The federal government should compensate dairy farmers who send dairy cattle to slaughter because of the H5N1 avian flu virus, said Iowa state Agriculture Secretary Mike Naig, in announcing the second outbreak in the state. At least 90 herds in 12 states from Wyoming to North Carolina have been infected since bird flu was discovered in cattle in Texas in March.
“Highly pathogenic avian influenza continues to pose a significant threat to our livestock and the livelihoods of the farmers that care for them,” said Naig.
The ongoing outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, dating from February 2022, is the largest animal disease event in U.S. history. The H5N1 virus has killed nearly 97 million birds, mostly egg-laying hens and turkeys being raised for meat, in domestic flocks. One-fourth of the losses are in Iowa, the No. 1 egg state. Bird flu is believed to have jumped to dairy cattle in the Texas panhandle in late 2023 or early 2024.
Naig said if farmers cull cattle because of the H5N1 virus, the USDA should compensate them for the fair market value of the animals, and lost milk production should be compensated at 90 percent of fair market value — broader support than now offered. A dairy cow can cost from $1,500-$3,000. Last week, a USDA report listed a national average price of $2,254 for a “fresh” Holstein cow.
A Michigan dairy farmer with a 500-cow herd reported the culling of a few infected cows that aborted pregnancies, said Michigan State University Extension in late May. The USDA told Reuters early this month that a few cows have died. Authorities said they knew of cullings in Colorado, Michigan, Ohio, South Dakota, and Texas, sometimes because the cows did not return to full milk production and sometimes because of secondary infections.
Dairy farmers are eligible for up to $28,000 over three months in USDA assistance to implement a biosecurity plan for their farms, to provide protective equipment to employees, to offset the costs of testing by veterinarians, and to cover the cost of safe disposal of milk from infected cows.
Bird flu typically infects older cows and results in fever, loss of appetite and a sharp reduction in milk production. Officials have said cows recover after a couple of weeks. There are anecdotal reports that symptoms persist four to six weeks.
Naig said his department would expand its testing protocols to include dairy farms that are near poultry farms with bird flu outbreaks; nearby poultry farms are tested as a matter of course. “This requirement will provide a better understanding of the possible spread of the virus” and improve the state response, said the Iowa Agriculture Department.
Iowa’s most recent case of H5N1 infection of dairy cattle was in Sioux County, where bird flu was confirmed on an egg farm with 4.3 million hens on May 28. Iowa’s first case of H5N1 in dairy cattle was in neighboring O’Brien County.
Besides the compensation for dairy farmers, Naig said the USDA should boost its indemnity rates for birds lost to HPAI and egg production losses.