PUEBLO, Colo. — Farmers in Colorado who raise birds are cautiously monitoring the bird flu outbreak. The Colorado Department of Agriculture reports the most recent cases were found in Larimer County in North Central Colorado.
"We have turkeys, ponies, horses. We have about everything you can imagine," said Jennifer Dionisio, owner of Three Sisters Farm & Dairy.
Dionisio says her farm is usually filled with kids who want to learn more about animals around this time of year.
"We cut down farm field trips to protect our flock and the public," Dionisio said.
She says it's because of the bird flu cases in Colorado.
Another preventative measure she is taking is minimizing contact with wild birds. Dionisio says she doesn't leave bird feeders for a long time so that wild birds would have fewer chances to mingle with her birds.
"We don't want to spread from our farm to other farms. We want to minimize the risk," Dionisio said.
Another farm in Trinidad, Yoder Family Farm, has 14,000 chickens.
Its owner says he is monitoring the bird flu outbreak and taking similar measures to protect his flock.
"We are not letting chickens outside right now, so they don't come in contact with wild birds," said Jeremy Yoder, Owner of Yoder Family Farm.
According to the Colorado Department of Agriculture's website, farmers are asked to increase biosecurity measures, such as washing hands before and after contact with birds and changing clothes before leaving the property.
They are also asked to monitor their flock and report any unusual behaviors if they see them.
Dionisio says she wants to protect the community and flock because this outbreak is not the first time she's experienced it.
"We want to keep humans safe and animals safe," Dionisio said. "Whatever we can do as a community to stop this outbreak from slowing down."
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