First Iowa farm restocks turkeys after hit by bird flu

A northwest Iowa farmer whose turkey operation was hit by avian influenza is restocking his birds, the Iowa Department of Agriculture said Tuesday, and four other facilities can bring birds back into their barns.

Restocking is an important milestone in recovering from the disease that resulted in the loss of 34 million turkeys, chickens and backyard poultry in Iowa and nearly 50 million birds nationally.

The state said Brad Moline, who farms near Manson in northwest Iowa, finished cleaning and disinfecting his turkey operation after it was hit with bird flu in May. Additionally, testing showed no remaining virus.

The state also said it’s lifting quarantines on the area around 69 of 77 poultry operations that had been infected with bird flu, the agency said Tuesday. The control zones prevented the movement of birds, feed and other related materials within about six miles of an infected facility without the state’s approval.

The state said depopulation and disposal has been completed at all 77 sites, and 16 sites have completed cleaning and disinfecting their operations.

Moline’s farm in Calhoun County was hit by the disease on May 19, the state said. The farm lost 14,400 turkeys, according to the state report.

Moline began restocking his farm on Friday. Altogether, the farm has six barns that can hold 43,200 brooder poults and finisher turkeys.

State and federal farm and emergency management leaders plan to hold a press conference at Moline’s farm Monday morning.