virus. In addition to the cost of the government response and rising prices for eggs, chicken and turkey, farmers who … Continued

New York Department of Environmental Conservation Announces Confirmed Outbreak of HPAI

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus affecting the Reynolds Game Farm pheasant population. DEC began investigating suspicious deaths at the Game Farm, located near Ithaca in Tompkins County, on … Continued

HPAI Prevention and Preparedness

By Abby Schuft, Associate Extension Professor and Extension Educator, University of Minnesota Prevent Biosecurity The very first steps to preventing an introduction of HPAI are to have a biosecurity plan and use it. Many gamebird farms and hunting clubs have not been required to have biosecurity plan audits because the lower number of birds they … Continued

Biosecurity Plans – Why are we Still Talking About Them?

By Abby Schuft, Associate Extension Professor and Extension Educator, University of Minnesota As the nation has watched Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) hit state after state, it’s evident HPAI is going to be here longer than anyone would like. All avian industries, including yours, have to shift and take biosecurity to the next level as … Continued

Grief in the Gamebird Industry

By Peg Ballou, NAGA President Our association has been rocked with news that Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) has landed at some of our largest farms and oldest hunt clubs. What we’ve been dreading has come to pass. Amazingly, I’m still hearing that some of the clubs and farms we personally supply don’t yet have … Continued

Avian Flu Outbreaks to Continue into the Fall Take Steps Now to Protect Your Preserve or Farm

This past week, the NAGA Health Committee heard a sobering report on the prospect for more outbreaks of avian influenza this fall and winter. Based on a map of where the disease has been found across the country, it’s a near certainty there will be more impacted poultry businesses, including gamebird businesses, as migratory birds … Continued

Gamebird Spotlight Live: Protecting Yourself During Avian Influenza

Avian Influenza is here, it’s real and it affects both farms and clubs. What can you do to protect your farm while dealing with suppliers and guests? Join NAGA President Peg Ballou on Tuesday, October 11 at 7 P.M. EST to discuss options as related to the NAGA Code of Conduct. Peg will also address … Continued

Avian Influenza Detected at Oak Ridge Pheasant Ranch

NAGA Board member and former president Tim Zindl has asked the association to let the membership know that he received confirmation on Friday, November 5th of highly pathogenic avian influenza in pheasants on his farm, Oak Ridge Pheasant Ranch, in Watertown, Wisconsin. After receiving many calls, emails and texts from people who had heard about the … Continued

NAGA Works to Help Gamebird Businesses Survive the AI Storm

As more gamebird businesses are affected by avian influenza, several NAGA Board members have been asked what the organization is doing in response. The Past Since the outbreaks in 2014-2015, NAGA created the Secure Upland Gamebird Supply Task Force to create the Secure Upland Gamebird Supply Plan (SUGS), which provides assurances to state veterinary officials on the … Continued

Spotlight on New Orleans: Hunting Preserves and Avian Influenza

During the 2014-2015 avian influenza outbreaks, there was very little focus on the impact of the disease on hunting preserves and clubs. Fortunately, no gamebird business tested positive for the disease during that timeframe. Unfortunately, this led many to falsely believe pheasants could be immune. The current avian influenza outbreak has directly impacted the gamebird … Continued