USPOULTRY Seminar Tackles Avian Disease Challenges and Enhances Biosecurity Measures

The recent 2025 Live Production, Welfare and Biosecurity Seminar hosted by USPOULTRY brought together industry leaders to address the serious challenges posed by avian diseases like highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) and avian metapneumovirus. The seminar highlighted the critical importance of poultry housing practices and emphasized the delicate balance between production efficiency and animal welfare.

Insights on Immigration and Labor Issues

Chris Lauderdale, principal at Jackson Lewis P.C., provided an insightful update on immigration and labor challenges currently facing the industry. He pointed out the implications of outdated laws, politicized enforcement, and document fraud. Lauderdale noted that former President Trump signed twelve immigration-related executive orders, while also rescinding five executive orders from the Biden administration. Among these, changes have included increased visa vetting, the ending of humanitarian parole and temporary protected status, and bolstered interior enforcement measures. He informed attendees that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is seeking an additional $75 billion in funding, alongside the expansion of detention facilities and the opening of 10,000 new offices by the year’s end.

Lauderdale encouraged employers to approach inspections with calmness and cooperation, emphasizing the importance of understanding ICE’s limits regarding access to workplaces. He advised maintaining thorough documentation of agent activities and reviewing staffing contracts to ensure compliance and minimize liability risks.

Strengthening Biosecurity Through BCAP

Rachel Hietkamp, a brooder house manager with Cooper Farms’ turkey division, discussed the Biosecurity Capabilities Audit Program (BCAP). She provided an overview of the BCAP process, which entails thorough examinations of biosecurity plans and procedures, as well as an onsite review to ensure compliance with written protocols. This includes perimeter security measures, lines of separation, and effective rodent and wildlife control.

Hietkamp underscored that enhanced biosecurity practices are vital for securing indemnity eligibility and for preventing outbreaks and reinfections of HPAI. She urged attendees to stay adaptable and open-minded when facing challenges, stressing the importance of resource flexibility, teamwork, and innovative problem-solving to maintain production stability and safeguard both employees and flocks.

Wildlife Biosecurity Insights

Keith Wehner, regional director at USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services (USDA-APHIS-WS), presented vital updates on wildlife-focused biosecurity enhancements aimed at preventing HPAI. With HPAI now endemic in North American wildlife, Wehner noted that wild birds significantly contribute to transmission risks for domestic flocks. His presentation included insights from the USDA-APHIS-WS’s Wildlife Biosecurity Assessment, which is expanding its initiatives with emergency funding to assist producers in keeping wildlife away from their poultry.

Innovative Environmental Enrichments

Dr. Karen Schwean-Lardner, a professor at the College of Agriculture and Bioresources, University of Saskatchewan, discussed the potential benefits of lighting and environmental enrichments for broilers and turkeys. She emphasized that effective enrichment should foster normal behaviors, enhance health, and remain economically feasible. Examples such as straw bales and structured platforms were highlighted for their role in increasing activity levels, improving leg health, encouraging positive behaviors, and minimizing disturbances during resting periods.

On the subject of lighting, Schwean-Lardner shared research findings indicating that while broilers and turkeys respond similarly in areas like mobility and eye health, they differ significantly in aspects such as growth rate, feed efficiency, and mortality.

In conclusion, the USPOULTRY seminar provided a comprehensive platform for addressing crucial issues in poultry production, underscoring the need for innovative practices in biosecurity and animal welfare.

Source: US Poultry & Egg Association