An outbreak of the bird flu in Michigan is having a muted effect on dairy farmers and so far has not disrupted supplies of eggs and chicken meat.
Michigan, home to two of three farm workers in America who have contracted the disease, is ground zero for the outbreak. Avian flu has been responsible for the destruction of nearly 100 million chickens in Michigan while infecting 67 cattle herds. Isabella is the northern-most county with infected cattle; chickens were found to be infected in Newaygo County and destroyed.
Avian flu is deadly within bird populations, but healthy cows survive and usually make full recoveries.
Terry Lautner, who owns the only remaining dairy farm in Leelanau, said he’s following a directive from the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development requiring visitors to his operation to sign in and out when they set foot on his farm.
“I haven’t heard of anyone having problems around here,” he said. “Birds I think are more susceptible to it, but cows can get it. People can get it too, but their symptoms are pretty mild — blood shot eyes and not feeling the greatest.
“There haven’t been any cases reported within 100 miles.”
The farm workers in Michigan who became infected were working with cattle, not chickens. Both have recovered. The first case nationally from the latest outbreak was reported in April in a worker in Texas; two others followed in Michigan.
Infections can spread directly from birds and animals, but also through touching equipment or clothing exposed to the virus.
According to a USDA report, the wholesale price for a dozen cartoned eggs increased 20% during the week ending May 31 to $1.91. But prices peaked for the month at $2.03 for the week ending May 3 and fell the next week to $1.57 before taking the late-month spike. The report, from the National Agricultural Statistics Service, may preclude future higher prices as high demand was indicated.
Lautner, however, is in the milk business, and the message he hopes to send to county residents is that milk as well as eggs, which are both pasteurized, are safe to consume.
“The milk is safe, and we take care of our cows. Pasteurization would kill anything that’s in the milk. Any dairy products you buy are made with pasteurized milk. The beef is safe, too,” he said.
Should one of his cows come down with avian flu it would be separated from the herd and given time for convalescence.
“After a couple weeks the cow usually recovers and is producing milk again,” he said.
The Lautners, who reside in Elmwood Township, have 75 milk cows and grow their own feed. They have 200 acres in hay and 215 acres in corn, which was planted weeks ago and responded well to steady douses of rain, Lautner added.
