USDA’s Bird Health Awareness Week

USDA’s Bird Health Awareness Week is November 4-10th 2018. Bird Health Awareness Week is part of the USDA’s Biosecurity For Birds campaign, to promote awareness about the diseases that threaten bird health and ways to prevent the spread of infectious poultry diseases.

Bird lovers across the country marked the first observance of the week in November by attending a highly popular and informative webinar sponsored by USDA\APHIS. Several states had their own activities in support of the week and APHIS announced the winners of the “Name the Healthy Bird” contest. Helpful hints on raising and caring for backyard poultry were tweeted throughout the week.

Biosecurity for Birds

Raising backyard poultry is a growing trend across the United States. It is very important for all backyard poultry owners to know the signs of two deadly poultry diseases, as well as the basic “biosecurity” steps you can take to protect your birds. APHIS runs the Biosecurity for Birds campaign to help raise awareness among backyard, hobby and pet bird owners.

Biosecurity is the key to keeping your poultry healthy. “Bio” refers to life, and “security” indicates protection. By following good biosecurity practices, you can reduce the chances of an infectious disease being carried to your farm, your backyard, your aviary, or your pet birds, by people, animals, equipment, or vehicles, either accidentally or on purpose.

Biosecurity means:

• Using common sense practices to protect your poultry and birds from all types of disease agents – viruses, bacteria, funguses, or parasites
• Doing everything possible to protect your birds from infectious diseases like exotic Newcastle disease (END) and avian influenza (AI) and
• Preventing disease-causing germs from entering your premises.

By following good biosecurity, you decrease the risk of END and AI on poultry farms; loss of export markets, public concern, and cancellation of poultry shows, auctions, fairs, and exhibits as a result of disease outbreaks; and quarantines resulting in financial losses due to disease outbreaks.

Click here to make an appointment to ensure your pet bird is healthy.