MANSFIELD, Ohio – The Richland County Fair is pressing forward after the Ohio Department of Agriculture canceled all live bird exhibitions for 2015. Despite no poultry being present at the fairgrounds this year, the show will still go on for the county’s 4-H and FFA programs.
On June 2, the Ohio Department of Agriculture cancelled all duck, rooster, goose and chicken shows at the state and county fairs this year due to an outbreak of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, also known as avian flu. Ohio has been virus-free thus far, and the ban is intended to continue that status.
“The risk is it’s an airborne disease,” explained Jason Snyder, president of the Richland County Fair Board. “The way the bird flu spreads is through other birds, so keeping them separated and not together limits the risk of exposure for the other birds. It spreads from one farm to the other through other birds flying from farm to farm.”
This is the first time in recent years the Richland County Fair has had to cancel an exhibition due to a disease outbreak. The fair experienced a close call with a swine flu outbreak a few years ago; Snyder stated the board had stipulations in place mandating no strollers in the hog barn and hand sanitizing stations outside.
“This is a rare occurrence – the livestock industry in Ohio and the U.S. is pretty safe,” said Snyder. “They take care of their animals, we barely have anything like this come about.”
Ohio Department of Agriculture Director David Daniels stated in a press release that the decision to cancel the poultry shows was difficult due to the number of young people who would no longer be able to show their birds at fairs. In 2015, 9,113 4-H youth across the state were slated to take poultry-related projects to their local fair.
“It’s in the best interest of an industry that literally thousands of Ohio families and businesses depend on and which provides billions of dollars to our state’s economy,” said Daniels. “Ohioans need to do all we can to ensure that we protect our industry and that we help avoid a costly spike in the price of important foods like chicken, turkey and eggs.”
According to the Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio is the second largest egg producer in the country, home to 28 million laying chickens. Ohio’s egg, chicken and turkey farms maintain more than 14,600 jobs and contribute $2.3 billion to the state’s economy.
Similar bans have been enacted in other major poultry states – Ohio’s neighboring states of Indiana, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Michigan have also made the decision to cancel shows for at least the 2015 season. Of those states, only Indiana has had a flock test positive for avian flu. No human infections have been associated with avian flu.
“The right move isn’t always the easy move, but this is the right move, especially when you see just how devastating the virus has been to other big poultry states like Iowa and Minnesota,” said Daniels.
The Ohio Department of Agriculture has been working with county and independent fair boards to identify options that will keep youth who are already raising poultry from losing their opportunity to have a fair project.
“The experience of raising a live animal to show at the fair builds character and teaches responsibility,” said Daniels. “We don’t want to deprive anyone the opportunity to complete their projects.”
In Richland County, Ohio State University Extension Director and 4-H Extension Educator Judy Villard-Overocker developed a proactive plan for the county’s 4-H and FFA students. She said 44 students chose chicken projects, 43 students chose duck projects and 18 chose turkey projects, meaning 105 students will not be able to bring their projects to the Richland County Fair this year.
“I really felt if there’s any way the kids can have the learning experience, which is raising the birds, what can we do to get there,” she said. “We carefully read the Ohio Department of Agriculture guidelines and worked with folks to come up with a plan to allow the kids pretty much everything as normal up until fair time.”
Students with poultry projects will still raise their birds up until a week before the fair, when they will be taken to the processor. During the fair, the students will still complete a poster about their project, compete in a skill-a-thon knowledge exam, and practice showmanship with an artificial bird.
“Everything will be the same other than no live chickens at the fair,” said Snyder. “It’s business as usual for us, and the kids will still get the experience of showmanship. It will be an educational experience for them not only learning more about birds, but the tough luck that they can’t take them to the fair is also an educational experience for them.”
Villard-Overocker said several other surrounding counties have adopted Richland County’s alternative plan for the poultry exhibits.
“We’re doing the best we can to give them a good learning experience for the summer,” she said. “This is important in this county and I’m appreciative of those who helped come up with the plan.”
Sick birds or unusual bird deaths should be immediately reported to the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health at 1-614-728-6220 or toll-free at 1-866-536-7593. More information can by found at http://healthybirds.aphis.usda.gov or by visiting www.ohioagriculture.gov.
• Monitor flocks for unusual signs of illness such as sneezing, a decrease in egg production or an increase in mortality
• Practice personal biosecurity and avoid contact with sick/dead poultry or wildlife. Wash hands with soap and water
• Keep unauthorized visitors from having contact with poultry. Authorized personnel should wear protective clothing
• Avoid contact between your birds and wild birds whenever possible due to migratory nature of avian flu
• Clean and disinfect farm vehicles or equipment before moving them on and off your property
