Dover, Del. (November 21, 2023) – The Delaware Department of Agriculture is urging all poultry owners, including commercial producers and backyard flock owners, to take precautions to protect their flocks from disease after a commercial broiler flock in Caroline County, Maryland, was preliminarily confirmed to have tested positive for highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Further confirmation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratory is pending.

Avian influenza is an airborne respiratory virus that spreads easily among chickens through nasal and eye secretions, as well as manure. The virus can be spread in various ways from flock to flock, including by wild birds, through contact with infected poultry, by equipment, and on the clothing and shoes of caretakers. Avian influenza can infect poultry, such as chickens, ducks, turkeys, pheasants, geese, and guinea fowl, and is carried by some wild bird species, such as ducks, geese, shorebirds, and raptors.

Wild birds typically do not show signs of illness but can shed the virus at high levels in their manure or droppings if infected. In fact, one gram of contaminated manure, enough to cover a dime, can infect one million birds. Therefore, Delaware poultry is at risk from exposure if they can access areas where free-flying waterfowl and wild birds are in the environment. Additionally, if a person steps in contaminated manure while out and about, they can bring the virus back to their domesticated birds, where the birds can eat it, causing infection.

Biosecurity refers to everything people can do to protect their flock to stop anything that causes disease away from the birds, property, and people. Anyone raising or working around poultry should follow these key biosecurity practices:

• Wear designated farm clothing and shoes when working with your birds, or use disposable shoe coverings each time you enter your flock area. If you have multiple chicken houses, have a dedicated pair of footwear that you keep in each house. Use footbaths before entering a chicken house.
• Wash your hands before and after working with your birds to reduce the chance of spreading infectious particles.
• Clean and disinfect any equipment or bird housing/coops before bringing them onto your property. Avian influenza can survive in manure for several months, especially with high moisture and low temperatures.
• Starlings, songbirds, vultures, and other raptors can be carriers of avian influenza and not show signs of disease. Consider hanging a bird deterrent in the poultry house doorway when working in the poultry house while doors are open.
• Wash your vehicles and trailers after visiting other poultry facilities, and go through a car wash before you return home.
• Keep visitors to a minimum. Only allow those who are responsible for caring for your flock to come in contact with the birds. Limit, monitor, and record any movement of people, vehicles, or animals on or off your farm using a logbook. If visitors had contact with other poultry, have pet birds, or had contact with wild birds (e.g., hunting), do not let them come in contact with your flock.

When adding birds to your flock, purchase them from a reputable source. The baby chicks purchased at local farm stores come from NPIP-certified flocks tested and shown to be free from avian influenza. When they are two weeks old, these chicks will typically leave the store with their new owner, so they are considered low-risk for having the disease. However, they are more susceptible to contracting the virus from their new environment once they are about three weeks old. Make sure to keep new birds or returning show birds separated from established home flocks for 30 days.

The Delaware Department of Agriculture requires the registration of all locations where live poultry is kept. This allows timely information on disease incidents to be sent to all producers. If you have not registered your flock, please visit https://de.gov/poultry to access the Backyard Flock Registration Form.

No matter the size, all poultry farms should be monitoring flocks for any signs of increased mortality. Pay particular attention to see if any birds show signs of respiratory illness or distress, such as sneezing, gasping for air, coughing, and/or runny nose. Other signs of HPAI in poultry can include swelling around the eyes, neck, and head; purple discoloration of the wattles, combs, and legs; tremors, drooping wings, circling, twisting of the head and neck, or any combination; watery, green diarrhea; lack of energy, poor appetite; and a drop in egg production, or soft or thin-shelled, misshapen eggs.

If You Have Sick Poultry or Experience Increased Mortality in Your Flock:

• Commercial poultry producers should follow the procedures of contacting the company they grow for when they notice signs of disease.
• Delaware backyard flock owners who notice any signs of HPAI in their flock should call the Delaware Poultry Health Hotline at 302-698-4507 or email poultry.health@delaware.gov and provide your contact information, flock size, location, and concerns.
• Backyard flock owners will be contacted if a sample needs to be taken. Do not take dead or sick birds to a lab to be tested or move them off-site.

