March 5, 2017, Washington — The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic H7 avian influenza (HPAI) of North American wild bird lineage in a commercial chicken breeder flock in Lincoln County, Tennessee. This is the first confirmed case of HPAI in […]
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There are no US outbreaks of AI at the moment, but the situation in Europe and Asia is troublesome. The world Organization for Animal Health (OIE) keeps a running tally of where/when highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI; H5 and H7 serotypes) occurs. As of now, they list 12 European/Northern Asian countries with current (November 2016) […]
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Maintaining horse pastures is the focus of a half-day seminar for horse owners and caretakers on Saturday, Sept. 17, 9 a.m.–noon at the University of Maine J.F. Witter Teaching and Research Center, 160 University Farm Road, Old Town. Topics include improving the nutritional quality of horse pastures, innovative grazing strategies, weed control, managing heavy-use areas, […]
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Basic practices appropriate for small-scale livestock producers and 4-H project leaders will be the focus of a Livestock 101 Field Day from 11:45 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. Saturday, April 2, at the University of Maine J. Franklin Witter Teaching & Research Center, 160 University Farm Road, Old Town. The free public program will demonstrate hands-on […]
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension has published a fact sheet for producers of goats and sheep to determine whether veterinary care is needed. “When to Call the Veterinarian — Tips for Producers of Small Ruminants in Maine” was written by Richard Brzozowski, UMaine Extension food system program administrator; Anne Lichtenwalner, DVM, UMaine Extension associate professor […]
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A new resource that details best management practices for small-scale poultry producers is available from University of Maine Cooperative Extension. “Best Management Practices for Small Scale Poultry Producers in Maine” covers food and water, health and biosecurity, facilities and environment, record keeping and regulations. The bulletin is to help producers implement the highest standards of […]
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Due to the recent outbreak of a highly pathogenic strain of avian influenza (AI) on a large turkey farm in Indiana, poultry producers in Maine are reminded to maintain vigilance against its transmission, even in winter. As a result of the outbreak in Indiana, about 245,000 turkeys and 156,000 chickens have been euthanized, according to […]
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By Anne Lichtenwalner, DVM, PhD, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Winter weather has finally arrived in Maine. Most of us probably have our poultry flocks indoors right now, so we might think that the threat of disease from wild birds is minimal. For now, we still don’t have any poultry cases of avian influenza in […]
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The University of Maine Animal Health Lab staff wish you a happy holiday season! We would like to let you know that we will be closed for the holidays starting on Thursday, December 24th at noon. We will reopen Monday, January 4, 2016 for our regular business hours. Please keep in mind that if you […]
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University of Maine Cooperative Extension and University of Maine Animal and Veterinary Sciences will offer a free program about on-farm composting to manage animal disease and mortalities 3:45–7 p.m. Oct. 7, at Highmoor Farm, 52 U.S. Route 202, Monmouth. UMaine Extension professor Mark Hutchinson, associate professor Robert Causey and graduate student Alexandria Poulin will discuss […]
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