CHILLIWACK – When dairy farmers on the flooded Sumas Prairie started evacuating their herds to buddy farms in November 2021, West River Farm in Rosedale took in eight bottle-fed calves. “They were freezing cold,” recalls dairy farmer Sarah Sache. “They were in the water, so it took quite a lot of work to keep them …
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Avian influenza spreads
Sixteen commercial poultry farms in the Fraser Valley have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza over the past week, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. The cases bring the total number of properties affected in the province to 59, with commercial operations now the focus of concern despite ongoing government outreach aimed at …
Dairy meetings highlight costs
BC dairy producers met for business meetings and networking last week, but producer income loomed large on the minds of many. Price hikes have failed to keep up with rising production costs. Several producers remarked that they’re always two years behind current circumstances. During the open discussion that followed the annual general meetings of the …
AI cases keep rising
The number of commercial poultry farms in the Fraser Valley testing positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza has exploded over the past week. Thirteen commercial farms in Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Agassiz have tested positive over the past week, nearly double the number reported this year prior to November 16. The surge is shocking in its …
CFIA simplifies AI protocols
Turkeys have accounted for more than half the commercial farms testing positive in this year’s AI outbreaks in BC, with two farms testing positive this fall on the heels of others earlier this year. The highly pathogenic nature of this year’s outbreak means it can spike a grower’s hopes within days, making early diagnosis key …
Poultry gatherings banned
The province has tightened controls on poultry in the face of a growing number of outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza. With fall bird migrations in full wing, the province’s chief veterinary officer reintroduced an order on October 14 indefinitely prohibiting the comingling of flocks. The order applies to all poultry, fowl, guinea fowl, peafowl, …