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DOVER, Del. (April 20, 2023) — The Delaware Department of Agriculture has partnered with Pasa Sustainable Agriculture to assist frontline farm and meatpacking workers who live or work in Delaware in receiving a one-time $600 relief payment through the Farm and Food Workers Relief Program (FFWR).

Frontline farm and meatpacking workers, who incurred expenses preparing for, preventing exposure to, and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, can apply for a one-time, non-taxed $600 relief payment at https://farmworkers.com. Relief payments will remain available until funds are exhausted. Eligible beneficiaries who live or work in Delaware are encouraged to apply early. These payments are not loans, and payment recipients will not be taxed. Only one relief payment can be issued to an eligible beneficiary.

Since farm owners and operators were eligible for COVID-19 relief through other USDA programs, they do not qualify for the FFWR Program unless they have proof of employment as frontline farm or meatpacking workers on farms they do not also own or operate.

Applicants must provide (1) photo identification and (2) acceptable proof of employment as a farm or meatpacking worker within the U.S. and its territories between January 27, 2020, and the end of the incident period for the major disaster declaration related to COVID-19. Immigration status is not one of the eligibility criteria. Youth under 18 are eligible for a relief payment and must provide the same documentation as described above. More eligibility information and required documentation are available at https://farmworkers.com/#eligibility.

Hired workers are those other than agricultural service workers paid for at least one hour of agricultural work on a farm or in a meat processing facility. Worker type is determined by what the employee was hired primarily to do, not necessarily what was done during the pandemic. Eligible applicants should be frontline workers and not those working in management positions.

Worker occupations that qualify as eligible beneficiaries are broken down into three main categories, along with associated titles, include:

Field workers: Includes planting, tending, and harvesting crops, as well as eligible post-harvest activities. It also includes operating farm machinery on crop farms. A list of qualifying crops for field activities is available on the website.

• Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products; Agricultural Equipment Operators; Farmworkers and Laborers, Crop, Nursery, and Greenhouse; Agricultural Workers, All Other; and Packers and Packagers, Hand

Livestock workers: Includes tending livestock, milking cows, or caring for poultry. It also includes operating farm machinery on livestock or poultry operations.

• Graders and Sorters, Agricultural Products; Farmworkers, Farm, Ranch, and Aquacultural Animals; Agricultural Workers, All Other; and Packers and Packagers, Hand

Meatpacking workers: Includes animal slaughtering, meat or poultry processing, and packaging meat or poultry.

• Slaughterers and Meat Packers; Meat, Poultry, and Fish Cutters and Trimmers; and Food Processing Workers, All Others

Eligible beneficiaries are encouraged to protect themselves from scams and fraud. You do not need to notarize documents to apply for the USDA FFWR Program. There is no cost to apply for the relief payment; application assistance is also free. You should never provide personal information to organizations that the USDA has not approved to distribute FFWR relief funds, including personal documents or any other forms of identification.

Assistance is available through Pasa by email in English at support@pasafarming.org and in Spanish at apoyo@pasafarming.org. In addition, phone support is available in English and Spanish by calling (833) 469-3397 on Monday – Thursday, 9 a.m. – 8 p.m. ET, Friday, 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET, and Sunday, 4 p.m. – 8 p.m. ET.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer, and lender. Pasa Sustainable Agriculture is a grantee of the USDA-AMS Farm and Food Worker Relief Program.

DOVER, Del. (March 28, 2023) — The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) is accepting applications through May 1, 2023, for a new Poultry House Demolition Assistance Program announced today. The program provides cost-share assistance to remove old poultry houses past their useful life.

