State cancels poultry exhibits at all fairs

The Ohio Department of Agriculture has canceled all live bird exhibits at county and independent fairs this year to protect the state's $2.3 billion poultry industry from the avian influenza outbreak.

The Mercer County Fair Board will work with junior fair organizers to ensure poultry projects will still be recognized, fair manager Cara Muhlenkamp said in a news release.

All poultry project participants will be asked to finish their projects and submit a photo of their birds to the auction committee to be eligible to participate in the auction, she said. Participants also will be asked to create educational displays to be set up in the poultry barn during the fair.

Muhlenkamp said bidders who purchase birds during the auction likely will not be permitted to pick up the birds.

"We are thinking it will be just be a donation to that student because of the biosecurity issue we are dealing with," she said.

Auglaize County Fair officials are still determining how or if exhibitors can participate.

"We have committees ready to meet to make that decision," said Beth Miller, Auglaize County Extension educator for 4-H youth development. "Our hope is that they can but it will be determining the mechanics of it and how we think that would work."

Auglaize County Fair Manager Fred Piehl said he supports the state's move.

"I was glad the state stepped up," he said. "It's kind of a bad situation for this year but we'll work through it and it will be for the best."  

About 60 junior fair youth exhibitors brought poultry to the Mercer County Fair last year, said Erika Bowers of the Mercer County OSU Extension office. The number of birds was not immediately available this morning. No numbers for open class exhibitors were immediately available this morning from the fair board office. About 85 junior fair youth exhibitors brought 468 poultry to the Auglaize County Fair last year, Miller said. The Auglaize County Fair does not have an open poultry class show.

The cancellation covers poultry and waterfowl exhibits and also extends to the Ohio State Fair and all other gatherings of birds for show or for sale, including auctions and swap meets, the ODA says.

"This was a difficult decision because it means young people can't show their birds at fairs, but 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," ODA Director David Daniels said in a news release. "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."

Since last December, an unprecedented outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5 linked to wild migratory birds has gripped the U.S. poultry industry, affecting more than 44 million birds from commercial and backyard flocks at nearly 200 locations in 15 states, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

No cases of avian flu have been reported in Ohio so far and the ban is intended to keep this extremely contagious disease out of the state, the ODA said. Wild or domesticated waterfowl can carry and spread the virus but they do not show symptoms. The virus is not dangerous to humans and poultry products are safe to eat.

According to ODA, Ohio ranks second in the nation in egg production and ninth nationally in turkey production. The state is home to 28 million laying chickens, 12 million broilers, 8.5 million pullets and 2 million turkeys. Ohio's egg, chicken and turkey farms provide more than 14,600 jobs.