“The U.S. Poultry & Egg Association-sponsored research that investigated in-house composting for catastrophic losses was money well spent that paid for itself many times over during the recent avian influenza challenge on the Delmarva Peninsula.

Earlier planning indicated that in-house composting was the preferred method of carcass disposal since it just about eliminated virus movement outside the houses and because it was environmentally prudent. However, we lacked the details on how to do it right. Thanks to research funded by USPOULTRY and conducted by the University of Maryland and the University of Delaware, we learned how the job should be done.

There was no hesitation to using this new technical information when our first avian influenza-positive farm was discovered and lessons learned from the research carried us through the other positive farms. If we had not had these research results, who knows what technique would have been used and what the outcome would have been.

This research, combined with other procedures already in place, allowed Delmarva's poultry industry to respond decisively and effectively in stopping avian influenza. USPOULTRY's foresight in funding this research saved Delmarva's and America's poultry industry countless dollars.”

Bill Satterfield
Delmarva Poultry Industry