DDA will reimburse the poultry house owner 50% of the actual costs for remediation, up to a maximum of $10,000 per house. Prior to approval, DDA Nutrient Management staff will perform a site visit to verify houses to be removed and discuss the need to manage residual litter or nutrients. Funding will be reserved for approved applications to give applicants time to complete the removals.

“Many poultry houses across Delaware have reached the end of their productive life-span and have been abandoned as producers have upgraded to more environmentally friendly poultry houses,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “Our goal by offsetting the costs to remove these houses is to assist producers in lessening their environmental impact and enhance our rural landscape.”

According to research by the University of Delaware’s Cooperative Extension, the soil under a poultry house can accumulate mineral nutrients through the diffusion of the ammonia component of manure over 30 to 50 years. Once the roof deteriorates, rainwater can enter the house, which can cause the excess nutrients to leach into the groundwater.

Landowners who wish to apply for the Poultry House Demolition Assistance Program can download an application at https://agriculture.delaware.gov/grants-loans. Applications can be emailed to nutrient.management@delaware.gov, mailed to DDA, or faxed to (302) 697-6287. Anyone receiving funding from the Delaware Department of Agriculture must complete a W-9 form online before approval.

Poultry house remediation cost-share is also available through programs such as NRCS-EQIP. Cost-share through the DDA program may be combined with other programs to help the landowner to reduce costs further, but DDA will not reimburse expenses that have or will be covered by another source. The applicant is responsible for meeting the requirements of any other cost-share program used.

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DOVER, Del. (January 26, 2023) – Every five years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) surveys every agricultural producer across the country and in Puerto Rico to obtain a complete account of the industry, its changes, and emerging trends. Less than 25 percent of Delaware producers have responded to the 2022 Ag Census, which could jeopardize farm policy and decision-making about disaster relief, community planning, technology development, and more.

“We know from the 2017 Ag Census that more than half of Delaware’s farms are smaller than 50 acres. This is important to know when Delawareans are trying to decide if they should participate in the 2022 Ag Census because our agriculture industry is evolving to include more small-scale farms,” said Secretary of Agriculture Michael T. Scuse. “We want all producers to respond, including those in rural communities and those involved in urban agriculture. Whether you grow crops or nursery stock, are a beekeeper, or raise livestock or poultry, your participation helps tell the story of Delaware agriculture.”

Farm operations of all sizes which produced and sold, or typically would have sold, $1,000 or more of agricultural products in 2022 are included in the Ag Census.

Producers received a survey code with an invitation to respond online at agcounts.usda.gov in November. Anyone who did not respond before should complete their survey online or submit it by mail no later than February 6. Everyone who received the 2022 Census of Agriculture questionnaire is required to return it, even if they are not currently farming. The first few qualifying questions on the form will determine whether completing the entire questionnaire is necessary.

Responding to the Census of Agriculture is required under Title 7 USC 2204(g) Public Law 105-113. The same law requires NASS to keep all information confidential, use the data only for statistical purposes, and publish in aggregate form to prevent disclosing the identity of any individual producer or farm operation. NASS will release the results of the Ag Census in 2024.

To learn more about the Census of Agriculture, visit https://nass.usda.gov/agcensus.

DOVER, Del. (May 11, 2022)—Federal laboratory testing confirmed cases of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza (HPAI) in samples taken from black vultures initially found sick and dead on April 22 in Harford County, Maryland. Following an investigation by the Maryland Departments of Agriculture and Natural Resources (MDA, DNR) and the U.S Department of Agriculture (USDA) Wildlife Services, the USDA National Veterinary Services Laboratory confirmed samples submitted from the dead birds tested positive for HPAI.

These detections mark the Delmarva region’s first confirmation of HPAI in wild birds since February 17, when the virus was found through wildlife surveillance in a Canada goose in Kent County, Delaware.

HPAI is known to be carried by wild birds, especially waterfowl, raptors, and vultures. Avian influenza is a highly contagious airborne respiratory virus that spreads quickly among birds through nasal and eye secretions and manure. As scavengers, vultures will feed on dead wildlife, including other wild birds. If they ingest the virus, they can get sick and die. It is believed the vultures contracted the virus from eating infected migratory bird species.

Even with the ongoing detections of HPAI in poultry and wild birds in the United States, continuing testing of people in close contact with infected poultry indicates a low risk to the general public’s health. This H5N1 virus has not shown an ability to infect and be transmitted between people. Avian influenza does not affect poultry meat or egg products, which remain safe to eat. Properly cooking poultry and eggs to 165 degrees Fahrenheit will kill viruses or bacteria.

Since the initial detection in Harford County, more than 100 black vultures have died from the disease. A total count cannot be confirmed because wild birds often get sick and die where people cannot see them. Black vultures are also known to fly long distances, which means infected vultures may die in other locations and transmit the virus to other birds, including poultry.

Six farms on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Delaware were identified as impacted by HPAI between February 23 and March 18, 2022. With the first confirmation in a commercial poultry farm, a state-federal response was initiated between the Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA), MDA, and USDA.

Considering the ongoing detections in the black vulture population, all poultry owners need to continue with increased vigilance in protecting their flocks from contracting avian influenza.

 Follow these steps to help manage wildlife and keep avian influenza off your farm:

• Cover waste. Keep mortality and compost piles covered at all times. The recommendation is one part mortalities to two parts litter, with birds in layers no more than 5 inches deep and not placed next to sidewalls. Cover mortalities daily with litter. If vultures are still an issue, cover the bins with netting or a screen.
• Remove standing water adjacent to poultry houses. Grade property to avoid pooling water. Fill or grade areas where water stands for more than 48 hours after heavy rainfall. Don’t walk or move equipment through or near standing water – this could track wildlife fecal matter or other contaminants with the virus into your barns. Never use untreated surface water for watering birds, cleaning poultry barns, or other facilities.
• Manage ponds and basins on poultry farms. Prune or remove plants from banks of artificial water structures. Use wire grids, predator decoys, and scare devices to keep waterfowl away. Use fencing to separate natural ponds from the active area around barns.
• Secure buildings. Regularly check and repair damaged screens on windows and doors and holes in barn walls. Install netting or screens and use repellent gel or bird spikes to deter perching. Wash away or remove old nests before each nesting season. It is unlawful to remove nests with eggs or young birds in them.
• Reduce food sources. Don’t feed wildlife. Remove spilled or uneaten feed immediately and ensure feed storage units are secure and free of holes. Wild birds can carry HPAI.
• Use decoys. Install decoys and scare devices and move them often so wildlife doesn’t get used to them.

If you have sick poultry or experience increased mortality in your flock:

• Commercial poultry producers should contact the company they grow for when they notice signs of disease.
• Backyard flock owners who notice any signs of HPAI in their flock should contact:

o In Delaware, email the Delaware Poultry Health Hotline at poultry.health@delaware.gov or call 302-698-4507 and provide your contact information, size of flock, location, and concerns.
o In Maryland, report any unusual or sudden increases in sick birds to the MDA Animal Health Program at 410-841-5810. Commercial chicken growers and backyard flock owners can email questions about the outbreak to Birdflu@maryland.gov.

If you see sick or dead wild birds, do not handle or move them. Report any sick wild birds.

• For assistance in Maryland, call toll-free 1-877-463-6497. U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services operators are available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except on state holidays. For phone numbers outside of Maryland, please call 410-349-8055.
• For assistance in Delaware, please visit our sick or dead wildlife reporting page or call 302-739-9912 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. After hours, weekends, and state holidays, leave a message at 302-735-3600, Ext. 2.

For more information on avian influenza, visit https://de.gov/poultry or https://mda.maryland.gov/avianflu.

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Additional Information: For all media requests about HPAI, email: JIC@delaware.gov